Director Zhang: An apology for paternity(2)

"The commission is urging Zhang to declare his real in-come for the years when his three children were born in order to calculate an accurate fine," the source said.

Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly reported that Zhang, 62, had at least seven children by several women — an ex-wife, two mistresses and Chen, a former dancer who is 31 years his junior.

In the statement posted on the studio's micro blog, Zhang denied that he had seven children and said that "some people with ulterior motives" followed his children for two years and fabricated rumors that "severely interfere with the daily lives" of his family members.

The incident has caught public attention more than other cases of family planning violations as it exposes the social divide between rich and poor and fuels concerns that the policy has lost its constraining effect on celebrities, experts say.

"Zhang's violation of the family planning policy was initially a personal issue. The reason it has drawn so much attention is that people are concerned that celebrities can override the law and dodge punishment," said Lu Jiehua, a professor of demography at Peking University.

Lu said the incident could also have an adverse effect on compliance, which is high among government employees who fear they could lose their jobs after a violation.

"This incident shows that the policy is not equally effective for celebrities," Lu said. "Nor is it effective for migrant workers, the self-employed or people living in remote areas, to my knowledge."

China's family planning policy has been in place for more than three decades. Most couples have been restricted to only one child since 1980.

But the policy has been loosened over time. A second child was allowed, for example, for some rural families whose first child was a girl, as well as for ethnic groups and for couples who are both only children.

The policy was further relaxed last month, when the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee decided that if just one spouse is an only child, the couple may have two children.

Yuan Xin, a professor of population studies at Nankai University in Tianjin, said the fact that Zhang was investigated for the violation shows that there is no privilege for celebrities.

"Anything to do with celebrities is eye-catching. But the fact that Zhang eventually decided to apologize and cooperate with the investigation shows there is no privilege for celebrities, and everybody is equal before the law," he said.

Born in 1951, Zhang is one of China's most renowned filmmakers. His early works, including Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern, won him international acclaim.

He was also the master-mind of the spectacular opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.