Oasis, led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, said authorities had abruptly ordered organisers to cancel two shows - April 3 in Beijing and April 5 in Shanghai - that would have marked their debut in mainland China.
'The Chinese authorities' action in cancelling these shows marks a reversal of their decision regarding the band, which has left both Oasis and the promoters bewildered,' the band said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.
The move came as tensions surrounding Tibet were on a knife edge before the March 10 anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule that ended with revered spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile.
Noel Gallagher's support for the Tibetan cause appears to date back to 1997, when he performed five of the group's hits in a solo appearance at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York.
'Officials within the Chinese Ministry of Culture only recently discovered that Noel Gallagher appeared at a Free Tibet Benefit Concert... and have now deemed that the band are consequently unsuitable to perform,' Oasis said.
It was not clear what led to the discovery, but popular concert videos posted on YouTube show Noel Gallagher singing the band's hit 'Wonderwall' alone in front of a giant, banned-in-China, red, blue and yellow Tibetan flag.
A spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Culture declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Tuesday while the Chinese foreign ministry referred media to a statement from the band's Chinese promoters denying Tibet was the reason.
Luo Xiaochuan, a spokesman for Oasis' Chinese promoters, said they had to cancel the concerts because their business had been hurt by the economic crisis, and not because of a Chinese government directive.
However, Oasis said they were informed on Saturday that the government had ordered a stop to ticket sales, with refunds going to those who had already bought tickets. The band's performing licence, which had been approved, was also cancelled, they said. -- AFP
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