‘Give him a second chance’: Chinese actor with prior drug addiction reforms to become anti-narcotics ambassador, faces online censure but defended by prominent editor
- Han Xiao, who plays a minor part in a popular Chinese series is under scrutiny after overzealous viewers dredged up a 2009 drug incident
- China’s entertainment regulator issued a decree in 2014 banning actors with any history of drug use or hiring sex workers from working on TV
The former editor-in-chief of the Global Times and famous online commentator Hu Xijin has joined the latest moral debate in mainland China calling for an actor whose role in a popular drama series has been removed due to historical drug use, should receive a second chance.
Han Xiao, who plays a minor part in the popular Chinese series The Knockout, came under scrutiny last week after overzealous online fans of the show dredged up that he was detained for taking drugs in 2009, the Beijing News reported.
On February 14, Hu wrote on social media that he supported Han appearing in the TV series given that it has been more than 10 years since the reported drug use and pointed out that the actor had been appointed by the Beijing municipal government as a drug awareness ambassador.
“I think society should regard him as someone who has corrected his errors and wants to be a new person. We should give him a way out, including allowing him to resume his acting profession,” Hu said. “The market will decide by itself whether to accept him or not.”