On August 13, Zhang Zhehan was in the hot seat when old pictures of him visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and Nogi Shrine in Japan started going viral. Zhang Zhehan was being labeled by netizens as not loving his country and pro-Japan. Zhang Zhehan had taken tourist-like pictures at the shrine, which netizens felt was offensive to the suffering China experienced during those times. Zhang Zhehan had attended a friend’s wedding in 2019 that was held at the Nogi Shrine. Pictures of Zhang Zhehan attending the wedding spurred on the discussions about him being unpatriotic.
On August 13th, Zhang Zhehan posted an apology for the recent controversy: "Today I am ashamed of my once ignorant self, and I have to apologize deeply for my previous improprieties." He expressed his regards to the historical background and historical background of the place where a friend’s wedding was held. The oversight of the political background of other guests, the lack of knowledge of local buildings and local history when taking photos, are all their own carelessness, "I am not pro-Japanese, I am Chinese! I love my motherland deeply!"
After Zhang Zhehan apologized, the People’s Daily issued a comment: “This apology is to pay for his ignorance and to seek forgiveness for offending the sentiments of the Chinese people. As a public figure, he lacks historical knowledge and is totally unaware of the suffering of the nation. It is a matter of national justice, and there is no room for temptation, let alone any challenge. If you know it, you will have to pay a heavy price."
At the same day, Zhang Zhehan also shared a post from the People’s Daily: "Sincerely accept criticisms and corrections, reflect deeply, and learn lessons. In the future, we will standardize ourselves with higher requirements. As a Chinese, we will firmly support our motherland and our firm position of loving the party and our country has never been shaken. We will use more practical actions to love our motherland, fulfill our responsibilities and obligations, and be strict with ourselves. ! Please also take me as a warning, pay attention to history, learn history, and remember history!".
In one day, 26 brands including Coke, LANVIN, Clinique, and Pandora had terminated their partnerships with Zhang Zhehan. The production team behind the ensemble cast movie, “Formed Police Unit”, in which Zhang Zhehan is part of, announced they had ended all collaborations with him. Variety show, “The Hero”, also announced they had terminated all collaborations with Zhang Zhehan.
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