“The major audience of his reassuring messages are not Hong Kong people but the international community,” Lau said.

“In the past few years, some people in Western countries have been launching smearing campaigns against Hong Kong and even claim that the Chinese government is undermining the common law system in the city,” he said.

In June 2020, Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong, banning acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. There have been concerns raised in Hong Kong about its impact not only on freedoms enjoyed by residents, but also the workings of the city’s courts.

“During his visit to Hong Kong, President Xi deliberately told the international community that the central government attaches great importance to Hong Kong’s unique status and strengths,” Lau said. “The central government will also help Hong Kong to solidify its institutional strengths.”

Delivering a keynote speech at the inauguration ceremony of Hong Kong’s new administration on Friday, Xi highlighted the need to maintain the city’s unique status and connections with the rest of the world.

“Enjoying the backing of the motherland while staying connected with the world is a notable strength of Hong Kong,” he said.

5 key takeaways from Xi Jinping’s speech for Hong Kong’s handover anniversary

“The central government fully supports Hong Kong in maintaining its unique status and strengths on a long-term basis … in maintaining its free, open, and sound business environment, in retaining its common law system, and in expanding smooth and convenient linkages with the rest of the world,” the state leader said.

“The central authorities trust that in the historical course of building a modern socialist country in all respects and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Hong Kong will have an even greater contribution to make,” he said.

Lau said Xi was also speaking to investors especially when he mentioned how the city had one of the freest and most open economies at least three times throughout his address.

“The president’s messages are mainly aimed at boosting foreign investors’ confidence in Hong Kong as he stressed the importance of Hong Kong maintaining connections with the rest of the world,” he said.

Law Professor Chen Xinxin, from the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a think tank in Beijing, said it was crucial for the president to highlight the importance of maintaining Hong Kong as a free and open society connected to the international community.

“The central government treasures these qualities of Hong Kong very much, particularly after the 2019 protests and the coronavirus pandemic,” he said. “Hong Kong’s most crucial value is to serve as the bridge between mainland China, which practises socialism, and major developed countries, which practise capitalism.”

Friday marked the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, the halfway point of Beijing’s pledge to implement the one country, two systems for at least 50 years,

In his arrival speech on Thursday, Xi described the one country, two systems as “a good system” that had ensured the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

Full text of Xi’s speech in Hong Kong

On Friday, he went on to say: “Today, I wish to highlight once more that the policy of one country, two systems, having been tested and proved time and again, meets the fundamental interests of the country and the Chinese nation and those of Hong Kong and Macau.

“There is no reason to change such a good system. And it must be adhered to over the long run!” Xi said.

Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the opposition Democratic Party, said despite Xi’s reassurance about adhering to the one country, two systems, the question to be asked was whether the city’s government would solicit views from dissenting groups with an open mind if it hoped to raise the standards of governance.

“We never say no to communications. The crux is whether the government is willing to reach out to different voices to address its own inadequacies,” he said.

Since the imposition of the national security law, the opposition camp has been hollowed out, with key members in jail, in exile, unseated or out of politics.

The security law was followed by an overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure that only “patriots” ran the city. The pro-­establishment bloc swept all Legco seats last December, except for one won by non-establishment candidate Tik Chi-yuen.

Without referring directly to the anti-government protests of 2019, Xi said Hong Kong had gone through “severe tests” and overcome “various difficulties and challenges” in the past few years but had now gone from chaos to governance and was now poised towards greater prosperity.

He identified upholding harmony and focusing on development as one of his four “high hopes” for the new government led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu who was sworn-in on Friday.

“Hong Kong is the common home for all its people, and a harmonious family will always prosper. Having gone through ups and downs, people have learned the hard way that Hong Kong must not be destabilised and cannot afford any chaos,” Xi said.

“Everyone living in Hong Kong, regardless of their profession or belief, is a positive force for the development of Hong Kong and can contribute their due share to Hong Kong’s development, as long as they genuinely support the policy of one country, two systems, love Hong Kong and abide by the Basic Law,” he said.

Xi’s to-do list for Lee also includes improving government efficiency, boosting economic momentum and addressing livelihood issues.

China watcher Johnny Lau Yui-siu said Xi’s speech did not touch on national security but instead focused on economic development of the city.

“He may want to stress that Hong Kong’s economy will continue to improve and there is a need to lure more investments from overseas,” Lau said.

Song Sio-chong, a professor at Shenzhen University’s Centre for Basic Laws of Hong Kong and Macau, said the expectations Xi laid down for Lee’s administration were the “most explicit” compared with the previous ones given 0n similar occasions since the 1997 handover.

“China has been engaging in intense struggle with other super powers for many years. Beijing does not wish to see Hong Kong’s governance issues cause more troubles to them,” he said.