An influencer who has been dubbed the “Kim Kardashian of China” for her flashy outfits and displays of wealth has been banned from a Chinese social media network, along with dozens of others who had bragged about their luxury spending.
Wang Hongquanxing, who once boasted that he had never gone out wearing jewelry or clothes worth less than 10 million yuan ($1.4 million), suddenly disappeared online this week, part of the government’s latest campaign to maintain control over China’s vibrant social media culture.
Known for his short videos, Wang and other influencers were banned from several Chinese social media platforms, including Weibo, Douyin and Xiaohongshu, after internet regulators said they would ban “flashy persona creation.” Wang’s profile page, real name Wang Hongquan, was blocked for “violating self-control.”
“This is a very visible reminder of the power of the authorities,” said Kerwin Morris, an assistant professor at Leiden University’s Department of Digital China.
For the Communist regime, the crackdown had the advantage that many people saw it as morally justified, Morris said. “Especially now with the economy in a downturn, many people are likely to see this kind of content as indecent,” he said. “So it makes the authorities’ actions appear more moral and noble.”
China’s economy grew at an annualized rate of about 5 percent in the first quarter, but analysts say other indicators suggest the actual situation is tougher than the headline figures suggest, making authorities more sensitive to potential sources of discontent.
The campaign began in April when internet watchdog the Cyberspace Administration of China announced it would curb behavior such as “deliberately displaying a lavish lifestyle based on wealth.”
Internet platforms responded last week by vowing to crack down on “luxury and extravagance” and “ostentation and materialism”.
“When materialism starts to spread, it may have a bad influence on teenagers. Therefore, the trend of luxury goods on the Internet needs to be stopped,” state media Beijing News reported on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old has 4.3 million followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, according to Chinese online magazine Sixth Tone. She appears online wearing jade and pink diamonds and once bragged about owning seven luxury apartments in Beijing.
Other banned influencers include “Sister Avalon,” a wealthy middle-aged socialite who gave more than two million followers an online tour of her Macau mansion, and “Mr Bo,” a luxury goods enthusiast with nearly three million followers.
According to Chinese news site The Paper, Bo has shown off his luxury fashion shopping sprees, carries his dog in a designer bag and bought a custom-made Rolls-Royce Cullinan for his 25th birthday.
He traveled first class, shopped at luxury stores around the world and was particularly fond of Hermes products, according to state media Hongxing News.
Lu-Wei Rose Lu-Chiu, an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said Beijing’s campaign to control social media figures dates back to at least 2012, when it shut down the accounts of popular opinion leaders.
In recent times, Chinese regulators have regularly launched “clear and clear” campaigns to rid the internet of trends they deem reprehensible.
In 2021, authorities targeted celebrities and their huge fanbases. A year later, authorities removed even more accounts in the name of protecting young people from cyberbullying and other evils.
But Beijing clarified in 2022 that its true aim was to control online behavior ahead of the National Congress in October that year, where President Xi Jinping was elected for an unprecedented third term as party general secretary, according to the China Media Project, a research group.
“The purpose of implementing the special measures is to safeguard the Party’s 20th National Congress,” China Media Project quoted Zhang Yong, a senior official at the Cyberspace Administration of China, as saying in March 2022.
Last year, the campaign cracked down on “gender conflict” (an allusion to feminism) and “class conflict”, which the China Media Project described as an odd target for a party long led by Mao Zedong, a champion of class struggle.
Baptist University’s Lu Kiu said this year’s campaign against luxury influencers was aimed at controlling the rise of independent online celebrities, while the “clear and bright” campaign had little impact on state-backed celebrities.
“Due to concerns about losing the ability to control public opinion and people’s behavior, the focus has shifted to grassroots internet celebrities to strengthen control over the internet,” Lu Qiu said.
Leiden University’s Morris said that as short videos grow in popularity, it is becoming increasingly important for Beijing to control short-video content.
According to a report released by the China Internet Information Center in March, about 98 percent of Chinese internet users watch short videos, and just under 76 percent use traditional web browsers.
But the crackdown has been met with mixed reactions, with some defending influential figures such as Wang, a popular charity sponsor known for his outspoken style, and others criticizing it.
“Internet celebrities are already pretty boring, and when they flaunt their wealth they become even more annoying,” said one online commenter.
But others said Beijing’s efforts to hide conspicuous consumption would not eliminate poverty.
“Interestingly, [the government’s] “The way to solve wealth inequality is to blindfold the poor so they can’t see it,” reads a popular post on the question-and-answer website Zhihu.
Mr. Wang’s assistant did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Sister Avalon’s office and Mr. Bo could not be reached.
