Taiwan actor Nicky Wu praised for 'this is my stance even if I don't make money' remark after event canceled over national flag post
(Picture of Nicky Wu)
Actor and singer Nicky Wu from the island of Taiwan has drawn widespread attention after posting a video of himself waving the Chinese national flag at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to celebrate China's National Day. A baseball event that he had been scheduled to attend on the island was subsequently canceled, while Wu later posted two more videos and responded to a netizen by saying, "This is my stance even if I don't make money."
On October 1, Wu shared a video on social media documenting his trip to Tiananmen Square. "Great! I'm finally heading to Tiananmen!" Wu said.
Wu recalled that he had visited Tiananmen more than 30 years ago with fellow members of the Little Tigers, a popular music group from Taiwan. He said he was now once again setting out for what he called "a romance that belongs to the Chinese people."
The footage also showed Wu waving the Chinese national flag and wishing viewers a happy National Day. Taiwan media reported that the video quickly sparked discussion on the island.
Wu had been invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a professional baseball game on the island on October 4. However, the team announced on October 2 that his appearance had been canceled, citing Wu's physical condition, Taiwan media reported.
Shortly afterward, topics including "Nicky Wu's Taiwan event canceled after waving national flag" began trending on Sina Weibo.
Wu has not publicly responded to the cancellation. However, on October 4, the day he had originally been scheduled to appear at the baseball game, his social media account posted another video showing him climbing the Great Wall in Beijing.
In the video, Wu appeared energetic and even performed physically demanding moves, including a split. Some Taiwan media outlets interpreted the footage as contradicting the explanation that his appearance had been canceled because of his physical condition.
On Tuesday, Wu released another video documenting his visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
"There weren't this many tourists here in the past. Now that people's material living standards have improved, more people are traveling," Wu said in the video posted on Tuesday. "In addition, friends from around the world all hope to have an opportunity to learn more about our country, so there are now a lot of visitors. It's incredible."
Wu's remarks received support from many netizens on social media.
One netizen commented: "If you want to make money here, then you should firmly stick to this stance."
Wu replied: "This is my stance even if I don't make money."
Wu's remark quickly generated widespread discussion online, with related topics trending on Sina Weibo.
"When faced with the potential loss of commercial opportunities, he chose not to play both sides, but instead stood firmly by what he saw as a matter of national principle. Commercial interests can be sacrificed, but one's stance on matters of national identity should never be compromised," said Sina Weibo user Jianjiaomaojuan.
Born in Taipei on October 31, 1970, Wu is an actor, pop singer and producer. He rose to fame as a member of the Little Tigers and has since built a long-running career in the Chinese-language entertainment industry.