Crime to mime, pop stars told

Professional performers who cheat their audiences by lip-synching or pretending to play their instruments at "live" shows are likely to face stiff penalties from next year, an official from the Ministry of Culture said on Wednesday.

Sun Qiuxia, from the market management department, said the ministry will garner public opinion from now until the end of the month before finalizing the details of the new rules.

People who perform for profit should not cheat audiences with fake singing or pretending to play instruments, as has been the case in the past, she said.