Jacky Cheung File photo:VCG

Singer Jacky Cheung from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued a statement on Sunday to clarify that he is proud to be Chinese and defended the use of the phrase "Hong Kong, add oil" in a video he recorded for celebrating the 25th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland. 

This comes as the video clip has triggered controversy among netizens with some accusing him of being "unpatriotic."

In the video recorded celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Cheung said, "Hong Kong has been through a lot, ups and downs, in the past 25 years. I grew up with this city and I was born here and grew up here, so I still believe in this city. I still hope this city will become a better city than before, Hong Kong, add oil."

Some netizens said that Cheung only mentioned "Hong Kong" and "25 years," but he didn't mention the motherland, and criticized him for being "unpatriotic."

Cheung said in the statement that he was born and grew up in Hong Kong and wanted to die of old age there. Because he has such a deep relationship with the city, he has witnessed the most glorious moments in the city as well as the bad times that the city has experienced in the past several years.

Cheung said he is one of the people who have benefited from the rapid development of the motherland. China, which has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, is the greatest miracle of this century, and I feel "proud to be a Chinese," Cheung said in the statement.

The hashtag "Jacky Cheung statement" has gained over 120 million clicks on the Chinese Twitter-like Sina Weibo as of press time, with many netizens showing their strong support toward Cheung. "Patriotism doesn't need publicity, it comes from the heart," one netizen wrote.

Another netizen said those people who committed cyber violence should apologize.