Popular actress marries Chinese Communist Party official: media in China don’t report it

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:06 JST, December 29, 2021

BEIJING — News that one of China’s most popular actresses had remarried may be hard to find in the mainland.

Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao has reported that Tong Liya, 38, recently married Shen Haixiong, 54, a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official. Just a few months ago, in May, she had announced she had divorced.

There has been no official announcement of Tong’s recent marriage and searching for relevant information on social media in China has proven difficult.

There has also been speculation that the two had been having an affair, which may have caused irritation to President Xi Jinping and his administration. It appears any news in China about the marriage is being blocked.

Some people who got word of Tong’s marriage were prompted to write online that Shen’s mistress had become his actual wife.

Shen is deputy director of the party’s publicity department who also heads China Central Television. Tong was one of the hosts of CCTV’s 2020 Spring Festival Gala to ring in the Chinese New Year.

Shen is seen as one of the influential officials in the party who is close to Xi.