Chinese director Zhang Yimou defends casting of Matt Damon

BEIJING (AP) — Acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou has responded to criticism from an Asian-American actress over the casting of "white man" Matt Damon as his movie's lead, saying the role was never conceived for a Chinese actor.

Constance Wu, who stars in a U.S. comedy series centered on immigrants called "Fresh Off the Boat," posted on Twitter last week: "We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that a only (sic) white man can save the world."

The casting of Damon hasn't sparked any controversy in China, where producers are increasingly entering into co-productions with American and other movie makers to improve their filmmaking techniques, and where the government is pushing for Chinese films to be global hits.