Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has urged Hong Kong to act more firmly in safeguarding national security while recognising the city's effort in implementing Article 23 legislation, according to attendees at a meeting with the top official in Beijing on Friday.

Ding, who's also a Politburo Standing Committee member and heads the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, held a closed-door meeting with local deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) on the sidelines of the "Two Sessions".

During the 90-minute meeting, the vice premier was quoted as saying the SAR made “new progress and breakthroughs” in the past year, such as enacting its own national security law.

Starry Lee, the city’s sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee, said Ding attached great importance to what has been happening in Hong Kong.

Addressing the meeting, Lee said NPC deputies must “be pioneers and lead by example”, and that security is the prerequisite for development.

“At present, Hong Kong’s long-term stability is hard-won and must be cherished even more," she said.

“[As Hong Kong delegates], we must firmly safeguard national security and have the courage to say 'no' to all words and actions that violate the Constitution and the Basic Law.”

NPC delegate Ma Fung-kwok told reporters after the meeting that Ding highlighted the passage of Article 23 legislation last year.

“He mentioned that this is a very important achievement, in terms of legislation concerning national security,” Ma said.

"He didn’t elaborate much on those directions. He just restated that we had done a very good job.”

Ding also noted the city’s economic recovery and its increased influence globally, Ma added.

The director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Xia Baolong; the head of Beijing’s liaison office, Zheng Yanxiong; and Minister of Science and Technology, Yin Hejun, were also present at the meeting.

Ding met Hong Kong and Macau delegates of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference a day earlier.