A Chinese actress has apologised for making comments in which she flaunted her wealth, sparking a public backlash.

Yan Xuejing made the controversial comments during a live-streaming session at the end of December when she said a couple should earn at least 800,000 yuan (US$115,000) a year to “maintain a family’s operation”, China Newsweek reported.

Yan, 53, complained to her audience that her son earns little.

“He is 32 years old. He and his wife both have a very low income,” said Yan.

She said her son is paid “only hundreds of thousands of yuan” for acting in dramas while his wife earns less than 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) from her music-related job.

“In Beijing, you must cover your family’s expenses of 800,000 to one million yuan a year; otherwise your family cannot be operated,” Yan added.

Her opinion ignited a stir on mainland social media, with many people calling for a boycott of the products Yan endorsed.