TV presenter flaunts her daughter’s life of luxury

Mother gives teen huge allowance and designer clothes, stirring debate on her parenting style

The 14-year-old daughter of a famous television presenter has hit the headlines for wearing expensive designer clothes, sparking a heated discussion about her mother’s parenting style.

Angela Wang Shiling is the only child of Li Xiang, 48, who was a popular TV host in China in the early 2000s before starting property and entertainment businesses.

Li has attracted controversy for a decade for believing in the old Chinese proverb that sons should be raised in frugality and daughters in abundance.

Wang lives a life of luxury even while attending school in Britain, where she has been for two years.

At the end of March, Li posted a series of photos of her daughter, with the caption “She is on holiday”.

About the same time, Wang, who has more than 8 million followers on Weibo, shared similar pictures of herself, saying: “I am in a good mood every day with mum staying with me in London.”

Online observers noted that the purple plaid coat she was wearing cost nearly US$3,500, her skirt US$2,000, and her blue handbag retailed at US$1,800, the news portal Baidu.com reported. Her coat cost US$2,200, white blouse US$1,900 and bracelet US$5,500. Even her hair spin carried a conspicuous logo of the Italian luxury brand, Miu Miu, which is said to cost US$450.

“Perhaps the cheapest thing that she uses is her mobile phone case,” one person said on Weibo.

Wang’s phone case cost about 500 yuan (HK$540) on mainland shopping websites, while most people spent less than 100 yuan on the accessory, the report said.

Her recent outfit attracted a mixed response on social media.

“I think those clothes do not fit her. They make her look much older,” one person said on Weibo.

“Wang Shiling is the girl I envy most. I hope to be Li Xiang’s daughter in my next life,” another person said.

“It’s a storm in a teacup. They are super-rich. Those expenses are just a tiny proportion of their income,” someone else added.

In an interview with the news outlet sohu.com in 2023, Li said it was normal for her to buy expensive clothes and bags for her daughter.

“We are not short of money. Why live a frugal life? If she likes it, I will buy it. there’s no need for us to save money,” Li said, revealing that she gave her daughter 150,000 yuan pocket money every month.

The story comes amid a government crackdown on “money worship” and appeals to people to stop hosting lavish weddings and funerals.