American actor and wrestler John Cena apologized to the Chinese people on Tuesday after referring to Taiwan as a "country," which sparked outrage in the world's largest film market. Beijing considers democratic and self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory and is determined to reclaim it, even by force if necessary, actively opposing any diplomatic attempts to recognize the island as an independent state.
During a visit to Taiwan in early May to promote the "Fast & Furious 9" film series, Cena deviated from diplomatic language when he described Taiwan as a "country" in a fan meeting.
**Apology in Mandarin**
As anger over his remarks grew on Chinese social media, Cena posted an apology video on the "Weibo" platform in Mandarin on Tuesday. In the video, without repeating the controversial term, he stated, "I have done many interviews to promote 'Fast & Furious 9,' and I made a mistake during one interview." He added, "I have to say something very important, I love and respect China and its people. I am very sorry for the mistake I made. I apologize."
The video has been viewed more than 2.4 million times on the tightly monitored Chinese site, while Chinese media ignored the apology.
The film "Fast & Furious 9" earned significant box office revenue after its release in China on May 21, grossing $148 million, according to the Chinese newspaper "Global Times."
**Insufficient Apology**
However, Cena's apology was not sufficient for some social media users in China. One Weibo user wrote, "Please say Taiwan is part of China in Chinese, otherwise we will not accept it," while another expressed regret at the apparent lack of knowledge from the American actor that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China."
