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Chinese social media attacks Hong Kong star Karen Mok for supporting ban on eating dogs and cats

  • The Hong Kong singer-actress, who is an animal-rights activist, praised the dog and cat meat ban in Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong
  • Some Chinese netizens reacted angrily, accusing her of calling their country ‘uncivilised’. Others showed their support for Mok

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Karen Mok has attracted the ire of Chinese social media for praising the ban in Shenzhen on eating dogs and cats.
Haneesa Begum

Hong Kong singer-actress Karen Mok has come under fire on Chinese social media after showing her support for the upcoming ban on the consumption of cats and dogs in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Shenzhen’s move followed a resolution passed by the standing committee of the National People’s Congress in February to ban the trading and consumption of wild animals, a practice that has been blamed for helping to spread the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Shenzhen’s ban also covers other species regularly consumed in China such as snakes, turtles and frogs, and comes into effect on May 1.

Mok, known as an animal-rights activist, regularly raises awareness on social media about endangered species and various non-profit organisations which focus on animal conservation. She is also an ambassador for the Animals Asia Foundation and Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

After Shenzhen’s ban was passed on April 2, Mok posted on Weibo: “This news really makes one feel inspired. Looking forward to the near future when the whole country legally bans the consumption of cats and dogs.”

Karen Mok live at the KKBOX Music Awards in Taipei in January 2019.
Karen Mok live at the KKBOX Music Awards in Taipei in January 2019.

However, Mok – who has more than 14 million followers on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, was slammed by Chinese netizens who oppose the legislation and accused her of portraying China as uncivilised.

One user posted that the ban “is understandable, there’s almost no argument there … but the debate about not allowing [people] to eat dog meat has always been heated, for the reason that developed Western countries don’t eat it. This is hilarious … isn’t this saying that mainland China isn’t modern or civilised?”

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