Explainer | Who are China’s ‘Chaoyang public’, exposing celebrities for drug use, patronising prostitutes and other crimes?

The ‘Chaoyang public’ were involved in the police detention of renowned pianist Li Yundi on suspicion of patronising a sex worker

Public informants play an increasingly vital role in aiding China’s law enforcement arms

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The idea of an extra arm of law enforcement coming from the public has been around in China since at least the time of Mao, but with the digital age it has become increasingly useful to authorities. Photo: Getty

Published: 9:09am, 27 Oct 2021Updated: 12:02pm, 27 Oct 2021

It is common knowledge that there are four famous international spy agencies, the US’ CIA, UK’s MI6, the former Soviet Union’s KGB and Israel’s Mossad.

In China, there’s another rising star — the “Chaoyang public”, which the Chinese jokingly refer to as “the fifth largest intelligence agency in the world”.

The phrase “Chaoyang public” made a recent appearance last week, when the Beijing Chaoyang district police announced that they had detained renowned pianist Li Yundi on suspicion of patronising a sex worker. Prostitution is illegal in China.

In the notice, the police wrote that they received “a tip-off from the public that some people were resorting to prostitution in a Chaoyang residential compound” and had investigated, leading to Li’s detention.

Famous pianist Li Yundi was caught allegedly using a sex worker with the help of the ‘Chaoyang public’. Photo: Handout

Before Li’s case, many celebrities had fallen from grace in the same way. According to a Weibo post last week by the China Culture Administration Association, starting from 2014, at least 10 celebrities were investigated by police for drug use or prostitution after “public tip-offs”.