Actors swear allegiance to President Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping is tightening his grip on power. For his help, he and the Communist Party have enlisted a number of famous actors, who swear allegiance to the leader.

– In my future work, I will follow Xi’s directives, says Ziyi Zhang, known from, among other things, “Crouching tiger, hidden dragon”.

Famous actors on prime time is nothing unusual. But when Chinese superstar Ziyi Zhang stood in front of the cameras on Sunday, it was in a different role than at least foreign audiences usually see her.

– As a cultural worker, I have studied and realized the requirements of the general secretary, Ziyi Zhang said on television and pointed to Xi Jinping’s “clear direction for the development of socialist culture”, reports the British The Times.

The president was re-elected on Sunday for a third term as general secretary of the Communist Party, cementing his position as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. During the powerful party congress, he emphasized Chinese culture and its importance in maintaining morale and popular support.

– We want to encourage the production of even more excellent works that can strengthen the people and inspire artists of high moral and artistic caliber, said Xi Jinping.

Xi inspiring

His words during the congress were, Ziyi Zhang said, “educational and inspiring” and clarified “the direction my future efforts and aspirations” will take.

The 43-year-old broke through internationally with the Oscar-winning “Crouching tiger, hidden dragon” in 2000 and has since been one of China’s biggest movie stars. At the same time, she has kept her career in Hollywood active and often stayed abroad, and at least two of her three children were born in the United States.

But the base is China and looks set to remain so.

– I will stick to the fundamental values ​​of Chinese culture, sing about the passions of our time and even better tell China’s stories, she said.

Chinese cinema will flourish

Ziyi Zhang was not alone in pledging allegiance to the leader. Among the other actors who promised that their work in the future should more clearly reflect “the spiritual and cultural needs of the people” was 59-year-old Donnie Yen, who was partly raised in the United States and has been seen in Hollywood productions such as “Rogue one” and has already played into the next “John Wick” sequel.

– With the guidance of the new leadership under General Secretary Xi, Chinese cinema will definitely flourish, he said.

The actors’ statements must be seen against the background of the directives the country’s celebrities have received about maintaining basic socialist values ​​and contributing positively to society. Several famous people who have been caught with drugs, infidelity or tax fraud have been punished with a lifetime ban from being on stage or appearing on film and television.