Jackie Chan’s comments on Hong Kong protests spark social media anger as martial arts star calls for peace

(SCMP) – Martial arts legend Jackie Chan has said he hopes Hong Kong “can return to peace soon” after finally breaking his silence on the protests that have rocked his home city.

The Drunken Master star said recent events in Hong Kong are “sad and depressing” in an interview with state-owned television network CGTN on Wednesday.

“When I saw on Weibo that CCTV had shown the ‘The Five-starred Red Flag has 1.4 Billion flag guards’, I came [here] immediately,” Chan said.

“On the other hand, I wanted to express the most basic principles of patriotism as a Hong Kong citizen and a Chinese. I am a national flag guard. Furthermore, I wanted to go to this event to represent everyone’s voice.”

The Hong Kong-born actor is adored around the world for his famous kung fu films like the Rush Hour series, but his Beijing loyalist views and dismissals of the democracy movement have not endeared him to protesters.

The 65-year-old is a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. The legislative advisory body in Beijing is largely made up of members of the Chinese Communist Party.

“I have visited many countries, and I can say, our country has been rapidly developing in recent years. I feel pride in being Chinese wherever I go, and the ‘Five-starred Red Flag’ is respected everywhere around the world,” Chan said.