Jackie Chan (成龍) and a host of Chinese pop stars performed at Beijing’s massive Bird’s Nest stadium on Friday without a hint of the uproar caused by the veteran action star’s recent comments about freedom and China.
The 55-year-old star told a business forum last month that freedom may not be a good thing for the people of authoritarian China. Critics called his comments an insult to the Chinese people.
Chan’s spokesman, Solon So (蘇志游), later said Chan’s comments were taken out of context and that the actor was referring to freedom in the entertainment industry and not Chinese society at large.
There were no signs of protests as Chan took the stage on Friday at the site of the Beijing Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies, with the 91,000-capacity stadium about three-quarters full as the concert got under way.
Chan told the crowd that organizers sold 70,000 tickets. The controversy over Chan’s remarks was widely reported in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but largely ignored in China.
Chan sang the patriotic song Descendants of the Dragon.
The concert, timed to coincide with China’s Labor Day national holiday over the weekend, is the first major event to take place at the Bird’s Nest since the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and Beijing Paralympics and came amid questions about the stadium’s future.
Chan is known for his unique brand of action comedy, but has also dabbled in singing and sang with other stars at both the opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics.
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