BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for perseverance in the fight against poverty as there are only two years left for the country to meet its goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2020.

"There should be no retreat until a complete victory is won," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

He made the remarks when joining deliberation with deputies from Gansu province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.