Wang Hongquanxing, popular as ‘China’s Kim Kardashian’, has been banned from social media for flaunting his lavish lifestyle. According to China Daily, Hongquanxing has 4.4 million followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
The influencer had previously bragged about owning seven luxury properties and claimed to have never left home with less than $1.4 million worth of clothing and jewellery. His social media profiles on Douyin and Xiaohongsh are no longer available due to a “violation of self-disciple,” Forbes reported.
Why is China banning influencers from social media
In 2016, China launched a campaign to “clean up” the Internet targeting influencers and handles that Beijing thinks do not support positive social values.
In 2022, officials issued a “code of conduct” for livestream anchors prohibiting them from “displaying or hyping a large number of luxury goods, jewelry, cash and other assets.”
According to the Financial Times, the Cyberspace Administration in China said the campaign would target influencers that are “deliberately showcasing a lavish lifestyle built on wealth.”
A report in Global Times said Douyin removed as many as 4,701 inappropriate contents and shut down around 11 accounts between May 1 and May 7. Xiaohongshu, a Chinese Instagram-like social media platform, closed 383 accounts in two weeks.
The move came as China’s economic slowdown has hit the middle class. According to fortune.com, China’s retail sales in April rose by a lower-than-expected 2.3 per cent year-on-year, slower than the 3.1 per cent increase reported in March.
