Development top priority for HK: Xi Jinping

"Development, an abiding pursuit, is crucial for Hong Kong's survival, and it holds the golden key to resolving various issues in Hong Kong," he said.

A fishing boat takes part in a parade to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, in Hong Kong, July 1, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai]

Xi made the remarks when attending a gathering here celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The mainland's continuous and rapid development over the years provides an invaluable opportunity and an inexhaustible source of strengths and broad space for Hong Kong's development, Xi said.

"It is important to cherish the opportunity, seize it and focus your energy on Hong Kong's development," he stressed.