After Anti-Government Protests Over COVID-19... Disappearance of Chinese Actress from Broadcasting Industry

Actor Supporting 'Blank Protest' Against COVID Policy
Removed from Movie Promotion After Program Appearance Falls Through

A Chinese actor who posted a message on social media in support of the so-called 'blank paper protests' by Chinese citizens opposing last year's strict zero-COVID policy was removed from a scheduled TV program appearance.

Moreover, the actor's name was deleted from promotional materials for a film they appeared in, drawing attention from netizens.

Chinese actor Chunsha
[Photo by Baidu Capture·Yonhap News]

According to Chinese media outlet Jiker on the 30th, actor Chunxia (春夏, 30) was included in the cast list of the variety show 'Chunwan,' which aired on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve on the 21st, but did not actually appear in the broadcast.

Chunxia was also initially listed as a special appearance in the promotional posts on Weibo (China's version of Twitter) for the film "When the Wind Blows Again (風在起時)," starring Liang Chaowei (Yang Zaowei) and Guo Fucheng (Guo Fucheng), but her name was recently removed without explanation.

Various speculations have emerged on social networking services (SNS) regarding the background of this issue. Among these, it is suspected that Chunxia's comment posted on SNS last November related to the blank paper protests might be the cause of the problem.

At that time, Chunxia drew attention by posting a message about students participating in the blank paper protests who were warned by school officials about possible disadvantages, saying, "We who can do nothing can only stamp our feet at home and shed tears."

'Hong Kong University Students Hold Silent Protest Against China's Zero-COVID Policy' [Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

Chunxia is an actor recognized for her acting skills, having won several awards including Best Actress at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Festival.

Meanwhile, on the 20th, the Chinese government arrested nine individuals suspected of participating in local blank paper protests in Beijing. The nine arrested are charged with "provoking fights and causing disturbances," a charge commonly used by Chinese authorities to suppress dissidents.