China fines comedians $2 million over military joke
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A Chinese comedy troupe was fined 14.7 million yuan ($2.1 million) for a joke about the military that referenced President Xi Jinping’s slogan and compared the soldiers’ behavior to dogs.
It is reported by the BBC.
“The other dogs you’ll see will make you think they’re adorable. These two dogs just reminded me… Fight to win, practice exemplary behavior,” joked comedian Li Haoshi.
The second part of his joke is a slogan that Chinese President Xi Jinping released in 2013 as a target for the Chinese military.
The Chinese authorities pointed out that the company “Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media”, where Li worked, humiliated the people’s army.
“We will never allow any company or individual to use the Chinese capital as a stage for groundlessly slandering the famous image of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army),” the Beijing branch of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said.
Shanghai Xiaoguo’s activities in the Chinese capital have been suspended indefinitely. The company terminated the contract with Li Haoshi.
Recall that China has stepped up efforts to control messages on social networks, citing the fight against fakes on the Internet.
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