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Chinese police have detained a man surnamed Xing for illegally using an AI-generated digital avatar based on the likeness of Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in livestream sales, according to a notice released Thursday by the cybersecurity bureau of China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

According to the official WeChat account of the MPS cybersecurity bureau, cyber police in Datong, North China's Shanxi Province, recently discovered during routine online inspections that a local internet user, Xing, had illegally used the image of Cheng Li-wun in AI-generated livestreams to promote products online. The activity triggered public skepticism and "seriously disrupted online order," the notice said.

Police investigations found that Xing, who was engaged in livestream e-commerce, sought to capitalize on the popularity and online attention surrounding Cheng's recent mainland visit. Without authorization, Xing used an AI tool to generate a digital avatar and promotional livestream scripts featuring Cheng's likeness before conducting livestream sales on online platforms, drawing widespread attention and generating negative social impact, according to the bureau.

Authorities said Xing had generated and used the AI digital avatar without authorization, using another person's likeness to conduct livestream sales activities. The act constituted an illegal offense involving the unauthorized appropriation and impersonation of another individual's identity for fraudulent purposes, in violation of the Public Security Administrative Penalty Law, according to police.

The local public security bureau has placed Xing under administrative detention in accordance with the law, the agency said.

The case came after Cheng led a KMT delegation on a visit to the mainland from April 7 to 12, during which the delegation visited Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing.

In its statement, the cyber police bureau stressed that "the internet is not beyond the reach of the law," calling on the public to use AI rationally and uphold legal and ethical boundaries in cyberspace.

AI technology must be used in compliance with laws and regulations while respecting social morality and public order, the bureau said via its official WeChat account, adding that public security authorities will continue intensifying efforts to combat online rumors and other illegal online activities, including fabricating false information or seeking illicit profits through AI-related means.

The agency also encouraged internet users to actively report leads related to online rumor-mongering and other unlawful activities through multiple channels, in a joint effort to foster a "clean and healthy online environment."

Global Times