Black Eyed Peas star Will.I.am says that the rap group will still tour in China this summer, despite calls from musicians and celebrities to boycott the country.

China has faced renewed political and humanitarian pressure over recent months over its human rights record in Tibet.

Although the rapper acknowledged that the country’s relations with Tibet were “messed up”, he said he didn’t think it was right to “punish a whole country”.

He added that if America wanted to make a difference it should “stop importing China's products and pay back its debt.”

China’s preparations to host the 2008 Olympic Games have been overshadowed by global protests during the Olympic torch relay.

The country is also facing a backlash from politicians over its links with the Sudanese Government.

"They have all this Chinese boycott stuff - they want to boycott the games," Will.I.am told the BBC, "but do the people get punished when they have nothing to do with what's going on?"

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

The Black Eyed Peas rapper is currently at number eight in the UK charts with his single ‘Heartbreaker’.

The single is released officially next Monday.

(by Jason Gregory)