HONG KONG - Under the support of the central government, Hong Kong has leveraged its own advantages to make remarkable achievements in basic research, talent cultivation, and development in the innovation and technology sector in recent years, President Xi Jinping said Thursday.

Xi made the remarks during an inspection tour of the Hong Kong Science Park, accompanied by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam.

He had warm exchanges with Hong Kong-based academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, researchers, and young entrepreneurs.

The president arrived in Hong Kong Thursday afternoon to attend a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR on July 1.

The science park, the largest research and development and business incubation base in Hong Kong, is currently home to more than 1,100 enterprises and 17,000 innovators.

The HKSAR government should give full play to the role of technological innovation in supporting and leading economic development, Xi said.

In a visit to the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the park, Xi learned about the progress in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and encouraged researchers to make more world-leading achievements.

When talking with academicians, researchers, and youth representatives of innovation enterprises, Xi called on Hong Kong to better cooperate with mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, strengthen the collaborative development of enterprises, universities and research institutions, and strive to build the bay area into a global highland for scientific and technological innovation.

Xi expressed the hope that the tradition of loving the motherland and Hong Kong will be carried forward and more contribution will be made to build China into a global leader in science and technology.

Efforts should also be made to pave way for the youths, providing them with more growth space, Xi said.

On Thursday afternoon, Xi's wife Peng Liyuan visited the Xiqu Center in the West Kowloon Cultural District, which is a venue for the art of Chinese traditional theater.

She watched rehearsals and spoke highly of the performances, calling the show a display of the charm of Chinese culture. Peng also encouraged Hong Kong's younger generation to have an in-depth understanding of fine traditional Chinese culture and inherit and promote the culture.