Public concern, private matters

It's an open secret that many of China's entertainment celebrities carry foreign passports. That's not even counting mainlanders who assume Hong Kong residency status or HK stars who are Canadians by nationality. It has become a deceptive veil that camouflages many personal decisions that have nothing to do with loyalty to a country.

Jet Li should thank Gong Li for softening a blow so fierce it could have felled a kungfu master.

Nearly a year ago, China's reigning queen of drama was reported to have changed her Chinese passport for a Singaporean one. She received a lot of bad press for that - not only in China, but also in Singapore. Media reports said 60 percent of Singaporeans were unhappy because they believed Gong did it to gain residency. It was unclear how many Chinese were displeased but it could easily be more than that. Their reason was clear: How could you give up your Chinese citizenship? It was like an act of treason.