Elected as the Youngest District Councilor in the 2023 Election
Heated Debate in Political Circles over Her Participation in Beauty Pageant
In Hong Kong, there is a heated debate within the local political sphere over the youngest female district councilor, aged 24, announcing her intention to participate in a beauty pageant. On June 25, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Angel Chong Nga-ting, the 24-year-old district councilor for Sai Kung, has expressed her intention to enter a beauty pageant, sparking controversy. News of her participation broke after she appeared at TVB City in Tseung Kwan O the previous day for the first round of interviews.
Councilor Chong is a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and was elected in 2023 as the youngest councilor. In 2018, she chose to forgo admission to a prestigious British university and instead enrolled at Peking University in China, attending both the School of Government and the Guanghua School of Management, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 2023. Since entering politics, her decision to participate in a beauty pageant has drawn mixed reactions within Hong Kong's political circles. Alice Mak Mei-kuen, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, commented that all district councilors must faithfully fulfill their duties regarding Councilor Chong's participation in the beauty pageant.
The DAB, the party to which Councilor Chong belongs, expressed support for her participation, stating, "We respect diverse choices and believe that, as a councilor, she will not let this interfere with her official duties and will live up to public expectations." On the other hand, an anonymous DAB member revealed, "Most district councilors are so busy with their work that they have little time for other activities, so many members have a negative impression of Chong participating in the beauty pageant."
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, where so-called "Sinicization" is progressing rapidly, the last remaining opposition party is also undergoing dissolution procedures. Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Democratic Party, which was once the largest opposition party in the city's political scene, began the process of dissolution. Around February, foreign media outlets such as SCMP reported that the Democratic Party's leadership had agreed to disband and was handling the necessary procedural matters.
Previously, key figures in the Democratic Party were sentenced to prison under the Hong Kong National Security Law, enacted by the Chinese government in 2020 following anti-government protests. Last year, four former Legislative Council members from the Democratic Party were sentenced by a Hong Kong court to up to six years and nine months in prison for allegedly rigging the pro-democracy camp's primary election and conspiring to subvert state power. Furthermore, the Democratic Party has been barred from participating in all public office elections, has been unable to hold fundraising events, and has been excluded from festivals, leaving the party with virtually no means to continue existing as a political organization. Currently, the Democratic Party has no representatives in either the Legislative Council or the district councils of Hong Kong. Notably, following the implementation of the National Security Law, a series of pro-democracy minor parties, including the Civic Party, have also been dissolved.
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