A joke about the nation’s military angered officials, forcing Chinese stand-up comedian Li Haoshi to cancel all his shows and face an official inquiry. This incident highlights the difficult climate for comedians in China due to the country’s strict censorship. 

A Chinese stand-up comedian named Li Haoshi has canceled all his performances after a controversial joke he made angered authorities and prompted an official investigation into the company representing him. The joke involved a loose reference to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in China. Li expressed remorse and regret in a social media post, acknowledging that his analogy was inappropriate and brought negative associations to the audience. The comedian, known as House, has a significant following on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The incident sparked a debate on Weibo about the appropriateness of the joke, with authorities launching an investigation into the company representing Li. China has strict censorship policies, particularly concerning political subjects, and comedians are expected to adhere to pre-approved scripts. 

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/16/asia/chinese-comedian-house-joke-pla-intl-hnk/