Vice Premier Han Zheng on Friday met Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam in Beijing.

Han, also the head of the leading group on the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, praised Lam's government for "overcoming all kinds of difficulties and dealt with challenges" posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The HKSAR government led by the chief executive took active actions to prevent and control the virus, stabilize the economy, relieve people's hardship, firmly implement the national security law, and maintain the city's overall stability, and these actions have achieved remarkable results, Han said.

The central government "fully supports any causes for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and its people," Han said.

Lam expressed gratitude to the central government for its strong support for Hong Kong. She said the HKSAR government would make good use of the central government's various support measures to seize national development opportunities to promote Hong Kong's economic development and improve people's livelihood.

During her three-day trip to Beijing, Lam also met six ministers of the central government, including the minister of commerce, minister of science and technology, head of the national health commission, and head of the civil aviation association.

Speaking at a media briefing before heading to south China's Guangdong Province, Lam said that Hong Kong is steadfast in integration with the mainland's economy.

The chief executive said she could not disclose substantial details of her meetings until her annual policy address later this month, but lifting Hong Kong out of economic plights has been her priority.

Economic integration and development would be a gradual and ongoing effort, she said, adding that the central government will support Hong Kong's competitiveness, as well as tech innovation in the Asian financial hub.

Lam postponed her annual policy address last month ahead of her trip to the mainland. She plans to deliver the address on November 25.

In response to CGTN's question regarding the ongoing U.S. election, Lam said she hopes Hong Kong's relationship with the U.S. will return to normalcy.

"The U.S. has had solid relationship with Hong Kong, and we hope to continue that," she said.

"To whatever U.S. administration of the day, I would like to make this appeal that every government should respect the jurisdiction of another country or territory. For the last years, the U.S. has interfered with Hong Kong with unilateral, unjustified sanctions. I hope relationship will come back to normalcy and be built on mutual respect," she told.

The Hong Kong chief will later head to Guangzhou and Shenzhen for talks about the Greater Bay Area development.

(CGTN's Sun Ye also contributed to the story.)