Chinese man sues actress for staring at him through his TV set

A Chinese man is suing a TV actress after claiming she was staring at him through the television set, it has been reported.

The man said that the movie star Zhao Wei stared at him too intensely through his TV set.

The lawsuit comes after rules were passed in China which make it more difficult for courts to reject lawsuits.

This has led to an increase in the number of court cases brought forward last month. Lawsuits rose by 29 per cent  to just over one million cases, according to the Supreme People's Court.

Under the new system, courts must accept legitimate lawsuits when they are filed or clearly state the reasons for rejecting them.

Complainants can also appeal decisions. The new system has resulted in the Shanghai Pudong New District Court receiving a case against Zhao.

She is one of China's biggest and richest movie stars.

The man who bought the case against her alleged that he suffered from "spiritual damage" as a result of the alleged staring.

The lawsuit filed by a Shanghai man involves the prime-time TV show "Tiger Mom" in which Zhao plays a really pushy mother who constantly pressures her daughter into doing better at school.

However, the case has sparked fears that the change in the law could spark frivolous lawsuits such as this one.

The Shanghai Pudong New District Court's litigation service hotline reported that a number of cases have already been thrown out because of their frivolity.