Actor John Cena faces backlash in China for calling Taiwan a country

Unfortunate.

The world stands with Taiwan against Chinese aggression.

Like everything else: it’s all at the about the money. And the so called strong man cowardly bows to his true master which is the CCP. He joins Lebron James (who tells us all we don’t understand China) and the NBA in the hall of shame.

I have been to the very nice independent country, Taiwan several times and have truly enjoyed my time there.

When a country has its own political system, legal system, military, border controls and currency - then it is a country. China needs to accept this very obvious fact.

Sen. Tom Cotton called the apology “pathetic” 

I don’t often agree with Tom Cotton, but on this I do.

this unacceptable behavior .

this movie needs to be boycotted

What a pathetic coward. I have been detained and tortured in Taiwan. i did not get an apology or compensation after being found innocent and the mistake admitted.

But stil i support the independence of Taiwan against a bullying China. What a coward this guy

What a wussy...

And who in the world, apart from the Chinese, doesn't think Taiwan is a separate country?! He's just expressing the view of the majority of the world's population.

Exactly! It IS a country no matter the CCP PUNKS say!

Weak. Cena is pathetic. He's lost all respectability in my eyes. It's not like he's a starving actor who can't get work and may die, he's a rich man who could never work another day in his life, and be comfortable. And it's not like he wouldn't be able to get work in the US, though to be fair the equallynweak movie studios wouldn't allow him to be in movies that are intended to be played in China.

Long live the free and independent nation of Taiwan. The CCP can screw themselves.

Taiwan is a defacto independent country. They have their own passports. You don't go to the Chinese Embassy in Azabu if you need a visa to stay in Taiwan longer than 30 days

The rest of the world recognizes Taiwan as a free, democratic and independent nation. They should be admitted to the UN, and allowed to join WHO and QUAD.

The US has an obligation to recognize Taiwan diplomatically, and then Japan can follow suit immediately. The Biden admininstration should start this process NOW.

Cena is a little loser for apologizing to China. He must be a closet Communist, or have sympathies.

Should not have apologized!!!

What's the point of having all of that money and fame if you can't tell people to, ahem, "get lost" when the situation demands it?

Sad to see Cena bending over backwards like this.

that was cringeworthy and pathetic.

And now he is facing a backlash for apologizing to China. :)

If there is one China, it is Taiwan, not the mainland. Taiwan is the legitimate continuation of the government of the Republic of China.

Why apologize?? Oh, right $$$$$

Calling John Cena weak when he would wipe the floor with you is pretty funny.

Mentally weak, not physically.

Oh sorry, did I blow up your narrative by pointing out something that only a moron wouldn't pick up through the context of literally nothing physical being mentioned whatsoever in reference to his being weak.

Pathetic!!!

I hope the rest of the world boycotts this movie.

Taiwan is a country though so it's truth, just that it ruins the F9 release in China so money is more important than human lives.

China plans to invade Taiwan too because it's totally not a country

Anything for buck

Anyone else remember growing up with toys stamped with "Made in Taiwan" on them?

Pretty sure that's the country of origin information. Taiwan is a country.

OMG, the things celebrities need to do in order to save face and keep the $$$ flowing.

Cena, please stop pandering to China. We all know that Taiwan is a country.

What is your stance on their abuse of human rights?

I don’t often agree with Tom Cotton, but on this I do.

Agreed.

Yet if Trump called him a "loser", as he probably soon will, Cena will suddenly be heralded as a hero by social justice warriors.

If there is one China, it is Taiwan, not the mainland. Taiwan is the legitimate continuation of the government of the Republic of China

Bingo! And that’s in the eyes of the CCP Taiwan is not allowed to be recognized as a sovereign nation.

“I need to say now that this is very, very, very, very, very important. I love and respect China and the Chinese people. I’m very, very sorry. As for my mistake, I really apologize for it."

I'm very, very, very sorry to see Cena apologizing to a country that bullies others into agreeing with their agenda.

It's a very, very, very, very sorry state of affairs to see Hollywood and their employees kowtowing to China - the other country across the Taiwan Straits.

How very, very, very disappointing.

If the USA and other countries weren't so weak and actually recognized Taiwan as a country, individuals like Cena wouldn't be in such a situation.

I agree. But that doesn't make Cena any less weak.

Claiming Taiwan is part of China, much like with Hong Kong, is a bit like trying to give a silk-purse to a pig..

Never heard of this guy before, but he made a pretty poor first impression. It was embarrassing to watch.

Cena is weak and a coward, morally bankrupt and prostituting any shred of integrity he may have had for yet more money.

Boycott this pathetic man’s performances, and demand an apology for his support of such a despicable regime.

Cena is weak and a coward, morally bankrupt and prostituting any shred of integrity he may have had for yet more money.

Well argued. He is a sell out. "Professional Wrestler" = phony sportsman.

Anyone (or any company) who does business with Communist China is beyond contempt, and are the ones enabling China to grow out of control and always making excuses for their behaviour. In short - traitors.

China owns the USA now.

It's what happens when a nation loses all sense of national identity and communal values, and financial gain becomes one of the few legitimate goals.

His Manaarin was good though. Maybe he has been a Chinese sleeper agent all along?

Mandarin

His Manaarin was good though. Maybe he has been a Chinese sleeper agent all along?

Well, in that case, all Taiwanese and many Singaporeans and Malaysians must be Chinese sleeper agents too. 黐鬼線

The mount of influence that the CCP has on Disney, the NBA, and Wrestling is outrageous.

source :

The Return of Fingerbang - "Band in China" - South Park

ClippetyClop

What would you have done in his situation?

Have some moral fibre and reiterated and explained my comment.

I despise the CCP as much as any other person, but their money and influence makes it hard for businesses to be completely ethical. Would you really care about the status of Taiwan if it affected your profits?

Some people have a degree of morality and wish to be able to look them selves in the mirror of a morning. He is not poor, he will not starve, if he chooses to put money over morality he must accept the consequences.

He now faces backlash across the world for being a total sellout for money. I can’t use the word I’d like to so I’ll just have to say John Cena is a complete and utter twit.

It was the most disgusting thing to ever watch.

We agree on something. Not the most, but I upvoted both you and Black on this.

I’m not going to really fault Cena on this one,

Oh ff..

Cena is weak and a coward, morally bankrupt and prostituting any shred of integrity he may have had for yet more money.

What would you have done in his situation?

His loose but inoffensive words risked costing his employees millions due to China possibly banning the movie. There is no doubt that he was pressured by the studio to grab his ankles. And I'll bet that if Tom Cotton's wealth & job was at risk by offending China he'd keep his gob tightly shut.

I despise the CCP as much as any other person, but their money and influence makes it hard for businesses to be completely ethical. Would you really care about the status of Taiwan if it affected your profits?

Anyone (or any company) who does business with Communist China is beyond contempt, and are the ones enabling China to grow out of control and always making excuses for their behaviour. In short - traitors.

Admirable, but that would make you and me a 'traitor' virtually everytime we buy something. The volume of Chinese made goods that surround you in Japan is astounding.

His incredible career of 20+ years gone down into rabbit hole for many people with one mistaken sentence? Come on World!, Ignore China and Chill Out!

It was the most disgusting thing to ever watch. I’m not going to really fault Cena on this one, but he needs to fire his agent and he should taken advice to do so, pathetic! I really wanted to puke!

“The Republic of China (ROC) was a charter member of the United Nations and one of five permanent members of the Security Council until 1971. The ROC joined the United Nations as a founding member on 24 October 1945.”

Any questions, if they are a country or not?

Perhaps we can agree there’s insinuation here China may be bullying certain entities into conducting themselves in line with China’s goals. So, did anyone find humor in the insinuations @11:08am that another poster was possibly a “moron” or, is that type of condescending speech hypocritical and also a form of bullying?

Exchanges like that above set ‘an overall, unwelcoming tone’ of how credible, or not, this media source is generally perceived and regarded, wouldn’t you agree?

Are these kind of “backhanded remarks”, obviously accepted in moderation, to be considered consistent with the “open forum” and “exchange of ideas” in Japan today?  Other media are accepting of ‘questions and critique of the information published’ but don’t really seem to condone that type of ‘exchange’ and ‘insults between readers and commenters. Anything short of that is just ‘bad form’.

Did you perhaps mean Mandalorian? @Wakarimasen 4:51pm. Cena has to be on his best behavior now. He’s rumored to being a added to Disney’s “The Mandalorian”...

...and, we know where their financing and script ‘changes/approvals’ have been coming from in recent years.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/08/disney-thanked-groups-linked-to-china-detention-camps-in-mulan-credits.html -

The F & F franchise lost all respectability several movies ago. This is just another reason not to see it.

“In one interview, I made a mistake,” he said in heavily accented Mandarin Chinese. “I need to say now that this is very, very, very, very, very important. I love and respect China and the Chinese people. I’m very, very sorry. As for my mistake, I really apologize for it."

Reminds me of the forced speeches our POWs had to make in front of the cameras after being downed over North Vietnam.

Taiwan is a country. China needs to get over it.

"There is no such thing as bad publicity!" - [author not worth looking up] YO!! WHAT IS THE NAME OF CENA'S PUBLICITY MANAGER?? Worldwide publicity on the back of a simple misspeak, that is, worldwide promotion of Cena and his work for the price of a few syllables. Genius, whether intended or not. This is an advertising coup that deserves a place in the books. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy...

As much as I despise the CCP, a little context is in order here. Cena was on Weibo or WeChat - both of which were underwritten by the CCP - to promote his movie. He was an invited guest and Cena took the invitation. He then made the 'faux pas' while on CCP-underwritten media. He issued an apology. It's kind of like being invited to someone's house and then saying something offensive to the hosts. 

Now, if Cena was on Jimmy Kimmel's show and said 'Taiwan the country' and CCP demanded an apology and Cena then apologized, Cena would be a total loser/coward. 

Well, said.

The guy has gone to the effort to learn Mandarin. That's impressive. It isn't like Taiwan is a SAR. It IS a country. Certainly his contract includes a "be nice to everyone" clause so he didn't have any choice other than to apologize.

Where's the uproar from Taiwan for NOT being called a country?

I'm more unhappy that the USA hasn't recognized Taiwan as a country than I am for 1 "entertainer" to make a tiny mistake.

Claiming Taiwan is part of China, much like with Hong Kong, is a bit like trying to give a silk-purse to a pig..

While I agree with Taiwan being independent of mainland China, and I don't like what's happening politically in HK, to say that HK is not part of China is wrong. HKers would have been fine with that had Beijing treated them better. I don't think you actually know anything about this, just parroting what others say.

I don’t often agree with Tom Cotton, but on this I do.

I really don't care what this evil racist has to say. This guy would be owning a cotton plantation complete with slaves if we were still in the 19th century.

Some people have a degree of morality and wish to be able to look them selves in the mirror of a morning. He is not poor, he will not starve, if he chooses to put money over morality he must accept the consequences.

Exactly

China overtook the U.S. to become the top movie market last year, as the pandemic shut American film theaters for longer than their Chinese peers. But the increasing reliance comes as Chinese viewers pivot to local language films, and show a greater sensitivity toward portrayals of China and its people in Western culture, amid simmering geopolitical tensions with the U.S. Adding to the pressure on studios, a bilateral pact that required China to import a minimum number of American movies every year, has expired.

-Bloomberg

As much as I despise the CCP, a little context is in order here. Cena was on Weibo or WeChat - both of which were underwritten by the CCP - to promote his movie. He was an invited guest and Cena took the invitation. He then made the 'faux pas' while on CCP-underwritten media. He issued an apology. It's kind of like being invited to someone's house and then saying something offensive to the hosts.

Now, if Cena was on Jimmy Kimmel's show and said 'Taiwan the country' and CCP demanded an apology and Cena then apologized, Cena would be a total loser/coward.

I don't think Cena could even point to Taiwan on a map.

Calling John Cena weak when he would wipe the floor with you is pretty funny.

If the USA and other countries weren't so weak and actually recognized Taiwan as a country, individuals like Cena wouldn't be in such a situation.

And I'll bet that if Tom Cotton's wealth & job was at risk by offending China he'd keep his gob tightly shut.

I doubt that.

I despise the CCP as much as any other person, but their money and influence makes it hard for businesses to be completely ethical. Would you really care about the status of Taiwan if it affected your profits?

Having worked in Hollywood most of my adult life, it is a pure business decision, and let me tell you, it comes down to ethics and greed and Hollywood gave in to both, they chose China over the US, they didn't have to, they wanted to and it shows once again that to these people, the US comes last and people will remember this, as they should. More and more people are turning away from Hollywood and I think at the end that is the best thing. If they love China so much, they should move to China, it wouldn't be the first time that Hollywood made such a move. They did it in the 1930s leaving NYC for Sunny Southern California, so they could do it again, and while they are at it take the NBA with them as well.

The rest of the world recognizes Taiwan as a free, democratic and independent nation. They should be admitted to the UN, and allowed to join WHO and QUAD.

The US has an obligation to recognize Taiwan diplomatically, and then Japan can follow suit immediately. The Biden admininstration should start this process NOW.

@Fighto!

You realize that you just contradicted yourself there?

You're saying "the rest of the world recognizes Taiwan independent nation"... but then say except the US and Japan.

Actually most of the world does not recognize Taiwan as independent, except non-major players like the Vatican, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras, Eswatini, and a few other tiny island countries.