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The Hong Kong superstar recently embarked on a mission to promote peace in Thailand and Cambodia as part of the third Asean event series, "Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace", hosted by the International Peace Foundation. He gave an interview with Cheepajorn Loke (World Pulse) and shared with his fans his work in the film industry and charitable field.

What are some of the film projects that you are working on right now?

I just finished a movie called "The Kung Fu Kid" with the son of Will Smith, Jaden Smith. Basically, it's [a remake of "The Karate Kid"], but totally different story, a young kid from America coming to China, and I take care of him. I teach him kung fu. I teach him attitude. Teach him discipline. It's a very interesting story.

You've been doing your action comedy and your stunts for decades.

Yes, since the 70s and 80s.

Does it still sell today though?

I love action comedy. Very dilemma. I like action but I hate violence. But the only thing I like is comedy with action. I still like action things. I don't know why. Maybe because I've been training my martial arts for so many years and also, I like to make people smile. I like to make the audience excited.

You think they will still smile at your action comedy?

I don't think the audience like watching Jackie Chan running around Krabi beach, kissing and sing a song - do you love me and I love you and bye bye and my girlfriend got cancer and she's dying in the end, or maybe she's blind and I don't like her to see me.

The audience always says go and see Jackie Chan movie, very funny and good stunts and good actions, nobody say go and watch, good crying. It's different, I like action.

How has the audience, especially the Asian audience changed over the years, do you think?

I think the audience in Asia has become more Westernised. American movies are very strong all these years, not only movies, but Internet, TV drama, or rap, song. When you go on the street, the young people have headphones and if you take it, always American songs.

On TV show, all young people, go 'yo yo', or now their movement like this, why, because of the culture. Why you never see people in America do this. (demonstrate a 'wai' gesture) Everybody is learning American culture.

So is it a good or bad thing?

It's good thing, but shouldn't be only one side, should be many sides. When you wear a dress like this, I don't even know if you are a Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Japanese, or Korean, I don't know, but you do have a sign, let me see, what kind of person, then I do hello. Then when you see Japanese, you go oh-hi-o. You know, your culture.

See, I promote my own culture. Even my jeans, print Chinese, and here, I print Chinese. At least you know I'm Chinese. Everybody should love your own country, your home, your parents, and your culture. You have to promote your own culture.

I like Thai, Japanese and Korean cultures. I like cultures everywhere. I like Muslims. I like everybody but I have to promote my culture, I let you know how we talk, how we drink tea, how we eat and I learn Thai. Everybody should know everybody's cultures because yes, you are from Bangkok, I'm from China, but in the world, there's actually no boundary. The world belongs to us. Bangkok belongs to me, not only to you. The whole world, everybody has the responsibility, when I come to Bangkok, I cannot do this (demonstrate spitting), that's not my country or take paper or kick the window because this is Bangkok and not China.

When I come here, I love the trees, I love the environment, the people, because the whole world, if you stay at the moon and look back, that's the earth, one earth. We all stay there.

You talk about culture. I think Korean culture, especially pop culture is very big right now. What's your opinion about it?

Not only in Korea, but Japan, or even in Egypt.

Korean movies, they go everywhere.

That's because the government really supports. When I researched in Korea, at that time HK movies are so strong, when I go there looking for location, I find out the Korean government build the whole studio on the mountain, so big, but at that time, it was empty. I said wow, the studio is so big. Who built it, the government, they really support the film industry, they try to bring the Korean films back. The producers run the studio at that time, so the studio is cheap and the equipment is cheap, or even free. Your budget under certain amount, then it's for free. I said, yeah, it works, I don't know, then I go back.

A few years later, boom, and before HK under the British, the British government doesn't support your movies, we hide when we film, we take our cameras on the streets, and we take the gun, bang bang and police say stop, we run away, but slowly, where now the Chinese government supports but it's too late.

What happened to the HK movie industry, it seems to quiet down.

We don't have HK movie industry anymore, we have China movie, we call China movie.

What happened to Chinese movie from HK?

First, piracy is so strong and the investors don't get back what they want. They spend 50 million to invest in a movie and the box office is only like 5, 6 million.

What's wrong?

Piracy. Not like America, when I made "Rush Hour", I tell them, we have to release at the same time, otherwise, you release in America, and China maybe and Bangkok and Vietnam.

Next day.

Next day you'll have piracy, but they say it's okay. Asia is not the market. They don't care. They are right, part one, two, and three, almost 1 billion. It's enough, they can make part 3, 4. China, HK, not the market.

But I mean in terms of famous HK movies.

We haven't finished Korean movies yet. Why are they so strong is because they have the money to make good movies. They never copy their own movies. When I walk on the street, I see Thai, Japanese, Chinese movies, but not Korean movies, I ask the producers why. Because we don't copy our own movies. Everybody go to the theatre. They only have 46 million people. But box office, biggest one is 120 million. Average, 30, 35, 25 million. Last year, the biggest 10 movies, after the seventh only is an American movie. Number one Korean, two Korean, Korean, Korean, only then American movie, they are very strong, they support Korean movies.

The budget is 2 million but they sell for 10 million. So next time, they have money to make more movies.

Is the Chinese government doing something like that, supporting the movie industry?

Yes. But China is too big. China government is against piracy, but you clampdown here, they start here. You against here, they start in Tibet, you against in Tibet, they start somewhere in Shangdong. The bad businessmen just make money.  China is just too big. Even HK right now, we still have piracy.

 I'm so depressed for this. I've been trying to talk to the government and they try to do the best they can, but there are just too many bad people out there, but they want to survive. On their side, it's their business, they want to survive. I think one day, when I have nothing to do, I might become a pirate businessman. Today I am Jackie Chan, I'm against this. It's a dilemma. They want to survive, we want to survive, at the and, it's like a war. So how can we have a conversation and sit down and make a deal. I don't know but that's the way to be, the world is like that.

It's a big problem right?

Big problem for everybody. They have fake Gucci bag, fake Cartier, fake everything and then after, I find out fake things don't matter to the movies, the important thing is they make fake aeroplane accessories, and makes aeroplane crash, that's the big problem. Fake movies become nothing, they don't kill people, we just don't make money. But how can you make fake tyre, fake brakes, fake aeroplane engine, that's the big problem, fake medicine, these kind of hurting people, we should do something. I think this type of people we should grab them and bomb. Kill them all, because how many people they kill.

Sometimes we forgive the people who make fake watch, it's okay, forgive those who make fake clothes, but how can you make fake engines and medicines. How many people you kill, they don't know.

You know some people say when an actor is funny on-screen, they are serious off-screen, are you that way?

Yes, because I do have a responsibility. I work on charity helping people not only in Hong Kong. I travel around the world and help different kind of people. Because when I was young, I see so many people from around the world coming to Hong Kong to help us. When I was young, the Red Cross from America helped me, from England and from some other countries, and when I see TV, I see so many people flying in to China to help Chinese people. They are not Chinese, so today, I'm grew up, I have the responsibility, not to represent my country, but at least represent myself, to give back to society. I travel around the world. I'll let you know I'm Chinese, I come to Bangkok to help. I cannot help the whole Bangkok, I help one people, yes, enough, that makes me happy.

Today I help one more person in Cambodia, that makes me happy. We should help each other. And I do have the responsibility to do something. Whatever I see and I don't like it, I speak up. If the reporter is bad, I'll say that's bad. We need good reporters. And I need you to report what we need in society right now, don't report Stallone get divorced, Stallone get married. That's none of our business. There are so many small reporters report on the gossip things, it doesn't help the country.

What does the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation do?

Twenty something years ago, it's just a small foundation, just helping local Hong Kong, just few people, but later on, more money, then I go to Asia, more money, go to the world. Then I find out in china, they need more. They need me more than the world because I'm so close. You know China is so big, so many people. The government is doing the big things, let us do the small things. The government has to do the big big things, so i help out old people and crippled, and building schools. I built 24 schools already. Actually do everything and anything. Before, just certain things.

But with the main focus in China?

No. Everywhere. Why I come to Bangkok, why I go to Cambodia, after i find out the problem, I go back and I plan to do peace concert next year in Bangkok. I don't know if it will work. I need your help. I want to start a concert in Bangkok next year.

What about Dragon's Heart Foundation?

Dragon's Heart Foundation helps building schools, help children. When they go to school, they have knowledge, they have education. When they grow up, they can do a lot of things. But in a lot of small areas, they don't have the money to go to school. That's why they don't know anything.

So this foundation's help is also all over the world or is the focus on China?

All over the world. I tried. I'm not big enough to help all over the world, but i tried. Whatever amount, 200,000 or 100,000, yes, I tried. I'm not like Bill Gates, they have billions, I don't.

Do you only spend your money?

Everything. Auction, my own money, the fan club. Even my fan clubs in Bangkok, they send me money. They send me a dollar, i give two dollars. All these years, I accept almost one million already, so I give two million. And it goes to the foundation and help everybody. I'm very lucky that all my fan clubs, all my friends, and even the government, they trust me. Jackie yes, I trust Jackie. So i have a responsibility, all the money i get, every penny, i have to write down all the details.

What's the spirit of giving in Asia like, compared to Western countries? Do we give a lot or are we stingy?

Slowly, we give a lot. You can tell from the Sichuan earthquake. You know how much money we got from China, half trillion.

Dollars?

No, RMB. But half trillion is a lot. People just giving. Not only in China, the whole world, but China the most. Companies just give billion, billion, billion. So that's why I always tell my celebrity friends and stars that we need to do a peace concert every year. It's not like okay, big disaster, we start concert, no, we need concert every year to remind people and we make Asia get together, more understand everybody. So like The tsunami going on, why i organize all people around Asia to have a concert. We make 5 million and it goes to Indonesia, see the president and give the money away. I'm Chinese and i come to help you Indonesia.

And also, i see all the media, i say i'm Chinese and i come here. Why did i do that, because all over the years i hear so many things, like Indonesians hurting Chinese and Chinese hurting Indonesians.

Why have to hurt each other, why not help each other, instead of killing each other. So i go. But i'm very low-key. I don't say i come from China to help, i help everybody. At least let them know, a Chinese, from china, Jackie Chan.

Okay. I still travel to help, i go to Korea, Japan, I go everywhere. I hate to say this, but I am so happy to see the earthquake, people fly from around the world, everyone fly in to help China, that's what we need. After Turkey, everyone send flights to Turkey. That's what we want in the world right now—help each other. There's so many problems in the world, natural disasters, human pollution, the river, we cut all the trees, we make the sky warm, and tornado, earthquakes, so many things going on, and people still kill each other.

We try to fix the children, the arm, the legs, how to built the face back, how to build home, spend money on it, but then someone sends bomb, and gone, children die. On this side, we say please, come and donate and help children, and donate blood, but the other side, it's boom. It's tiring. Why, for what. They always think this country belong to me. This area belong to me, no, this area belongs to me, to everybody, global. Everybody should protect the whole world. I hope one day in the whole world, we don't have to take passports. We go wherever we want to go. We just take the airplane and go in.

I go to Bangkok, i don't have to go through immigration because that's my country (too).

Is it a fashion somehow that now celebrities or rich people tend to do something charitable?

I think mostly yes, maybe not. I don't know.

Even poor people do charity. But me, when i was poor, how can I do charity. When i was young, I was so poor, i have to wait for somebody to help me. But my job is to do the best I can. I tell the children now you don't do anything. Yesterday, some thai students ask me what can they do. I said don't do anything. Most important you just study hard.

When you grow up, you have knowledge, and good education, then you know how to make the vegetables grow faster and everything else. When I was young, I was poor, but now I have enough money and i don't have to take care of my son and my parents pass away. Ten years ago, i already make my will to the foundation. Now I make money, i give away. Now my dream, my hope one day is the day I die, my bank zero. I don't want to see like family episode going on, my son suing my wife, my wife suing my son, and the money goes. No, all gone, everything i give away. Zero.

Twelve years after the handover of HK back to China, how has HK changed so far?

The change is good. Everyone is happy, just like me. Before, i am not Chinese, i am british, but when i go to England, i need a visa, well, who i am, you know, but there's a history that we have to wait, after the handover, now I can tell people, I am Chinese.

After 12 years, all HK citizens accept. Before they say we are Hong Kong-nese, we Hong Kong-nese. But now, everyone says yes, we Chinese, especially for last two years, Olympics going on and next year (meaning this year 2010), Expo. There are so many things going on in China. Everyone can see China growing up. We are proud to be Chinese.

You seem to stand behind China in every way, and you've made controversial comments before and you were criticized for it. How would you like to respond to those criticisms? Before you made some controversial comments about Taiwan or how Chinese people should be controlled and you were criticised.

Whatever I say, I want Hong Kong good, I want Taiwan good, I want China good. Because that's what I see, when I see things I don't like, I'll say something, then when I say something I have the purpose that I want everything good, but somebody do something, they have purpose, they want to sell the newspapers, they want to sell the books. Not everybody are against me, just a few people. Those who support me don't want to say it. That's only few people. I don't care. Today Jackie Chan, I don't care anybody.

They won't kill me. That's freedom, big freedom. Why they can say and I cannot say. They just use me to make them famous. You say something, they don't care, but ah, Jackie Chan say something, I want to write something, make me famous. I know. It doesn't matter. Today Jackie Chan, I don't care.

That's me. Whatever I do, I don't have a purpose, my purpose I want to help everybody, children, do something, I do from my heart. Some people they do something, they want to do politics, want this, want to sell paper, sell books. It's okay. You go to the street and ask people.

Young people look up to Jackie Chan as their model, what would be your message to them?

Today's young people cannot take the pressure because the age change, they are modernized, so many temptations. Whenever they want to get a new phone, or new play station, this and that and cannot get it, they might commit suicide. You hear stories like that around the world.

When we were young, we don't have those kind of temptations. I even get punishment. And more I want to improve, I want to do the best I can. My slogan is never give up.

But people today they want to get rich and famous quick.

That's the way to be, but first you have to work hard. That's why I always travel around the world to speak to young children. First, work hard then only think about money. When you have money, return to society, pay back. That's the whole process. I poor, now become rich, I give back. Even like bill Gates everybody.

What do you think make you famous for so many years. I mean new actors come and go, but you stood the test of time.

First, you have to learn so many things as an actor. I always tell my son, don't only be a singer. You learn to be a musician, piano, guitar, composer, write and sing, then you can live longer. As an action star, you don't only know how to fight, you must know how to direct, how to write your own script, know the camera angle, know the editing, and read and see more things, accept the world culture, then you can make the movie international.

Yes, some stars are just local stars, good, but if you want to be international stars, eyes wider, see more things, accept more things in your mind.

When you make the movie, and direct yourself, you can make many good things.

What's your favourite movie of all time?

Me myself, none. I always think the next one will be better.

Next door

Jackie Chan stars in "The Spy Next Door", opening in cinemas on Thursday.