BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The successful election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) marked an important achievement in further consolidating and developing high-quality democracy in the region, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Monday.

The spokesperson said that the election was successfully held on Sunday in a safe, orderly and smooth manner, adding that voter turnout in the Election Committee subsectors, functional constituencies, and geographical constituencies all recorded significant increases from the previous election, fully reflecting public sentiment in Hong Kong.

The spokesperson noted that as the election entered the campaigning stage, a sudden fire incident in Tai Po inflicted serious trauma on Hong Kong. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the HKSAR government, various sectors of society and the broad electorate, the election was carried out with complete success.

It fully demonstrated Hong Kong society's unity, resilience, and determination to overcome difficulties, and highlighted the advancement and strengths of the new electoral system under the full implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the newly elected members of the Legislative Council are all patriots who love the country and Hong Kong, and are capable, committed and dedicated to serving the community. They have won broad recognition and support from voters.

The spokesperson added that it is hoped and believed that the new-term legislators will fully, faithfully and unswervingly implement the "one country, two systems" policy, always uphold national sovereignty, security and development interests as the top priority, and promote Hong Kong's better integration into and contribution to the country's overall development. Enditem