Chinese actor Zhang Linghe faces backlash for ‘born in Southeast Asia’ remark
Popular Chinese actor Zhang Linghe recently drew criticism for a remark some viewers described as “discriminatory” towards Southeast Asians.
The 28-year-old made the comment during a segment promoting his latest drama, Pursuit of Jade, on an episode of the variety show Hello Saturday that aired on 6 March.
Source: @zhanglinghe__1230 on Instagram
During a segment on the show, his co-star Tian Xiwei, who plays the female lead, drew a portrait of him. Zhang initially joked that the sketch resembled comedian Yang Di.
Source: YouTube via HK01
However, when the drawing was completed, he commented that the person in the portrait looked like someone “born in Southeast Asia”.
Source: Weibo via HK01
Some fans express disappointment over actor’s remark
The clip quickly circulated online after being reposted on overseas social media platforms.
Many Southeast Asian viewers expressed disappointment, with some fans commenting on the actor’s Instagram post saying they would no longer support him.
Translation: I’m from Southeast Asia. I used to really like you, but I don’t like you as much anymore.
Source: Instagram
Others, however, defended the actor, arguing that he did not make the remark with malicious intent.
Some said people from different regions naturally have different features and that critics were overinterpreting his comment.
Translation: Zhang Linghe had absolutely no intention of being discriminatory. People from different regions look different, it was just a description of a style. Please don’t misunderstand his words.
Source: Instagram
One user commented that being from Southeast Asia should not be treated as an insult, adding that if someone sees “looking Southeast Asian” as a joke, it reflects prejudice rather than an issue with the drawing.
Source: Instagram
Still, other fans said it was reasonable to hold the actor accountable, adding that Southeast Asians should not be told they were overreacting.
Source: Instagram
According to Drama Panda, the Hello Saturday production team has since removed the segment that sparked the controversy.
Actor apologises, but some fans call response insincere
On Tuesday (10 March), Zhang posted an apology in the comments section of an Instagram post.
Source: @zhanglinghe__1230 on Instagram
“I am truly sorry that my words on the variety show caused any of you discomfort,” he wrote in both Chinese and English.
In the statement, Zhang said he believes “every culture has its own beauty” and stressed that he never intended to hurt or disrespect anyone.
He also expressed gratitude for the support he has received from fans across Southeast Asia over the years, including those who have sent messages or travelled to China to see him.
I am deeply grateful for all of it, and the last thing I would ever want is for anyone who supports me to feel sad because of this misunderstanding.
Some netizens dissatisfied with Zhang Linghe’s apology
However, some netizens criticised the statement as vague, saying it did not clearly acknowledge why the remark was offensive or address concerns about stereotypes.
Others said the message read like a generic public relations response.
Several critics also pointed out that the apology was posted only on Instagram, which is mainly used by overseas audiences, while the actor had not addressed the issue on major Chinese platforms such as Weibo.
Others took issue with the way the apology was posted, noting that it appeared as a comment under a promotional post for Pursuit of Jade rather than as a standalone post.
Also read: 75-year-old Chinese actress sparks criticism for playing teen girl in mini drama series
75-year-old Chinese actress sparks criticism for playing teen girl in mini drama series
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @zhanglinghe__1230 on Instagram and Weibo via HK01.
