"I am deeply honored by the appointment and fully aware of the great responsibility upon me," Lee said Tuesday at a press conference at Hong Kong International Airport, held shortly after he touched down from Beijing.

John Lee said that both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang stressed the implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle was key to the city’s long-term prosperity, and the new electoral system suits the development of the principle and also the actual situation of Hong Kong.

“It (the electoral system) will also develop a political and democratic system that Hong Kong needs, and therefore the system should be treasured and persisted,” Xi said on Monday when he met Lee.

Lee said today that the new electoral system will be persisted by him and his governing team, and also implement the one country, two systems principle comprehensively.

Lee said he told premier Li there are “a lot of challenges and difficulties” to overcome before travel with the mainland can resume. “I will start seeking communication with the mainland side, to explain the Hong Kong situation to them,” Lee said.

Lee stated that he still has no short list of candidates for his cabinet that he can disclose but has shared his thinking process with Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. They also discussed about the government restructuring during their meeting today.

The former chief secretary will be sworn into office on July 1, the 25th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to Chinese rule.

All eyes are watching if Xi will come to Hong Kong for the anniversary, which would mark the first time Xi will have left mainland China since January 2020. “Doesn’t have any information on this,” Lee said.