CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong met Chief Executive John Lee, who was in the capital for the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), in Beijing today.

Mr Xia said the Chief Executive has been leading the governance team of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in resolutely implementing the guiding principles of important speeches by President Xi Jinping on Hong Kong and Macau affairs and the central government's strategic decisions.

He noted that under Mr Lee's leadership, the team has shouldered its responsibilities courageously and striven for excellence with dedication in resolutely safeguarding national security and steadfastly promoting high-quality development, making remarkable achievements in various policy areas of the Hong Kong SAR.

When hearing the Chief Executive's report on the work of the Hong Kong SAR last December, President Xi stressed that Hong Kong should proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan.

As the fourth session of the 14th NPC will soon examine the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Mr Xia said he believed that the Hong Kong SAR Government and different sectors of the Hong Kong community will certainly seize the opportunities, with a focus on the overall national development and taking full account of Hong Kong's actual circumstances, in formulating the city's first five-year plan, upholding and improving the executive-led system, continuously enhancing the efficacy of governance in accordance with the law, and giving full play to Hong Kong's unique advantages and important role of maintaining close connections with both the Mainland and the world.

Mr Xia said he is confident that the Hong Kong SAR Government and the community will consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, accelerate the city's development into an international innovation and technology centre, and develop it into an international hub for high-calibre talent, achieving better development by integrating into and serving the overall national development.

The Chief Executive thanked Mr Xia for his guidance and care for the Hong Kong SAR, and his support and recognition to the work of the Hong Kong SAR Government.

He noted that this year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and is a crucial year for further deepening reforms comprehensively.

Mr Lee highlighted that since assuming office, the current-term Hong Kong SAR Government has been actively consolidating and implementing Hong Kong's positioning in the development of the "eight centres" as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

Upholding fundamental principles while being innovative, the Hong Kong SAR Government has striven to explore new areas of economic growth, consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, and develop the city into an international hub for high-calibre talent.

It is accelerating Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology centre, and promoting the development of the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone.

Mr Lee added that the Hong Kong SAR will seize the opportunities in the National 15th Five-Year Plan to gallop on its course of development with full momentum and fully leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle.

The Chief Executive will lead the Hong Kong SAR Government to expedite the formulation of Hong Kong's five-year plan to ensure comprehensive alignment with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong will proactively integrate into and serve the overall national development, contribute to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt & Road Initiative, and tell the good stories of the country and Hong Kong, thereby achieving greater development for the city, making greater contributions to the building of a great country in all respects and advancing toward national rejuvenation.

The meeting was also attended by the the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the Central Committee of the CPC and the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Xu Qifang; Deputy Directors Zhou Ji and Nong Rong; and the Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR Dong Jingwei.