Central Policy Unit
Chan is a founding member of the Democratic Party. He was elected as chairman of the New Territories East Branch in 1999, and later became the party's minister of organization affairs and central committee member. He ran for the chairmanship election in 2004 but lost to Lee Wing-tat. He was then elected vice-chairman of the party. He also served as a part-time member of Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government between 2004 and 2006.