China has fined a comedian’s company around $2 million after he made what some saw as a taunt of the military.
Multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday that the Beijing City Bureau of Culture and Tourism fined the company of popular comedian Li Haoshi, who uses the stage name House, for comments he made during a show this weekend.
During his performance, Li mentioned that he had adopted two stray dogs that he saw chasing a squirrel. He said the scene made him think of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) phrase that roughly translates to “fight well, win the battle,” according to Portal.
Audio recordings released on Chinese social media sites show the audience laughing in response, but one viewer complained and the joke was soon criticized for being seen as disrespectful.
Li was suspended from the Shanghai company Xiaoguo Culture Media, which represented him, and his account on Chinese social media site Weibo was suspended after he posted an apology saying he felt “deeply guilty.” and regret it”.
CNN reported that a subsidiary of the company was fined $1.91 million and had to give up $189,000 in “illegal profits” from Li’s performance.
The bureau said Li, his agent and other relevant staff members face further investigations based on the “seriously offensive” comments that caused “bad social impact.”
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“We will never allow any company or individual to use the Chinese capital as a stage to wantonly slander the PLA’s glorious image,” it said.
According to CNN, the phrase Li mentioned during his appearance was first used by Chinese President Xi Jinping to invoke qualities he expects from the military.
China passed legislation banning defamation of the military in 2021.
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