Li branded 'traitor' for Singapore move

Gong Li's decision to become a citizen of Singapore has sparked a fierce debate in her native China.

Li collected her Singaporean citizenship over the weekend, forsaking her Chinese nationality in the process.

The Miami Vice and Memoirs Of A Geisha star has since been both defended and criticised online, reports AFP.

"All traitors will be nailed to history's mast of shame. We should resolutely reject any further contact with such people," one posting on Sohu.com read.

In contrast, some defended the 43-year-old, writing: "Why doesn't anyone ask why people want to emigrate?"

Gong Li married Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng in 1996. She has lived mostly outside China since, working more recently in Hollywood.