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Jacky Cheung Slammed By Chinese Netizens For Saying “Hongkong, Jiayou” In Clip Celebrating 25th Anniversary Of Handover

He was also criticised for not being patriotic enough 'cos he didn't use the words “motherland” or “return”.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hongkong’s handover to China from British rule, Heavenly King Jacky Cheung made an appearance in a video, sharing his thoughts and well wishes.

However, the video, which was posted on broadcasting station China Central Television’s (CCTV) Weibo page, drew flak from Chinese netizens who weren’t happy with what Jacky said.

“Hongkong has been through a lot in the past 25 years, with highs and lows, positives and negatives. However, because I was born here and grew up in this city, I still believe in it. I hope that this city will become even better than it was before, Hongkong, jiayou,” said Jacky.

Although there was mention of Hongkong and “25 years” in the video, many Chinese netizens pointed out that Jacky left out the words “motherland” and “return”.

The singer, who turns 61 in a couple of days, was accused of being unpatriotic by those netizens who felt that his use of the phrase “highs and lows” was his way of expressing dissatisfaction at Hongkong’s changes in recent years.

On top of that, the phrase “Hongkong, jiayou” reminded netizens of the large-scale pro-democracy protests that happened two years ago.

Comments criticising what Jacky said quickly flooded CCTV’s page, which resulted in the video being deleted.

However, the clip can still be found on Jacky’s fan club Weibo page, and while many still think it best to take down the video, the singer has also been receiving support from many of his fans. 

So is he patriotic or unpatriotic?

After getting wind of the discussion surrounding his clip, this was what Jacky had to say: “I think that I’m someone who is patriotic; a Chinese person who loves Hongkong. I feel that as a public figure, it is my responsibility to not be involved in politics. I was born in Hongkong, and I also hope to grow old and die here. And because I have such a strong connection to Hongkong, I’ve seen the country at its best, and compared to what I see now, the difference is stark. Especially in recent years, the violent protests, and the pandemic that followed had resulted in many going through tough times. It’s times like these that Hongkong needs to jiayou. I’ve heard of “Beijing jiayou”, “Wuhuan jiayou”, “Shanghai jiayou”… but because “Hongkong jiayou” had been used by the wrong people in wrong circumstances, the phrase now comes with a negative, unpatriotic connotation. That’s something I can’t understand.”

Jacky added that he was one of the people who had benefited from Hongkong’s exponential growth over the years, and it would be a miracle if the poverty could be eradicated from the city, and that would make him all the prouder to be Chinese.

“I hope that us, Chinese, are logical and can show off this attitude to the world. As to whether I’m patriotic, you can draw your conclusions from what I say and how I behave,” continued Jacky, adding that as a Chinese, he would continue being a good person, and a good singer under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Photos: Sinchew News, TVB

 

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Jacky Cheung Hongkong China CCTV Weibo

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