China Passes on Chan's `Rush Hour 3'

Jackie Chan's new action comedy, "Rush Hour 3," won't be shown in China.

"We think the market for the movie is relatively weak," Xiao Ping, a vice president at state-run China Film Group's import and export arm, said Tuesday.

The Chinese government carefully screens foreign media content and allows only about 20 foreign films a year to be shown.

Ping said "Rush Hour 3" was up against some tough competition.

China has already imported several Hollywood blockbusters, including "Transformers," "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

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But Hollywood trade publication Variety reported on its Asian Web site Tuesday that Chinese officials believe "Rush Hour 3," which stars Chan and Chris Tucker as buddy cops taking on a Chinese crime family in Paris, is "fundamentally anti-Chinese."

Xiao said she didn't know whether film executives were concerned about scenes of Chinese gangsters.

New Line Cinema said it had no comment.