A top Chinese daily on Wednesday condemned pop star Elton John for dedicating his Beijing show to dissident artist Ai Weiwei, saying it was disrespectful and could lead to bans on other Western performers.
The Sunday night dedication was reminiscent of Icelandic singer Bjork chanting “Tibet, Tibet” at a 2008 concert in Shanghai, which resulted in China’s cultural minders refusing performance permits for some Western acts.
“John’s unexpected action was disrespectful to the audience and the contract that he signed with the Chinese side,” the said in an editorial.
“He forcibly added political content to the concert, which should have been nothing more than an entertaining performance.”
Ai, 55, is a world-renowned conceptual artist and outspoken critic of China’s communist government.
He disappeared into police custody for 81 days last year, drawing worldwide headlines and casting a spotlight on the government’s growing concern over social unrest, especially as “Arab spring” street protests rocked the Middle East.
After being released he was convicted of tax evasion, fined US$2.4 million by the Beijing tax bureau and barred from leaving the country for one year.
