BEIJING — The top priority for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) at the moment is to make all-out efforts to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, Vice-Premier Han Zheng said on March 7.

Relevant departments of the central authorities and localities should give full support to the Hong Kong SAR, ensure the supply of daily necessities, strengthen manpower and material support in medical aid, and ensure the stability of people's lives and the society, Han said when attending deliberations of Hong Kong and Macao delegations at the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the Macao SAR should consolidate its achievements in epidemic control.

He noted that in the past year, with the strong support of the central government and under the leadership of the chief executives and the SAR governments, Hong Kong and Macao have maintained overall social stability and made new progress in their democratic practices.

The vice-premier called for building Hong Kong into an international financial center and an international technology and innovation center, making good use of the opportunity of building the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, and actively integrating the two SARs into the overall national development.