New Report: John Cena Isn’t the Only Celebrity Bowing to China

John Cena recently posted a video apologizing to the Chinese for accidentally recognizing Taiwan for what it is: an independent state. Cena’s public apology comes just as his film, Fast and Furious 9, is set to start rolling in theaters. 

Cena’s apology was disturbing, but it was not unique. A new report from the American Security Institute, the nonprofit responsible for ChinaOwnsUs.com, details the many ways in which Hollywood has capitulated to the Chinese Communist Party in recent years. Here are a few key facts:

• The Chinese Communist Party has strict control over which films can be viewed by the one billion people in the country. And the CCP only allows roughly 34 foreign films to air each year, making competition for the U.S. and Europe tight. 
• To ensure their film makes the cut, many Hollywood producers self-censor or coordinate directly with Chinese officials while making their films. They’ll cut any scene that could be offensive to communist officials while blacklisting any actor that has been blacklisted in China. 
• Cena’s apology is especially hypocritical because he has been vocal about condemning American policies. In 2015, he condemned Trump’s “Muslim ban” but he remains silent about the detainment and torture of Uighur Muslims by the CCP. 
• Cena joins a long line of politicians who have been politically outspoken about some issues while remaining silent about the atrocities in China, including Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johannson.
• China’s influence over the American film industry is a key tool in the Communist Party’s soft power campaign to grow its influence in the United States. 

American Security Institute Managing Director Will Coggin issued the following statement: 

“Supposed tough guy John Cena whimpering before the Chinese communist government is just the latest example of Hollywood delivering a ‘smack down’ to its reputation.” 

Our full report on Hollywood can be viewed here. To learn more about all the ways China has influenced the U.S., our white paper can be viewed here.