Close to 1,700 officials, celebrities and wealthy people in Hubei Province were exposed and fined for breaking family planning laws last year, the provincial family planning commission has said.

Three lawmakers from the local People's Congress and four political advisors from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of different levels were expelled, while 395 officials were dismissed, the Hubei-based Chutian Metropolitan News reported yesterday.

Li Shaoqing, chairman of a cement company in Xiaochang county and an ex-CPPCC member for the county, received the biggest fine - 765,500 yuan ($105,000) - for having an unauthorized child in May 2006.

But he has only handed in 100,000 yuan so far.

The announcement of the punishments came amid public outcry over the growing number of wealthy people choosing to violate the family planning law by having unauthorized children, despite the threat of fines.

Experts said penalties have not deterred the wealthy from having more children.

Jiang Zhongsan, a commission official, said the fines are equivalent to several times the annual wage of an urban or rural worker, but are relatively small to a rich person.

Administrative punishments that affect a worker's job also have little impact on many celebrities and rich people because they are usually their own bosses, Jiang said.

Lin Guangsheng, deputy director of the commission, said: "This has impaired law enforcement efforts."

The problem of rich people simply accepting the fact they will be fined for having unauthorized children is no longer a family planning issue, but a social one that is hampering equality, he said.

Experts have suggested increasing the fines so they have more of an impact on the wealthy, who, they said, must be made to abide by the same rules as everyone else.

(China Daily January 2, 2008)