The mysterious disappearance of China’s most famous actress
The mysterious disappearance of China’s highest-paid actress Fan Bingbing from public life following allegations of tax evasion has brought focus on the uneasy ties between the ruling Communist Party of China and the country’s social elite.
A fashion icon and leading actress for five years running, Fan disappeared from the public sphere in June — there have been no public appearances, her movie shoots have been put on hold, films ready to be released have been postponed, and the brands she endorsed have decided to drop her. She hasn’t updated her Weibo account, followed by some 62 million people, for weeks.
China has a history of banning actors and directors if their works, according to censors, have crossed political boundaries or are considered risqué. Fan – who appeared in X-Men: Days Of Future Past as Blink — is easily one of the most high-profile celebrities to have abruptly vanished in recent years.
Fan’s disappearance was preceded by a former television anchor in June alleging that she had been evading taxes by signing two different contracts for the same film. She is likely to be under house arrest and barred from leaving China.
The State Administration of Taxation (SAT) said in a statement on June 3 that it had ordered its bureau in eastern Jiangsu province – where Fan’s studio is located — to investigate “the tax evasion issue by certain film and television professionals as alleged in online discussions”.
Hindustan Times contacted several people from the entertainment industry for a comment on the case. No one was willing to talk about her whereabouts.
Stanley Rosen, a University of Southern California political science expert who focuses on China and its film industry, explained why. “The message is meant to be clear. No one is safe! If Fan Bingbing, a great representative of China’s entertainment industry on the international stage, can be brought down so easily, and quickly lose all her endorsements, the rest of you better keep a low profile and self-censor yourself when it comes to activities in the public arena,” he said.
BEIJING: