Kong Qingju, a deputy to the National People's Congress, showed President Xi Jinping photos of two rare "cats" – the snow leopard and Chinese desert cat - when he took part in discussions with lawmakers from Qinghai province at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress on Sunday.

The images were captured by infrared cameras in the northwestern province, and both depicted Class A protected animals in China.

During the discussions, six lawmakers delivered speeches on topics such as poverty relief, environmental protection and social governance. Xi listened to what the deputies had to say and asked questions.