Monday’s high-level closed-door meeting was also attended by Premier Li Qiang, unlike during previous annual duty visits where the city leader briefed the president and the premier separately.

Observers said the new arrangement reflected Xi’s elevated role and a clearer, more direct reporting line for the city after Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs was revamped to report straight to the Communist Party leadership instead of the State Council.

At the central government’s headquarters in Zhongnanhai, Xi gave “full recognition” to Lee and the Hong Kong administration, citing their efforts in conducting the district council election, strengthening the city’s development momentum and working hard to address people’s pressing concerns.

“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government dares to shoulder responsibilities, accomplishes tasks with excellence, and firmly safeguards national security while revamping Hong Kong’s district council system,” Xi told Lee.

“The central government fully recognises the work by you and the Hong Kong government.”

Xi pledged the central government would continue its unwavering commitment to the “one country, two systems” governing principle, the city’s capitalist system and way of life, as well as implementation of “patriots ruling Hong Kong”.

“[The central government] gives full support to the chief executive and his administration to unite all fronts of society to seize the historic opportunities brought by the country’s development,” Xi said.

Hong Kong’s new district councils will be more ‘constructive’: John Lee

“The vitality of one country, two systems will continue to show its superiority. We are confident in the bright future of Hong Kong.”

In a press briefing after the closed-door meeting, Lee was asked whether a looming budget deficit, weak local consumption and a property downturn would derail the city’s development as envisioned by Xi.

Lee said: “Hong Kong, like other cities, is facing the same economic challenges like high interest rates and geopolitical tensions, but we are also lucky under one country, two systems.”

He added: “We are expanding our network by going out of Hong Kong. That’s how we will create a bigger cake for Hong Kong’s development.”

The city leader said he briefed state leaders on five major developments.

He reported that over the year, economic activities had resumed and society had stabilised, and that Xi’s expectations for Hong Kong laid down previously served as a “blueprint” for his administration to improve governance.

Progress of the Northern Metropolis plan was highlighted in the meeting as “a new momentum of growth”, he said, confirming an earlier Post report that the issue was high on the agenda.

He also mentioned the recent district poll, saying it was held smoothly with the principle of “patriots ruling Hong Kong” being applied to district administration.

The “patriots-only” election on December 10 returned 470 councillors with a turnout of 27.5 per cent, the lowest in direct polls since the city’s return to Chinese rule.

Lee pledged to state leaders that Hong Kong would enact its own local security law within the next year, which he said would “effectively safeguard national security” together with the existing Beijing-imposed legislation that was introduced in June 2020.

Monday’s meeting had Lee sitting to the right of Xi and with Premier Li opposite him, along with senior officials overseeing Hong Kong’s affairs flanking both sides of the table.

They included two members of the Politburo Standing Committee: Executive Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, who fronts the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Works; and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee Cai Qi.

This was unlike previous annual duty visits in which the premier, who heads the State Council, would meet a Hong Kong leader separately and set out Beijing’s expectations of the administration, mainly on the economic front.

Commenting on the new arrangement, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), said this highlighted the central government’s strong emphasis on the city’s affairs.

It was conducive to improving the mechanism under which the chief executive was accountable to the central government, implementing national authorities’ comprehensive jurisdiction over Hong Kong, and in accordance with the city’s constitutional order set by the Chinese constitution and the Basic Law, the spokesman noted.

Hong Kong’s first ‘patriots-only’ district poll is ‘real, functioning democracy’

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for semi-official Beijing think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, described the new arrangement as a step to further “standardise and optimise” the chief executive’s reporting mechanism.

“The premier accompanying the president to preside over the chief executive’s work debriefing highlights the leadership of Xi and the Communist Party over Hong Kong and Macau affairs,” Lau said.

The veteran China observer also noted that judging from Xi’s opening words, the president was particularly concerned about national security, improvements in governance, handling of livelihood issues and the city’s integration into the country, which he thought would be the key areas of assessment for Lee.

Chan Yung, vice-chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the arrangement was part of Beijing’s efforts to enhance efficiency in governance.

“This also demonstrated a streamlined reporting line following the HKMAO’s revamp, with the relevant officials attending the work meeting that saw Xi at the core of the leadership,” he said.

Chan said his party, which emerged as the biggest winner of the district poll, would help Lee’s administration in tackling livelihood issues in the “depoliticised” councils, which begin their work next month.

Others present at Monday’s meeting included Xia Baolong, head of the revamped HKMAO, and Zheng Yanxiong, director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong. Communist Party Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chen Wenqing, and head of the party’s United Front Work Department, Shi Taifeng, also attended.

Xi and Li also received Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng after listening to Lee’s report. Xi called on Macau to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule next year with new development achievements.

Hong Kong’s John Lee ‘to discuss Northern Metropolis plan, security’ in Beijing

During Lee’s maiden duty visit to Beijing last December, Xi praised him for leading Hong Kong in a “courageous and pragmatic manner” and said Beijing would support the city’s efforts to pursue extensive international cooperation.

At that time, a key concern for residents was the sluggish economy battered by three years of strict Covid-related travel restrictions. Less than two weeks after the duty visit, the central government announced that mainland China’s border with Hong Kong would reopen on January 8.

The chief executive is expected to meet leaders of various government ministries on Tuesday. He will wrap up his trip on Wednesday afternoon.