With his home city of Hong Kong in tumult, Jackie Chan has stepped forward to reaffirm his status as a defender of the Chinese flag.
In a short interview with China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the kung fu megastar speaks about his decision to immediately join the “1.4 billion flag bearer” campaign after protesters in Hong Kong chucked a Chinese national flag into the sea.
“On one hand, I needed to express my most basic patriotism as a Hong Kong and Chinese citizen. I am one of the flag guards,” he proclaimed, appearing to be reading from a prepared statement. “On the other hand, I hoped to express our collective voice through participating in such a campaign.”
Chan, who has long been the most prominent pro-Beijing star in Hong Kong, described this summer’s protests as being “heartbreaking and worrying for many” while praising China’s economic development and global power.
“I deeply feel that safety, stability, and peace are like fresh air, you never know how precious it is until you lose it,” he concluded. “Hong Kong is my birthplace and my hometown. China is my country. I love my country. I love my hometown. I truly hope peace can return to Hong Kong as soon as possible.”
