China fears domestic influencers, celebrities; uses tax evasion as weapon to target them: Report

Beijing. [China], January 8 : China is using tax evasion as a weapon to target celebrities as the regime feels that influencers could pose a threat and use their large number of fans to oppose the state or any government policies, a media report said.
The State Taxation Administration has come down heavily on tax evasions by celebrities in the entertainment industry. Zheng Shuang, the actress, was fined USD 46 million last month. All the programs she had taken part in were taken off the air, reported Hong Kong Free Press.
Zhang Zheshan faced a backlash after his old photos emerged on social media, showing him at the Yasukuni and Nogi Shrines in Japan. The Shrines honour the Japanese military who had invaded China. He was removed from social media as well as all televisions programmes, music, etc were also removed. Fan Bingbing, actress, was fined 884 million yuan in 2018, said the publication.
The number of online influencers is on the rise in China. During the pandemic, the format of live streaming has grown popular and it is used to share information on products services, and others.
In September 2021, a meeting was held in Beijing with the presence of the senior Communist leader. Advocating morality in the entertainment industry, it laid down regulations for the behaviour of celebrities.
Members of television, radio and online entertainment sectors were told to abide by family virtues and social ethics. Influencers in China were also told to oppose ideas of extreme individualism, money worship, and abandon vulgar tastes.
Officials in China recently banned reality shows and restricted fans on social media. They have also identified some online influencers as "vulgar", according to Hong Kong Free Press.