Internet platforms have stopped numerous fan club accounts and secular news
The Chinese government today banned the showing of “female men” on television and today ordered television channels to promote “revolutionary culture,” the Associated Press reported.
The Agency notes that the measure was taken in the framework of tightening control over business and society and imposing official morale.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “national renewal”, with more control by the ruling Communist Party over business, education, culture and religion. A number of companies, as well as the public, are under increasing pressure to align with the official vision of a stronger China and a healthier society.
The party has restricted children’s access to online games and is trying to end what it says is an unhealthy interest in celebrities.
The televisions received an order from the state departmental regulator to stop showing “feminine men and other unnatural aesthetic images”.
The move reflects authorities’ fears that Chinese pop stars, influenced by the sleek girlish appearance of some South Korean and Japanese singers and actors, are not encouraging Chinese youth to be masculine enough, the AP reported.
Televisions should also avoid promoting “vulgar internet celebrities” and admiration for wealth and fame. Instead, they are called upon to “actively promote a superior Chinese traditional culture, a revolutionary culture, and a progressive socialist culture.”
Chinese authorities are also tightening control over the Internet.
They are campaigning for compliance with the law, including the fight against monopolies and the protection of data security. Their targets are companies such as video game and social media operator Tencent and e-commerce giant Alibaba, which the ruling party worries have become too large and independent.
What other restrictions did Beijing impose?
The rules, which came into force today, prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from playing online games for more than three hours a week and on school days in general.
Game developers are now required to submit their new products for government approval before they can be released. They were also called upon to include nationalist themes.
Televisions must avoid performers who “disturb public order” or have “lost their morals.” Programs that reflect the lives of children of celebrities are prohibited.
On Saturday, the microblogging platform Weibo shut down thousands of fan club accounts and secular news.
Popular actress Zhao Wei has disappeared from streaming platforms without explanation. Her name has been removed from the captions of movies and TV shows.
Another actress, Zheng Shuang, was fined 299 million yuan ($ 46 million) last week on tax evasion charges. The AP defines this punishment as a warning to celebrities in China to be more positive role models.
The new rules also include a “ceiling” on payments to contractors and prohibit conditions that would help tax evasion.
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