Premier Li Keqiang on Monday met with Leung Chun-ying and Chui Sai On, chief executives of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, praising the regions' roles in boosting the country's overall development.

Li vowed that the country's new leadership will uphold the "one country, two systems" policy and fully support the lawful ruling of the two chief executives and their governments, with strengthened exchanges between the two regions and the mainland.

Noting that the two regions are in a crucial development period, Li urged local people and the governments to safeguard the Central Government's authority while boosting their competitive power in the region.

According to Li, joint efforts should be made to develop the economy, improve people's livelihoods and properly handle all manner of issues.

The two executives came to Beijing to attend the closing ceremony of the first session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, on March 17.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2013)