Jackie Chan: Chinese People Need To Be Controlled

BOAO, China — Action star Jackie Chan said Saturday he's not sure if a free society is a good thing for China and that he's starting to think "we Chinese need to be controlled."

Chan's comments drew applause from a predominantly Chinese audience of business leaders in China's southern island province of Hainan.

The 55-year-old Hong Kong actor was participating in a panel at the annual Boao Forum when he was asked to discuss censorship and restrictions on filmmakers in China. He expanded his comments to include society.

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said. "I'm really confused now. If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic."

Chan added: "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."

The kung fu star has not been a vocal supporter of the pro-democracy movement in his hometown of Hong Kong. Since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, voters have not been allowed to directly elect their leader. Several massive street protests have been held to demand full democracy, but Beijing has repeatedly said Hong Kong isn't ready for it.

The theme at Saturday's panel discussion was "Tapping into Asia's Creative Industry Potential," and Chan had several opinions about innovation in China.

He said that early in his career, he lived in the shadow of the late martial arts star Bruce Lee. He said that during his first foray into Hollywood, he struggled to establish his own identity, so he returned to Hong Kong. After spending 15 years building his reputation in Asia, Chan finally got rediscovered by Hollywood, he said.

Chan said the problem with Chinese youth is that "they like other people's things. They don't like their own things." Young people need to spend more time developing their own style, he added.

The action hero complained that Chinese goods still have too many quality problems. He became emotional when discussing contaminated milk powder that sickened tens of thousands of Chinese babies in the past year.

Speaking fast with his voice rising, Chan said, "If I need to buy a TV, I'll definitely buy a Japanese TV. A Chinese TV might explode."

Comments

[gifu]

I cannot believe the negative comments. This is a man's opinion. Take it or leave it--but at least allow it. It is his observation, not some decree of absolute fact. Lighten the hell up.

[negogato]

He is really catching heck in Hong Kong right now. Speak out, say your opinion - then expect others to have theirs. That is the way it is.
EVERYWHERE

[rachebee]

All of my friends who have lived in China have horror stories about local products.
Red pepper powder that turned to be pulverized brick, sneakers that melted in the rain,
Evian bottled water that turned to be tap water-which is notoriously unsafe to drink, etc.
Anyone who can afford it buys foodstuff that was imported from Japan
because they just cannot trust local produce.
Apparently there is a culture of any goes to make a buck.
I think that it is perfectly understandable for a person used to western standards
to say something like this.
I don't think it's disregard for human rights, just frustration.

[stateMachine]

Mr Chan fails to see how the corruption endemic to autocratic societies produces the loopholes in regulatory regimes through which may pass shoddy milk, computers, poorly constructed schools which crumbled constructed by the well-connected, ill-advised damns which cause massive earthquake­s...

Indeed, as the American government made it's own subtle lurch toward the autocratic these last 8 years, America saw it's own share of disastrous deregulation in food, drugs, military contracting, finance...

To those defending Mr Chan- he said control the people not regulate the industries­...

[DSun]

How true.
People also confuse about "chaos". In a society, chaos is corruption, injustice, and suppression committed by people without recourse. Oppostion opinion, demonstration, debate are not chaos but exchange of ideas in a democratic society like Taiwan whose GNP per capita is 3rd highest in Asia, their national health program covers the entire population from crib to grave (was ranked by NHA as #1 in the world).

[LisaLisa1234]

Well said.

[negogato]

He was talking about chaos in Hong Kong where corruption is low.

[OneTop]

Keep in mind that Jackie does a lot of Comedy.

[DSun]

Funny!

[Hirnlego]

True. But a lot of it is intentional.

[KarateKid]

Has anyone ever been in a queue in China, Taiwan or Hong Kong for anything; restaurants, airports, supermarkets, etc? Jackie speaks the truth. LMAO.

[Nanningyan]

Yes, they all try to be first. However they will rarely if ever bump into you, quite unlike the US. They still have courtesy.

[Prosecute GWB]

I find in the Houston Asian markets there are two distinct types: the meek and humble; the brash get out of my way type. Most Americans fit in a gray area between the two. in the Asian markets there appears no gray area, just one extreme or the other. Need it be said, most are of the meek and humble type.

[Citizen54]

I have been to Taipei several times. I do not recall much rudeness. The streets are chaotic, but my recollection is of general courtesy amid the craziness. I mean, for living in a packed urban environment, people seemed pretty polite.

[negogato]

Yes, I have. Hong Kong, Taiwan very orderly polite and busy. Very busy, many are served.
Mainland China – do not generalize about such a huge country. Remember the good spots remember the rough spots - but that is not the country. Is NYC the entire USA? Chicago? Is Memphis the South?
Did you ever stand on line at a Deli in Brighten Beach? That is chaos. Push, fight or leave without pastrami.

[Ergon]

That lone protester in Beijing's Tienamen square who stood in front of a tank might disagree with Mr. Chan.

[Pursuance]

Geez, Mr. Chan, you don't put your fellow Chinese in high regards do you. And surprise, surprise, the people that would cheer you by saying this at that seminar are business people, the same people that much prefer the populace to be under their heels while they find ways of exploiting them for the sake of profit.

This is not a cultural thing, its a matter of basic human rights to self-expression and freedom from oppression. And whenever people brings up the argument that certain groups of people are not ready to govern themselves, then that's just another way of saying that they don't deserve their basic rights ever. You really think the status quo will simply surrender its top tier place in society willingly? Not without a fight.

[indi1216]

I don't know any chinese that loves to be controlled. It just proofs, Rich kung fu actor, looks better while mouth shut.

[ManwithaParachute]

I know one China man who needs some control and I will do what I can -No more Jackie Chan movies in my house.

[Nanningyan]

Do you also boycott movies of American actors who voice opinions different than yours?

[BigBagel]

He just watches foreign movies.

[ManwithaParachute]

What's wrong with giving Jackie what he says is good for a whole continent of people?

I boycott anyone who does not think freedom is good for any people. Are you supporting all suppressors of freedom or just the chinese?

[SeaBlood]

I don't personally know any rank and file Chinese people living in China. But, if they are anything like the average American, they do need to be controlled. Americans are not ready for democracy--- just look at who they had elected to be president for the past 8 years. There was abundant evidence that this person was not suitable to be president, but the people elected him anyway because he "spoke directly to God and promised to help save them from gay marriage! His cronies dismantled the entire regulatory mechanism of the economic system, they alienated the whole world towards us. Look around; the world is in tatters!

[TLaw]

I would laugh if your comment wasn't so pathetically true...

[dmyron]

i guess this is a pun......A­men

[BigBagel]

The president should be picked by lottery.

[LiberalDemIda]

I'd settle for a REAL Democratic system rather than this watered-down type we have using a painfully outdated "electoral system" that's easily tampered with.

The Senate along with the electoral college are long passed their expiration date and need to go the way of the dinosaurs, imnsho.

[weihans]

No, the president should be handpicked by Mr. Chan, not by lottery or by the people, cuz he seems to know who is most able to run the country.

[negogato]

What you might want to say is Democracy - wherein the citizens have a legal right for their votes to be counted - has not come to America.

[Judyisacutie]

"Speaking fast with his voice rising, Chan said, "If I need to buy a TV, I'll definitely buy a Japanese TV. A Chinese TV might explode."

ROTF screaming with laughter! Their TV's can't possibly be that bad.

[Nanningyan]

Actually they are pretty good. The picture is great but the audio is a problem for me. I have a devil of a time understanding the words.

[Dr Manhattan]

I know quite a few Chinese, both foreign born and American, and they say the same thing too.

[kreoth]

years ago i heard a chinese graduate student i met at university make a comment that was exceedingly similar to mr. chan's; i will not try to repeat his words, much less interpret them, because i am NOT chinese and ultimately i do not really know what my grad student friend or mr. chan meant or were referring to with their statements (i would also start by asking a chinese person what he/she thinks before starting to call mr. chan names)

it's just stupid to go around the world chanting "we're the land of the f***ing free! USA USA USA!" and trying to "impose freedom" on others (grand oxymoron there); just look at afghanistan (which the US will ultimately have to leave with pretty much nothing accomplished, other than a big time reactivation of the previously dormant heroin/poppy trade) or iraq (let's wait until the troops leave the country and then we'll see how their spanking new democratic system actually holds out)

[weihans]

I am Chinese and I don't like to be controlled like a pet.

[mariegachelin]

Mr. Chan does not realize that chaotic societies are the results of incompetent governments and that anarchism is simply a bad and inefficient government with poor leadership skills combined with extensive self-protection.

With political, social and economic progress come ethical issues and unless the people have absolute liberty or the government has absolute power, either of which in reality would impede progress, a well-functioned society needs to define and redefine a sense of right and wrong to keep up with progress. Realistically, every society has a set of moral standards and conducts that are internationally acceptable, however, respect for the individuality is not always compulsory but even that does not mean the Chinese people can not govern itself.

I’m positive that when China and its people begin to accept human rights are natural rights that must be extended to every individual, Mr. Chan’s dream will be realized and the Chinese people will be a bit civil to each other and to others.

If I had a sense of humor, I would just imagine the mess that Jackie Chan would be in right now were he not of Chinese heritage? Realistically speaking, the chaos that Mr. Chan sees in China is human beings showing a general dissatisfaction with human rights violations. China should see Mr. Chan’s statement as a call to start addressing human rights issues.

[negogato]

Do not accept his premise.
Hong Kong is not chaotic. Not chaotic. In Hong Kong woman are unafraid to take the MTR subway after midnight. She will be safe and not even think about it. Really safe. The trains are full of distracted peaceful people late at night. No worries in Hong Kong. Try that in most Flagship cities. Taipei is the same – wonderful city. Safe even more Free than Hong Kong. Busy YES!! Chaotic? NO!
Only recently could my daughters take mass transit late at night in NYC, and that is still today a bigh risk. Rio is a gamble by day by night 24/7. Berlin, Istanbul, Kiev, a woman should travel with a man at night to be secure.
Chaotic?? Hong Kong? Taipei? NO
No, Jackie Chan is simply wong … & not to be trusted in that statement.
I find it remarkable that so many smart people here accept that statement and go on to reject everything else he says…
The world is not so bad.

[jamalc]

sounds like Uncle Ruckus from "The Boondocks"

[ilovevegas]

I can't believe he said that I no longer will watch his movies. Go back home and be controlled Jackie

[PunKinPai]

Before you go all nuclear on Chan, you might want to consider that he's actually Chinese and has a cultural perspective that we don't have.

[AN2009]

Oppression is acceptable because of cultural reasons? That's the most absurd thing I've heard in a long time. Talk about a self-serving "argument"­...