"...Anything for the public that is not about how beautyful our country or people are, is not acceptable", says Chinese opera director Chen Shi-Zhen. His long awaited staging of the 400-year-old classical opera "Mu Dan Ting" (Peony Pavillion) was not only banned inside the borders of China; the Shanghai Bureau of Culture also prevented the opera from being exported to the West.
Western musicians and tour organisers have encountered difficulties with performances in China due to a tightened political control over the arts and Christianity.
"Any artistic group or individual who have ever engaged in activities which threaten our national sovereignty will not be allowed in," the Chinese Ministry of Culture stated
Jamyang Kyi, prominent Tibetan singer and a song-writer, internet writer and feminist activist, was arrested on 1 April 2008 and is held without charges by Chinese authorities
The Chinese Ministry of Culture announced on 26 April 2008 that China will tighten up controls over cultural activities and products ahead of the Summer Olympics
During a concert Björk added “Tibet! Tibet!” to her song “Declare Independece”. The statement was followed by angry reactions amongst Björk fans and Chinese politicians.
