HONG KONG -- President Xi Jinping on Friday met with a group of central government officials based in Hong Kong and senior executives of Hong Kong branches of mainland enterprises and institutions.

Over the past 20 years, the successful practice of the "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has won global recognition, said Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Xi's three-day tour in Hong Kong will see him attend celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China and the inauguration of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Inspection of the HKSAR is also on his schedule.

Facts have proved that the "one country, two systems," a ground-breaking endeavor of socialism with Chinese characteristics, is fully workable, practicable and popular, Xi said.

He noted that the central government offices based in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong branches of mainland enterprises and institutions have scored remarkable achievements in supporting the chief executive and the HKSAR government in carrying out administration pursuant to law and deepening HKSAR's exchanges and cooperation with the mainland.

The practice of the "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong is deepening, said Xi, urging the participants of the meeting to be more confident of the "one country, two systems" policy and more conscientious in its implementation.

He called on them to be willing to take the lead, perform duties with dedication, counter challenges head-on, seek new progress through pioneering and persistent efforts, and observe the discipline strictly.