China’s Pop-Culture Crackdown Widens After It Hits Its Biggest Movie Star | WSJ

Beijing is targeting the pop-culture industry as part of an effort to weed out what it sees as unhealthy influences for young people. WSJ looks at what happened after one of China’s highest-profile celebrities, Zhao Wei, disappeared from parts of the Chinese internet. Photo: Xu Nizhi/Zuma Press

More from the Wall Street Journal:

#WSJ #China #ZhaoWei

[Tacit_Tern]

mind the fact that Hollywood's self-censorship for the CCP has rendered most movies into unwatchable garbage.

[crusader]

I live in India in here all pop culture celebrities are admired and respected more than doctor, scientists and even teacher. My friends cry over movie stars but when it comes for teacher they taunt them.

[AchwaqKhalid]

None of those celebrities actually "apologized" in their social media but rather were forced to write so... China 🇨🇳

[aidashahirasuhadi]

As an international fan who grew up watching Zhao Wei on TV, this is kinda frustrating

[Chadd]

They read "1984" and used it as an instruction manual

[Gerbera]

I find it extremely concerning that these popular celebrities and business owners are being erased under the guise of tax evasions. 2 or 3 is a coincidence, but so many other accused of the same thing? Just insane!!

[Kipkemoi]

The problem is choice. People are choosing things different from what the CCP wants them to choose.

[billchen]

he needs to go into more details, we need insider info on what’s going on. Also the reporting is all over the place, you guys need find better correspondence in Chinese market

[vzjrz]

And comedians in the US complain about getting "canceled" while making millions of dollars lol.

[aneash]

She’s far from being the biggest movie star. She’s disappeared from the screen because she was involved in the IPO of Antgroup which involves foreign investment trying to control Jack Ma’s E pay business, potentially causing another economic crisis in China, like the one in 2008. Those small loans service could easily cause huge financial troubles later. The same group of investors who reads WSJ everyday with champagne glasses on balcony. Her case is not about her influence on the younger generation at all. I don’t know what the guy is talking about. The other two women were all involved in serious tax fraud and unlawful secretive contracts. I guess if you pay nice, people would say anything these days.

[Ningboren]

It's so funny, WSJ says:" it's scary. No reason has given." But every Chinese knows why she is treated that way.

[availablehage]

While the measures were too drastic but tax evasion should have harsher penalty currently in many countries

[Loop]

It’s terrifying that they just disappeared, especially Zhao Wei who was one of the most popular celebrities. She vanished, suddenly without any explanation, like she never exists. 😱😱😱😱

[azukikuma]

well if she was in the US pretty sure she'd be investigated by SEC for what she did to make the fortune.

[jeremiasrobinson]

Idol worship is OK if you worship Pooh Bear.

[andrews]

I swear there are Chinese bots in these wsj comment sections

[BWT]

3:37 even the cops gush when they see her 😁

[houghtonstreet]

that is actually quite sensible and rational, given how irrational many young people are

[kelvinxu]

Yeah… you all talk about how bad the policy or the gov… why don’t you talk about if these celebrities really do something illegal? Rich and crazy, these celebrities in China…

[lolasonner]

I don't think it is a bad thing that violence in childrens tv is being removed.