Washington, Aug 3 (ANI): While the official word on not releasing Jackie Chan's 'Rush Hour 3' in mainland China has been that the film could not be squeezed in due to the congested schedule, rumours are rife that it was banned by the country's Film Bureau for its racial humour and contents that hurt China's sentiments.

The censors reportedly objected to a scene featuring a Chinese organized crime family that actors Chan and Chris Tucker's characters take on during a visit to Paris.

The movie depicts a Chinese organized crime family called the Triad.

The issue of organized crime is politically sensitive in China, as greater economic openness has been accompanied by the emergence of triad-style gangs in big cities.

However, as for why the movie, which stars the 53-year-old who is considered as a national treasure, won't be released in the country, Xiao Ping, a VP of imports and exports at the state-run China Film Group insisted that the movie's market was not very good in the country.

"We think the market for the movie is relatively weak. We think it will not be popular in China " Variety magazine quoted Ping, as saying.

Bill Kong, chief of the film's Hong Kong-based distributor, Edko Films also insisted that the Film Bureau had has imposed no such ban and China allowed only 20 foreign films to be imported per year and many Hollywood films have already been imported.

"The problem is not the Film Bureau, it is China Film [Group. The schedule is very congested, and American films are doing very well around the world this year. In China especially, that's an understatement," Kong said.

Rush Hour 3, whose predecessors have earned more than 500 million dollars worldwide, is set to hit U.S. theatres on August 10. (ANI)