Thanks for the info and the links. Here's another article I found in NYT, interview with the director. He's saying that Miramax, in funding nearly 2/3 of the cost, "encouraged" him to trim it 20 minutes. Not sure if that was done at the early stages (i.e. script, casting stage) or later at editing stage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/02/movies/02zhan.html

<Still, Mr. Zhang said he kept Western audiences in mind while making the film because he knew he would not be able to recoup the production costs through Chinese ticket sales alone.

"I tried to get across themes that would be understood by a Western audience," he said. "There are elements that are purely Chinese, but I made an effort to keep a balance between the two."

Miramax was one of his biggest backers, covering nearly two-thirds of the film's $30 million cost. On Miramax's advice, he cut 20 minutes to speed the pace and make it more palatable for American audiences.

"America is a big market, and I wanted it to succeed, so I agreed," Mr. Zhang said. The uncut version was released in China on DVD.>