BEIJING — US rockers Bon Jovi have had their first ever tour of China unexpectedly canceled, the Chinese promoter said on Wednesday, and it was not immediately clear why, though a music video of six years ago shows scenes from the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Promoter AEG said in short statement on its Weibo microblog that the Sept. 14 concert in Shanghai and Sept. 17 concert in Beijing had been canceled "for some reason". It provided no other explanation and government authorities either declined to comment or could not be reached for comment. The government forbids artists performing content that "harms national unity" and vets set-lists and lyrics before approving concerts, as well as the artists themselves to ensure no objectionable connections, such as to human rights groups. Bon Jovi's 2009 "We Weren't Born To Follow" music video features brief images of the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, bloodily put down by the army. Public discussion of the event remains taboo in China. The Financial Times, citing unidentified sources, said China had banned the concert after discovering a picture of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, a man reviled by China, had featured in a video shown at a previous concert in Taiwan. An official at the Ministry of Culture, responsible for the vetting process, said decisions about the concerts were being handled at the city level. Fans reacted angrily on social media."Another concert canceled. Let's thank our country once more!" wrote one on Weibo. "The world's most populous country and second largest economy is scared of a few songs?" wrote another. - Reuters
