China Punishes Comedian with $2M Fine for Army Joke

Chinese comedian Li Haoshi was fined $2 million and had his contract terminated after making a joke about the military during a stand-up performance. The joke prompted officials to fine the company that represents Li and suspend its comedy troupe indefinitely from staging shows in Beijing. China passed a law in 2021 banning any insult and slander on military personnel, which has been used to sentence a reporter to seven months in prison. The incident highlights the fine line comedians must tread in China's heavily censored entertainment industry.