China has banned Canadian pop star Justin Bieber from performing in the country, saying he was “talented but controversial”. Beijing’s culture bureau said the singer’s “bad behaviour” had led to “public dissatisfaction”.
Bieber is set to perform in Asia, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Japan as part of his Purpose World Tour. However, China does not feature on this list.
The news broke as the bureau answered a fan’s question on why the Grammy Award winner had not included China in his tour. “To regulate the market order of performances in the country and purify the environment of the performance market, it is not appropriate to introduce entertainers with bad behaviour,” the bureau said.
Bieber, who has had multiple run-ins with the law, had performed in Beijing, Dalian and Shanghai in 2013. However, pictures of him being carried up the Great Wall of China by his bodyguards had received backlash.
The singer had also had to apologise for taking a photograph in front of the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Other musicians who cancelled shows in China
In July 2015, American band Maroon 5 had to cancel their concert in Shanghai after one of the members sent out a birthday message to the Dalai Lama on Twitter.
Bon Jovi, another American band, also had to cancel its concert in the country in 2015 for using an image of the Tibetan leader in the backdrop of a show in Taiwan in 2010.
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