Actor Zhang Ziyi, known for films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha and more, is the first major Chinese celebrity to publicly declare adherence to Xi Jinping's policies following the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
In a video taken from Chinese media, the actor stated (translated from Mandarin), "General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress that to promote cultural self-confidence and self-improvement, to create a new glory of socialist culture, we must meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people, and we must continue to enhance the country's cultural soft power and Chinese cultural influence. As an artistic worker, I also study very seriously, and understand the general secretary's request."
She went on to say, "In the future, I will adhere to the people-centred creative orientation according to the instructions of the general secretary, adhere to the position of Chinese culture... tell the Chinese story to the world, and spread the Chinese voice."
China and Hollywood
Though the first celebrity to respond after Xi Jinping announced a historic third term in office as General Secretary of the CCP and leader of the People's Republic of China, Zhang is not the first celebrity to publicly express support for the Party and Xi. Actor Jackie Chan has been vocal about supporting the regime, going so far as to declare that he would like to join the Party, previously stating at a symposium, "I'm jealous that you are CCP members. The CCP is really great."
China's film industry and its relationship to Hollywood has come under immense scrutiny in the last few years, as the CCP's censorship policies appear to have been exported to films produced by the U.S for western audiences. Hollywood studios previously made a variety of concessions in exchange for access to the Chinese market, which previously made up a third of the global box office value. These included adding Chinese actors, such as Zhang Ziyi to blockbuster films such as Godzilla: King of the Monsters or The Cloverfield Paradox. This dynamic has been criticized by organizations including PEN America.
Propaganda and Censorship
Xi Jinping's recent push for further promotion of nationalism follows several years of increasing cultural reforms across China, leading to new regulations introduced to studios and filmmakers. First and foremost, creators must "serve the people and socialism." Last year, the China Film Administration, which is under the control of the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, released a new five-year plan in which the authority encouraged the industry to promote what the Communist Party-ruled government deems to be correct values, as well as traditional Chinese culture through film.
Additionally, the last two years have seen a nationwide crackdown on entertainment and a shift to promote domestically produced films, many of which are propaganda films such as The Battle at Lake Changjin. It should be noted that many of these regulations are not necessarily exclusive to the movie industry, but have counterparts in all forms of media, including television, radio and video games. Last year, it was reported video game developers were given instructions to exclude LGBTQ+ relationships and characters, as well as "effeminate men."
Source: Twitter