bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Gloria Chan

A Hong Kong actor’s face was blurred out on a programme on China’s state television after he shared a news report on social media about a new book suggesting that the former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai was gay, a news website reported.
Wong Hei’s face was pixelated out throughout his appearance on the reality TV programme The Great Challenge on the station CCTV 1 on Sunday evening, Kankanews.com reported.
The show features celebrities taking on various challenges and the programme with Wong involved stars becoming firefighters.
Wang An, a Beijing-based singer, posted on social media that Wong had “blasphemed” against Zhou Enlai on Facebook and called for him to be taken off the show.
Wang is a self-claimed anti-Taiwan independence singer and his post on January 1 now has over 6,000 likes and 1,000 shares on Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter.
“[Wong Hei] earns money and buys a flat in the mainland, eating and drinking well, then condemns mainland China when [he has] returned to Hong Kong and Taiwan. We have to report these kind of people,” wrote Wang.
The director of the programme replied to Wang on social media: “If we knew this, we wouldn’t have employed him; if employed, we wouldn’t have recorded; if recorded, we wouldn’t use; if used, we wouldn’t air.”
READ MORE: Censor’s cleavage cuts in Chinese TV costume drama spark calls for rating system
The singer Wang was referring to a news report Wong shared on Facebook about a new book suggesting that Zhou was gay, the Apple Daily reported.
The Secret Emotional Life of Zhou Enlai was written by the Hong Kong-based author Tsoi Wing-mui.
Wong Hei said on Monday afternoon he regretted sharing the story on Facebook and it was never his intention to cause any offence to people on the mainland. 
“I’m very sorry that it has caused unnecessary trouble for the production team of The Great Challenge at CCTV,” Wong said, adding "I salute to the outstanding contributions to late Chinese leaders.”  
Wang An has gotten involved in politics before. Last year he drew attention to Taiwanese singer-songwriter Crowd Lu's support for Taiwanese independence and Lu's appearance at the Strawberry Music Festival last November was later cancelled. Wang recently mentioned that Taiwanese star Chou Tzuyu, a member of K-pop group Twice, supported the island's independence.  
Additional reporting by Vivienne Chow


US lawmakers raise concerns about Chinese national ballet performance in Washington

US and China should follow lead of their youth bonding on RedNote

Why RedNote’s influx of US ‘TikTok refugees’ could be a double-edged sword for Beijing

Chinese officials urged not to ignore public opinion and criticism

Censorship in China

Hong Kong star’s face blurred out on Chinese state TV show after he shared news report suggesting former premier Zhou Enlai was gay

No Caption Available.

Wong Hei's face is pixelated in a still from the programme aired on state television. Photo: SCMP Pictures

News

China

People & Culture