Zhang Ziyi: China Quake Ignorance Outrageous

HONG KONG — "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star Zhang Ziyi says she's outraged by what she says is ignorance about the recent earthquake in China.

Zhang said in several Chinese-language blog entries over the past week that she has been busy raising money for relief efforts after the deadly quake struck in China's central Sichuan province, which has killed more than 60,000.

But she said she was surprised to find one group she solicited on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival in France knew little about the disaster.

"I was as angry as a madwoman. I said, 'Are you idiots? You are well-dressed people who look like you identify with society, but you don't know what's going on on planet Earth.' It's incredible!" Zhang said.

Zhang said she has made a pamphlet about the quake to show foreigners. She said she donated $144,000 and received a pledge of $100,000 from Wendi Deng, the Chinese-born wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Zhang's other credits include "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Rush Hour 2" and "House of Flying Daggers."

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On the Net:

Zhang Ziyi's official Web site:

http://www.helloziyi.com

Comments

[vginger]

We just dont get it.
At this point in time...Americans are stretched to the max , money wise.
The govt has fed on the wealth of this country and now the few are bloated with wealth while most Americans are losing their homes, their jobs, their familys...and we need to administer to Chinas problems also? V

[jagoneely]

Some of these posts are discusting. So, because she is Chinese she is responsible for her government's choices? I would hate to think that someone in another country would mock my country's tragedy because my President is an idiot - and blame me personally for it. Yuck. You are the same people who would be indignant if you were in her shoes. And thank God you're not. BTW, if America gets what she deserves due to our government's crimes- we're all screwed.

[snobama]

hey little geisha.. the 'china tibet ignorance' is even worse.... go scream at your govt about that ..
and also about the human rights abuse and censorship that is rampant in your country ......

what goes around comes around....

burma crushed the monks there and got ravaged by cyclones..
china went after tibetan monks and got hit by an earthquake..

looks like the 'gods' have finally had enough..

now if only obama is humiliated in Nov and revealed for the charlatan he is to all including the hordes of kool-aid culters....

[javaman]

Sorry but her screaming at ego inflated stars to care about anything other than themselves is pretty comical.

[disgustedbyitall]

Like other movie stars and other people, Zhang fails to realize that all politics are local. People have little energy to care about things happening to others, often within their own community. To express such anger is simply a public display of naivete.

[kanaschwiiz]

Very true... but naivete in this sense is another word for innocence. She believes we/they should care. And she's right. Those same people might have given generously to the much smaller disaster that was New Orleans.

[robXdion]

Not to be cruel, but I wonder if China will forgive some of the US debt for our aid. Then again, it is THEIR money anyway.

[Cathexis]

Um ... no.

China was wracked with a devastating tragedy that will dwarf the death toll of our 9/11 and Katrina, combined. Trying to put them over the barrel in order to screw them out of some of their investment money would be reprehensible. Take a moment to think about this and I'm sure you'll agree.

This is the time we should be coming together as human beings, transcending petty nationalistic biases, to help those in need and console those who have lost everything.

[dgscol]

Did you see all the aid money the US received from China to help with Katrina? China also rushes in to assist other Asians, and their own people. Actually not. Shanghai and Hong Kong, does not know other Asians exist except for the ruling party in Beijing.

China is a rising nation and should look after its own people with its wealth. It is a reasonable expectation.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

Zhang kicks ass. you go girl!

[gakabani]

american are worried about oil prices and raising food prices. We are a pathetic nation.

[egghumor]

I agree with several comments posted here, especially those in reference to Darfur, U.S. aid levels, China’s media restraints and control, Louisiana, general public apathy, etc.

I recently finished 5 years of teaching in China – most university-age and adult students. Whenever I would mention various world events or problems, most of the time the students had no idea what I was talking about. There was little care or connection with the world outside of China, unless of course, it had something to do with fashion, entertainment, sports, or commercial interests. I found very little global consciousness in China.

I came to Seoul three weeks ago for teaching. Last Monday at 2:28PM, in an attempt to join with China’s three-day period of mourning, I asked my students to join in a moment of silence in honor of those killed and suffering ain China. Most of them had no knowledge of what had been happening in Sichuan. I had to explain to most of them what I was talking about.

And for of us who ARE trying to pay attention, I found that the first report I read the morning after said “about 900 dead.” Now of course, we are looking at casualty levels (according to Hu Jintao) at upwards of 80,000; 3.4 million homeless, 700,000 recently collapsed buildings, etc.

At the point that Zhang Ziyi was so outraged by the “idiots” she encountered, how much factual and credible had been published?

[mergina]

America is a caring nation, when it is not being raped and pillaged to the point of wondering where one's next meal is coming from. I wish she would have landed a few kicks on some of that glitzy uncaring scene.
Love you in your films btw if you ever see this.

[ergoth]

if it doesn't effect america directly they couldn't care less.

[tkondaks]

That's a pretty amusing comment seeing that America gives more in both foreign aid and in charity to foreign nations than any other.

[drblack]

I used to think the USA gave lots of money to foreign aid, the truth is that the USA doesn't give much at all.
The US gives less than 0.2% of GDP to help other countries in need. It is quite low.

The other misnomer ,often put forth by the right wingers is that welfare was a costly program before Bill Clinton killed it.
Welfare programs at there highest level were 1.89% of the Federal budget in 1975-76 during the Ford Presidency.

[SOOKOOYAH GURL]

Yeah, America gives more aid to complacent governments. What use is the money if it goes to the top 1% of the country's population?

How could a country get millions in U.S. aid a month, yet the people are poor and destitute?

Ever notice when countries decide to educate their people and start building their country, they get bombed by the U.S.?
Think of it, why would Regan bomb GRENADA? A freaking Island..
The U.S. complained that Cuba was building an airport that would be used to launch missiles in America... LMAO..
Thousands of people were killed and of course they denied it. But they actually wanted to kill the Grenadian Prime Minister Bishop. Unlike all the other Dictators America was supporting at the time, Bishop was actually taking care of his people.

Ironically, Regan built an airport 10 times bigger than what the one the Grenadians were building and called it Regan National Airport. So if the idea was to prevent Cuba from launching missiles from Grenada, why build a bigger airport????

Note to the American Mass:
People don't hate you for your freedoms, they hate your government for their foreign policies, which tend to screw up their lives and enrich ours.

[Stucco]

No - even then we couldn't care less. Does anyone here ever think about Louisiana? About our own refugees living in toxic trailers? Ziyi needs to understand that ignorance and apathy are our values.

[NoSillyName]

I think she's probably correct in her assessment of the **STARS** in Cannes. Those of us who spend so much time here reading & commenting are likely to be News Junkies. We keep up with world events as much as possible. I'm making an assumption here, but I'll be a large portion of those in & around show biz focus their attention on other topics like making deals, hobnobbing, attending self-congratulatory award shows and events, deciding who will star in their next project, and whatever else in involved in the Biz.

I don't fault Zhang Ziyi for trying to raise money to help those in her own country. I applaud her. That earthquake and the aftershocks have created a huge human tragedy.

There is so much horror in the world that it becomes overwhelming. Focus shifts from the last tragedy to the new one. Doesn't mean people don't care about other awful situations.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Ms Zyang Ziyi, I have not heard you speaking out on the crisis in Darfur, or the troubles in Zimbabwe. I have not heard you speaking of the tragedy in Burma. Does your sympathy to the victims of natural and man made disasters extend only to those of your own ethnic group? And why is it that you feel you are justified in scolding attendees at Cannes? Have you tried scolding world political organizations? Have you started a foundation to fund world aid organizations? What about the government of China? Are they doing enough, or are they busy with the Olympics?

[bazokbros]

I would have to agree. Her outrage for one of the wealthiest countries on the planet by far seems selective. Cannes isn't really a vacation, but one of the glamour places for the film community to do business and be seen.

[Gingerously]

Wow, closed minded much? There are 6 billion causes on this planet. You can't be a champion of them all.

[Cathexis]

Hoplalong, are you reading what you are posting?!?

Yeah, Darfur and Zimbabwe are big problems and things need to be done. But China just suffered a *massive* earthquake that has killed I don't know how many 10s of thousands -- 80? -- injured even more, and left multitudes devastated and/or homeless. The sheer magnitude of the China tragedy dwarfs just about anything else that is going on.

Now is not the time to sermonize on why they aren't advocating for these other issues as much as you'd like. Now is the time to help. The solutions to those other issues are political and need political solutions. They'll be difficult to address.

The situation in China is not political. Although on massive scale, the response is straight-forward. Complaining that you believe they should be doing more to help on these other issues is inappropriate, given the current circumstances, wouldn't you say?

[mredder4]

It's not the fault of anyone in Cannes that the state media of China censors the reports coming out of the area.

[Politiking]

章子怡認為所有的外國人都是白痴。