MCLC: Zhang Yimou and his 7 children

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: Zhang Yimou and his 7 children
***********************************************************

Source: The Guardian (5/9/13):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/zhang-yimou-seven-children-clai
ms-china

Zhang Yimou seven children claims trigger anger in China
Film director behind opening ceremony for Beijing Olympics faces up to
£17m fine if found to have broken 'one child' policy
By Tania Branigan in Beijing

Renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who designed the opening
ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, is under investigation over claims he
broke strict family planning laws by fathering seven children, state media
have reported.

The website of the People's Daily, the official Communist party newspaper,
quoted suggestions that Zhang could face a fine of up to 160m yuan
(£16.75m). Parents can be ordered to pay up to twice their annual income
for breaching the law, though it is unclear how the estimate of the
directors yearly income was reached. Many avoid fines or pay well below
the maximum.

China's "one child" policy limits most urban couples to one birth
butallows rural families to have a second if their first is a girl. Other
exemptions include allowing a childless individual whose spouse already
has a child to have another.

Violations are increasingly common and there is growing pressure from
experts to abolish the law, which was originally designed to last 30 years.

But offenders can face heavy fines and although forced sterilisations and
abortions are illegal they have continued to take place. Disparity in the
treatment of those who break the laws has fuelled public anger about
inequality.

"It is just a policy for limiting the poor's right to give birth," one
angry microblogger wrote in response to the news about Zhang.

Another asked: "Why doesn't China have the world's respect? Look at the
rich and officials with flocks of wives and mistresses ... If ordinary
people had more children they would be punished or fined to death. He is
fine.
"Zhang's quality is worse than ordinary people. An unfair society can
never receive respect."

The reports followed claims in Chinese media that he had several children
with his two wives and two other women. His personal life has been the
subject of gossip for years, notably over his long relationship with Gong
Li, whom he met when she was a drama student and who starred in many of
his films.

Official news agency Xinhua said officials in Wuxi, the hometown of the
61-year-old's second wife, were investigating.
The website of the People's Daily said it was unclear where Zhang's
children were born, citing a worker at the Jiangsu province's population
and family planning commission.

Zhang's Los Angeles-based agent did not immediately respond to a request
for comment, Associated Press reported.
The director was widely lauded for films such as Raise the Red Lantern and
To Live. But in recent years, critics have been less impressed by films
such as Curse of the Golden Flower and last year's The Flowers of War,
which starred Christian Bale.

While some of Zhang's early works were banned, he has also been criticised
for his closeness to the government, particularly since overseeing the
Olympics ceremony.

Last year China's national audit office said the ministry of railways had
hired him for a five minute promotional film that cost 18.5m yuan in
total. Zhang said he received 2.5m yuan for his work and was astonished to
learn of the total budget
<http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2012-07/31/content_26075876.htm>, adding
that he would do more research before taking on projects in future.