Taylor Swift is launching a clothing line in China next month to drum up excitement for her 1989 Live world tour performances in Shanghai later this year, but the singer’s merchandise will likely be ill-received by the Chinese government.
The Guardian reported that the gear, which includes t-shirts, dresses, sweatshirts, and other pieces decorated with print that reads "T.S." followed by "1989," recalls the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 4, 1989, during which hundreds of students participating in pro-democracy protests were killed.
The merchandise is set to go on sale Aug. 8 on Chinese online retailers JD.com and the Alibaba group, and Swift has already appeared in a promotional video for the line on the country’s blogging site Weibo.
"Ni hao, it’s Taylor Swift. Be sure to check out my new authentic merchy [merchandise], now available in China," Swift advertises in the clip.
However, the numbers that decorate Swift’s clothing are taboo in China. In fact, censors block consecutive combinations of the numbers 6, 4, and 89 on Chinese social media because of their potential reference to the June 4 massacre. Internet users have taken with referring to the date by other terms--such as "May 35"--in order to sidestep censors.
Even worse, Swift’s initials "T.S."--which appear on select items from her line for sale in the United States--also reflect the English abbreviation of Tiananmen Square.
Swift’s album, however, has not yet been censored on JD.com, where it is currently for sale.
The pop star is scheduled to perform on three consecutive nights in Shanghai beginning Nov. 10.