Leading Actor Criticized for Racist Remarks About Southeast Asians

Zhang Ling He is facing backlash over controversial comments made on a recent variety show.

The controversy began when Zhang Ling He was shown a caricature of himself. He joked,

“Who does this even look like? I feel like I [look like I] was born in Southeast Asia.”

The remark quickly spread on social media. Many viewers called it racist and criticized the actor.

Some fans were outraged. One Twitter user said,

“As usual, East Asia always thinks they’re superior to SEA. And then apologize after getting caught. Nothing new.”

As usual, East Asia always thinks they’re superior to SEA. And then apologize after getting caught. Nothing new. https://t.co/UBzhbln4U6

— anne (@rosyholp) March 10, 2026

Others felt the apology wasn’t genuine. Another fan tweeted,

“zhang linghe only apologized because he got caught. if nobody called it out, would he even say sorry for being racist? and bringing up yang di as the ‘comparison’ just makes it worse… so what exactly is the implication here? that WE southeast asians look unattractive? wtf”

zhang linghe only apologized because he got caught. if nobody called it out, would he even say sorry for being racist? and bringing up yang di as the “comparison” just makes it worse… so what exactly is the implication here? that WE southeast asians look unattractive? wtf https://t.co/myxobba5Ny pic.twitter.com/SVYKU2pcwq

— dee ☾٠࣪⭑ (@anranfy) March 10, 2026

As the situation heated up, Zhang Ling He released an apology in both Mandarin and English. He admitted his words were careless and said he didn’t mean to offend anyone.