Lee criticizes reported ban of actress

Chinese regulators have ordered TV stations in Beijing and Shanghai to stop reporting on actress Tang Wei and to pull any advertisements featuring the star of the Ang Lee spy thriller "Lust, Caution," according to Chinese media reports.

The reason for the ban, which has not been officially announced, was not immediately clear. However, "Lust, Caution" has drawn attention because it portrays explicit sex and unpatriotic behavior.

Lee on Monday criticized the ban on Tang, who became a huge star with her role in the award-winning film. In a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press on Monday, Lee praised Tang's performance in "Lust, Caution" and said he's disappointed by the reported ban.

"I am very disappointed that Tang Wei is being hurt by this decision. She gave one of the greatest performances ever in a movie that was properly produced and distributed. We will do everything we can to support her in this difficult time," he said.

Calls to a spokesman for the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television on Monday went unanswered.

Hong Kong's Edko Films, which represents Tang, did not immediately return a reporter's call seeking comment.

In the movie, Tang plays a student activist who seduces a Japanese-allied Chinese intelligence official in World War II-era Shanghai to pave way for his assassination, only to give away the plot at the last minute.

Lee edited the movie before it was released in China, where it became a box office hit.

Unknown before "Lust, Caution," Tang, who is in her late 20s, became a household name in the Chinese-speaking world with her portrayal of an undercover activist who falls too deep into a sexually charged relationship with the enemy.

"Lust, Caution" also won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival last year.

Chinese authorities recently banned the producer of "Lost in Beijing," another sexually explicit movie about corrupted morals in modern China, after a censored version of the film had been cleared and was released in Chinese theaters.

Lee, who won best director Oscar for the gay romance "Brokeback Mountain," was aware of Chinese worries about "Lust, Caution." He cut the movie's sexually explicit scenes and edited a line so Tang's character would appear less of a traitor to the Chinese cause.

Many Chinese are still sensitive about the Japanese military's atrocities during its World War II-era invasion of China. The Hollywood movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" was not released in the country.

Although the timing of the reported ban against Tang is unusual, it is not uncommon for the Chinese government to tighten media controls during key political events. China's National People's Congress is currently holding its annual meeting in Beijing.

Zhang Pimin, deputy secretary-general at China's Film Bureau, told The Associated Press in a phone interview he has n't seen any orders about a ban against Tang.