China charges Jackie Chan’s son over drugs

Chinese prosecutors have indicted the son of Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan on drug offences, more than four months after he was first detained.

The announcement on Monday did not mention when a trial would be held but if convicted, singer-actor Jaycee Chan could face up to three years in jail.

Beijing police detained the younger Chan at his Beijing apartment in August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. Police said Chan and Ko both tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug.

Jaycee Chan’s detention has been particularly embarrassing for his father, who was named by Beijing as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009.

Chan has never publicly contested the charge, and his father has openly apologised over his detention.

“Regarding this issue with my son Jaycee, I feel very angry and very shocked,” Jackie Chan wrote on his microblog in August. “As a public figure, I’m very ashamed. As a father, I’m heartbroken.”

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that illegal drugs should be wiped out and that offenders should be severely punished. The crackdown has snared more than 7,800 people in Beijing alone, according to police, and celebrities were targeted because of their influence over the public.