Political views and controversy
The Hong Kong Star, in Hong Kong
After the 1997
handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China, Chan's politics gradually shifted from a
pro-democratic to a
pro-Beijing stance. In 1989, Chan performed at the
Concert for Democracy in China in support of democratic movement during the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests; by 2021, in contrast, he expressed his desire to join the Chinese Communist Party.
[184][18] According to Chan, he wanted to be a Party member but his moral failings make him unqualified.
[185] Chan stated that he can "see the greatness of the CCP" and his view that "
t will deliver what it says, and what it promises in less than 100 years, but only a few decades."[185]
During a news conference in Shanghai on 28 March 2004, Chan referred to the recently concluded Republic of China 2004 presidential election in Taiwan, in which Democratic Progressive Party candidates Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu were re-elected as president and vice-president, as "the biggest joke in the world".[186] A Taiwanese legislator and senior member of the DPP, Parris Chang [zh], called for the government of Taiwan to ban Around the World in 80 Days.[187] Police and security personnel separated Chan from scores of protesters shouting "Jackie Chan, get out" when he arrived at Taipei airport in June 2008.[188]
Referring to his participation in the torch relay for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chan spoke out against demonstrators who disrupted the relay several times attempting to draw attention to a wide-ranging number of grievances against the Chinese government. He warned that "publicity seekers" planning to stop him from carrying the Olympic Torch "not get anywhere near" him. Chan also argued that the Olympics coverage that year would "provide another way for us to tell the world about Chinese culture."[189]
Jackie Chan at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival
In 2009, Chan was named an "anti-drug ambassador" by the Chinese government, actively taking part in anti-drug campaigns and supporting President Hu Jintao's declaration that illegal drugs should be eradicated, and their users punished severely. In 2014, when his own son Jaycee was arrested for cannabis use, he said that he was "angry", "shocked", "heartbroken" and "ashamed" of his son. He also remarked, "I hope all young people will learn a lesson from Jaycee and stay far from the harm of drugs. I say to Jaycee that you have to accept the consequences when you do something wrong."[190]
On 18 April 2009, during a panel discussion at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, he questioned whether or not broad freedom is a good thing.[191] Noting the strong tensions in Hong Kong and Taiwan, he said, "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."[192][193] Chan's comments prompted angry responses from several prominent figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong.[194][195] A spokesman later said Chan was referring to freedom in the entertainment industry, rather than in Chinese society at large.[196]
In December 2012, Chan caused outrage when he criticised Hong Kong as a "city of protest", suggesting that demonstrators' rights in Hong Kong should be limited.[197] The same month, in an interview with Phoenix TV, Chan stated that the United States was the "most corrupt" country in the world,[198] which in turn angered parts of the online community.[198][199] Other articles situated Chan's comments in the context of his career and life in the United States, including his "embrace of the American film market"[199] and his seeking asylum in the United States from Hong Kong triads.[200]
From 2013 to 2023, Chan served two terms as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, representing the "Literature and Arts" sector.[201][202]
In April 2016, Chan was named in the Panama Papers.[203] While Chan was not accused of engaging in illegal activity per se, he was listed as having up to six different offshore accounts, likely for the purposes of serving as tax shelters.[204]
In 2019, Chan criticised Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests,[205] saying that the "'Five-starred Red Flag' is respected everywhere around the world."[206] He also supports the National People's Congress decision on Hong Kong national security legislation.[207]
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