Edison Chen, though a victim himself, is a celebrity who can never be a "role model."
The racy photos of the seemingly calm Chen -- a 27-year-old Cantonese-Canadian actor -- and some of the most sought-after female celebrities in the fame and fortune-obsessed city of Hong Kong have been spread virtually everywhere throughout Chinese-speaking cyberspace for the past few tumultuous weeks.
We know the girls have been disgraced and Chen has apologized amid a tsunami of camera flashes in a packed press conference of more than 300 juice-hungry local and foreign journalists.
But there are some very important but apparently forgotten points that I want to make here. First of all, before the investigators announce whether or not Chen did force or drug the girls to take the photos in sexually suggestive poses, both the girls and Chen are victims. Chen is a victim himself. Legally he's not a victimizer at this point, as the Hong Kong police have not yet completed their probe.
"I have failed as a role model. However I hope that this matter will teach everyone a lesson," said a contrite Chen who refused to take any questions from the media.
But wait a minute, what kind of "role model" has Chen ever been? And what lesson should all of us learn from this brouhaha?
Chen's spoiled-kid, bad-boy, Eminem-like image has secured him numerous endorsement contracts with such international brands as Pepsi, Nike, Levi's and Samsung. Perhaps he's been an effective product endorser and talented musician enjoying a huge teen following in Asia, but a critically acclaimed actor in ultra-competitive Hong Kong? Not really -- he hasn't been that.
Not until this sex scandal broke out and sent shockwaves across the Chinese community did Chen receive instant, overnight international media coverage, thanks largely to CNN, Google and YouTube.
Media reports have suggested that the fact that Chen is from a broken family meant he was raised without proper parenting, which led to a life of sex, drugs and drunk driving, contributing to his brattish persona both on and off screen. The implied message is that such a man can never be a suitable role model for an impressionable teen audience.
No matter if you like Chen or not, many supportive fans consider it a loss now that Chen has announced his indefinite retreat from Hong Kong's glitzy, bling-bling showbiz industry.
"I have decided to do this to give myself an opportunity to heal myself and to search my soul. I will dedicate my time to charity and community work over the next few months," said Chen as he concluded his seven-minute, gingerly worded statement.
Indeed, Asia's Eminem became a victim the moment the sexually graphic images were copied from his computer when he sent it in for repairs.
But while the musical, cinematic up-and-comer can be pleasantly consumed by all of us as a gifted entertainer, he can not be looked up to morally from now on. Let entertainment be entertainment and leave charity work to the professionals and interest groups.
Roger Cheng
Taipei
Congratulations to China’s working class — they have officially entered the “Livestock Feed 2.0” era. While others are still researching how to achieve healthy and balanced diets, China has already evolved to the point where it does not matter whether you are actually eating food, as long as you can swallow it. There is no need for cooking, chewing or making decisions — just tear open a package, add some hot water and in a short three minutes you have something that can keep you alive for at least another six hours. This is not science fiction — it is reality.
A foreign colleague of mine asked me recently, “What is a safe distance from potential People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force’s (PLARF) Taiwan targets?” This article will answer this question and help people living in Taiwan have a deeper understanding of the threat. Why is it important to understand PLA/PLARF targeting strategy? According to RAND analysis, the PLA’s “systems destruction warfare” focuses on crippling an adversary’s operational system by targeting its networks, especially leadership, command and control (C2) nodes, sensors, and information hubs. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, noted in his 15 May 2025 Sedona Forum keynote speech that, as
In a world increasingly defined by unpredictability, two actors stand out as islands of stability: Europe and Taiwan. One, a sprawling union of democracies, but under immense pressure, grappling with a geopolitical reality it was not originally designed for. The other, a vibrant, resilient democracy thriving as a technological global leader, but living under a growing existential threat. In response to rising uncertainties, they are both seeking resilience and learning to better position themselves. It is now time they recognize each other not just as partners of convenience, but as strategic and indispensable lifelines. The US, long seen as the anchor
Kinmen County’s political geography is provocative in and of itself. A pair of islets running up abreast the Chinese mainland, just 20 minutes by ferry from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Kinmen remains under the Taiwanese government’s control, after China’s failed invasion attempt in 1949. The provocative nature of Kinmen’s existence, along with the Matsu Islands off the coast of China’s Fuzhou City, has led to no shortage of outrageous takes and analyses in foreign media either fearmongering of a Chinese invasion or using these accidents of history to somehow understand Taiwan. Every few months a foreign reporter goes to
RSS