Plug pulled on Bon Jovi’s China tour

Rock band Bon Jovi intend to perform concerts in Macau as planned on September 25 and26, Business Daily reports, quoting a spokeswoman for casino operator Sands China Ltd, which owns the concert venue.

Bon Jovi’s scheduled concerts in mainland China have been cancelled after the band has been found to be connected with the Dalai Lama.

But a theory materialized from the Financial Times reveals that the Culture Ministry of China had discovered the Dalai Lama was included in the video backdrop of the band during their concert in Taiwan back in 2010. Although no specific reason were mentioned, worldwide observers believe that Chinese authorities may have prevented the show due to the artist’s music videos featuring scenes of the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and images of the Dalai Lama.

In 2008 Icelandic singer Bjork infuriated the government by shouting “Tibet!” Unfortunately, in today’s China, political propaganda, censorship or “unforeseen circumstances” can at any time over-ride not only freedom of expression, but also commercial and corporate interests, as well as the enjoyment of so many Chinese people.

Bon Jovi fans posted dismayed messages on Chinese social network site Weibo in response to the news. Even Maroon 5 had a Shanghai show cancelled because a member of the group once met the Dalai Lama.

The announcement of the Bon Jovi cancellations came on the same day as the Communist Party held grand celebrations in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa to mark 50 years since it established Tibet as an ethnic autonomous region firmly under Beijing’s control.

China reviews the background, costumes and songs of foreign bands that want to perform in the country, according to Ren Xiaobo, a prominent Chinese musician.