'I can see the greatness': Jackie Chan wants to join China's Communist Party

Hong Kong-based Hollywood star Jackie Chan, who in the past faced sharp criticism for backing Beijing’s crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the former British colony, has expressed willingness to join the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). Chan, 67, expressed his desire to join the CPC at a symposium in Beijing on Thursday in which Chinese film insiders spoke and shared their thoughts regarding the keynote speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the centenary celebrations of the party on 1 July. At the event, Chan, also the vice chairman of the China Film Association, not only expressed his pride of being a Chinese, but also showed his longing for the CPC, state-run Global Times reported on Monday. “I can see the greatness of the CPC, and it will deliver what it says, and what it promises in less than 100 years, but only a few decades,” Chan said. “I want to become a CPC member,” he added. Chan said that he was impressed by the resilience and spirits of the Eighth Route Army, the military force that, under the leadership of the CPC, fought the Japanese invaders during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), and he was touched by the bravery of the soldiers. He has been supporter of the CPC for years and served as a member of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - an advisory body of professionals nominated by the party. The martial arts icon also drew sharp criticism in 2019 when he criticised pro democracy protests in Hong Kong. “I have visited many countries, and I can say, our country has been rapidly developing in recent years. I feel pride in being Chinese wherever I go, and the Five-starred Red Flag’ is respected everywhere around the world,” Chan said in an interview to China’s official media. “Hong Kong and China are my birthplaces and my home. China is my country, I love my country, I love my home. I hope that Hong Kong can return to peace soon, he had said in 2019. After grappling with prolonged mass protests in Hong Kong opposing China’s control over the former British colony, Beijing took control of it by passing the National Security Law under last year which was tailor-made to crackdown against dissent. Under the new law which was criticised by US, EU and other countries, a large number of protestors and their leaders were arrested and jailed. Chan’s speech showed the change of Hong Kong elites’ opinion of the CPC in recent years, Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan studies at Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times on Sunday. “Local residents in Hong Kong have started to reflect on the city’s position and development direction since 2017, the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland. Some major incidents in recent years, including the release of the development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the ‘anti-extradition bill movement’ in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the celebration activities for the centennial of the CPC, have showed Hongkongers how different generations of CPC members contributed to and sacrificed for the country’s revolution and development,” Li explained. With inputs from PTI