Zhao Wei, Kris Wu, Zhang Zhehan: the Chinese stars hit by China’s entertainment crackdown and why, as new rules have the industry on edge – ‘now it’s best to lie low’

From having their social media accounts shut down to being scrubbed from the internet, China’s film, TV and radio celebrities are feeling the crack of the whip

The continuing witch hunt sees media and entertainment bloggers scouring celebrities’ pasts for anything that is not in line with the new government guidelines

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Chinese billionaire actress Zhao Wei had her entire internet presence scrubbed in August, with her name removed from all television series, films, short videos and promotional materials on platforms such as Tencent Video, iQiyi and Youku. Photo: Harry.C

Published: 7:45am, 21 Sep 2021Updated: 1:36pm, 21 Sep 2021

The Chinese entertainment industry is on edge following a series of crackdowns on excessive fan culture, immoral stars, idol selection shows and TV series featuring “sissy male” idols.

It seems few are safe from the government’s new regulations. Those caught in the crosshairs are often swiftly punished, which can mean having their social media accounts on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, shut down, and sometimes even their entire internet presence scrubbed overnight.

The list of those who have fallen foul of the authorities is long and growing, and includes actress and director Zhao Wei, TV star Zhang Zhehan, actress and model Zheng Shuang, singer Huo Zun, rap star Kris Wu and Hunan TV anchor Qian Feng.

Former Oriental Daily entertainment reporter Zhu Qirui, who has 6 million fans on his C-pop channel on Douyin, China’s TikTok equivalent, said the industry has become a minefield where any missteps, committed now or in the past, can lead to grave consequences.

“Anyone who is in the news now can easily attract public and regulatory scrutiny in such a heightened atmosphere,” he said. “Many programmes with sensitive content have been withdrawn from release.”