Black Eyed Peas Won't Boycott China

(andPOP) - Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am says the group will play in China this summer, despite calls by celebrities such as Richard Gere for artists to boycott the country over its human rights record.

Will.i.am told the BBC that China's recent crackdown in Tibet was "messed up," but he thought it would be wrong to "punish a whole country."

"They have all this Chinese boycott stuff -- they want to boycott the games but do the people get punished when they have nothing to do with what's going on?" he said.

"If you boycott China, when do they boycott America for what we're doing in Iraq?"

He added, "If America really wants to make a difference, it should stop importing China's products and pay back its debt.”

Celebrations for the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing have been marred by protests as the Olympic torch makes its way around the globe.

Meanwhile, director Steven Spielberg has stepped down as an artistic advisor for the upcoming Games, and actress Mia Farrow has publicly criticized China for allegedly supporting the genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.