China scraps concerts with Japanese musicians as diplomatic tensions mount

BEIJING – Japanese jazz musician Yoshio Suzuki and his band were in the midst of a sound check for some long-awaited performances in Beijing when the venue was visited by plain-clothes police on the afternoon of Nov 20.

“After less than one minute, the venue owner came to me and said the police told him all concerts with Japanese people are cancelled – and there is no discussion,” said Mr Christian Petersen-Clausen, a German concert promoter and documentary film-maker who has lived in China for 13 years.

About a dozen concerts with Japanese musicians in major Chinese cities have been abruptly cancelled this week as diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo escalate.

The trigger was remarks made in November by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who said a Chinese

attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could trigger

a military response from Tokyo.

China, which regards the democratically governed island as its own, was incensed and has said Ms Takaichi will face consequences.

Its response began with economic measures such as a boycott on travel to Japan and a ban on imports of Japanese seafood. But it has since increasingly spilled over to the realm of cultural events.

Suzuki, an 80-year-old well-known jazz bassist and his quintet had undergone a months-long review process to obtain China performance visas.

“They were absolutely excited to come to China,” said Mr Petersen-Clausen, adding that the band was “crushed” at the news.

On Nov 20 and 21, music venues across China were warned by the authorities that concerts with Japanese musicians for the remainder of 2025 may be cancelled, he said.

The venues were told not to submit fresh applications for gigs by Japanese performers in 2026 and concert organisers are now banned from sending promotional texts to fans about upcoming gigs of Japanese artists.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China well-versed in cultural boycotts

Other abrupt cancellations include a Beijing concert by Japanese singer KOKIA on the evening of Nov 19, according to dozens of complaints from angry fans on social media.

“Everyone queued until the start time, but they still wouldn’t let us in. Afterwards, KOKIA’s team came out to tell us the band is ready but the venue won’t let them perform,” read one post on the platform RedNote.

Videos circulating on X on Nov 20 showed a large crowd of angry fans outside the venue chanting: “Give us our money back!”

Japanese rapper KID FRESINO’s China tour was indefinitely postponed on Nov 21, according to a social media post by his Chinese tour promoter.

China has a history of using cultural boycotts against countries as a form of economic coercion during diplomatic disputes.

No major K-pop bands have been allowed to perform in the country since the 2016 THAAD missile dispute between the two neighbours.

K-dramas and other Korean cultural products remain under an unofficial ban on Chinese platforms.

Beijing has been battling to boost spending on services in 2025 amid a prolonged economic slowdown.

Cancelling these concerts will be a further drag on growth, said Mr Petersen-Clausen. He noted the knock-on effects of fans’ cancelled flights and hotel bookings and reduced shifts for Chinese support staff.

Live music gigs are an important outlet for many young Chinese people facing work or life pressures during the economic downturn, and many music fans who attend concerts pay little attention to international politics, he added.

“We do see this kind of (anti-Japanese) sentiment sometimes online ... but we don’t see it at these concerts,” he said.

“I’ve never, ever heard anybody bring politics into these moments.” REUTERS