How far can a sponsor go in setting conditions on recipients?

Xiang Haiqing, a 22-year-old Shanghai Fisheries University student, gained a bit of fame recently for his split with his sponsor, Sun Li, a popular actress starring in several TV series.

A student from an impoverished family in rural Chongqing, Xiang has been supported by Sun and her mother since 2002.

She paid his yearly tuition of 6,000 yuan ($768) after his entry in 2005 and 500 yuan a month for living expenses. She also bought him a mobile phone and sent medicine to his sick mother. But the deal fell apart in December 2005 over a disagreement about how to spend the money.