Beijing - China has revoked the performance licenses for the first concerts on the mainland by pop band Oasis because guitarist Noel Gallagher took part in a Free Tibet benefit concert 12 years ago, the British band said.

Oasis had been scheduled to play in Beijing and Shanghai at the beginning of April but the licenses were revoked over the weekend, the band said in a statement.

A spokesman for China's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Qin Gang, said Tuesday that economic reasons were behind the cancellation of the concerts.

Oasis said, however, that according to the show's promoters, officials in China's Culture Ministry only recently discovered that Gallagher had appeared at the Free Tibet concert in 1997 in New York "and have now deemed that the band are consequently unsuitable to perform to their fans in the Chinese Republic."

Oasis, known for such hits as Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, described itself as "bewildered" by the decision.

"Oasis are extremely disappointed that they are now being prevented from undertaking their planned tour of mainland China and hope that the powers that be within China will reconsider their decision and allow the band to perform to their Chinese fans at some stage in the future," said the band, let by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Other dates on its Asia tour, including a stop in Hong Kong, would go ahead as planned, Oasis said.

China has stepped up its regulation of foreign musicians after Icelandic singer Bjork in March 2008 cried "Tibet! Tibet!" after performing her song Declare Independence at a concert in Shanghai.

Calls for Tibet's independence have become an especially sensitive issue ahead of next week's 60th anniversary of the failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule and the Dalai Lama's flight into exile. (dpa)