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Coronavirus

Jackie Chan Helps Lead China's COVID-19 Propaganda War

Screen capture of Chan's Jan. 24 performance
Screen capture of Chan's Jan. 24 performance
CCTV

The COVID-19 propaganda war in and around China now includes a familiar face: There's only one Jackie!

The martial arts movie legend, who is a native of Hong Kong, has long since evolved into a fervent supporter and spokesman for the Communist regime on the mainland. Now critics of Beijing, both inside China as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan, are taking shots at Chan for being a mouthpiece for the alleged cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak. Taipei-based daily Liberty Times reports criticism of Chan began spreading on the Chinese-language internet last week after a CCTV Jan. 24 televised performance reemerged of Chan surrounded by hundreds of dancers performing a patriotic song, in response to news around the world of coronavirus spreading in China. "Does my country look sick?", says one refrain of the elaborate song-and-dance routine aboard a massive (and crowded) cruise ship.

In retrospect, with thousands having died since, Chan's chest-thumping looks more than a little bit off-tune: "This walking disaster! Watch out for the bad luck he is bringing!", one Chinese commented on social media last week. Another added: "Jackie's endorsement, China's demise!"

More recently, Chan appearing more subdued on Instagram, advised his fans to follow social distancing advice. The 66-year-old star ends the bilingual video with "Go China! Go the World!" in Chinese, and just "Go!" in the English version.

This is not the first time Chan has been under fire for his overt nationalism and support of the regime, including criticism of anti-government protesters and regional rivals. "Hong Kong and Taiwan have too much freedom," he declared in 2012. More recently he declared himself China's "national flag guard," demonstrating his loyalty to the Chinese authorities during the months of anti-government protests last year in Hong Kong.

Writing after that incident in The South China Morning Post, Chiu-Ti Jansen said the Chinese government's policy of leveraging soft power through celebrities, like Chan, is short-sighted for all. "It seems certain that there will be more pressure on entertainers to declare their positions and also more policing of their public statements. Stars with international reach must be thoughtful, if not strategic, before endorsing any side." With a deadly virus now spreading worldwide, that seems more relevant than ever.

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FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

Turkey-Israel Relations? It's Complicated — But The Gaza War Is Different

Turkish President Erdogan has now called on the International Criminal Court to go after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for war crimes, as the clash between the two regional powers has reached a new low.

Photo of ​Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan walking

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Elias Kassem

Since the arrival two decades ago of now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s relationship with Israel has been a mix of deep ideological conflict and cover-your-eyes realpolitik.

On the one hand, Erdogan has positioned himself as a kind of global spokesman for the Palestinian cause. His Justice and Development Party has long publicly and financially supported Hamas, which shares similar roots in the 20th-century Muslim Brotherhood movement.

And yet, since 2001 when Erdogan first came to power, trade between Turkey and Israel has multiplied from $1.41 to $8.9 billion in 2022. Moreover, both countries see major potential in transporting newly discovered Israeli natural gas to Europe, via Turkey.

The logic of shared interests clashes with the passions and posturing of high-stakes geopolitics. Diplomatic relations have been cut off, then restored, and since October 7, the countries’ respective ambassadors have been recalled, with accusations flying between Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Still, over the past 48 hours, Turkish-Israeli relations may have hit an all-time low.

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