Chinese president 'full of praise' for CY Leung's post-reform strategy for Hong Kong

President Xi Jinping has commended the work of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and his government - according to Leung himself.

Xi was also "fully affirming" of Leung's strategy to focus on economic development and livelihood issues after the government's political reform plan could not get past the Legislative Council.

The president's comments were revealed by Leung yesterday after the two met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Manila.

It was also Leung's first official meeting with Xi since the Hong Kong government's failure to push through Legco in June the Beijing-devised electoral reform package for the city's 2017 chief executive poll - widely considered a major setback for the Leung administration.

"President Xi said the central government fully affirmed my work, and that of [my] government," Leung told reporters after the meeting. "He hoped that I, and the government, could continue to make unremitting efforts to promote Hong Kong's development."

Leung said he had reported the city's latest social, political and economic developments to the president.