President commends Lam’s role as chief executive

President Xi Jinping commended on Thursday outgoing Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s contributions to returning the city from chaos to order, saying that the central government fully recognizes her work in the past five years.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Lam in Hong Kong. He said that over the past five years, Lam, supported by the central government, had faithfully honored her constitutional responsibility as chief executive and firmly followed and implemented the principle of “one country, two systems” as well as the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR.

Lam had led the SAR government in administering Hong Kong in accordance with the law, uniting residents from all walks of life in stopping violence and chaos and making all-out efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and actively integrating the region’s growth into the country’s overall development, Xi said.

The president praised Lam for her courage in shouldering responsibilities, saying that she had made painstaking efforts and important contributions in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and returning the city from chaos to order.

He expressed his hope that Lam would actively support the incoming chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, and the new SAR government in exercising law-based governance, and that she would continue to contribute to the development of Hong Kong and the motherland.

Lam expressed her sincere gratitude to Xi for his attendance at the meeting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong SAR, as well as his inspection of Hong Kong, despite the recurrence of the pandemic in the region.

Xi’s visit fully demonstrates his personal care for Hong Kong compatriots, she said.

The past five years were eventful in Hong Kong, Lam said, adding that it was a great honor to contribute to realizing the principle of “one country, two systems”. She wished the nation strength and prosperity and hoped that Xi’s inspection tour of Hong Kong would be a great success.

Xi also met with Leung Chun-ying, vicechairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

During the meeting with Leung, who is also a former chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR, Xi praised him for the tremendous efforts he has made in promoting national modernization and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.