Many celebrities from Hong Kong were made members of provincial political consultative conferences across China this week, sparking a heated public debate.

One such celebrity is Hong Kong film star Stephen Chow Sing-chi, who ought to have participated in the opening session of the Guangdong provincial political advisory body's conference on Wednesday. But he was absent.

Hong Kong actress Diana Peng, who is rumored to have acted in some adult movies in the early part of her career, was made a political adviser in Gansu province on Tuesday, sparking an even fiercer online debate than Chow.