Where Is China's Fan Bingbing?

01This is what's trending today.

02Fan Bingbing is one of China's most famous actors.

03She has appeared in dozens of films, television shows, and advertisements in China.

04Around the world, she is best known for her roles in the X-Men and Iron Man films.

05In 2016, Forbes listed her as one of the five highest-paid female actors in the world.

06But the star has disappeared.

07The last time Fan was seen in public was in early June, during a visit to a children's hospital in Tibet.

08The last time she posted to her popular Weibo social media account was June 2.

09Her disappearance has caused widespread discussion in China about her fate, including reports that she has been secretly detained.

10Fan's disappearance comes as the Chinese government aims to reduce behavior among entertainers that is seen as going against the Communist Party.

11China's tax office said in June it was launching a tax evasion investigation into the film and television industry.

12Some reports say Fan may be involved in that investigation.

13In May, a retired Chinese state television reporter posted documents on Weibo that he said were pay agreements for one of Fan's upcoming films.

14The documents included two contracts, one that listed the real payment terms, and a second that listed a lower payment number to give to tax officials.

15In China, such agreements are called yin-yang contracts.

16They are a common way to avoid taxes.

17Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported that Fan's representatives denied that she had ever signed separate contracts for one job.

18Fan has not been charged with a crime.

19Chinese state media have started using the expression, tainted artists.

20Official government bodies have promised to ban stars who behave badly, including drug-taking, gambling, or visiting sex workers.

21An open letter earlier this month from members of the Beijing Trade Association for Performances said it would purify the city's entertainment community and guide artists toward socialist values.

22Fan's disappearance has become a worldwide discussion in recent days.

23On Twitter, one Australian reporter asked, Imagine the outcry if any other actor who appeared in the X-Men franchise, say Hugh Jackman, disappeared for months without explanation.

24And an American reporter for the New York Times wrote, Imagine if Taylor Swift or Kim Kardashian disappeared for two months with no explanation, and it turns out the U.S.

25government has been holding her in secret custody.

26That's China.

27And that's what's trending today.

28I'm Ashley Thompson.