Understanding ChinaNews & analysis

China Makes Clear Its Military Isn’t Funny Anymore

Fallout from propaganda joke continues to spread; ‘everyone will retreat to safety’

Production companies have canceled comedy shows in China after a joke by comedian Li Haoshi triggered a police investigation. Photo: str/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

HONG KONG—The furious reaction in China to a comedian’s riff on a military slogan is raising fears around speech to new levels in the heavily censored country, threatening a broader chill on Chinese arts and culture. 

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