Jane Birkin ban leaves red faces in Shanghai
mainA statement today from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra read: ‘The concert of Jane Birkin and Gaisbourg Symphonic Concert was cancelled due to an unspecified reason’.
The reason is not secret: Ms Birkin was denied a visa, apparently because of statements she has made in support of an independent Tibet.
Now an internal investigation is being carried out as to why a known opponent of Chinese policy was invited to Shanghai in the first place.
The timing is especially unfortunate as the New York Philharmonic are presently in Shanghai as part of their exchange deal with the Shanghai Symphony.
[redacted] This incident may not be a problem until the STATE MEDIA GLOBAL TIMES picking up a photo showing she is among the Free Tibet protesters against 2008 Olympic torch relay in Paris. It was well known that a Chinese disabled athlete was assaulted on wheelchair several times by these kind of protesters.
Poor Shanghai Symphony, they are confronting the wrath of some nationalists on their weibo account.