Singer Shan Yichun Apologizes as Li Ronghao Cites Unauthorized Performance

Chinese singer Shan Yichun posted a formal apology today, following accusations from singer, songwriter and producer Li Ronghao that she had performed his original song "Li Bai" without authorization during her concert in Shenzhen on March 28.

Both Shan and Li are prominent figures in China's music industry, with Li releasing his original hit song "Li Bai" in 2013. Shan first covered and adapted the song in a variety show in 2025, incorporating electronic Chinese style and game-related elements into her version.

However, her performance of the song at her Shenzhen tour concert on March 28 sparked a copyright dispute, as Li claimed she had no legal permission to sing it.

Li yesterday took to social media to publicly accuse Shan of "forcibly infringing" his copyright by performing "Li Bai" without authorization. He revealed that his team had previously rejected Shan's request for a licensing agreement, yet she still performed the song at the commercial concert.

Shan responded with a preliminary apology later yesterday, stating that she and her team would "clarify the situation as soon as possible and give everyone a reply," while expressing her sincere apologies to Li and those affected by the incident.

Shortly after Shan's initial response, Li posted again, confirming that the Music Copyright Society of China (MCSC) had not issued any authorization for the performance of "Li Bai". He raised four pointed questions to Shan: "What position, right, perspective, and mentality do you have to perform this song?"

Shan made a lengthy formal apology today, explaining that the organizing company fully undertook the copyright review and authorization application for her tour repertoire. She admitted that she had not further verified the details of the authorization documents before the performance and only later learned that the organizer had not actually signed the performance authorization for "Li Bai."

"However, I still need to take responsibility for my oversight in not personally verifying the authorization documents," Shan wrote. She announced that she would stop performing "Li Bai" in all future shows, delete all online and offline promotional materials related to the song from the current tour, and "bear the full copyright fees and corresponding compensation personally." She emphasized, "The mistake is entirely mine and has nothing to do with anyone else."

Li responded promptly to Shan's apology, revealing that his private messages had been flooded with vicious insults, which he chose not to disclose publicly. "From now on, if this incident does not continue to escalate, with no further smearing or abuse against me and my family, this matter will be put aside for the time being," he said. He added that he would not take the initiative to mention the incident again but reserved the right to pursue further action based on online public opinion.

Regarding the compensation proposed by Shan, Li made it clear that he did not need it. "If I had wanted money, I would have authorized you from the very beginning. That would have been more legitimate. Why go to all this trouble?" he stated.

Lian Dayou, a director of Beijing Jingben Law Firm, told China Youth Daily that under China's Copyright Law, commercial performances require explicit permission from the rights holder. Performing work after authorization has been denied may constitute intentional infringement, which carries civil liability, including stopping the infringement and paying damages.