Asia: Jacky Cheung Arrests, Namie Amuro, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Asian Games

Two more Chinese fugitives from justice were arrested at yet another Jacky Cheung concert on June 9, this one in the Chinese city of Jinhua, Zhejiang province, according to China.org. However, this time, the suspects were spotted by patrolling police officers rather than facial recognition devices. That makes five fugitives nabbed at the Hong Kong superstar’s concerts since April. 

The first suspect was arrested before the concert. He was outside the venue trying to sell concert tickets, though the police did not say if he was scalping them. The other fugitive, who is suspected of forging government documents in the city of Fujian, was also arrested before the concert, though local news say that he was not actually attending the concert. The police said that because the concert was taking place, “We deployed more officers at several public venues, and that helped locate and arrest him, so we still want to thank Jacky Cheung.” 

As a result of the five arrests, Chinese internet users have nicknamed Cheung “the enemy of fugitives” and “the plainclothes policeman of show business.” 

Reportedly, police in the city of Luoyang, where Cheung is scheduled to perform in July, will be out in greater force than usual to see if they can catch any fugitives of their own. Cheung recently commented to reporters that thieves and other criminals are likely to get caught anyway, but he also thanked the suspects for “coming to my concerts.”

The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has become the first Chinese orchestra to sign a worldwide recording contract. Deutsche Grammophon, the label in question, announced the signing on June 7. The ensemble, which is led by conductor Yu Long, will release its first recording next year with a collection of works by Chinese and Russian composers.

In a statement, Yu said, “Shanghai’s profile as an international city, open to the world and cultural exchange, makes it the ideal place to explore fresh ideas and look at ways of bringing together the best of Chinese and Western cultures.”

The SSO is the oldest orchestra in China, having been founded in 1879. Yu is from a family of musicians and studied in Germany. He also helms the Beijing Music Festival and the China Philharmonic Orchestra, which is based in Beijing. 

Japanese pop superstar Namie Amuro wrapped up her farewell concert tour on June 3. She is scheduled to officially retire in September. The tour, which started in February, featured 23 concerts at five domed ballparks in Japan, as well as shows in Hong Kong and major cities in China. Altogether, about 800,000 fans attended the concerts. 

Following her shows at Taiwan’s Taipei Arena last month, which attracted 22,000 people, a China Airlines employee posted on a private social media account the details of the flight that Amuro and her son were taking out of the territory, a serious breach of airline protocol since it is considered “confidential internal data,” according to the Apple Daily newspaper. 

The airline launched an investigation into the matter and reported on June 6 that it had contacted the employee, informed him of the violation and asked him to remove the post. China Airlines did not say if the employee was dismissed or otherwise disciplined. There was also no word as to whether Amuro’s management had undertaken any legal action against the airline.

Tickets for the 18th quadrennial Asian Games, which will take place in Jakarta and Palembang, go on sale June 30, according to organizers. 

Kios Tix will be the ticketing company that will manage the sale. Tickets will be available online and at authorized retailers, including the Alfamart mini market network. Box offices will be set up at the venues during the event to sell tickets also. About 20 percent of total tickets will be sold on site. So far, the organizers have not announced ticket prices or sales targets, though they’ve said they expect to sell at least a million tickets. A representative of the Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Commission told the media, however, that there will be four levels of prices. Ticket prices for foreigners will be 20 percent higher than those for “local spectators.” Also, purchasers will be required to produce identification when buying tickets “for security purposes,” say the organizers. 

The games will take place August 18 to September 2 and will feature 462 events comprising 40 sports. The main venue is the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.