China Bans Justin Bieber For 'Bad Behavior,' Calls Him 'Controversial Foreign Singer'

Beijing, China banned Justin Bieber from performing in the fall because of his “bad behavior,” calling him a “controversial young foreign singer," according to a statement released by Beijing's Municipal Bureau of Culture. CNN translated the statement to English.

A Justin Bieber fan questioned why the singer had not scheduled any performance dates in China prior to beginning the Asian leg of the Purpose tour. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture answered with a statement.

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“His series of misbehaviors while living abroad and during his performances in China has caused public resentment. To regulate the domestic entertainment market and purify its environment, we find it inappropriate to bring in performers with bad behavior,” the Bureau said. “As far as we are concerned, he has engaged in a series of bad behaviors, both in his social life and during a previous performance in China, which caused discontent among the public.”

“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,” the Bureau added.

The Bureau did not cite any specific incidents of “bad behavior” in its statement. Bieber performed in China in 2013. With the Bureau's statement, Bieber joined Oasis, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Maroon 5, among others, as a musician banned from China. However, none of those performers were banned for “bad behavior.” China banned Oasis after Noel Gallagher, the band’s guitarist, performed at a Free Tibet concert in 2009. Maroon 5 was not allowed in China after a member of the band, Jesse Carmichael, wished a Tibetan spiritual leader a happy birthday in 2015. Gaga and Gomez were banned in 2016 for meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Bieber previously showed disrespect while in Asia. When he visited China in 2013, he was carried up the Great Wall of China by his bodyguards. When he visited Japan in 2014, he posted a photo of himself online visiting the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Japan created the shrine to be a tribute to fallen and convicted war criminals. However, in China and South Korea, the shrine is viewed as Japan failing to feel remorse for its past actions when it was still an empire.

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China showed disdain for Bieber’s action of posting the photo. Although he deleted the photo and apologized, the Chinese foreign minister’s spokesperson said Yasukuni should have given Bieber “a clear understanding of Japan’s history of invasion and militarism, and of the source of Japan’s militarism.”

Justin Bieber is scheduled to begin the Asian leg of his Purpose worldwide tour in September. The singer is expected to perform in Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.