china is certainly not a Belieber! Following the recent censorship of social media platforms and the ongoing suppression of internet freedom, Chinese officials are now hitting the entertainment industry. In fact, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture announced on Tuesday that Canadian pop star Justin Bieber had been blacklisted to perform in the Chinese nation.

Even though China is notorious when it comes to banning Western artists and performers for political reasons, the cause behind Bieber’s seemed to be more on the personal aspect. That’s why the Chinese audiences won’t be able to experience the Asian leg of the singer’s “Purpose” world tour, which will include performances in other Asian nations such as the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan.

Not a Belieber

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture acknowledges the talents of the 23-year-old “Sorry” hitmaker as an artist. But due to the controversies that surrounded his life, the Chinese government believed Bieber would not be a good example to its people.

Also, the organization also cited the musician’s “Bad Behavior,” saying his previous performance in the country caused “discontent among the public.” In a statement posted on its website, the bureau also explained that they want to “maintain order in the Chinese market and purify the Chinese performance environment.”

With that said, bringing in “badly behaved entertainers” like Bieber appeared to be a bad idea. Despite its stance to ban the “Love Yourself” hitmaker, they also remain optimistic that Bieber will mature and will be able to “improve his own words and actions.”The organization stated, “We hope that as Justin Bieber matures, he can continue to improve his own words and actions, and truly become a singer beloved by the public."

Bieber’s past sins

In spite of the lack of specific details when it comes to the Bieber ban, Rolling Stone noted that China’s intentions are apparently “clear.” The publication even cited Bieber’s past controversies, including his Great Wall of China stint and the commotion he created after skateboarding outside a mall in Beijing.

These incidents took place during his “Believe” world tour in 2012.

Also, Bieber also received a massive backlash from the government of China when he visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo in 2014. Even though the controversial shrine “honors fallen warriors and pays tribute to convicted war criminals,” the Chinese and South Koreans consider it as a symbol of Japan’s imperialism and militarism history.

Despite Bieber’s apology, the nation’s former Foreign Ministry Qin Gang said that the singer should learn more about the Japanese history and the implications of his shrine visit.

Other blacklisted Western artists

Bieber is not the only Western artist that has been banned in the country. In fact, other celebrities were also blacklisted due to “perceived political statements,” including Lady Gaga, Bjork, Bon Jovi, British group Oasis and popular U.S.

band Maroon 5, who was forced to cancel their shows in China after their keyboard player sent a birthday greeting to the Dalai Lama.

As for Oasis, the band was barred from performing in the country in 2009 following guitarist Noel Gallagher's “Free Tibet” concert performance in New York. Fortunately, his brother Liam did not suffer the same fate as he is scheduled to do some solo shows in Beijing and Shenzhen in August.

Two China concerts

Meanwhile, the statement from the bureau came after a Bieber fan asked why the singer has no scheduled performances in Mainland China. However, CNN learned that there are two scheduled Bieber performances — a Beijing concert on Sept. 16 and a Shanghai appearance on Sept.

23.

With the decision from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, however, the concerts will likely get canceled. If the approval of the said performances doesn’t come through, a Chinese ticketing website will offer refunds to the ticket holders.
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