Chinese actress Li Bingbing did not appear at a world premiere held in Tokyo, Japan yesterday for the Hollywood video game-based action movie "Resident Evil: Retribution", raising speculation that her absence was a demonstration against Japan's claim of a disputed island, Hong Kong's local tabloid newspaper The Sun reported。
Li, who plays Ada Wong in the movie, was said to show her stance over the escalating dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands by pulling out of the premiere。
Li's agent Ji Xiang said that Li had been informed of the premiere two months before but she was too busy in Beijing to attend at that time. Meanwhile, Ji did not deny that politics were involved, saying: "We are in line with our government – the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. Bingbing will be attending movie premieres held in other places across the world and she skipped the Tokyo leg only."
Li co-stars along with Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) and Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) in the fifth installment of the "Resident Evil" franchise, which is written and directed by Jovovich's husband Paul W.S. Anderson. Li's role is crucial to the story and is believed to a stepping-stone to Hollywood。
Jovovich, her Japanese co-star Mika Nakashima and director Anderson showed up at the Tokyo premiere, cheered by hundreds of enthusiastic fans。
據香港媒體報道，隨著日本分別與中國及韓國就釣魚島及獨島的領土主權問題再升級，政治影響蔓延至三地演藝界。內地女星李冰冰被踢出新片《生化危機5》日版海報，她隨即拒絕出席日本首映宣傳以表明立場；而曾表示獨島屬韓國領土的韓國女星具慧善，被迫臨時取消訪日宣傳。
李冰冰早前獲邀參演好萊塢知名電影系列《生化危機》第五部《生化危機之滅絕真相》(RESIDENT EVIL:RETRIBUTION)，將之視為闖美踏腳石，對此片相當重視，特地接受槍法訓練，并親身上陣拍攝真槍打斗戲份。《生》片在東京舉行全球首映禮，戲份甚重的冰冰不見蹤影！
無緣出席首映的她更被踢出電影日版海報，有指她未能出席是因日本政府禁足，但其經理人紀先生透過電話回應時稱兩個月前已得悉這個活動，他表示冰冰因為在北京有工作而未能赴會，不排除涉及政治因素：“我們跟政府站在同一陣線，釣魚島是屬于中國的。這部片于全球其他的首映禮冰冰也會去，唯獨不去東京這一站！”
