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Jolin Tsai and Eason Chan’s coronavirus tribute video slammed on social media, accused of being pro-China propaganda
- Hong Kong and Taiwanese singers’ Fight as One was released on YouTube to praise front-line medical workers and encourage people during the coronavirus lockdown
- It attracted a storm of dislikes online, accused of promoting China and downplaying the severity of the crisis
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Hong Kong Canto-pop star Eason Chan Yick-shun and Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jolin Tsai have been accused of creating “Chinese propaganda” in a new song intended to pay tribute to medical workers fighting the coronavirus and provide encouragement to the public amid the pandemic.
The duet, titled Fight as One, was performed in English and recorded in separate studios by the two singers in a collaboration with mainland Chinese media company the Yunnan Media Group.
However, the tribute song appears to have backfired on social media, with the music video – released on YouTube on April 3 – receiving around 85,000 dislikes compared to around 20,000 likes.
Many internet users have described the music video as propaganda aimed at improving the image of China, which has been tainted by the coronavirus outbreak. The first cluster of cases of Covid-19, the disease the virus causes, was reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
While the music video highlights how the coronavirus has affected different countries using shots of people in quarantine and wearing masks, and front-line medical workers, internet users have pointed to various scenes and lyrics that seem to promote China.
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