Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in Beijing on Wednesday, when Xia called on the city to make greater contributions to national development.

The meeting followed Lee’s attendance earlier in the day at the opening of the annual session of the nation’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress.

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Xia said that two sessions — the yearly gatherings of the NPC and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee — is essential to the nation’s political life, making it of great importance that Lee and Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai attended the event.

Xia reiterated the central government’s commitment to fully and accurately implementing the “one country, two systems” principle, and unwaveringly supporting Hong Kong’s and Macao’s integration into the national development.

Acknowledging the achievements of Hong Kong’s governance team led by Lee, Xia praised its firm implementation of President Xi Jinping’s important directives concerning Hong Kong and Macao affairs, and its active response to central government initiatives.

Lee’s team has proactively adapted to changes, uniting all sectors of society to maintain high-level security and promoting high-quality development, Xia said.

Xia expressed confidence that by leveraging the institutional advantages of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong will further consolidate its established strengths, attract high-caliber international talent, and capitalize on the rising opportunities and strive for progress.

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In a social media post, Lee thanked Xia for his guidance and care to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, saying the SAR government will continue to unite all sectors of society to pursue reform and innovation.

Also on Wednesday, Zheng Yan-xiong, an NPC deputy and director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, joined Hong Kong deputies in deliberating the Government Work Report.

He suggested Hong Kong leverage its institutional advantages, adopting innovative and reformative mindsets, exploring emerging industries, deepening worldwide connections, and enhancing security capacity. Highlighting Hong Kong’s accomplishments as evidence of effective governance and social unity, Zheng called on Hong Kong NPC deputies to lead the city’s development and contribute to its governance and prosperity.