China’s costly comedy: Massive fine for Army-themed Joke

An entertainment firm in China has been hit with hefty fines amounting to over $2 million after a stand-up comedian made a joke referencing a military slogan during his performance. The incident highlights the challenges faced by comedians in China’s increasingly restricted and heavily censored social environment, as well as the severe consequences for those in the entertainment industry who deviate from the official line.

The comedian, Li Haoshi, known as House, used a phrase associated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during his comedy show at the Century Theater in Beijing. Following the backlash, Li canceled all his performances, and his representation company, Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media, issued an apology.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism announced that a subsidiary of the entertainment firm would be fined $1.91 million and deprived of $189,000 in “illegal gains” earned from Li’s two live shows. The company has also been indefinitely banned from holding performances in the capital. Additionally, the Beijing police have launched an investigation into Li, citing “serious insult” to the military and “bad social impact.”

China introduced a law in 2021 to prohibit insults and slander directed at military personnel. This incident follows the sentencing of a former investigative journalist to seven months in

prison for questioning China’s portrayal in a patriotic movie about the Korean War. Li’s joke seemed innocuous to many. During his show, he shared a skit about adopting stray dogs in Shanghai

and likened their chase after a squirrel to a well-known Chinese Communist Party slogan referring to the PLA. The phrase, “Fine style of work, capable of winning
battles,” was first used by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2013 and has since been reiterated in
official settings and state media.