Supermodel Du Juan 

Chinese supermodel Du Juan has been sued by her acting agent company for having allegedly violating their business agreement and may face a fine amounting up to 4.5 million yuan, Beijing Times reports Thursday morning.

'New Silk Road' filed a lawsuit against model Du Juan, who was said to have made a secret deal with entertainment management giant IMG prior to the expiration of her contact.

New Silk Road, founded in 1992, is the oldest and largest model business in China.

According to New Silk Road, Du Juan signed a business agreement with the company after she was crowned at the annual show the company launched to select models nationwide in September, 2002. The contact stipulates New Silk Road is Du Juan's sole agency managing all her events both at home and abroad.

With help from the company, Du Juan's modeling career took off in the following three years and she made a big name of herself in fashion circles.

Du Juan traveled abroad at the end of 2005, "in the name of further education", as was said by the company, who later learned the model had actively shown up for many publicity campaigns for foreign brands and signed with American agency IMG.

Therefore, New Silk Road claimed Du Juan's has violated their original agreement and thus requests the model hands in part of the income grossed through such activities and pays another 3 million yuan fine.

Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court opened the case on Wednesday but Du Juan was not in court.

However, Du Juan's attorney said on the model's behalf that she was forced to sign the contract before the final competition rather than after the show, which was what the company has claimed. Du's attorney said the model was forced to sign the contract in order to enter the final round of the competition.

The attorney argued the agreement was not fair, and has made a counterclaim requesting the court withdraw the lawsuit. However, the attorney for the plaintiff said the company filed the lawsuit not for money but with a view to reshaping the orderless domestic modeling industry and seeking sanctions against those that violate industry norms in their quest for fame.

The court did not rule out decision in court Wednesday.

Du Juan, 1.79 meters high, is a fashion model from Shanghai. Since winning the 2002 New Silk Road model competition and making her catwalk debut in Spring 2006, she has modeled for a number of prominent designers such as Valentino and Jean-Paul Gaultier. For the Fall 2006 season, Style.com, the online home of Vogue and W magazine, declared her one of the top ten models to watch. She has appeared in ad campaigns for many international brands and once graced the cover of Vogue China and TIME Style&Design.