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Public concern, private matters

By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-26 10:31

It's an open secret that many of China's entertainment celebrities carry foreign passports. That's not even counting mainlanders who assume Hong Kong residency status or HK stars who are Canadians by nationality. It has become a deceptive veil that camouflages many personal decisions that have nothing to do with loyalty to a country.

Jet Li should thank Gong Li for softening a blow so fierce it could have felled a kungfu master.

Nearly a year ago, China's reigning queen of drama was reported to have changed her Chinese passport for a Singaporean one. She received a lot of bad press for that - not only in China, but also in Singapore. Media reports said 60 percent of Singaporeans were unhappy because they believed Gong did it to gain residency. It was unclear how many Chinese were displeased but it could easily be more than that. Their reason was clear: How could you give up your Chinese citizenship? It was like an act of treason.

This time around, though, people are more rational and understanding. Sure, Jet Li is a much more beloved public figure than Gong Li (due to his charitable work); he has long been rumored to carry an American passport, in which case he is renouncing his American citizenship, or maybe not if Singapore allows dual citizenship. Anyway, online reaction focused on the why rather than the if - Li needs to give his daughter a bilingual education and Singapore is the best place.

For someone so high-profile, Jet Li may have been given the most charitable reception given the issue involved. It may be a clich but fans' feelings can be hurt when their favorite celebrities want to become "foreigners". And fans tend to equate themselves with the public at large. So, I can almost hear a voice above pronouncing "You have hurt the feelings of the Chinese people" in the solemn tone of the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

I'm not joining the guessing game as to why Jet Li is applying for Singaporean citizenship. It could be many things but I'm sure whether he loves China a little more or less now is not among them. Celebrities nowadays have careers that span large stretches of the globe and a Chinese passport can be a hindrance in terms of travel because China (the mainland) does not have visa-exemption deals with most countries. Of course the monetary cost of applying for a visa is a pittance for these people. It's the long wait - sometimes many days - and the preparation for documents that can be a big hassle, especially if you have a globe-trotting job.

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