Electoral Affairs Commission of Hong Kong has officially announced Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to be the new chief executive for the next five years.

Former chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, once the number two figure in the special administrative region's government, acquired 777 votes from the election committee of almost 1,200 members from different sectors of Hong Kong society, while the other two contenders John Tsang Chun-wah, former financial secretary, had 365 votes, and Woo Kwok-hing, a retired judge, secured 21 votes.

In the coming days, the State Council will appoint the 59-year-old woman as Hong Kong’s chief executive and she will officially swear in on July 1, when the city celebrates the 20th anniversary of its return to China.

Lam's campaign focused on people’s livelihood and economic development in the financial hub, along with issues such as affordable housing, investment on education, tax cuts in favor of small businesses, and new-style governing.‍

In her view, education is the “most important investment for Hong Kong,” so much so that she pledged during her campaign to add HK$5 billion more to increase education spending. “A stable, caring, and inspiring environment for students, parents, teachers and principals” is what her government is eager to build up.

Lam was pleased to have more public engagement in the local governance and to share the fruits of economic development with members of the public. She called the governance in the city where is seen as the capital market economy, should feature business facilitation and to boost investment for further development.

“Without the necessary atmosphere and conditions, any (restart of political reform) would only be disappointing,” Lam said.