Hong Kong martial arts movie star Jackie Chan has openly praised the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and expressed his strong desire to join as a member, but Chinese social media users are not keen on the idea.

Wants to join the CCP as it's a great party

At a forum held in Beijing on Thursday, July 8, Chan said that when he's overseas, he often tells others that he's "proud to be Chinese".

He added, "It's my honour to become a Chinese, but I envy you guys as well as you all are Party members."

"I just think the the CCP is really great," he continued.

"Whatever the Party promises, there's no need to wait for 100 years, they will definitely deliver (what they promised) in a few decades," he said.

"I want to join as a member, thank you everyone."

Jackie Chan:

“I'm jealous that you guys are CCP members. CCP is really great. CCP's promises, they don't take 100 years, they get fulfilled in decades. I want to become a CCP member.”

Is that from all the brain damage doing his own movie stunts? pic.twitter.com/MbwfwkOxBu

— Asian American Conservative (@FactcheckingCon) July 10, 2021

The clip of him expressing his effusive praise for the CCP subsequently went viral on popular microblogging platform Weibo.

Chinese felt he's morally unworthy to be in CCP

While Chan made his remarks to rousing applause from the audience present, his comments were not well received by other Chinese on social media.

Many thought that he was unfit to be a member of the CCP due to his dodgy moral compass.

Chan has an estranged daughter, who's 21 years old, with his ex-mistress, Hong Kong actress Elaine Ng.

In 2015, Chan's son, Jaycee, now 38, served six months in Chinese state prison for the possession and distribution of marijuana, and for "sheltering" drug users at his place in Beijing.

"The lifestyle he leads don't fit the requirements."

"No doubt about Chan's patriotism and professionalism, but his questionable lifestyle... he should just forget about entering the Party."

"I don't think he can pass the background checks."

"(Suggesting that he's not serious about his bid) Chan is a good comrade who makes his determination known at the most crucial time, who's gonna introduce Chan into the Party? Chan even played the role of Zhu De (Chinese military leader and founder of Chinese communist army) in the past."

However, there were some netizens who rooted for him as they thought he's gutsy for standing up for his identity as a Chinese person when he's abroad.

"Chan said that he's proud to be Chinese when he received an honorary Oscar. To say something like this at such an occasion, that's definitely way gutsier than 99.99 per cent of Chinese nationals overseas."

CCP one of the world's largest political parties

In 2021, there is a Party member in every 15 people in China, with about 95 million members in total, making it the second largest political organisation in the world after India's Bharatiya Janata Party.

The admission process is extremely stringent, with applicants having to pass several rounds of tests and a probation period.

Comments didn't go down well with non-Chinese too

Chan's remarks have evoked negative responses outside of mainland China as well, although for an entirely different reason.

In Hong Kong and other places outside of China, pro-democracy social media users said his latest comments simply cemented their perception of him, which is that of a "sell-out" who ignores the interests of the Hong Kong people, and kowtows to the CCP.

For Jackie Chen and all other China‘s patriots，which side would u save when the national flag and your lover are both drowning in the sea?
送给成龙大哥和各位护旗手的画#FreeHongKong #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/bAOdNGH6wp

— 巴丢草 Bad ї ucao (@badiucao) August 8, 2019

Chan had questioned the importance of civil liberties in the past, infamously saying at the Boao Forum in 2009 that he's "not sure if it's good to have freedom or not", according to Variety.

He 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."

Why do people in #HongKong hate Jackie Chan?

Here is just one reason. #HongKongProtests #Hollywood pic.twitter.com/z1jTEfsPkH

— 🇺🇦Hong Kong World City☔️ (@HKWORLDCITY) August 13, 2020

In 2012, he sparked controversy as well when he called Hong Kong a "city of protest" during an interview in Guangzhou.

He said back then, "The authorities should stipulate what issues people can protest over and on what issues it is not allowed."

Soon after the anti-extradition demonstrations in Hong Kong took place in March and April 2019, Chan took part in a Chinese national anthem video published around May 2019.

Chan was vocal about his support for the national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing too. The law bans all forms of subversion and collusion with a foreign country, and threatens a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

He also regularly participates in Chinese media events that incorporate nationalistic elements.

Perhaps part of the reason why Chan is so intensely disliked in Hong Kong is his apparent change in public image over the years.

He used to play the righteous hero fighting villains in martial arts films, and even led a fund-raising concert which supported the pro-democracy movement in 1989 at the height of the student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

But years later in 2013, he was appointed as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and has been serving at the top political advisory body since then.

Top image via Weibo