Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is currently paying a duty visit to Beijing.

Premier Li Keqiang meets with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is currently paying a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

During the meeting, Li heard a report on Hong Kong's current situation and the HKSAR government's work.

Vice Premier Han Zheng also attended the meeting.

Li said that since taking office as the SAR's sixth-term chief executive, Lee has led the HKSAR government in actively responding to public concerns, focusing on revitalizing the economy and exploring solutions to deep-seated economic and social problems. Li said the central government fully acknowledges the performance of Lee and the HKSAR government.

Li said the central government will continue to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the "one country, two systems" policy, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy. It will also ensure that the central government exercises overall jurisdiction over the region. The central government will see that Hong Kong is administered by patriots, and give full support to the chief executive and the SAR government in their law-based administration.

Li said the future of Hong Kong is closely linked to that of the motherland, calling on the SAR government to unite people from all sectors of Hong Kong, to fully leverage the region's distinctive edges while integrating Hong Kong into the country's overall development.

The region should take advantage of the strong support from the motherland and its own close connection with the world market, to expand its high-level opening-up, consolidate and improve its status as an international financial, trade and shipping center, and build an international center of innovation and technology.

Li also expressed his hope that the SAR government will continue its efforts to pursue economic growth and improve people's well-being, so as to deliver benefits to the Hong Kong people via development.

With the orderly implementation of optimized COVID-19 prevention and control measures, Li said relevant authorities must step up communication and coordination to facilitate the gradual resumption of normal personnel exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Lee expressed gratitude to the central government for its care and support for Hong Kong, and pledged efforts to leverage Hong Kong's strengths to meet the needs of the country and bring the region to a new development stage in the coming year.