Yang Kaili: China live-streamer detained for 'insulting' national anthem

WEIBO Ms Yang has over one million followers on Weibo, arguably China's most popular social media platform A Chinese live-streaming celebrity has been detained for five days for "insulting" the country's national anthem. Yang Kaili, a 20-year-old with tens of millions of followers, had appeared on camera singing the anthem while flailing her arms around. The live-streaming platform, Huya, had earlier taken down her video and banned her channel. Ms Yang, who is also known as Li Ge, has since publicly apologised. The Shanghai Police Department said in a statement on Saturday that she had violated China's National Anthem Law. "The national anthem is a symbol of the country, all citizens should respect [it] and safeguard [its] dignity," it said. "Live-streaming platforms are not above the law - the law and moral standards similarly apply there." Under China's National Anthem Law, which came into force last year, those who sing the anthem in a "distorted or disrespectful way" can be detained for up to 15 days. HK football fans boo own national anthem Why dull video streams are big business China bans anthem from weddings There are thousands of live-streamers in China, who film themselves eating, singing or simply ranting in front of the camera to entertain people and make money. Millions tune in to watch them, and viewers can send virtual gifts to their favourite live-streamers - who can then convert the gifts to cash. In 2016, China's live-streaming market was estimated to be worth around $5bn (£3.8bn).