Gong Li branded a ‘traitor’ for becoming Singaporean citizen

Chinese actress Gong Li (pictured), the star of Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice and Farewell My Concubine, has been accused of treason by some of her fellow countrymen after becoming a Singaporean citizen at the weekend.

Although the communist Beijing government has not commented on the matter, it manipulatively ran images of Gong at her swearing-in service on its state television channel, a move that appears to have had the desired effect – a ferocious backlash.

In fact this has been restricted to internet chat forums, which are often dominated by party apparatchiks. Commenting on the portal Sohu.com, one said: "All traitors will be nailed to history's mast of shame. We should resolutely reject any further contact with such people."

Another fulminated: "Traitors like this don't even love their own country. These people were only fake countrymen of ours. Let them slink off to other countries and die!"

Beijing does not allow its people to hold double nationality so 43-year-old Gong, who is married to the Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng, will now be obliged to give up her Chinese citizenship. But not everyone in the blogosphere toed the party line.

Some went so far as to voice understanding of Gong's decision, noting the pressure the regime placed on artists and ordinary citizens. One said: "Does anyone ask why people want to emigrate? We see one Chinese person after another taking US citizenship. Why don't we see Americans taking Chinese citizenship?"