How the British pop group WHAM! made history in China

The 1985 Wham! tour of China serves as a pivotal historical moment, marking the first time a Western pop group performed in the country during its early period of cultural transformation. Musician Andrew Ridgeley and director Mike Christie examine this landmark event through the lens of a new documentary, *Wham! 10 Days in China*, which utilizes rediscovered footage to chronicle the duo’s experiences. The tour functioned as a high-stakes diplomatic mission, requiring George Michael and Ridgeley to navigate formal banquets with Chinese officials and maintain strict behavioral standards as cultural ambassadors. Beyond the music, the journey highlights the surreal pressures of performing to audiences entirely unacquainted with Western pop conventions and the clashing agendas of the band, the press, and their Chinese hosts. This retrospective captures a unique geopolitical intersection where pop culture acted as a bridge for a nation beginning to open its borders to the West.