Hong Kong's new leader Carrie Lam pledged to mend political rifts in the city after winning a vote dismissed as a sham by democracy activists who fear the loss of cherished freedoms.

Lam was chosen as the next chief executive by a mainly pro-China committee and was widely seen as Beijing's favourite candidate. 

"Hong Kong, our home, is suffering from quite a serious divisiveness and has accumulated a lot of frustrations. My priority will be to heal the divide," said Lam.