Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse has revealed that he has applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship amid rising concerns of China’s crackdown on celebrity culture.
The 41-year-old actor told China Central Television: “I was looking through the reviews of my recent movie Raging Fire when I saw that some were questioning my nationality, saying that I am a Canadian.”
The Cook Up a Storm actor also clarified that he has always been a Chinese national.
“Whether it is food or music or action movies, no matter what kind of content or identity, I have always wanted to spread Chinese culture and spirit to the world,” he said.
This decision comes in the wake of a crackdown by the Chinese authorities on the entertainment industry, with rumours that celebrities who hold dual citizenship will be banned.
At the moment, there’s no official law that bans Chinese stars with dual passports on the mainland.
Earlier this year, Chinese actor Arthur Chen Feiyu came under fire for changing his American citizenship for a Chinese one.
Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao’s wins were also not celebrated in her birth country of China. The 39-year-old American-Chinese director is the first woman of colour to ever win the Best Director Oscar – for her 2020 film Nomadland.
When film magazine Watch Movies announced Zhao’s win on the Chinese microblogging website Weibo, the post was censored a few hours later.
Other actors like Liu Yifei, who acted in Disney’s Mulan, also received criticism for giving up her Chinese citizenship in the past.
The Independent has reached out to Tse’s representatives for comments.
