Helicopter-traveling influencer who splurges $20,000 a day under attack from China’s state-run media

A Chinese influencer who allegedly spends 150,000 yuan (£18,575) a day has been criticised by state media as Beijing continued to crackdown on portrayals of lavish lifestyles of celebrities.

Wang Xuancheng, known as Wang Chengcheng on Chinese social media had her Douyin app account which had 3 million followers banned after she shared a video in which she posed as a wealthy socialite with a police helicopter last week, reported South China Morning Post.

In previous posts the 31-year-old claimed to own a 400-square metre mansion, a Rolls-Royce, and said she spends more than 150,000 yuan a day.

She also claimed that her father was a police officer and posted a photograph with him.

Social media users were outraged whether the helicopter she had used in the video was misapportioned.

However, police in China’s Liaoning Province have denied an official helicopter was used for the video.

Shenyang police in Liaoning said that while the helicopter shown in the video was used sometimes, it was a civilian chopper owned by a general aviation company, reported Chinese outlet Shine.

General manager of the company who is surnamed Lu has been sacked for approving the photo shoot without official permissin.

Shenyang police said that Ms Wang’s father was a retired low-ranking official.

She started a business in 2017 and married a businessman in 2020.

According to Tianyancha, an online database of Chinese companies, Ms Wang previously owned two companies specialising in milk tea and another in energy technology.

But both ventures had been wound up in the past few years.

In an editorial criticising the influencer on Wednesday, Beijing Daily wrote: “Some platforms make every effort to cater to the weakness of human nature. They try to attract traffic and maintain daily user activity by promoting vulgar, entertaining, and sensational content.”

Last year, the Chinese government tightened control over celebrities as a part of its efforts towards presdient Xi Jinping’s “national rejuvenation,” with tighter Communist Party control of business, education, culture and religion.

Broadcasters were asked to avoid performers who “violate public order” or have “lost morality,” according to the state regulator.