China's Stand-Up Comedy Scene Faces Crackdown After Military Joke Backlash

Chinese comedian Li Haoshi was punished and his production company fined roughly $2 million for making a joke about the People's Liberation Army, marking a new crackdown on stand-up comedy in China. The joke compared the army to dogs and referenced the official army slogan, which is seen as a direct insult to President Xi Jinping. The punishment is part of a tightening of restrictions on freedom of expression in recent years, and comedians are now required to abide by laws and maintain ethical values. Stand-up comedy has recently become popular in China, but now Beijing has designated comedians as actors of official propaganda.