In China, the reunion episode of “Friends” was all about grudges. The problem wasn’t “Friends,” but the friends of “Friends.”Appearances by Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and the K-pop group BTS were dropped from different versions of the much-anticipated special when they streamed on Thursday on three Chinese video platforms. Lady Gaga has been verboten in China since she met with the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, in 2016. Mr. Bieber’s troubles with China began in 2014 when he posted a photo from the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors Japan’s war dead, including war criminals from World War II. And BTS, from South Korea, neglected last year to mention the sacrifice of China’s troops when recalling the pain of the Korean War — even though the troops fought on the side of North Korea.

Source: New York Times May 28, 2021 12:01 UTC