Performers stage a singing presentation in the Great Hall of the People on January 1 in Beijing. Photo: CFP

 Traffic violations are usually minor crimes, but not for Han Hong, a well-known singer and military officer, caught driving a Land Rover with a plate taken from another of her vehicles in Beijing on August 3.

Han's fame meant news of her offence spread rapidly online, but those unfamiliar with the PLA might be surprised at her dual role.

The PLA has long maintained its own entertainment troupes, both training performers itself and drafting already popular entertainers.

Han was recruited into the army in 2009, and has shot up the ranks to become deputy head of the art troupe for the political department of the air force.

Han, who hails from the Tibet Autonomous Region, made her name in 2003 for her folk music and song-writing skills, which attracted the army to her.

Recruiting popular entertainers is seen as a secure way for the military to take in "fresh blood," and enrich the cultural lives of its soldiers.

But most army entertainers come up through the military-academic system through bodies such as the PLA Academy of Arts. After several years of study and professional training in their art form, they serve in the army as professional entertainers. Those who excelled have a better pick of posts later. As a result, some quip online that China has a skew of "major-generals" and other high-ranking "officers" more skilled at singing than strategy.

This may explain why whenever there is news of a military entertainer's promotion, it always draw heated discussion. Singer Song Zuying, who was recently promoted to head of the Navy Arts Ensemble and has reportedly been assigned bodyguards because of her position, was on the home page of almost every news portal websites.

Celebrity recruits

Ji Minjia, 31, from Sichuan Province, now works in the same troupe as Han Hong. Ji was recruited in 2009, four years after she won a singing contest in 2005.

Pang Long, who made his name in 2004 by singing songs like "Two Butterflies," now serves the art troupe of the Second Artillery Corps.

But today, within the troupe, popular duo Phoenix Legend outshines Pang. Most people may not even know Phoenix Legend are part of the army as they rarely wear military uniforms in their frequent TV appearances.

"The army does need some fresh blood for its shows, and these entertainers need the army's influence to benefit under the current system," Song Zhongping, a military affairs commentator, told the Global Times.

Military art troupes are reputed for their top-level performers even compared with other professional artists nationwide. It is well-known that the political screening is strict for the new recruits. After joining the military, the artists must follow disciplinary rules, though they do enjoy more freedom to interact with the civil world, participating in shows and other social activities.

Compared with today's civil entertainers who are often entangled in drug abuse or other scandals, much fewer troubles have been reported about the military artists. However, far more attention is paid to any slips by military entertainers.

Even for those who are personally blameless, a wayward child can cost them their reputation.

Li Shuangjiang, a household name as a senior army singer, is director of the music department at the PLA Academy of Arts, and a general. His wife, Meng Ge, is also a well-known army singer. Their son, Li Tianyi, has been arrested for his role in an alleged gang-rape with the case still under trial.

This horrific affair is not the first time the young Li, only 17, has been in trouble.

In September 2011, Li drove a BMW and crashed into a couple's car in Beijing. As a crowd gathered, the teenagers threatened anyone to dare to report him to the police. Many believe he felt himself untouchable due to his father's status.

The most notorious example is Wang Shouye, a former deputy navy commander, who spent 12 million yuan on five mistresses, all of whom were army performers. He was expelled from his post, and sentenced to a suspended death penalty in 2006.

Still necessary?

During the years of war prior to 1949, the Party required the military to take on military, labor and PR roles. Army performers were indispensable to the army then, playing an important role in boosting soldiers' morale.

But the question is whether the army still needs to keep such a large number of army performers around in peacetime. Many commentators are casting doubts.

Some logistical services for the army have been distributed to non-army departments or organizations, which means the army can buy services without the necessity of keeping full-time staff. "Why can't cultural needs be met this way?" Song asks. 

Otherwise, the system should be reformed, to prevent army performers from partaking in commercial activities. "So long as they wear a military uniform and work for the army, they should serve ordinary soldiers only," said Song.

Today, performers in the army can have the best of both worlds. They can count on the good salaries and welfare offered by the army but they can also release albums, go on tour and put on concerts while using their status and connections to make these happen. Higher-ranked entertainers have access to a full entourage, including secretaries and security guards. They enjoy the same privileges as high-rank officials.

Song Zhongping believes that the recent scandals may be because of this confusion where their status sees them treated as officials, not as soldiers. As such, they can use this to benefit themselves, tarnishing the image of the PLA.

"If they were just professional soldiers, they would not enjoy so many privileges. And thus some entertainers would not target the army to seek fame and fortune."

Huang Guorong, a writer with the Liberation Army Art Press, told the Global Times these art troupes have existed for a long time and play important roles, in wartime and peacetime alike.

But Huang points out that even inside the army, there are debates as to whether it remains necessary to keep such a large number of performers.

Market reform

Though the market economy was first introduced into China in the early 1980s, entertainment services for the army lag far behind reform, according to Hong Heliang, a staff writer with Southern People Weekly.

In the early stages of reform and opening up, the army intended to decrease the number or army performers.

 In the two years following October of 2003, the number of army performers was trimmed by 200,000, and art troupes were reorganized in 2004, only keeping art troupes of military area commands and army services. All other art groups were disbanded.

However, as spending on national defense is now increasing every year, work opportunities for art troupes are increasing, too, which explains why celebrities like Han Hong and Phoenix Legend can still find a place today.

Any military  does have a need for entertainment, but it should be noted that most countries turn to outside entertainers to meet this demand, such as American USO shows, wrote Hong.

In the US, the army hires famous entertainers to come perform for the troops, rather than keeping its own troupes on the books. 

In mid-July, South Korea announced that its Ministry of National Defense was to abolish the "army performers" system, which had been practiced for 16 years since 1997. Those soldiers were integrated into field forces.

This reform came after several famous army performers visited brothels in June and were punished as a result.

The South Korean system, like the Chinese one, was originally initiated to boost soldiers' morale and improve the image of the army. But in practice, these "celebrities" were often very loosely supervised in South Korea.

Reform needed

Today, there is still no clear standard as to what kind of entertainers can join the military or not.

"This has had a large negative effect on other military art performers and the army," said Huang.

The high ranks handed out like candy to musicians, singers, and dancers have made genuine military officials unsatisfied since it's not that easy for them to get promoted. And when media reports of scandal can give army rank alongside a singer's misdeeds, it tarnishes the name of the entire PLA.

Huang emphasized that the army has realized those problems and the situation is improving.

"Celebrities who want to do their own concerts should take off their military uniform, while the army should allow some less famous army performers to leave the army, and then simply hire them for cultural activities," Song proposed.