Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan was widely condemned by Chinese netizens after he was caught using a military car in Beijing. In several photos posted on Sina Weibo , China’s twitter-like service, on Friday, a man highly-resembling Chan is seen walking into a parking lot towards a parked black Audi bearing a white military plate. One photo shows Chan standing next to the car while a woman companion holds a door for him. The revelation came after increasing public anger in China over the abuse of military cars. Despite Chinese Communist Party Chief Xi Jinping’s call to cut waste and end extravagance, people across the country have reported the private use of luxury cars bearing military plates – although some plates have been dismissed as fake by officials. “Has our military hired Jackie Chan to teach soldiers martial arts?”, said Yu Jianrong, an avid online activist and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “This is obviously a movie prop,” commented another blogger sarcastically on Weibo. “Will Jackie Chan please use his martial arts to reclaim the Diaoyu Islands?” said another. Many demanded Chan offer an explanation. “This has almost destroyed my admiration for him,” wrote a fan. It’s not clear when or where the photo was taken. Chan's assistant didn't respond to SCMP's request for an interview on Friday. China’s Ministry of National Defence announced on Thursday that the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) would replace the current military car plates with new ones in May, reported the Southern Metropolis Daily . The effort was aimed at curbing use of fake military plates, said the report. Jackie Chan’s most recent controversy occurred when he told Phoenix TV that America is the “most corrupt” country in the world .
