BEIJING, July 9 — Actress-turned-director Vicky Zhao Wei has come under fire in China after casting Taiwanese actor Leon Dai in the lead role of her next film, No Other Love.

The Communist Youth League is currently waging a social media campaign to criticise Zhao over Dai’s alleged support for Taiwanese independence. The league is seen as an incubator of sorts for those on the fast track to elite positions within the party.

In a posting on its official Weibo page, the league’s central committee called for an online boycott of No Other Love and other films involving Dai on the grounds of his "offensive stance”.

Local media have reported that both Zhao and Dai previously issued statements denying any political agenda or support for an independent Taiwan.

Considered one of China’s most popular entertainers, Zhao is no stranger to controversy. In 2001, she was forced to repeatedly apologise for wearing a dress that appeared to replicate a Japanese military flag.

No Other Love is currently in post-production.