On Wednesday, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism fined a comedian's business nearly 15,000,000 yuan, or around $2 million, for allegedly mocking the military.
According to CNN, comedian Li Haoshi made a joke at his show over the weekend in which he said that two dogs chasing a squirrel remind him of the People's Liberation Army phrase "Fine style of work, capable of winning battles."
The audience largely laughed at Li's joke, but one individual made a complaint, audio from the show revealed. Later, the joke received criticism from the media and was characterized as disrespectful.
Li, who goes by the stage name House, apologized on social media for the incident before he was suspended from the Shanghai-based Xiaoguo Culture Media firm that represented him.
The Bureau accused Li of "seriously insulting" the military and "causing bad social impact," which will lead to further investigations alongside his agent and other relevant staff.
"We will never allow any company or individual to wantonly slander the glorious image of the People's Liberation Army on a stage in the capital, never allow the people's deep feelings for the soldiers to be hurt, and never allow serious subjects to be turned into an entertainment," the culture authority said.
The crackdown comes after China enacted a law to ban any insult and slander on military personnel in 2021.
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