Remember the backlash when Gong Li became a Singaporean citizen to join her Lion City husband, sparking fury among mainland netizens, who called her a traitor? Well, we wonder why Jet Li (below) hasn't been crucified by the same zealous nationalists?
It's been reported the action star recently moved his family from Los Angeles to Singapore, having bought a house there for nearly US$14 million. Now comes word that Li has also renounced his Chinese citizenship for a Singaporean passport, too. The information was even reported by the mainland's official news agency, Xinhua, as a headline news item.
Curiously, while Gong Li was crucified, the online reaction to Jet Li's change in citizenship barely ruffled a feather. A poll by Sina.com found half of those surveyed did not take issue with the move.
'It's [his] right to live where [he] wants to. If I could, I will follow suit. [Singapore's] passport is better,' one blogger wrote. Gosh, we wonder if that kind of comment will be blocked by Beijing's proposed new Web filter?