Overview
- On The Joe Rogan Experience, Cena said it was his fault that he read unchecked Mandarin prompter copy during F9 promotion that described Taiwan as a country.
- The remark came in a 2021 interview with Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS, triggering backlash in China and prompting a Mandarin apology video on Weibo.
- His apology drew fresh criticism in the United States from commentators who viewed it as capitulating to Beijing.
- Cena recalled telling filmmaker James Gunn he would understand being removed from Peacemaker, though he continued in the role afterward.
- He said the episode taught him that cultural understanding differs from language proficiency and that he now refuses to speak Mandarin publicly.