President Xi Jinping fully endorsed the work of senior Macau officials during his second day in the SAR, while also meeting Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who visited the neighbouring city on Thursday. Meeting the heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Macau, the president said the three organs of government have "comprehensively, accurately and unwaveringly" implemented One Country, Two Systems. "Xi said that under the leadership of Macau SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng, the branches performed their duties pragmatically and effectively over the past five years," a Xinhua report read. The news agency added that Xi expressed appreciation to the representatives across different sectors of Macau, assured their contribution to the long-term prosperity and stability, and called on them to "stay united and work for greater achievements". Apart from outgoing leader Ho Iat-seng and his successor Sam Hou-fai, the president also greeted former chief executives Edmund Ho and Fernando Chui. Separately, Xi received Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who was in Macau to attend celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the SAR's establishment. According to Xinhua, the president urged Hong Kong and Macau to "strive for greater accomplishments and achieve better development", while declaring One Country, Two Systems has entered a new stage. "The two special administrative regions should learn from each other, strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and create a brighter future," Xi was quoted by the news agency as saying. CCTV quoted Xi as telling Lee that the country has "very high expectations" for Hong Kong, and wished Lee and his administration sound and stable governance and create a brighter future. Lee, in response, vowed to work hard to boost Hong Kong's economy, strive for development, improve people's livelihood, proactively participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area, and better integrate into the national development.
