Hong Kong - Faye Wong's much rumoured comeback is taking shape, with her manager saying talks are on for a tour next year.

According to recent rumours, attributed to senior record company executives, the Chinese diva is to make her return to showbiz in a tour starting in October, coinciding with the Shanghai Expo.

If the rumours are true, she will stage five concerts each in Beijing and Shanghai.

Asked about the rumours, her manager Katie Chan said: 'Things are progressing along fine.'

Her comment was carried in a story from Shanghai on Beijing's Sina.com yesterday.

In Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily yesterday, she said Wong received a proposal for a tour 'much earlier on' and talks are still on. But she dismissed the rumour that the singer will earn 6.5 million yuan (S$1.3 million) a show.

Despite talk that Wong will open her tour in Xian because her romance with husband Li Yapeng had come to light there, Chan said the opening venue has not been decided.

Also, Wong may perform at state-run broadcaster Central China Television's annual Spring Festival gala show in February.

Chan confirmed that CCTV has invited Wong to perform in the annual show, shown to an audience of one billion and staged every year on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Wong has been semi-retired since 2005 when she married Li and later had a daughter Yan, who is now three.

Rumours of her comeback had heated up in May when she starred in an advertising campaign for a shampoo that reportedly earned her 20 million yuan.

Reports also said she might be returning to showbiz for the money as Li's pub business had allegedly been hit by the economic crisis.

Li is so far not commenting on the latest rumours. At a press conference on Wednesday, he told a reporter to 'shut up' when asked about Wong's expected February performance.