American Pop Star Perry, Once Denied Entry to China, to Perform in Hangzhou in November

Performing at an 18,000-seat stadium for two days in November
"An example of subtle changes in US-China relations"

American pop star Katy Perry, 40, who was previously denied entry to China due to wearing an outfit with anti-China sentiment during a past performance in Taiwan, will meet her fans in Hangzhou, China for the first time in eight years.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on April 28 (local time), Perry will hold two concerts at a large stadium in Hangzhou with a capacity of 18,000 seats on November 21 and 22.

Katy Perry. Photo by AP News Agency

This will be Perry's first performance in China in eight years, after she was denied a visa to participate in a fashion show in Shanghai in 2017.

At the time, American media reported that Perry was banned from entering China by the authorities because she had previously worn a sunflower-themed outfit with anti-China sentiment during her 2015 concert in Taiwan.

In 2013, after the pro-China Ma Ying-jeou administration in Taiwan signed the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement with China, Taiwanese university students protested by wearing sunflower decorations on their chests when the government attempted to pass the agreement by force in the legislature the following year. This movement became known as the Sunflower Student Movement.

During this period, Chinese authorities never officially acknowledged the denial of Perry's visa. SCMP commented that "this concert is an example of the subtle changes in the relationship between the United States and China."

Recently, China has been gradually allowing performances by Western pop stars in an effort to boost domestic consumption in response to the high tariffs imposed by the United States.

The American band OneRepublic appeared on the special broadcast for China's largest holiday, the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year), while British pop star Ed Sheeran performed six times in Hangzhou this past February. Hangzhou authorities are also considering inviting another American pop star, Taylor Swift.

Advisors to the Shanghai government have urged that regulations on performances be relaxed to revitalize the domestic economy, describing Swift as a "walking GDP."

Perry first performed in China in Beijing in 2014. The following year, she held two concerts in Shanghai and one in Guangzhou. Recently, she drew attention for participating in a 10-minute space flight aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.