Hong Kong and Macau have the full backing of the central government in integrating into the country’s development, a senior Beijing official said on Wednesday.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, met Chief Executive John Lee, who attended the opening of the National People’s Congress (NPC) in the capital.

According to a statement, Xia praised the SAR administration’s performance in recognising and responding to changes, fully promoting high-quality development, and uniting the entire society to focus on the city’s economy and development.

“The central government has always adhered to the comprehensive and accurate implementation of the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, and fully backed the integration of Hong Kong and Macau into the overall development of the country,” the statement read.

Xia was also quoted as saying that he hopes Hong Kong would work to consolidate the city’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, and to become a place for high-performing individuals to gather.

In a government statement, the Chief Executive vowed to lead all sectors of the SAR to proactively integrate into national development, and contribute to the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Separately, the head of Beijing’s liaison office in the SAR urged local NPC deputies to “shoulder the historic mission and responsibility of promoting Hong Kong’s transition from stability to prosperity”.

During a meeting, liaison office chief Zheng Yanxiong pointed out that the delegates should take up four roles to further bolster the territory’s development – athletes, active players, doers, and leaders.

Zheng also highlighted the importance of tapping into the city’s advantages, introducing reforms, supporting the country’s high-quality development, connecting with the mainland and the world, as well as preventing risks.

“Zheng emphasised that over the past few years, Hong Kong has made a number of major accomplishments, and has been widely recognised by the international community,” his office's statement read.

“This year marks the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which is a key year for Hong Kong to accelerate its transition from stability to prosperity.”