China has banned films and television shows featuring stars involved in cases of drug abuse and prostitution amid an intensified campaign in which many high profile film actors including Jaycee Chan, son of Hollywood superstar Jackie Chan were held
Beijing: China has banned films and television shows featuring stars involved in cases of drug abuse and prostitution amid an intensified campaign in which many high profile film actors including Jaycee Chan, son of Hollywood superstar Jackie Chan were held.
State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) has ordered TV stations and other outlets to stop broadcasting material featuring stars who used drugs or visit prostitutes, state run China Daily reported today.
Jackie Chan (R) poses with his son Jaycee. File Pic/AFP
The ban, which covers online media, film producers and publishers is intended to keep the industry healthy. It applies to films, advertisements, TV and radio shows, the regulator SAPPRFT said in a statement.
Celebrities who break the law should not be invited to appear in programs and transmission of their works should be suspended, it said.
The cases involving stars using drugs or visiting prostitutes have harmed the image of the entertainment industry and set a bad example for young people, read the statement.
The order comes as a major blow to many of the upcoming stars who were held in anti-drug and anti-vice campaign.
Jackie Chan's son Jaycee was detained last month for using drugs along with others including a Taiwan actor Kai Ko in his house.
Jaycee was arrested and charged even though Jackie, who was previously the anti-drug Ambassador of China apologised on his son's behalf and scolded his wayward life style.
In other cases, Wang Quan'an, the Golden Bear-winning film director and actor Huang Haibo were detained in Beijing on suspicion of hiring prostitutes.
The ban has received mixed response among China's microbloggers. While some praised the move, others said banning a production involving various others is not fair.
"Good films or other works cannot rely on one star. Instead they are the fruit of many celebrities. So it's not reasonable to eliminate the products," the Daily quoted a blogger as saying.
The Beijing Trade Association for Performances announced last month that it will not hire celebrities involved in drug
abuse or prostitution.
Earlier this year, the association and 42 performing arts organizations in Beijing agreed to avoid employing stars who use drugs.
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