Chief Executive John Lee has told his Macau counterpart the two SARs are "as close as brothers" with solid economic and trade relations.

He also said, during the exchange with Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai on Friday, that the two cities could enjoy the fruits of economic development by taking part in the development of the Greater Bay Area.

"Lee said that the two cities are as close as brothers, with frequent people-to-people and cultural exchanges, alongside solid economic and trade relations. He noted that the One Country, Two Systems principle is a good policy for maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau," a government statement read.

"He also noted that Hong Kong and Macau, both of which are core cities of the [Greater Bay Area], can achieve complementarity and participate in and promote the development of the [Greater Bay Area] together, benefiting the people of both cities with the fruits of economic development."

It was Sam's first visit to Hong Kong since becoming Macau's leader.

In a separate social media post, the chief executive expressed hope the two cities would cooperate further under the leadership of Sam to carry out the four expectations laid out by President Xi Jinping in Macau.

In December last year, Xi directed Macau to diversify its economy, improve governance, build a high-level platform to enhance China's international connections, and safeguard social harmony and stability.