HK comedian elected to political advisor

And lastly they say politics and show biz go hand in hand... Well, Chinese celebrities are now exerting their influence in more ways, including Hong Kong comedy king, Stephen Chow...

He has just been elected to the political consultative body of China's southern province of Guangdong, with two other Hong Kong celebrities.

As political advisors their new job will be submitting proposals to the government.

The Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference welcomed three new members on Sunday.

Apart from Stephen Chow, the other two are Phoenix TV commentator Ding Sheng Ma and actor Kent Tong - all from Hong Kong.

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was established in 1949 as a key advisory body for multi-party cooperation and political consultation, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

The members, known as political advisors, are people of social influence in different walks of life.

Xie Weifeng, a commentary writer, says celebrities are more likely to attract public attention when they express their opinions - creating an opportunity for them to exert their influence, for the public good.

But the public aren't all sure about that, given some celebrities have shown an inability to offer constructive advice...

The Guangdong committee staff members say they will set up duty files for their members, as a key assessment for their performance.

And those who fail to perform their duties, will lose their posts.