Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a group deliberation of deputies from Qinghai Province to the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2016. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, March 10-- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater efforts in eco-system protection and poverty relief in the country's ethnic regions Thursday.

He made the remarks when joining national lawmakers from the northwestern province of Qinghai on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session.