Chinese singer Liu Keqing, who bears a striking resemblance to the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, has faced multiple bans on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) due to his “irregular appearance.” Recently, his Douyin account finally passed the review process but netizens are already predicting that he might face another ban with his new profile picture.
After changing his profile picture on Douyin to a new one, Liu Keqing’s account “finally passed the review,” allowing him to use his own face as his profile picture.
In the photo, Liu Keqing is dressed in a suit with a slicked-back hairstyle, bearing a closer resemblance to Xi Jinping. Following the uproar, Liu Keqing took down the suit-wearing profile picture and replaced it with a straightforward headshot.
The news sparked discussions among netizens:
“His appearance is breaking the law, and the new profile picture looks even more alike.”
“This is going to lead to another ban, I bet.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of appearance being against the rules.”
“What a bizarre country, where even appearance can be illegal.”
“A dictatorship is truly frightening, they might be taken away to become a body double or a scapegoat.”
Liu Keqing, due to his appearance resembling Xi Jinping too closely, has faced warnings or account bans on various Chinese social media platforms, all under the reason of “irregular appearance.”
In September 2019, Liu Keqing registered an account on Douyin and received 370,000 likes within two days. At that time, he even posted saying, “It’s not mainly because I sing well, but because I look like a national leader.”
In the comments section, many people wrote Xi Jinping’s name, causing his videos and posts to become sensitive topics, leading to the blocking of his Douyin account.
On May 10, 2020, Liu Keqing’s Douyin account was once again banned due to the “irregular” profile picture, reported by an individual.
He mentioned that this was the third time his account had been banned for “irregular appearance.” Once again, he had to provide personal identification documents for verification.
In 2025, Liu Keqing expressed his frustration in a post, stating that for the past five years, due to “this face,” his Douyin account had been repeatedly banned, causing a significant decline in job opportunities and income, plunging his family into financial difficulties.
He also shared an article titled “Troubles of the Face” on his social circle, criticizing Douyin for removing his profile picture and prohibiting him from changing his information for 30 days. Meanwhile, his Douyin cover photo was again deleted.
He mentioned having four children, and due to economic constraints, his opportunity to earn money by live streaming vocal lessons had decreased.
In fact, Liu Keqing is not the only case. A Chinese food blogger, who resembles Xi Jinping, has also faced online abuse and harassment from netizens.
Some vent their anger towards Xi Jinping on him, mocking him as “pig head,” “200 jin (100kg),” or “Winnie the Pooh.”
During his live streams, the blogger simply introduces alleyway cuisines or common eateries, akin to the style of the Japanese drama “The Lonely Gourmet,” allowing viewers to enjoy his food broadcasts while also exploring delicious dishes.
In July last year, all videos of the blogger were completely wiped out.