Crystal Liu, the lead in Disney’s live-action remake, voiced support for police in the city

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan is facing calls for a boycott after its star voiced support for police in Hong Kong.

Crystal Liu, also known as Liu Yifei, reportedly posted a message on the Chinese social media site Weibo, which translated as: “I also support Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now.” In English, the post added: “What a shame for Hong Kong.”

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Though Twitter and many other social media sites are censored within China, the comments provoked fierce criticism elsewhere and the hashtag BoycottMulan began trending.

Liu’s comments were an apparent reference to chants heard by pro-police activists demonstrating in support of a journalist who was beaten by pro-democracy protesters. A T-shirt bearing the slogan “I love HK police” was reportedly found in a bag belonging to Fu Guohao, a journalist from the Chinese state newspaper the Global Times.

Police have meted out violence against pro-democracy demonstrators during heightened tensions in the former British colony.

The protests were originally sparked by controversial extradition proposals from the Hong Kong government in June which would have allowed some suspects to be sent to mainland China for trials. That led to fears of Hong Kong’s independent legal system being bypassed, with people being pulled into China’s legal system which can involve televised confessions and a lack of judicial safeguards.

The government suspended the planned legislation but protesters have pressed on with broader calls for it to be scrapped entirely, along with demands for democratic reforms.

Following Liu’s social media post, critics accused the naturalised US citizen of supporting police brutality and denying Hong Kong citizens the rights she enjoyed in her adopted country.

She is not the only star who has been criticised for their stance on the protests. The martial artist Jackie Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, has been accused of failing to support pro-democracy protesters.

He reportedly told China’s state broadcaster CCTV that the events were “sad and depressing”, adding: “I have visited many countries and I can say our country has been rapidly developing in recent years. I feel pride in being Chinese wherever I go and the ‘five-starred Red Flag’ is respected everywhere around the world.”

Disney has been contacted for comment. Mulan, a live-action reimagining of the 1998 animated film, is set to be released next March.