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 Hadid has confirmed her absence, while reports
have swirled ahead of the show about visas being denied over
political sensitivities and strict controls around the Shanghai
event - a potential headache for the brand famed for its racy
lingerie.
Perry and Hadid have both drawn criticism in state media and
online in China, the former for appearing at a concert in 2015
to show support for Taiwan, a self-governed island that China
considers a wayward province and an integral part of its
territory.
The furor underscores the challenges for global firms looking to
hold major live events in China, even as music producers,
Hollywood and sporting franchises increasingly look to tap into
the country's fast-growing entertainment market.
"Brands have to be much more aware of politically or morally
sensitive topics here," said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based
principal at China Market Research Group, adding the lure of the
market meant most people would nevertheless take risks.
"It's a very different political environment than their home
markets and we're at a time when China is on a drive to clean up
behavior and push a sort of moral code."
China has long kept tight control of performers it allows into
the country. Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Bjork and Bon Jovi are
all banned over perceived bad behavior or for broaching
sensitive topics like Tibet or Taiwan.
Under President Xi Jinping, a push to reinforce socialist "core
values" in cultural products from video games to music shows has
also meant firms like game developer NetEase Inc to the
producers of the Grammy Awards have had to clean up their
offerings.
Hadid, penned to be one of the Victoria's Secret "Angels" at the
show, tweeted last week she was no longer attending. The tweet
followed a video posted online of her squinting her eyes while
holding a small Buddha statue drew ire in China.
U.S. media reports said Perry was denied a visa due to support
for Taiwan at a 2015 show where she draped a flag of the
democratic island around her shoulders.
Influential state-run Chinese tabloid the Global Times wrote in
an editorial ahead of the show that it was "logical" the two had
been denied visas due to their past actions.
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"Payback was unavoidable. Those who are serious about developing
careers in the Chinese market can draw lessons from this case and
learn to abide by the rules in China," it said.
Victoria's Secret did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
Asked whether or why Hadid and Perry had been banned from coming to
China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he did not know any
of the details of the situation, but reiterated that China welcomed
foreigners to visit to carry out "normal" business, tourism and
cultural activities and issues visas to those who meet the
conditions.
"But at the same time I want to say that like all other countries,
China as a sovereign state has the right to decide itself in
accordance with its laws and policies whether or not to issue papers
to foreign citizens," Lu said, without elaborating.
Reuters could not reach Hadid for comment. Perry did not respond to
a request for comment.
The show, held in Paris last year, blends fashion, fantasy and
entertainment, and has featured scores of supermodels, celebrities
and musicians since its inception in 1996. The firm claims to sell
the world's "sexiest panties and lingerie".
The pre-show theatrics are an unwelcome distraction as Victoria's
Secret looks to grow in a women's underwear market expected to hit
$33 billion by 2020, according to Euromonitor. The firm opened its
first mainland store in Shanghai this year.
But getting in the government's bad book would be even worse, said
Ryan Bao, a Beijing-based executive at SM Entertainment. South
Korean performers he worked with had been frozen out over the last
year amid a political standoff between Beijing and Seoul.
"The government is very smart. It wouldn't openly say someone was
banned or give the reason, but would find a way to keep them out
anyway," he said.
(Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Additional reporting by Pei Li and Jiang
Xihao, and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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