Justin Bieber Barred From Performing in China
Chinese authorities have explained that Canadian singer Justin Bieber will not be allowed to perform in China because he is a bad influence.
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture made the explanation on its official website, saying that it hoped Bieber would change his ways as he "matured."
The bureau was responding to a question made on July 16 in which someone asked for clarification as to why an application by a singing talent who has won as many awards as Bieber was rejected.
On Tuesday, the bureau responded by saying it agreed that Bieber is in fact a "very talented singer," but also noted that Bieber is a "controversial, young, foreign singer," something the bureau can't overlook.
"In order to properly maintain order in the domestic market and to purify the environment of performances here, it is inappropriate to introduce entertainers with poor behavior," wrote the bureau.
The bureau also said it hoped Bieber would continue to improve his words and acts as he matures in order to become a singer that is truly well-liked by his fans.
Bieber's reputation as a "bad boy" is well known throughout the world, summarized by the Global Times as "racing cars, taking drugs, and smashing eggs." And although his most famous international blunder may have been writing that Anne Frank "would have been a belieber," Bieber is infamous in China for something else.
After coming to China in 2013 when he was seen being carried up the Great Wall of China to make a music video, Bieber went to Japan where he took a photo at the Yasukuni Shrine, a contentious place where a number of war criminals are buried. After stirring up outrage online, Bieber deleted the photo and posted an apology. "I was mislead to think the shrines were only a place of prayer," Bieber wrote. "To anyone I have offended I am extremely sorry."
As if to demonstrate he didn't understand why people were upset, Bieber ended his apology by saying, "I love you China and I love you Japan."
At the time, it seemed as though Bieber's apology was accepted.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said he hoped Bieber had left Yasukuni with "a clear understanding of Japan's history of invasion and militarism, and of the source of Japan's militarism."
Images: Celebuzz.com, Xinmin
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