BEIJING - Jackie Chan says peace -- not politics -- should get top billing at the Olympics.
Chan, who arrived Monday to promote his latest kung fu movie "The Forbidden Kingdom," said the games represent "unity, love and peace" and should not be used as a platform for people to express their opinions.
The Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics and the global torch relay have been plagued by criticism and protests against China's human rights record and its actions in Sudan and Tibet.
"They wish to find an outlet to voice their opinions, but I don't think they should use the Olympics to do so," Chan said after arriving with co-star Jet Li for Wednesday's world premiere of the film, inspired by the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West."
"I hope people do not mix sports with politics. This is wrong," said Chan. "I don't understand why people would want to destroy the Olympics."
Chan has been active in promoting the Beijing Olympics. He starred in Olympic-themed TV commercials for Visa, attended a ceremony last year marking the one-year countdown for the games and recorded the official countdown song, "We Are Ready."
The ongoing 20-nation Olympic torch relay is the longest in Olympic history, and is meant to build excitement for the Beijing Games.
But it also has been targeted in a number of cities by activists protesting China's support of Sudan despite years of bloodshed in Darfur and the communist government's harsh rule of Tibet, where anti-Chinese riots turned violent on March 14 in the region's capital.
China has said that 22 people died in Lhasa and has blamed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his supporters for inciting the unrest. Demonstrations also have spread to Tibetan strongholds in neighbouring provinces in western China.
Li, a prominent follower of Tibetan Buddhism who has met the Dalai Lama, refused to comment on the situation. His publicist interrupted a reporter's questions saying: "I'm sorry. You cannot ask these sort of questions. This is for a movie."
Li picked up a folder of documents and did not look up for the rest of the interview.
The English-language "Forbidden Kingdom" follows an American child's dream journey to ancient China, where he meets several characters from Chinese mythology such as the Drunken Immortal, played by Chan, and the Silent Monk, played by Li.
The script has been reportedly changed to better suit Western tastes because the idea of a kung fu fighting monkey was considered too far-fetched.
Will Chinese still be able to appreciate it?
"They should be able to accept it," Chan said. "It's child's dream. ... It's just a dream!"
