China has demanded that Brescia pull
an art show by a prominent Chinese dissident artist known as
'the Chinese Banksy'.
The show by Badiucao, entitled 'China Is (Not) Near' runs in the
northern city until February next year and is expected to
include criticism of the Chinese government.
The Chinese embassy in Italy sent Brescia city council a message
Thursday evening saying "the show's works are full of
anti-Chinese lies, they twist the facts, spreading false
information, mislead the Italian people's understanding and
seriously damage the feelings of the Chinese people jeopardising
the friendly relations between China and Italy.
Shanghai born Badiucao, who works in exile in Australia, has
slammed the Chinese government for its handling of the COVID
crisis and has previously criticised the treatment of the Uighur
ethnic minority as well as violations of human rights and the
crackdown on Hong Kong.
Brescia Mayor Emilio Del Bono, of the centre-left Democratic
Party (PD), said "cancelling the show is out of the question".
The rightwing opposition Brothers of Italy (FdI) party called on
the Italian government to summon the Chinese ambassador and
"explain to him that art is free in Italy and so must it remain;
Beijing must stop with its economic and cultural meddling.
"Mayor Del Bono was right to return to sender all undue
pressure," said FdI House culture committee whip Andrea
Dalmastro delle Vedove and Brescia councillor Giangiacomo
Calovini.
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