Summary：Speaking through his assistant, director Zhang Yimou said he was not the director of "Chinese Railway," a controversial promotional video for high-speed railways criticized for terrible standards and a high cost.

Speaking through his assistant, director Zhang Yimou said he was not the director of "Chinese Railway," a controversial promotional video for high-speed railways criticized for terrible standards and a high cost, the Beijing News reports.
 
"Chinese Railway," made for the Railway Ministry for the opening of the 7th World Congress on High-speed Rail in Beijing in December 2010, was recently reported by the National Audit Office to have cost 18.5 million yuan (US$2.9 million) but failed to meet expectations.
 
Pang Liwei, Zhang Yimou's assistant, said on Monday that Zhang did not take part in the shooting for the video and his role was just making some recommendations to the film maker.
 
Pang said the video's production company asked Zhang to direct the video before the downfall of the former Railway Minister Liu Zhijun and Zhang said he would make recommendations but he did not want to be credited as the director. Zhang attended several meetings to give advice, but the final production was very different than what he had recommended, Pang said.
 
As for Internet users' questions about the high fee Zhang received for his role, Pang responded that there was no question that Zhang was paid at a level equal to his status in the international film field.