K-pop boy band BTS Photo: AFP

Chinese fans of the hit South Korean boy band BTS celebrated on social media after the band became the first K-pop group to earn a Grammys award nomination on Wednesday. The band was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. 

The hashtag "BTS wins Grammys nomination" quickly began trending on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, where it had earned 150 million views as of Wednesday afternoon.

A lot of fans, who refer to themselves as the ARMY, congratulated BTS on Sina Weibo, calling for their idols to keep setting records around the world. 

"Congratulations to BTS! You deserve the nomination! Hope you can continue creating miracles in the future," one Chinese fan wrote on Sina Weibo. 

Not everyone was happy, however. Many Chinese netizens brought up the speech BTS made back in October concerning the Korean War (1950-53), known in China as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid to Korea, and criticized these fans for "irrationally pursuing stars. " 

The boy band faced a fierce backlash and saw many Chinese fans quit their fan club after its leader RM made a comment expressing solidarity with the US during the Korean War. 

"You guys are breaking the limits of idol worship. BTS's previous speech about the Korean War hurt us so much, and now you are still supporting them. Please have some self-respect," one Chinese netizen complained on Sina Weibo.

However, some ARMY members refuted that they did not forget the comment but that they think the nomination is an affirmation of the band's abilities and that they, as fans, should show their support. 

The nomination is closely related to BTS's high popularity around the world. In 2017, they became the first K-pop act to win a Billboard Music Award as well as made it into the top 10 of the Billboard 200 charts. They also made their US television debut by performing two songs at 2020 American Music Awards on Monday.

Their excellent achievements in recent years owe much to the contributions of the Chinese ARMY. 

On Douban, a Chinese media review platform, some netizens created a discussion group and posted some chat snapshots to show how Chinese fans spent a lot of money helping BTS win the Billboard Music Award.

According to one snapshot, Chinese fans spent millions of yuan raising funds to help BTS's single "Dynamite" reach the top of the list for most downloads on an international music platform.

It seems that some fans have chosen to be understanding when it comes to the band, but it would be nicer if these young pop stars could think twice before voicing their opinions in public. Tolerance is based on respecting territorial and sovereign integrity and personal dignity. If Chinese are hurt a second time, it may cause a further loss of the Chinese ARMY members.