Actor and martial-arts legend Jackie Chan said he'd like to become a Communist Party member, prompting some on Chinese social media to say they don't want him
The Hollywood legend Jackie Chan expressed interest in joining the Chinese Communist Party.
Chan last week said he saw the "greatness" of the party in the way it "delivers what it promises."
Some Chinese web users pushed back, saying his "moral failings" disqualified him.
The Hollywood martial-arts superstar Jackie Chan has expressed his desire to become a card-carrying member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Chan was speaking at a Beijing symposium for Chinese film last week and was asked about his views on Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the Communist Party's centenary.
"When I'm abroad I often say I'm proud to be Chinese, but I'm envious of those who are Chinese Communist Party members - I want to be a party member, too," Chan said in a video seen by Insider.
"I can see the greatness of the Communist Party of China," he added. "It does what it says and delivers what it promises. What they set out to do in 100 years, they achieved in a few decades."
Chan's patriotism, however, was snubbed by some commenters on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. The Weibo users questioned Chan's "moral character," citing incidences of his infidelity and his son Jaycee's drug offenses, saying it would disqualify him from becoming a party member.
"He might love the country and be hardworking, but he has character problems," one user with the ID Zhuozhuo Drolma said. "It's better if he doesn't join the party."
Some Weibo users were critical of Chan's lack of faithfulness in his marriage. In a 2015 memoir, he acknowledged having an affair with the actor Elaine Ng and having a child out of wedlock.
According to the Chinese media outlet China Daily, the process of obtaining Communist Party membership involves a detailed vetting procedure that takes into account one's ideology, character, and personal history.
Chan does not currently hold membership in the Communist Party. He is, however, a delegate in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a Chinese government advisory body.
The martial-arts star has, however, not been shy about professing his allegiance to the Chinese government.
Chan was front and center at the ruling party's massive 100th-anniversary celebrations at the National Stadium in Beijing on June 28. There, he performed a rendition of "Defending the Yellow River," a song dating back to World War II.
He also expressed support for China's crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The South China Morning Post reported that Chan's comments in Beijing prompted ire from fans in Hong Kong once again, some of whom wrote on Twitter that they wished to "un-enjoy every one of his movies."
Chan's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
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