PLA singer Han Hong apologises after series of traffic violations

Han Hong, one of China's most well-known singers, has been caught committing traffic violations in Beijing three times in just two weeks, adding fuel to a debate about the sense of entitlement surrounding People's Liberation Army-affiliated celebrities.

"I feel discredited and ashamed for my actions," she wrote in her apology, which she posted on her microblog along with a copy of the receipt that proved she paid the fine.

Han claimed in her apology that she used another licence plate because she wasn't awarded a plate in the monthly lottery, which is meant to reduce congestion in the city. In July, 1.52 million applicants vied for 18,485 licence plates for small passenger cars, according to Beijing municipal traffic police.

Just two days earlier Han had been photographed driving a black Ferrari on the city's often-clogged fourth ring road without a licence plate. Drivers photographed her speaking on her mobile phone while driving, another offence according to Chinese traffic regulations.

In mid-July, Han, 42, had also crashed a black Audi A8 into another car, while driving in a bus lane in Beijing. The limousine she was driving also lacked a number plate.