China's Olympic gold medalist Sun Yang was detained by police after he was discovered driving without a license earlier this month in Hangzhou. It is a shame that as a public figure, Sun has failed to set a good example, says an article on Xinhuanet.com. Excerpts:

Sun Yang is not the first public figure to have violated traffic rules in recent years. The musician Gao Xiaosong was jailed for six months and fined 4,000 yuan ($656) for dangerous and drunken driving in 2011. And earlier this year, singer Han Hong apologized for illegally using a car license plate after she was stopped and fined by traffic police in Beijing.

Sun Yang reacts in a file photo taken on July 28, 2012, during the London Olympic Games. [Photo / Xinhua]

Celebrities benefit enormously from their social influence and correspondingly they should shoulder their social responsibilities. This is because, thanks to their reputations and influence, their behavior in public, be it good or bad, will have an effect on society.

Although no one is in the position to request that a public figure be flawless, public figures should at least behave in public in a responsible way and spread positive energy using their social influence. After all, with great influence comes great responsibilities.

In the case of Sun Yang, Chinese media have reported that this is not the first time he has driven without a license. Now that he has been caught and punished, he should reflect on his behavior and social responsibilities. Soon after the incident, the swimming prodigy issued an apology on his micro blog. Let's hope that he has learned his lesson and behaves in a more mature way in the future.

(China Daily 11/08/2013 page9)