Chinese lawmakers want to reduce celebrities' wages

1 Sep - A draft was recently submitted by Chinese lawmakers to the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee - the national legislature, suggesting that stars should not be offered a hefty fee to appear on film and TV shows.

As reported on ECNS News, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television's (SAPPRFT) recently made a criticism against the exorbitant fees given to top stars to appear in movies and TV shows.

A state media previously reported that some top Chinese stars received over RMB 100 million for their work in either movies or TV shows. The rumours caused singer-actor Luhan to clarify his situation on Weibo, denying rumours saying that he was one of the expensive stars who was paid a hefty salary for his role in his new project, "Zetian Ji".

Some legislators agree that the hefty wages could affect the quality of the production itself, and will harm the future of the Chinese film industry. One of NPC's member stated that a decrease in the salaries of artistes will help producers and directors focus on the quality of their work instead, while helping these stars to be more disciplined and have a better public image.