Chinese authorities have fined comedian troupe Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co 14.7 million yuan (about $2.1 million) for a joke by stand-up comedian Li Haoshi about the Chinese army, BBC reports .
He compared the behavior of the Chinese military to how his dogs behave. “Other dogs will only make you feel tender. And when you see these two, the phrase “fight to victory, forge exemplary behavior” pops up in your head,” the comedian said, citing a slogan uttered by Xi Jinping in 2013 regarding the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA).
The Beijing authorities considered this joke "degrading the army." The troupe agreed to pay the fine and ended their collaboration with Li Haoshi. Its activities in the capital of China were suspended indefinitely.
The Beijing Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China said that "they will never allow any company or person to use the capital's stage to slander the great image of the PLA."
Li Haoshi apologized to his followers on the Chinese social network Weibo. In his post, he writes that he is "very ashamed" and feels "regret." “I accept responsibility, I stop my activities, I will deal with the awareness of what I have done,” he adds.
In 2020, female stand-up comedian Yang Li read a joke about men, after which she was accused of "sexism" and "hating men." A Chinese "men's rights" group complained about Li to the Chinese authorities.