The wrestler turned actor is currently promoting Fast & Furious 9 but has faced backlash for his comments regarding Taiwan
John Cena announced he would be joining the Fast & Furious crew a couple of years ago now but the first trailer only dropped a year later, with a second having followed it this April.
The 44-year-old is currently doing press in China for the ninth film in the mainline series (the 13th in the franchise as a whole) but his slip-up in an interview with Taiwanese broadcaster, TVBS, has angered readers in China after calling Taiwan a country as he revealed it would be the first location that would see the film.
Cena has since taken to social media to apologise for the offence caused to Chinese audiences, who are keen to reiterate that Taiwan is a part of China and not an independent state. Cena has been learning Mandarin for nearly a decade and has a huge following in the nation; he delivered the apology in their dominant tongue:
John Cena to China after calling Taiwan a country: I love and respect China and Chinese people. I’m very, very sorry about my mistake. I apologise, I apologise, I’m very sorry.
He's promoting Fast and Furious 9pic.twitter.com/y1NpAkGFVj
— Shubhangi Sharma (@ItsShubhangi) May 25, 2021
Many were not happy with his apology, others said they accept his “mistake”; however, many are now criticising him for backing down over what is a sensitive and important cultural issue.
John Cena endlessly apologises to China in the Chinese language after calling Taiwan, a country during a promotional interview.
Grow a spine, John Cena. Taiwan is a country. The facts won’t change because the Chinese hate them.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) May 25, 2021
Taiwan is a self-governed island but Beijing and the People’s Republic of China continue to oppose the suggestion Taiwan is its own independent state. Tensions between the two date back to the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949) and long before, but the CCP continue to refuse its sovereignty.
John Cena is just one of many that have struggled to properly navigate the country’s complex and controversial politics.Several big brands like including Burberry, H&M and Nike have had their online stores blocked and logos blurred on Chinese state TV and Bitcoin, among other cryptos, have recently been banned.
