The incident involving wheelchair-bound singer Zheng Zhihua’s complaint about boarding difficulties at Shenzhen Airport continues to develop. On Monday, Zheng issued a clarification and apology regarding his “rolling and crawling into the plane” remark following online attention about whether he had exaggerated his experience.
In a Weibo post on Monday, Zheng clarified that his description, saying he had to “roll and crawl into the plane,” was “an improper choice of words made in a moment of frustration.”
“The phrase ‘rolling and crawling’ was used out of temporary anger caused by the boarding difficulties I encountered,” Zheng wrote. “I sincerely apologize for my poor choice of words.”
Zheng added that the staff who assisted him with the wheelchair provided excellent service, even directly supporting his legs to help him through the aircraft door. “I extend my gratitude to all service personnel here and hope this incident does not negatively impact them. The attention this incident has brought to the interests of minority groups holds greater significance than my personal experience, and I leave it to society for discussion.”
The singer previously criticized Shenzhen Airport as “inhumane,” forcing passengers with mobility issues to “roll and crawl” to board the plane. Facing Zheng’s complaint, the airport apologized quickly and also released a detailed statement on the same day in response.
Near midnight on Saturday, Shenzhen Airport issued a long statement saying that it has promptly verified the situation with the airline regarding the ground-handling process and released improvement measures.
According to a video clip, Zheng was assisted by servicemen at the airport while boarding the plane using his wheelchair, Henan-based Dahe News reported.
“Judging from Zheng’s remarks and the airport video, it is true that Zheng used inappropriate words and exaggerated the facts,” Weibo user hanjiangdudiaoceng wrote.
Taiwan-born Zheng Zhihua contracted poliomyelitis at the age of 2 and has used a wheelchair ever since. He rose to fame for his soulful singing style and hit representative works such as “Sailor” and “Star lighting.”
Global Times
