Stuff Digital Edition

Clandestine duet punished

China has detained a star pianist on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute, in what state media are describing as a ‘‘warning’’ to celebrities that they must avoid ‘‘breaching the bottom line or challenging the law’’. The move comes amid a widespread crackdown by China’s government on the country’s entertainment industry and celebrity culture. Li Yundi, 29, admitted wrongdoing after Beijing police detained him and a 29-year-old woman at a housing development after receiving a tip-off. He must spend 10 to 15 days in administrative detention. Li became a household name and a celebrity in China after he won the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000, at age 18 – the youngest pianist, and the first Chinese person, to do so. Since then, he has performed around the world, including at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, and appeared on variety shows on Chinese TV.

13 SUNDAY NEWS WORLD

en-nz

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281809992100636

Stuff Limited