Chan's China comments 'out of context'

Jackie Chan's controversial comments about freedom in China that he made at a conference last Saturday were taken out of context, a spokesman for the actor said.

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said about China. "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."

Solon So, the chief executive of Chan's JC Group, said the Rush Hour star was speaking about freedom in the entertainment industry and not Chinese society at large, The AP reports.

"Some people with ulterior motives deliberately misinterpreted what he was saying," So said.

There has been a substantial public backlash against the actor's comments, with one group of Chinese scholars publishing a letter on the internet accusing the actor of "not understanding how precious freedom is".

Meanwhile, The University of Hong Kong's students' union has said Chan's comments "cast shame on the entire Hong Kong citizenry".