Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 10, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping will attend a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will also attend the swearing-in ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.  

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The HKSAR’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Chief Executive-designate John Lee Ka-chiu have both welcomed the president’s attendance.

President Xi's attendance at a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR fully shows the importance that the central authorities attach to and their support for Hong Kong, for which I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the HKSAR.

Carrie Lam, HKSAR's chief executive

“Over the past five years, with President Xi's warm regards and the central authorities' full support, the HKSAR has been steadfastly implementing the 'one country, two systems' principle,” Lam said in a statement issued on Saturday.

“President Xi's attendance at a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR fully shows the importance that the central authorities attach to and their support for Hong Kong, for which I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the HKSAR,” she said.

For his part, Lee said the successful implementation of “one country, two systems” has proved to be the “best institutional safeguard ever” for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong since its return to the motherland.

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“Hong Kong is at the crucial stage of advancing from chaos to governance, and gradually towards prosperity,” Lee said in a separate statement.

“We are delighted by the President's attendance of a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term HKSAR government. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to President Xi for his caring and support for Hong Kong,” Lee added.