Jackie Chan criticised online for giving 50,000 copies of his autobiography to disability charity
Claims that it was inappropriate to donate books about able-bodied people, and that the donation may not help people stuck in poverty
.jpg?itok=H5_PTCSf&v=1700020945)
Hong Kong martial arts star Jackie Chan’s donation of 50,000 copies of his autobiography to the China Disabled Persons’ Federation has drawn flak from the Chinese public questioning whether it was appropriate.
The Beijing-based charity, which raises awareness about disability, announced the donation of copies of Jackie Chan: Never Grow Up, Only Get Older on Weibo, China’s Twitter, on Thursday.
The book documents Chan’s acting and stuntman career.
Chan hopes “the stories and life experience in the book can bring pleasure and inspiration to people with disabilities”, according to the announcement.
The donation forms part of the federation’s project to help poverty-stricken families with disabilities in rural areas and the midwestern parts of China to read more books, it said.
But some members of the public criticised the donation, saying it was inappropriate to donate books about able-bodied people who rose to fame doing kung fu to those who cannot walk, and asking whether it could really help people who were stuck in poverty.
“If you were disabled and still rose to fame, I’d acknowledge that; but stuff like this where you’re bragging about yourself, how is this related to people with disabilities? Shameful!” one person commented on Weibo.
“Even if he donated toilet paper, it would be of more use than the so-called autobiography,” another wrote on the internet forum Kaidi.
Some also commented in support, saying Chan had always done good deeds for charity and given donations.
Neither Chan nor his own charity organisation responded to interview requests from the South China Morning Post.
