Pop star under fire for posing in outfit with Japanese flag

Acclaimed television star and pop darling Zhao Wei has defended herself against critics who branded her a traitor for appearing in a fashion magazine wearing a dress emblazoned with a wartime Japanese flag.

Despite improving relations, Ms Zhao's photo shoot in the September issue of Fashion Magazine poured salt on wounds most Chinese still feel from Japan's invasion and the Nanjing Massacre during World War II.

'Why were so many Chinese women raped at the hands of the Japanese? Unless she was physically forced, there is nothing she can say to defend herself,' said a Net surfer on Sina.com.

Nearly 1,000 Chinese have voiced their opinions online, urging a public apology and a boycotting of Ms Zhao's albums, films and TV appearances.

People even began questioning their desire for Japanese cars, electronics and food, many keen to boycott all Japanese goods.

But in a statement released to Sina.com through her manager, Chen Rong, Ms Zhao asserted that even if people were upset with the photographs, she should not be blamed for poor judgment.