John Cena Admits Regret Over 2021 China-Taiwan Controversy on Joe Rogan Podcast
In a candid interview with Joe Rogan, professional wrestler and actor John Cena expressed regret over his involvement in the 2021 China-Taiwan controversy. The incident sparked widespread outrage when Cena inadvertently referred to Taiwan as a country during an appearance at a Mandarin-language event, prompting a backlash from Chinese officials.
Cena acknowledged that his well-intentioned but ill-conceived attempt to demonstrate respect for the language had instead "piss[ed] off my home country." He pointed out that the United States was among those who were unhappy with his apology in Mandarin, which he felt had come across as insincere.
In hindsight, Cena recognized that attempting to learn another language without proper cultural context can be detrimental. "Just because you know the language doesn't mean you know the culture," he said during their conversation.
When asked if the incident had been a major issue at the time, Cena noted that it was the reactions from Americans who were upset by his actions, not Chinese officials. This realization served as a hard lesson for the wrestler, who ultimately took responsibility for the fallout and admitted to having underestimated the sensitivity of the issue.
The controversy surrounding Cena's mistake highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and the potential risks of making cultural faux pas in the global marketplace. As someone with a large following worldwide, Cena learned that even well-intentioned gestures can have unintended consequences when not taken into account.
In a candid interview with Joe Rogan, professional wrestler and actor John Cena expressed regret over his involvement in the 2021 China-Taiwan controversy. The incident sparked widespread outrage when Cena inadvertently referred to Taiwan as a country during an appearance at a Mandarin-language event, prompting a backlash from Chinese officials.
Cena acknowledged that his well-intentioned but ill-conceived attempt to demonstrate respect for the language had instead "piss[ed] off my home country." He pointed out that the United States was among those who were unhappy with his apology in Mandarin, which he felt had come across as insincere.
In hindsight, Cena recognized that attempting to learn another language without proper cultural context can be detrimental. "Just because you know the language doesn't mean you know the culture," he said during their conversation.
When asked if the incident had been a major issue at the time, Cena noted that it was the reactions from Americans who were upset by his actions, not Chinese officials. This realization served as a hard lesson for the wrestler, who ultimately took responsibility for the fallout and admitted to having underestimated the sensitivity of the issue.
The controversy surrounding Cena's mistake highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and the potential risks of making cultural faux pas in the global marketplace. As someone with a large following worldwide, Cena learned that even well-intentioned gestures can have unintended consequences when not taken into account.