Taiwanese-born celebrity couples Lin Ruiyang and Zhang Ting were banned from posting on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, after their company was investigated for alleged pyramid schemes. Zhang Ting was also banned from posting on Douban, a Chinese version of TikTok until Jan. 16.
Their company, Shanghai Daowei Trading Group, was investigated for allegedly assisting in pyramid schemes. The company mainly operates TIN'Secret, a cosmetics brand founded by Lin Ruiyang and his wife Zhang Ting.
Douban will temporarily ban Zhang Ting's account from Sunday until January 16 for "not following community rules." The couple's personal Weibo account, as well as TIN'Secret's Weibo account, were also banned from posting for "violating relevant rules and regulations."
The last post on the couple's Weibo account was a repost of a statement made Wednesday by TIN'Secret that insisted the company's operations were legitimate and welcomed oversight from local market regulators.
Back in the 1990s and 2000s, Lin Ruiyang and Zhang Guorong gained fame through their roles in popular TV series.
The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office stressed on Wednesday that Mr. Lin's case is a purely commercial issue and has nothing to do with the Taiwan Strait.
The Yuhua District Market Supervision Bureau in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Northern Hebei Province, said at the end of December that it had been investigating Duowei since June 5, 2021, after receiving public reports. In view of the transfer and concealment of MLM funds by Doway through financial institutions, the Bureau has applied to the court for interim measures.