Will Taylor’s clothes cause a diplomatic row with China?
SHE has conquered the world of pop music. But Taylor Swift could be about to stumble into a diplomatic row over her forthcoming concerts in China.
The 25-year-old American singer is to launch a clothing range there which will advertise her latest album and world tour, called 1989 after the year of her birth.
But some fear the date could be seen by the Beijing government as a reference to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre when soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed pro-democracy protesters. And if, as with Miss Swift’s US fashion range, the goods also feature her initials – TS – then it could exacerbate the problem.
The bloody killings remain subject to heavy censorship in mainland China, with officials using online filters to find and block references to the massacre across social media.
The singer’s clothing range, including dresses, sweatshirts and T-shirts, will be available through Jingdong Mall, a major online Chinese retailer, from next month.
It is currently unclear whether the same logos used in the US will appear on the Chinese range, although representatives for the retailer have said the designs ‘have not been finalised’.
Miss Swift, who is dating Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, is due to perform in Shanghai on November 10-12.
Last night her spokesman declined to comment.