TAIPEI, TAIWAN - ACTRESS Tang Wei, who won an award in Taiwan for her role in the erotic spy thriller 'Lust, Caution', has been blacklisted in China due to controversy over the film, a report here said on Saturday.

The United Evening News said Chinese print and electronic media 'were notified on Friday to immediately remove' any works and commercials featuring the Chinese actress. It was unclear how long the ban would last.

The report cited unnamed sources as saying that Tang came under fire as the film, a tense drama set during Japan's occupation of Shanghai in the 1940s, was deemed as 'beautifying' those who collaborated with the Japanese at that time.

'Beautifying Japanese collaborators sparked the controversy over 'Lust, Caution' in China even more than the sex scenes did,' the report said.

In the movie, Tang joins the Chinese resistance and is tasked with killing a powerful Japanese collaborator, but she changes her mind at the last minute.

In December, Tang was named best new performer in Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards - considered the Chinese-language Oscars - for her performance in the film, which contains explicit sex scenes.

Taiwan-born director Ang Lee was spared blacklisting because he is an artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics, unnamed industry watchers were quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Beijing authorities were also wary that punishing the popular Lee would help the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party fan anti-China sentiments ahead of the island's March 22 presidential vote.

China considers itself the biggest victim of past Japanese aggression, saying it lost 20 million people between 1937 and 1945. -- AFP