Head of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping gave a speech celebrating the Chinese Communist Party's centennial on July 1. That speech was the subject of a symposium attended by some of China's most prolific film insiders, including Jackie Chan.Chan took the opportunity to express his admiration of the CCP and a desire to join its ranks. Addressing party members, the Hong Kong action star stated (translated from Mandarin), "I'm jealous that you are CCP members. The CCP is really great." He continued, "The CCP's promises don't take 100 years, they are fulfilled in decades." He then declared, "I want to be a CCP member."
Chan was born in Hong Kong and is known for his martial arts films and his signature slapstick martial arts style. However, despite worldwide popularity, Chan has been a controversial figure in Hong Kong, predominately for his pro-CCP views and attitudes. While he has never been a member, Chan has actively participated in CCP initiatives and nationalist projects.
During the 2019 Hong Kong protests, for example, Chan took part in a media campaign named "The Five-starred Red Flag Has 1.4 Billion Flag Guards," aimed at promoting nationalism during the protests in Hong Kong which were believed to incite and encourage separatist sentiments. During a television appearance in China at the time, Chan stated, "I feel the pride of being a Chinese everywhere, the Five-starred Red Flag is respected worldwide." This was followed by what many in Hong Kong interpreted as a warning aimed at the special administrative region: "I also feel that safety, stability and peace are like fresh air. You never know how precious it is until you lose it."
The Chinese Communist Party was founded on July 1, 1921 and currently has approximately 91 million members, according to a 2020 census. The party has come under intense scrutiny over the course of the past decade owing to its human rights atrocities as well as its increasingly aggressive approach toward diplomacy, referred to informally as Wolf Warrior tactics.
Among these human rights violations are what is recognized as genocide of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the erosion of democracy and implementation of a draconian national security law in Hong Kong, the cultural erasure in Inner Mongolia, the occupation of Tibet, hostile behavior toward Taiwan, organ harvesting involving Falun Gong practitioners and more.
Cinema has been an important facet of the Communist Party's centennial celebrations. Theaters throughout China have been instructed to screen at least two propaganda films per week. These have been described as movies that "sing the praises of…and eulogize the Party, the motherland, its people and its heroes."
Source: Twitter, Global Times