Bieber will jet into Asia later this year as part of his Purpose World Tour with shows scheduled in Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Hong Kong. But Beliebers in mainland China look set to be disappointed.
In a statement posted on its website this week, Beijings culture bureau explained that unspecified misdemeanours meant the artist, who has had repeated run-ins with the law - including for drunken drag racing in a yellow Lamborghini - was unsuitable for Chinese ears.
Justin Bieber is a gifted singer, but he is also a controversial young foreign singer, said the bureau, which was answering a fans demand for a detailed explanation about the former teen stars absence from Chinese stages.
The bureau did not detail the exact behaviour that had landed Bieber in its bad books, saying only that in order to purify Chinas performing arts it had decided the singers exclusion was appropriate.
In 2015 Los Angeles band Maroon 5 were forced to scrap shows in mainland China after the groups keyboard player sent birthday wishes to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. In 2009 Oasis were barred after guitarist Noel Gallagher performed at a Free Tibet concert in New York.
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