Jackie Chan’s movies often portray him as a humble, ordinary man, caught up in circumstances beyond his control — good over evil, amid lots of amazing martial arts.
Which makes it all the more bizarre that the “Clown Prince of Kung fu,” has joined more than 2,000 performing artists in supporting China’s new repressive security law for Hong Kong, drawing the ire of many in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Taiwan News reported.
Last Thursday, the National People’s Congress (NPC), passed a new heavy-handed security law to crush dissent in Hong Kong.
The next day, Chan joined 2,616 “people in the cultural and performing arts” and 110 cultural groups in signing a statement which read, “We fully understand the importance of safeguarding national security for Hong Kong and support the decision of the National People’s Congress on Hong Kong’s national security law.”
A number of Hong Kong entertainers immediately expressed their opposition to the law, including singer-songwriter Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, singer Denise Ho, and musical artist Adrian Chow, among others, Taiwan News reported.
In response, Chan led a group of other Hong Kong celebrities in expressing support for the law, including singer-actress Liza Wang, actor Eric Tsang, director Clifton Ko, singer-actor Jordan Chan, singer Alan Tam and entertainer Wong Cho-lam, along with others, Taiwan News reported.
The statement backed by Chan also read that the signatories hoped that when the legislation is enacted it will “fill loopholes” in national security, enable relevant parties to fully communicate with all sectors of society to dispel doubts, and “protect the industry’s normal creative freedom and space to develop.”
The statement also called on all sectors of society to “enhance inclusive understanding and bring Hong Kong back to the right path of civilization and the rule of law, and start again.”
In response, Taiwanese netizens accused him of “bootlicking the CCP,” and repeated a comment made by Chan about Hong Kong in 2009 in which he said, “If you’re too free, you’re like the way Hong Kong is now. It’s very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic … I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled.”
Out of disgust with Chan’s latest antics, one netizen wrote “I’ve never seen such scum. What he just demonstrated is what is known as a two-faced scumbag.”
Other netizens pointed out the hypocrisy of his comment about “having too much freedom.”
“Hey, Mr. Big Star, have you ever gone down to see how the lower class lives in fear of the totalitarian evil forces of the CCP?”
“It’s because of having too much freedom that this kind of dog leg would appear.”
“You had affairs and your son smoked pot. You’re too free aren’t you?”
“It [Hong Kong] could never be as chaotic as his private life.”
Chan is much reviled in Taiwan for his infidelity to his Taiwanese wife and criticism he has made against Taiwan’s democracy over the years, Taiwan News reported.
As the pro-democracy protests intensified in June of last year, Chan arrogantly denied knowledge of their existence, saying “I only just found out yesterday that there was a big parade in Hong Kong. I don’t know anything about it.”
However, over the weekend, a number of Hong Kong celebrities denied that they had endorsed the new law. Hong Kong singer Ram Chiang, Taiwanese actress Hsu Hsi-yuan and Hong Kong pianist Jacqueline Li all denied supporting China’s national security law and claimed their names were used without their consent, Taiwan News reported.