SHENZHEN - Hong Kong and Macao deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) should resolutely safeguard national security and the rule of law in the special administrative regions, a senior NPC official said.

Wang Chen, vice chairman and secretary general of the Standing Committee of the NPC, made the remarks Monday at a briefing in south China's Shenzhen, attended by NPC deputies from Hong Kong and Macao.

At the briefing, held by the committee's general office, Wang urged unwaveringly, comprehensively and correctly implementing "one country, two systems" and the basic laws, and ensure the practice of "one country, two systems" always moves in the right direction.

He called on the deputies to stand firm when it comes to "issues of right or wrong and major issues of principle."

He also asked them to continuously help maintain stability and social harmony in the special administrative regions, give full support to their respective chief executives in governing according to law, and bolster economic development and improve people's lives.

Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance briefed the Hong Kong and Macao deputies on the economic and social progress in 2016.