Taiwan entertainer Rainie Yang Chenglin held a press conference Tuesday to offer a public apology for the words that triggered disgust among her mainland fans four years ago.

The 23-year-old said in Beijing that she pleads with the public for forgiveness over her mistake, the China News Service reports.

During a 2003 episode of Taiwan popular show "Guess," Rainie Yang said she had no idea about the duration of China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression which started in 1937. After learning the answer from co-host Jacky Wu Zongxian, she reportedly responded with a "Just eight years?"

The war, which lasted from 1937 to 1945, was considered as a long and painful period for the Chinese people, during which a number of horrible atrocities, including the Nanjing Massacre, were committed by the Japanese invasion army.

In the wake of her inappropriate words, some mainland internet users petitioned to boycott her. Having been aired several times, the commercials she made with McDonald's were axed, supposedly for the same reason.

During Tuesday's apology, Rainie Yang admitted her poor knowledge of history, explaining she had quit school at an early age. She also accepted a book on history given by the organizer of the press conference, promising to study it hard.

Although the young star has expressed her remorse several times in the past few years, there are endless rumors accusing her of making constant complaints about mainland fans. She always denies such complaints.

Even Tuesday's apology is failing to generate her desired response. Many believe the gesture was made merely to promote her upcoming third album.

A random street survey by Shanghai-based xmnext.com shows that only 20 percent of the respondents are willing to accept her apology.

(CRI.cn April 4, 2007)