Moral Event Horizon: Cindy's father pretty much crosses the line when he forced the media to brand Ling as a "kidnapper", refusing to acknowledge that it was his atrocious parenting methods that forced his daughter to flee from home.
The Woobie: Ling Hsi means well, but being rejected by literally everyone around him and forced into becoming an outcast of society, plus getting called a "kidnapper" and "criminal" by the media (thanks to Cindy's father) certainly makes him one to sympathize with. It was likely an Intended Audience Reaction by the studios, given the film being a commentary on 1970s youth culture.
