State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi said on Friday that ending violence and restoring order is still the most urgent task for Hong Kong at the moment, and he hoped that Hong Kong police could be firm and confident in safeguarding the rule of law in the special administrative region.

He said the central government and the ministry will stand firmly behind the police team in Hong Kong, and expressed hope that mainland police and Hong Kong police could strengthen cooperation to jointly safeguard national security and protect Hong Kong's social stability.

Zhao made the remarks in Beijing while meeting with Tang Ping-keung, Hong Kong's newly appointed police commissioner, according to a ministry release.

Zhao said that President Xi Jinping, in his speech made on Nov 14, revealed the serious harm and nature of radical violent crimes in Hong Kong, and made clear the basic position and attitude of the central government on the situation in Hong Kong.

In the past few months, the police force in Hong Kong has made arduous efforts to safeguard the rule of law, maintain social stability, protect the safety of local residents and property, as well as to safeguard the "one country, two systems" principle and protect national security in Hong Kong, he said.

Zhao said the team has played a role of "mainstay" in the above-mentioned areas, and expressed hope that the Hong Kong police, under the leadership of Tang, could maintain high morale standards, and be confident and resolute while performing their duties in the future.

He stressed that ending violence and restoring order remains the most urgent task for Hong Kong, and he hoped that Hong Kong police could achieve the goal as early as possible.

Tang said the police team in Hong Kong would be committed to the efforts to stop riots and restore Hong Kong's order as soon as possible. The team would unite all sectors of the Hong Kong society to safeguard the principle of "one country, two systems", and to strive for the prosperity and stability of the special administrative region, according to the ministry release.