China's censors said on Thursday that a decision has not yet been made on whether the latest Tom Cruise action thriller Mission: Impossible III (MI3) will be shown in China.

 

"We've put forward our recommendations for changes and are conferring with the China Film Group Corporation (CFGC)," sources with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), who asked to remain anonymous, told Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

 

"Whether or not it will be screened in China depends on many factors, including if Steven Spielberg, who has generally refused to amend his movies before, is willing to make a change and whether his amendment meets our request," he said.

 

 

The scenes that have been deemed controversial include "a car chase and shootings on the streets of Shanghai" and "laundry hanging from balconies," Thursday's Beijing News quoted sources with the CFGC as saying.

 

Other items up for consideration are tattered underwear and clothes hanging from bamboo poles and a slow police response to a trespassing attempt by Cruise's character, secret agent Ethan Hunt.

 

Chen, a manager overseeing The United International Pictures' China operations, the movie's international distributor, has confirmed the news.

 

It is normal for a film in China to need amendments as there is no classification of films, Chen was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

 

The films Enemy at the Gates and King Kong were cut in China, he added.

 

Even if the movie gets the go-ahead for public release, the CFGC may not release it due to some commercial factors, sources said.

 

"So everything is up in the air," official sources said.

 

Local media has estimated that Chinese audiences, if possible, will not be able to watch the movie before July at the earliest, because another two imported movies, Poseidon and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown are scheduled for release on June 2 and 9 respectively. Imported films are not allowed to be shown between June 10 and July 10 in China.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2006)