MACAO, Dec. 18 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Ho Iat Seng, the outgoing chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), expressing the central authorities' full acknowledgment of the work of Ho and the fifth-term Macao SAR government.

Xi said Ho has risen to challenges in a pragmatic and productive manner during his five-year term as chief executive. "This is no easy task, yet you have achieved high accomplishments," he noted.

Xi arrived in Macao earlier in the day for celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inauguration of the SAR's sixth-term government. He will also inspect the Macao SAR.