China Outlaws Protests -- But Hosts Protest Singer Bob Dylan

Are times a-changing in China?

A year ago, Chinese authorities refused to allow the legendary protest singer Bob Dylan to play concerts inside China. They were apparently wary of his politically charged lyrics, which inspired a generation of Americans in the 1960s and '70s to question authority in a way that's forbidden in China.

But today, Dylan's Beijing-based promoter announced the pop icon will play two concerts there in April to mark his 50th anniversary as a performer. The company, Gehua-LiveNation, said the concerts will be "one of the year's major tours and a musical event of depth, grace and greatness," according to Agence France-Presse. It said China's culture ministry had approved the concerts, but there was no immediate confirmation from authorities.

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan will perform two shows in China to mark his 50th anniversary as a performer, according to his Beijing-based promoter.

The government's sudden, surprise embrace of Dylan's music comes as it continues to crack down on any Chinese protests, as well as on foreign media. Beijing has been skittish about the possibility that pro-democracy rallies like those sweeping the Middle East -- and toppling authoritarian governments there -- could take hold in China. Official censors have halted the flow of any Internet traffic or text messages with the words "Jasmine Revolution" -- a reference to the peaceful, popular revolt that forced Tunisia's president from power.

Even any unrelated event that draws crowds has come under suspicion. Irish groups were forced on Monday to cancel a planned St. Patrick's Day parade in Shanghai after Chinese authorities objected to where it would be held.

Chinese police also attacked some foreign reporters who assembled in downtown Beijing on Sunday to cover a planned demonstration, after an anonymous online campaign encouraged Chinese dissidents to take to the streets and mimic the Arab world's rallies. Security forces appeared to vastly outnumber any demonstrators, signaling just how seriously the Chinese regime takes any such protest attempts. A plainclothes security officer punched and kicked a video journalist in the face, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China said in a statement.

Foreign reporters have also been hauled into government offices in recent days, scolded on videotape and threatened with loss of their visas and credentials, The New York Times reported. The White House reacted to such reports on Tuesday, calling them "disturbing" and demanding that Chinese authorities to respect journalists' jobs and safety.

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At the same time, the Chinese government announced this week that it would begin tracking citizens' locations in Beijing by following their cell phone signals. City officials said the idea is to monitor traffic patterns and ease congestion. Beijing's traffic is notoriously bad. But the announcement, and its timing, has triggered fresh concerns that the government is snooping in on people's private communication.

Today's announcement of the Dylan concerts could be a PR move by the Chinese government to mitigate criticism amid the recent crackdown. Or it could mean that Chinese authorities haven't fully translated Dylan's lyrics, particularly those from popular protest anthems like "Times Are A-Changin'" or "Blowin' in the Wind."

The answer, my friend? Well, you know the rest. ...