Michelle Ye Xuan, Hong Kong TV/Film Star, Sees Social Credit Travel Ban
Michelle Ye Xuan, a popular Chinese actress and former Miss Chinese International, has become the poster girl for China’s social credit system, banned from travel because of a low grade.
The system, which gives demerits for various infractions, is a kind of personal credit score that uses surveillance and data mining to punish those whose scores don’t meet certain standards. It is expected to be fully operational by 2020, but pilot tests begun last year have already targeted certain individuals and businesses.
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The UK Daily Mail reported that the actress only discovered her travel ban when she attempted to board a flight last month. She is best known for the films Accident, Honour of the Gods and Ching yi ngor, and for TV dramas Eternal Happiness, Triumph in the Skies and Lost in the Chamber of Love. She was also an onsite reporter for TVD at the Athens Olympics.
This latest social credit system incident recalls similar problems endured by well-known Chinese star Fan Bingbing, who disappeared for a time last year in a tax dispute. Her projects were subsequently thrown into chaos, requiring an apology from the actress before she could resume public duties.
Ye was accused of using social media to attack the former girlfriend of a past boyfriend. She was later sued for spreading rumors on China’s Weibo system, a kind of Twitter, and lost, and was required to delete the postings, pay a small fine and apologize to her victim. She apparently did not and ignored court attempts to contact her.
Stopped at the airport, she agreed to comply after speaking with a judge and allegedly deleted the offending Weibo posts while still at the airport. It was not reported if she was able then to board her flight.
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