Mr. Cena, a star of the newest “Fast and Furious” movie, posted a video apology in Mandarin, saying, “I’m really sorry. You have to understand

John Cena Apologizes to China for Calling Taiwan a Country

submited by

Style Pass

2021-05-26 12:00:05

Mr. Cena, a star of the newest “Fast and Furious” movie, posted a video apology in Mandarin, saying, “I’m really sorry. You have to understand that I love and respect China.”

John Cena, the professional wrestler and a star of “F9,” the latest installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, apologized to fans in China on Tuesday after he referred to Taiwan as a country while giving a promotional interview.

Joining a long list of celebrities and companies that have profusely apologized after taking an errant step through China’s political minefields, Mr. Cena posted a video apology in Mandarin on Weibo, a Chinese social network.

Beijing considers Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island, to be a breakaway province and claims it as part of China. Referring to it as a country is often an offensive assertion in China, where matters of sovereignty and territory are passionate issues driven by a strong sense of nationalism.

Mr. Cena apologized for a statement he made in an interview with the Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS. In it, he told the reporter in Mandarin, “Taiwan is the first country that can watch” the film.