Cheng Chung-tai

Hong Kong politician

Cheng Chung-tai

鄭松泰

Cheng in 2021

Member of the Legislative Council
In office
1 October 2016 – 26 August 2021
Preceded by| Albert Chan
Succeeded by| Constituency abolished
Constituency| New Territories West
Chairman of Civic Passion
In office
5 September 2016 – 3 September 2021
Preceded by| Wong Yeung-tat
Succeeded by| Party dissolved
Personal details
Born|  (1983-11-05) 5 November 1983 (age 41)
Hong Kong
Nationality| Chinese (Hong Kong) (1997–present)
Political party| Civic Passion
Alma mater| Hong Kong Polytechnic University (BA)
Peking University (PhD)
Occupation| Academic
Signature|

Cheng Chung-tai

Traditional Chinese| 鄭松泰
Simplified Chinese| 郑松泰
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Zhèng Sōngtài
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Jehng Chùhng taai
Jyutping| Zeng6 Cung4-taai3

Cheng Chung-tai (Chinese: 鄭松泰; born 5 November 1983) is a Hong Kong academic, social activist, and politician. After winning a seat in the New Territories West constituency in the 2016 legislative election, he took over from Wong Yeung-tat as chairman of Civic Passion until the dissolution in 2021.

Before his disqualification in August 2021,[1] he was the sole remaining opposition member in the Legislative Council after the mass resignation of pro-democracy legislators.[2]

## Biography

[edit]

Cheng was born in 1983 in Hong Kong. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and doctoral degree from Peking University.

He was a member of the localist party Civic Passion and participated in the anti-parallel trading protests in 2015. In the 2015 local election, Cheng represented Civic Passion to run against pro-democratic Democratic Party incumbent Albert Ho in Lok Tsui, where he secured 391 votes, while Ho lost his seat to pro-Beijing candidate Junius Ho by a margin of 277 votes.[3]

In the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council election, Cheng represented Civic Passion to run in the New Territories West. He took over Wong Yeung-tat's position as the leader of Civic Passion after his electoral victory.[4]

On 5 January 2017, Cheng declared that Civic Passion would no longer participate in street protests and instead reorient itself to focusing on community work, and to restructure as a political party. As reasons for this step, he cited the risks – several Civic Passion members had been arrested for their involvement in the 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest almost a year earlier –, as well as his view that current public opinion was not supportive enough of street protests.[5]

In September 2017, Cheng was convicted and fined for the offence of flag desecration. In October 2016, he had flipped upside down some miniature Chinese and Hong Kong flags, which legislator Edward Lau had handed out to legislators of the Legislative Council. Lau stated in his testimony that his intention had been to remind legislators that the country should be respected.[6] Cheng regarded the flags as "cheap patriotic acts" and alleged that the pro-Beijing bloc was ignoring issues of actual importance to Hong Kong people.[7] Lau subsequently called the police to report Cheng for flag desecration.[6] On 29 September 2017, the Eastern Magistrates' Court found Cheng guilty and fined him HK$5,000.[8] Lau subsequently stated that the punishment was light, and referred to previous sentences of imprisonment for burning and scrawling on the flag.[6]

On 31 August 2019, Cheng was one of several prominent democrats targeted in sweeping arrests made by police that day.[9]

In November 2020, pro-democracy Legislative Council members resigned en masse to protest against the latest action by the Chinese Government, leaving Cheng the sole opposition legislator; and along with nonpartisan Pierre Chan, one of the two non-pro-Beijing members.

Cheng lost his Legislative Council seat on 26 August 2021 after he was disqualified of his ex-officio membership in the Election Committee, which would be mandated to elect new Chief Executive, as the authorities deemed Cheng "unpatriotic".[1]

## Academic career

[edit]

From 2012 to 2018, Cheng has served as a teaching fellow at the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.[10] He teaches classes on Hong Kong society, Chinese society, and popular culture.[11]

In 2016, he was criticised by Kaizer Lau, a member of the governing council of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for supporting and organising violent protests and advocating for Hong Kong independence. Lau also called for the non-renewal of the employment contract of Cheng.[12]

Cheng lost this position on 30 June 2018 as his teaching contract had not been renewed by the university. He quoted a disciplinary letter from the university as stating: "Your conduct and convictions are inconsistent with the university’s commitment to quality education and aspiration to embrace internationalisation".[13] He alleged that the university's actions were "political persecution" and were unrelated to his teaching performance.[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Hong Kong Autonomy Movement

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Ho, Kelly (26 August 2021). "Hong Kong lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai unseated after failing patriotism test". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
2. ^ "Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers resign after China ruling". British Broadcasting Corporation. 11 November 2020.
3. ^ "Election Results". Electoral Affairs Commission.
4. ^ "黃洋達辭任熱血領導 黃毓民：樹敵多累選情". AM730. 6 September 2016.
5. ^ Tong, Elson (6 January 2017). "Localist group Civic Passion to 'withdraw from all social movements', citing increased risks". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
6. ^ a b c Cheung, Karen (29 September 2017). "HK$5,000 fine for lawmaker who flipped flags 'not a sufficient warning', says pro-Beijing legislator". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
7. ^ Cheng, Kris (12 April 2017). "Hong Kong lawmaker arrested and charged after flipping flags at legislative meeting". Hong Kong Free Press.
8. ^ Cheung, Karen (29 September 2017). "Civic Passion lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai found guilty of 'desecrating' flags during legislative session". Hong Kong Free Press.
9. ^ Grundy, Tom (30 August 2019). "Hong Kong lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai arrested in round-up of pro-democracy figures". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
10. ^ "Dr.CHENG Chung Tai 鄭松泰博士". The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
11. ^ a b Ng, Naomi (12 January 2018). "Hong Kong lecturer decries 'political persecution' after Polytechnic University lets him go over Chinese flag desecration". South China Morning Post.
12. ^ Cheng, Kris (21 April 2016). "CY Leung ally posts 26-point criticism of localist academic on PolyU's 'democracy wall'". Hong Kong Free Press.
13. ^ Tong, Elson (13 January 2018). "Lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai's Poly U teaching contract not renewed after flag-turning conviction". Hong Kong Free Press.

Legislative Council of Hong Kong

Preceded by

Lee Cheuk-yan

|  Member of Legislative Council
Representative for New Territories West
2016–2021  | Constituency abolished
Party political offices
Preceded by

Wong Yeung-tat

as Leader of Civic Passion  |  Chairman of Civic Passion
2016–2021  | Party dissolved
Order of precedence
Preceded by

Lau Kwok-fan
Member of the Legislative Council

|  Hong Kong order of precedence
Member of the Legislative Council | Succeeded by

Roy Kwong
Member of the Legislative Council

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Current members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong

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* Chan Hak-kan
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* Chu Kwok-keung
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Pro-Beijing
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7th Legislative Council of Hong Kong

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