Chinese tech entrepreneur Lei Jun said on March 9 that China's manufacturing industry needs both hard power and soft power to support its overall development.

The founder of Xiaomi was among 10 deputies introduced at the second passage interview at the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Lei listed innovation, quality, design, and Internet Plus as the four pillars supporting the growth of the sector.

He said innovation including core technology breakthroughs and obtaining a technical discourse was the most important methods for development.

Quality is also very important as only by improving the quality of Chinese-made goods, can China's manufacturing sector change its old image, he said.

Besides hard power, Lei said soft power such as improving product designs and user experiences are equally important, saying "customers now only buy products which they think are good-looking."

He suggested China improve its own design abilities and cultivate more designers to build up Chinese brands worldwide.

Lei also attached importance to Internet Plus saying it has helped Xiaomi to grow. After just seven years, the tech firm's income reached 100 billion yuan (about $15.7 billion) last year.

According to the government work report delivered at the ongoing session of the NPC, China will launch an initiative to shore up weaknesses in major equipment manufacturing amid efforts to become a global manufacturing giant.

China will work toward meeting the highest international standards, encourage workmanship, and ignite a revolution in the quality of Chinese-made goods.