Tue 25 May 2021
Actor and wrestler John Cena embarked on his Mandarin Chinese learning journey nearly a decade ago. However, this month, his demonstration of linguistic proficiency during a visit to Taiwan stirred controversy in mainland China.
Cena issued an apology on Tuesday for referring to Taiwan as “a country” in an interview with a Taiwanese broadcaster earlier this month, acknowledging that it was inappropriate.
He expressed, “Hello China, I’m John Cena. Amid the promotions for Fast & Furious 9, I’ve been engaging in numerous interviews. Regrettably, I misspoke in one of them. With the abundance of information provided by the movie’s staff, there were many interviews and details.”
“I must emphasize something very crucial now. I hold deep love and respect for China and its people. I sincerely apologize for my mistake. Please understand my genuine affection and admiration for China and its people. I apologize sincerely. Thank you,” he added.
China considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory and opposes any suggestion of the island being an independent state.
The controversy erupted when Cena, earlier this month, stated in Mandarin to Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS that, “Taiwan is the first country that can watch F9,” in reference to his latest film, Fast & Furious 9.
Cena’s apology in Mandarin on Weibo has become one of the most discussed topics, with the hashtag #JohnCenaApologizesInChineseForCallingTaiwanACountry garnering nearly 840,000 views.
Thousands of commenters shared their thoughts on his apology video. While some expressed understanding, others remained unimpressed. One commenter remarked, “… You’re being evasive. You can’t eat Chinese rice while smashing Chinese pots,” wrote Mu Rao Feng.
Another commenter, Tai Wa Dai Shi, stated, “Please say ‘Taiwan is a part of China’ in Mandarin, otherwise we won’t accept it.” This comment received over 7,300 likes and sparked over 1,000 follow-up comments.
China holds the title of the world’s largest movie market. Over the weekend, Fast & Furious 9, which has yet to premiere in the US, grossed at least $135.6 million in China alone, marking one of the highest openings for a Hollywood film since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
