Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced his "full trust" in John Lee, the newly elected and appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Monday afternoon at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Xi congratulated Lee on winning the election and his appointment by the central government and commended Lee for his unwavering love for the country and the HKSAR, for his readiness to take on responsibilities, for his initiative and for fulfilling his duties in different positions. 

He told Lee that he has contributed to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and that the central authorities fully affirm and trust him.

Xi noted that since last year, under the new electoral system, the HKSAR has successfully held elections for the Election Committee, the seventh-term Legislative Council and the sixth-term chief executive.

It has been proven that the new electoral system played a decisive role in implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," ensuring the position of Hong Kong people as their own masters and facilitating a good environment in which all sectors of society work together for Hong Kong's development, Xi said.

He added that the system is a political and democratic system that is in line with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and suited to the realities of Hong Kong and its needs for development, which thus must be cherished and upheld for a long time to come.

Xi stressed that this year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and, despite the many challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong has been a resounding success. 

The central authorities' resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" has never wavered, still less will it change, he said.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the central government, the HKSAR government and the whole of society, Hong Kong has achieved a return to order and is now at a crucial stage of advancing toward prosperity, he said.

He added that he believes the new HKSAR government will bring refreshing changes to the governance of Hong Kong and that the region will open a new chapter of development.

Lee, who won the chief executive election on May 8, will assume office on July 1, 2022.