HONG KONG (Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday (July 1) met with John Lee, the newly inaugurated chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), expressing full support for the chief and confidence in Hong Kong’s future.

The central authorities will fully support Lee and the sixth-term HKSAR government in law-based governance, Xi said while meeting with the chief executive who was sworn in on Friday morning.

“We have full confidence in you and the new-term HKSAR government, and we have full confidence in Hong Kong’s future,” Xi said.

The president expressed his hope that Lee will faithfully fulfil his constitutional responsibilities as the chief executive and lead the HKSAR government in fully and faithfully implementing the principle of “one country, two systems” and the basic law of the HKSAR.

Xi called on Lee to unite people from all walks of life in advancing Hong Kong’s prosperity and writing new chapters of the practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong.

Expressing his gratitude for the trust of Xi and the central government, Lee pledged to lead the HKSAR government in improving governance and making new advances in Hong Kong’s development.

Accompanied by Lee, Xi also met with senior figures of the HKSAR’s executive, legislative and judicial bodies.