Actor Jackie Chan Reportedly Calls America the 'Most Corrupt Country in the World' on Chinese TV

This file photo taken on January 19, 2011 shows Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan arriving for a State Dinner in honor of Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Back in December, well-known actor Jackie Chan made news after calling for fewer rights for those in Hong Kong, saying there should be "regulations on what can and cannot be protested."

Perhaps not surprisingly, if that's his view of free speech, Chan is now reportedly taking aim at the United States.

The Washington Post writes:

Americans know Jackie Chan best for his cheery, acrobatic performances in action movies such as “Rumble in the Bronx” and “Rush Hour,” made successful by his amazing martial artistry and self-effacing comedy. Chinese know Chan, a Hong Kong native, for largely the same reasons. But they also know him for something most Americans might find surprising: He is passionately political, a staunch defender of the Chinese Communist Party and harsh critic of anyone he sees as opposing Beijing. Today, that includes the United States.

Chan, responding to widespread criticism of China’s recent censorship of a popular newspaper, insisted in a Chinese TV interview that the United States is “the most corrupt country in the world.” He scolded Chinese who criticize their country in a way that foreigners can hear or see, adding that he’s careful to only praise China when giving interviews in the U.S.

The interview has been translated by Ministry of Tofu:

Jackie Chan: The New China. The real success has been made in the past dozen of years. Our country’s president also admits they have the corruption problem, and some other stuff, but we are making progress. What I can see is our country is continuously making progress and learning. If you talk about corruption, the entire world, the [United States], has no corruption?

Host: America.

Chan: The most corrupt in the world.

Host: Really?

Chan: Of course. Where does this Great Breakdown [financial crisis] come from? It started exactly from the world, the United States. When I was interviewed in the U.S., people asked me, I said the same thing. I said now that China has become strong, everyone is making an issue of China. If our own countrymen don’t support our country, who will support our country? We know our country has many problems. We [can] talk about it when the door is closed. To outsiders, [we should say] “our country is the best.”  [Emphasis added]

Here is purported video of the remarks (skip to around 21:30)

(H/T: WeaselZippers)

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Related:

• Actor Jackie Chan Reportedly Calls for Fewer Rights in Hong Kong: 'Regulations on What Can and Cannot Be Protested'