Keanu Reeves removed from Chinese video platforms after Tibet concert

Chinese streaming platforms like Tencent Video and iQiyi have removed films and video content starring Canadian actor Keanu Reeves after he attended a Tibet concert organized by a non-profit organization founded by the Dalai Lama.

These acclaimed works, the Matrix and John Wick franchises, and Speed ​​were among the films that were removed. It is not clear when the films were shut down.

At least 19 of his films have been pulled by Tencent Video.

While content related to the Matrix films and some of Reeves’ other work could still be searched on WeChat, China’s ubiquitous news service, searching his English name and Chinese translation yielded no results.

In late January, Reeves received harsh criticism from Chinese social media users, some of whom called for a boycott of his work in China after it was revealed he was planning to perform at a concert on March 3 organized by Tibet House US, a New York-based non-profit organization founded at the request of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

Reeves attended the concert, which was held virtually due to restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, prompting more criticism online.

Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama, who is in exile in neighboring India, of fomenting separatism in the Tibet region, instead recognizing the current Panchen Lama, installed by the Communist Party, as the highest religious figure in Tibet.

China has ruled the remote western region since 1951 after its People’s Liberation Army invaded and took control of what it called a “peaceful liberation.”

Other high-profile Western figures who have been banned from Chinese social media and video platforms after making comments criticizing China’s actions in Tibet include former NBA player Enes Kanter, who was playing for the Boston Celtics at the time.