Zhang Baohua

Zhang Po‑wah (English: Sharon Cheung Po‑Wah; formerly Zhang Ming‑wah), ancestral home in Shanghai, born in Hong Kong. Former television news reporter, nicknamed “Flower of News”, “Po‑wah‑wah”, “the little girl”, “Zhang‑niu”. Former Senior Vice President of Star TV Group, radio host and columnist. Interviewed prominent figures such as Jiang Zemin, Jin Yong, Roger Cohn, Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Jimmy Lai, Donald Tsang, Leung Chun‑ying, Peter Chan, Ricky Wong, among others. Wrote columns for various newspapers including Hong Kong Economic Journal, Apple Daily, Sing Tao Daily, East Week, Ming Pao, etc. Currently serves on Hong Kong Football Association’s Marketing & Communications Committee. Founder of media strategy company “One Voice”.

Profile

Zhang graduated primary school at St. Michael’s Anglican Primary School (1985), and secondary at St. Mark’s School. In 1995, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Afterwards, interned at TVB News & Info Department, then worked as political reporter at the South China Morning Post.

In 1998, joined Cable News as senior China correspondent until 2005, covering cross-strait political news.

On October 27, 2000, during Tung Chee‑hwa’s reporting tour in Beijing, Zhang repeatedly asked then‑General Secretary Jiang Zemin whether he had “personally selected” Tung for a second term as Chief Executive. Jiang publicly rebuked her, calling her questions “too simple, sometimes naïve,” catapulting her to prominence.

She served as Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and lecturer at the University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2003, received the inaugural Outstanding Performance Award from CUHK’s Journalism School. She noted it brought her great encouragement and that it felt like her very first real award.

From 2003 to 2004, she traveled monthly covering news worldwide—Moscow, Taiwan, South America—and often shadowed national leaders abroad. The rigorous schedule led to health issues, memory loss, and ear problems due to frequent flights, prompting her departure from Cable News in 2005.

In 2005, selected as a Reuters Foundation Fellow. In October, left Cable to pursue Media Law & Policy at Oxford University with a Chevening Scholarship, returning to Hong Kong a year later.

On June 1, 2007, she was appointed Senior Vice President of Fungderley Holdings under Simon Ling, focusing on business development.

After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, she and Andy Lau served as spokesperson and convener, respectively, for the “Entertainment Industry 5·12 Care Campaign” to raise funds. Later transferred duties to the Hong Kong Theological Seminary.

In March 2009, amid H1N1 and economic downturn, she launched Goyeah.com under Fungderley—a free, legal movie streaming platform funded by online advertising. She stated it was a “self‑rescue movement” due to content providers lagging and pirates taking up to 80% of revenue.

By 2011, Goyeah.com had over 200k members and shifted to producing youth‑targeted entertainment news, aiming to be a “young version of TVB online,” with its showcase being the reality show “Battle of the Left‑Behinds.”

In 2015, she established a scholarship funding one Hong Kong working journalist annually to study at Oxford under the Reuters Institute, with aspirations to expand to mainland China. To date, recipients include journalists from Ming Pao, Apple Daily, and SCMP. On May 11, she wrote in Hong Kong Economic Journal supporting the 2016–17 political reform package. In August, began hosting current affairs on RTHK Digital Radio, and in September became a lecturer at CUHK’s Journalism School. In July 2016, published “Brand U,” which became a bestseller at Eslite bookstore.

In November 2016, she held her first solo oil painting exhibition “Colouring Women’s World” with her niece, expressing women through abstract figures and animals. The show raised HK$250k donated to a charity, Food‑for‑All Foundation.

In 2019, she published her second novel “The Death God’s Godfather,” by Cosmos Books. The same year, she pursued a Fine Arts degree jointly offered by RMIT and Hong Kong Art School, and from June 24–30 held her second solo exhibition “A Little Bit of Beauty” at Harbour City Wheelock Lounge. Featuring works themed, Water, Mountain and People—highlighted by her pieces “Sunflower” and “Calla Lily.” Former Financial Secretary John Tsang attended. The sales proceeds of HK$200k were donated to her “Lion Rock Spirit” Oxford scholarship.

From May 12–23, 2021, Zhang curated “Thoughtful Objects,” a solo exhibition for local artist Feng Meng‑zhong at Harbour City Art Gallery. Feng, a young Hong Kong artist inspired by nature, works in wood and steel; his debut was a wooden sculpture based on his notebook.

Anecdotes

Studying Art

Encouraged by her mother, Zhang trained in piano, ballet, and painting from childhood. She passed Grade 7 piano and once performed ballet in university, but eventually quit after 8–9 years. She suffered depression around 2015 and used painting to relieve stress. In 2018, she earned a Fine Arts bachelor degree with High Distinction. In 2022, she held her graduation exhibition showcasing 50 portrait paintings.

“That lecturer” Cai Ziqiang

In April 2010, Zhang responded in her blog to an article by Liang Jia‑quan titled “Cai Ziqiang is not bad,” noting that “that lecturer was once my friend,” but criticized him for arrogance and jabbed at his personal remarks about her career. Afterwards, they became estranged. On August 14, 2013, she explained on an online show “Slowly Talk on Wind and Moon” why she and Cai had fallen out.

Doctors Without Borders

In 2016, she donated the royalties from “Cultural Notes from Oxford” and “Life Must Include People” to Médecins Sans Frontières and the Salvation Army China Children Education Fund. In February 2018, due to the sexual‑abuse scandal involving MSF in Haiti, Zhang publicly urged her followers on Facebook to stop donating to Christian Aid, Oxfam, and Médecins Sans Frontières, labeling them “#NotHuman.”

“Ashes of Love” cameo

Zhang made a cameo in Ann Hui’s adaptation of Eileen Chang’s novel “Ashes of Love,” attending the Hong Kong premiere—the debut of her film career.

Meme‑culture Connection

In her 2000 exchange with Jiang Zemin—prompting the “too simple, sometimes naïve” comment—Zhang unintentionally became part of the “Meme·Haha” internet culture that emerged around 2014. The clip resurfaced, earning her attention from mainland netizens, who called her the “Meme Pope” (“Haha‑fans”). In January 2016, she held a fan meetup in Chengdu after announcing it on Weibo. Over 100 fans, mostly “Haha‑fans,” attended.

Hosted Programs

• “Too Simple Sometimes (always) Naive” on YouTube
• “Hong Kong Stories”
• “Traveling China”
• “Dialogue with Zhang Ming‑wah” (Sat 9:00 AM, RTHK Radio 2)
• “Politics Newcomers Training Class” (Sat 10:00 AM, RTHK Radio 2)
• “Charismatic People”
• “No Logic on Sunday” (Sun 11:30 AM, Cable Finance Info Channel, rotating hosts)
• “DBC Main Stage” Thurs 5–7 PM, co‑host Cheung Chi‑fung
• “The Best Time” Sun 1–2 PM

External links

• Facebook: cheungpowahchannel
• Instagram: sharon_po_wah123
• Instagram: sharoncheung_fineart (showcase of her artworks)
• YouTube channel UC4ABi-kCsS1rsAaJ-W4a3uA
• Sina Weibo: user 1847856024
• Official website: sharoncheung.me
• YouTube: [TVB News Archive] Jiang Zemin rebukes Hong Kong reporter
• Patreon: patreon.com/sharoncheung (paid content)