‘Surrounded by love’: China director, 75, criticised over plans for fifth child with wife

China’s veteran filmmaker Zhang Jizhong, 75, and his 44-year-old wife, Du Xinglin, ignited online debate after announcing they are contemplating having a fifth child.

The Beijing-born director and producer is renowned for his adaptations of celebrated television versions of classic Chinese novels, including Water Margin and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Du, who studied in France, holds a doctorate in intellectual property law.

The couple married in 2017 and have since welcomed a son and two daughters, including their youngest daughter, affectionately nicknamed “Little Dragon Pearl,” who was born in October 2024. Zhang also co-parents a Eurasian son named Martin, whom Du conceived through IVF before their marriage.

During a recent live-stream, Du revealed her interest in having another child and jokingly referred to the hoped-for son as “Prince Dragon.”

The comments quickly went viral, attracting mixed reactions.

Supporters argued the couple should be free to make their own family choices if they can adequately provide for their children, while critics expressed concerns about Du’s age and questioned whether the couple were leveraging childbirth for publicity.

“They seem a little too focused on themselves. By the time the child reaches adulthood, the father may already be gone. Is that truly happiness?” read one comment.

This discussion occurs against the backdrop of China’s ongoing demographic decline, with births plummeting to 7.92 million last year, a decrease of about 17 per cent from the previous year.

On September 8, Du addressed the controversy, stating she would not deliberately plan for a fifth pregnancy but would “let nature take its course.” She expressed that each child represents a different stage of life for both her and Zhang.

“Children become more lovable and smarter the more you have. Our family has already entered a positive cycle,” she remarked, adding that they hope “there will always be a little child in the family.”

Du also emphasised that the joys of motherhood outweigh the challenges of pregnancy: “I have the ability to ensure that every child grows up surrounded by total love.”

She later clarified that her desire for a boy was meant as a joke, stressing that “boys and girls are equally precious.”

The couple share their parenting experiences and perspectives on Chinese culture on mainland social media, where they have more than 5.6 million followers.

Zhang’s wealth has never been publicly disclosed; however, he has denied rumours claiming he is worth 30 billion yuan (US$4.5 billion), describing himself to Jiupai News as “an ordinary film director.”

After the birth of Little Dragon Pearl, Zhang vowed to provide his daughter with all the love and support he could offer.

The couple have since faced online criticism, with some users ridiculing Zhang’s age and others jokingly referring to him as their “father-in-law,” teasing that they wanted to marry Little Dragon Pearl.

In response, Du later took legal action, gathering evidence of what was deemed online harassment and filed lawsuits against some internet users.