Hong Kong (CNN) Disney hasn't always had the easiest time in China, but amid calls to boycott the live-action version of "Mulan" the entertainment giant is getting help from an unlikely ally: Chinese state media.

Last week, Liu Yifei, the Chinese-born actress playing the eponymous role in the remake, waded into the Hong Kong protest controversy by pledging support for the city's police, who anti-government demonstrators accuse of using excessive force to quell unrest.

"I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong," she posted on Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social media platform.

Immediately, people began posting #BoycottMulan on Twitter, which is banned in China. Hours later, the hashtag was trending in Hong Kong and the United States. Twitter users accused the actress of supporting police brutality and noted that she's an American citizen.

"Liu is a naturalized American citizen. It must be nice. Meanwhile she pisses on people fighting for democracy," one person tweeted.