BEIJING ?-- President Hu Jintao on Friday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong special administrative region (SAR) CY Leung, saying the principle of "one country, two systems" has been proven successful.

The principle has been successfully implemented in Hong Kong since the region's return to the motherland in 1997, Hu said.

The policy has enabled Hong Kong and the mainland to complement each other and achieve mutual development, he said.

Hu acknowledged the work of Leung and his team since he took office in July this year, especially in tackling housing and poverty issues.

He voiced support for the Hong Kong government and expressed hope that it can contribute more to the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle.

"We have full confidence in Hong Kong's future," Hu said.

Leung is in Beijing to brief officials on Hong Kong's latest economic, social and political developments.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was present during the meeting.