The abrupt cancellations of several Japanese music events in Shanghai - one of them midway through a song - have sparked criticism among fans, with some calling the moves rude and extreme.
Maki Otsuki was halfway through the theme of hit anime One Piece on Friday when the lights and music went off, after which she was rushed off stage by two crew members.
On Saturday, pop star Ayumi Hamasaki performed to an empty 14,000-seat stadium after organisers axed her concert in Shanghai, citing force majeure.
This spate of cancellations come as diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo fester over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.
Takaichi, known to be a vocal critic of China and its activities in the region, suggested last month that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan. Beijing views self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to reunite with it.
Both sides have since lodged protests against each other, and the rift has also affected daily living in both countries.
Otsuki's management attributed the interruption of her performance on Friday to unavoidable circumstances. Other than the performance being cancelled, there were no particular problems, and the local staff were very kind and helpful, it wrote in a statement on Monday, declining interviews on the matter.
Her performance was part of a three-day music festival in Shanghai, for which subsequent events were also called off after comprehensively taking into consideration various factors, according to Japan's Kyodo News.
Some of Otsuki's fans made a meme comparing the shutting down of her performance with the shocking removal of China's former leader Hu Jintao during a Communist Party meeting in October 2022. The meme went viral, with some saying Ms Otsuki was given the Hu Jintao treatment.
On social media, some accused the Chinese authorities of restricting cultural freedom as part of their dispute with Japan. What's the point of turning the spearhead toward its own citizens? read a Japanese post. George Glass, the US ambassador to Japan, also joined the conversation, expressing regret over the situation.
However, the incident also fanned nationalist sentiments on Chinese social media, prompting questions about why the events were allowed to go ahead in the first place amid rising tensions.
Hamasaki, in Shanghai for her Asia tour, said she was asked to cancel her concert last minute but still chose to perform to an empty crowd as an appreciation to local staff and fans, emphasizing that entertainment should connect people.
In light of ongoing tensions, the ripple effects continue to impact cultural exchanges, with recent announcements of postponed releases of popular Japanese anime films in China further indicating the deepening rift.
