Actress Zheng Shuang pay scandal reignites debate over massive fees received by Chinese influencers in a country where many struggle
- China’s entertainment industry is under fire over massive and potentially illegal payments to untalented influencers who many say can’t act
- Some allegedly don’t even bother to learn their lines, saying random words and numbers then voicing over the take in post production
Stunned by the stark contrast with the average income of 32,189 yuan (US$4,971), the Chinese public struggled to understand why the figure was so high; she could buy a house after working for two days while it took others 30 years. A white collar worker‘s annual salary could not match what she makes in a single hour.
Since then, Chinese tax authorities have opened an investigation into possible tax evasion by the star and the film and TV authorities declared they will enforce restrictions on excessively high payments in the industry.
China’s National Radio and Television Administration released new rules in 2018, saying celebrities invited to appear in movies and TV shows should not be paid more than 40 per cent of production cost, with the main actors paid less than 70 per cent of the total cost.
A popular media headline at the time declared optimistically that: “The era of the 100-million-yuan salary was ending”.