Well, you can now put the Chinese government firmly in the “Not Belieber” camp.
Justin Bieber, the Canadian pop megastar who is part of the most streamed track of all time, has reportedly been banned from one of the world’s most populated countries because he’s too badly behaved.
The last time Bieber visited China was in September and October 2013 when he played a run of concerts in Beijing, Dalian, and Shanghai. He held a concert in Japan last August, and he’s scheduled for a run through Asia later this year that includes stops in Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore. But not China. And why not?
One Chinese fan set out to discover the reason, writing to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, asking why Bieber wasn’t performing in the country. According to the Telegraph, this is the response the fan received.
“Justin Bieber is a gifted singer, but he is also a controversial young foreign singer,” the bureau wrote in a statement. “In order to maintain order in the Chinese market and purify the Chinese performance environment, it is not suitable to bring in badly behaved entertainers.”
The ban, however, isn’t necessarily permanent.
“We hope that as Justin Bieber matures,” the bureau wrote, “he can continue to improve his own words and actions, and truly become a singer beloved by the public.”
The last time the 23-year-old Bieber performed in China, he put on an obnoxious front. He was photographed getting his bodyguards to carry him across the Great Wall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3gMqeTKvYI
He was also filmed skateboarding at a Chinese mall.
According to the New York Times, his biggest misstep in the eyes of the Chinese government might have been his visit to a Japanese war memorial in 2014 when he snapped photos of himself at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine—which honors those who died fighting for the country, including convicted war criminals from World War II.
“I hope this singer can learn more about the history of Japanese militarism, and the wrongful historical and militaristic views promoted by the shrine after his visit,” said Qin Gang, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said at the time.
Unfortunately for Bieber, he’s missing out on all the potential money there is to be made in China. But he’s in pretty good company being banned. China banned Oasis for “unsuitable behavior” in 2009, and Lady Gaga is reportedly not allowed to perform after meeting with the Dalia Lama. Winnie the Pooh also has recently been banned.
H/T the Telegraph