Fan returns to Beijing after detention



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The star was reportedly held for weeks in an isolated "vacation spot" used to investigate Chinese officials suspected of corruption.

Fan Bingbing, the most famous and recently "missing" actress from China, is back in Beijing and her freedom, according to local sources.

The star was released from her secret detention and returned to the Chinese capital about two weeks ago, as Beijing regulators conclude their investigation into her tax evasion case, according to a report published in the newspaper on Thursday. . Morning of South China, who cited sources "knowingly".

On Wednesday, Chinese tax authorities fined Fan about $ 130 million (about 892 million yuan) for tax evasion and other offenses. She then issued her first public statement in months – an apology for the Chinese Communist Party and the general public, admitting any reprehensible acts and asking for forgiveness.

A central question that remained uncertain, however, was where Fan had been in the past months and whether she had regained her freedom. The star, who is usually ubiquitous during the glamorous events of East and West, has still not been seen in public since July 1st.

A senior film official in Beijing said THR Last Thursday, they were in contact with Fan since his statement. "She has regained her freedom and is relatively good-humored," said the executive, asking not to be named, because of the lingering sensitivity of the case in China.

According to SCMP, the star was placed under "residential surveillance at a designated place", Chinese official form of secret detention. She was reportedly held in a "vacation spot" used to investigate Chinese officials suspected of corruption, in a suburb of Wuxi, Jiangsu's coastal province, where her company is based.

The practice of "residential surveillance in a designated place" was introduced into Chinese criminal law in 2012. This system allows the Chinese police to detain anyone suspected of endangering the security of the state, of committing terrorist acts or significant corruption in an undisclosed location access to legal advice or family contacts: this practice has been regularly condemned by international human rights groups since its introduction.

Fan's return to the public sphere followed a scenario predicted by many people in the Chinese film industry: a huge fine emitting a signal, followed by carefully orchestrated excuses – but none of the star's bad optics China's most glamorous cinema will be sent back to prison, which may seem too drastic even for the People's Republic of China.

The timing was also remarkable, although predictable, for many insiders. Authorities have chosen to spend National Patriotic Day in central China to flesh out their world-wide Fan newspaper, a period in which Chinese stock exchanges are closed, averting the risk of market turmoil are now Monday when trading resumes).

While the huge sanctions imposed on Fan were unveiled – about $ 130 million in total – the natural question was whether she could afford it, and how "the best-paid actress in China is in reality". The state tax administration said that Fan would escape criminal charges only if she paid all the money in an undisclosed deadline, according to the Xinhua press briefing.

One of the most famous faces of film and television during the unprecedented period of the Chinese box office boom – when the salaries of the biggest stars have exploded – Fan is undoubtedly rich and fantastic. In addition to leading roles in movies like Feng Xiaogang's Cellphone and Bryan Singer & # 39; s X-Men: Days of Future PastShe has also been recognized as a fashion icon, acting as a public face in China for brands as diverse as Montblanc, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, De Beers and the Guerlain fashion house.

According to SCMAccording to P's estimates, Fan earned about $ 208 million (1.4 billion yuan) between 2003 and 2016; and Forbes points its gains of 2017 to 43.5 million dollars (300 million yuan). Just before Fan's tax evasion scandal came to light in June, Chinese social media was inundated with rumors that she would have bought a luxury condo in Shanghai for nearly $ 40 million. (270 million yuan).

Nevertheless, such estimates undoubtedly imply a certain degree of speculation and fuzzy guesswork. (Consider, after all, that all of Fan's current legal debacle stems from his various machinations over the years to conceal his true incomes, and that even the Chinese government had apparently obtained nothing more than a single one. full account of his fortune before his recent inquiries).

But Beijing's industry circles generally believe that the authorities – who have been scrutinizing its accounts for months – would not bother to impose a fine that they had no hope recover. And as she is likely to end up in a Chinese prison if she fails to pay in full, most people bet that Fan will find a way to raise $ 130 million.

As she says in her Wednesday apology letter: "I will do my best to overcome all the difficulties, raise funds, pay taxes and pay fines in accordance with the final decision of the tax authorities."

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