Carrie Lam was elected fifth Hong Kong chief executive Sunday, with 777 votes from the 1,194-member Election Committee, higher than expected. Lam's election by a large margin provides an important basis for Hong Kong's future unity and is to be congratulated.

The election was open and transparent. Lam meets the four criteria for a Hong Kong chief executive, which indicates she is accepted by both the central government and Hong Kong society. She has the condition to lead Kong Kong society in facing myriad current challenges under the Basic Law.

Some opposition forces in Hong Kong launched political campaigns around election time, but had a very limited influence. The radical opposition forces have exhausted their power during several rounds of struggle over political reform. Thanks to the improving governance in Hong Kong, support for extreme resistance is shrinking.

Previously, as the opposition forces continuously hit the bottom line of the Basic Law, advocating unrestricted political rights to object, many people were bewildered and the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong society was impaired. Political turmoil is not the desire of a developed society. When there are growing signs of political chaos, public opinion is bound to oppose it.

In a society like Hong Kong, if the authorities had implemented a line that is unacceptable to the majority, the public would have staged a very intense boycott rather than small-scale demonstrations that we have seen before. The public knows clearly whether the central government is doing what is good for Hong Kong and what kind of democracy is the most feasible and effective in Hong Kong.

The world is undergoing changes. Despite the multitude of uncertainties in the Asia-Pacific, the Chinese mainland and central government will always offer stable and reliable political and economic support to Hong Kong.

We hope that Hong Kong under the leadership of Lam will get rid of infighting, redefine its position in the Asia-Pacific and the world and figure out the main contradictions of development. It needs to seriously take a ride on the express train of the nation's rapid development and properly handle how it maintains its characteristics and strengthens ties with the mainland.

Only with the support of the mainland will most of Hong Kong's advantages be brought into play.

A stronger mainland will provide more opportunities for Hong Kong to build new advantages. The city needs to advance with the times rather than refuse to change.

At a time when globalization has led to extreme disparities between the rich and the poor in many places, how to make the public satisfied with their livelihoods and social equality is undoubtedly a major challenge. We believe Lam, with rich experience of government work, will spare no effort to promote progress in this regard, both for the good of Hongkongers and the country.