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Stephen McDonell Profile picture
@StephenMcDonell
May 17 • 5 tweets • 3 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
A stand up comedy company in #China has been fined 14.7 million yuan (USD $2.13 million) after a comedian told a joke said to be making fun of the People's Liberation Army at a #Beijing show. The company Xiaoguo Culture says it has terminated its contract with comedian Li Haoshi.
The joke involved dogs chasing a squirrel which he said reminded him of the expression, "Adopt a good style of work; be able to fight and win battles", a phrase #XiJinping has used to praise the work ethic of #China's military.
Stand up comedians in #China really have to be careful what they say. Eg, When performances started after #Covid they were ordered not to make fun of the #Shanghai lockdown. Some have turned to using English but they also must tread lightly... bbc.com/news/av/world-…
It goes without saying that many in the audience would not have seen the intention of the comedian above to insult the PLA. It's just an expression. If you took it in another light, it would just be a light-hearted reference but nationalists in #China weaponise this stuff.
When the self-appointed guardians of #China's pride unleash these online nationalist pile-ons, it becomes virtually impossible to have a discussion about this on social media. To say "lighten up, it was only a mild joke not designed to offend anyone" would be labelled unpatriotic

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More from @StephenMcDonell

Stephen McDonell Profile picture
Mar 8
In recent years, #China based correspondents are being increasingly blocked from attending large political gatherings. Instead, the Communist Party flies in “friendly journalists” from other counties who can be relied on for positive coverage of the rubber stamp Congresses.
It’s glaring at this Congress: very few #China-based correspondents being allowed in for anything, it’s mainly the agencies given access + those who’ve been flown in by #Beijing for “journalism training” and who deliver puff about how great the Congress is with questions like…
I am amazed by the naivety of those who think this is somehow comparable to the way things work in other countries. For whatever faults there are with the western media, leaders in the West are routinely grilled by reporters. "Press conferences" at the NPC are propaganda shows.
Read 5 tweets
Stephen McDonell Profile picture
Mar 7
Strongly-worded attack on the #US from #China's leader #XiJinping who said "western countries led by the US have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression" against China + that this this brought "severe challenges" for this country. Closed door speech.
#China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang also warned if #Washington doesn't "hit the breaks" soon instead of ramping up tensions that this would "surely lead to conflict and confrontation".
#China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that the #US speaks about guard rails to avoid conflict but that if the US continues to go down the wrong path, no amount of guard rails would prevent a de-railing.
Read 4 tweets
Stephen McDonell Profile picture
Mar 6
Bad enough that foreign correspondents have to work in #China under appalling conditions with constant state-sponsored harassment but straight out lies from Party-controlled media about it: “freely do interviews”? At the Congress? Most can’t even get inside the Great Hall. Image
Only a handful of mostly agency reporters were allowed in for the NPC opening session. The vast majority of #China-based international correspondents are now denied entry to these events. Instead, people flown in for the Party’s China friendly media training get to go.
BTW, if you want to read the actual FCCC report regarding the ever deteriorating working conditions for correspondents in #China, here it is:
Read 4 tweets
Stephen McDonell Profile picture
Feb 5
#China Foreign Ministry re Chinese balloon being shot down by #US fighter jet: “China strongly disapproves of & protests against the US attack on a civilian unmanned airship by force…” that #Beijing had asked US to “handle the matter in a calm, professional & restrained manner”
#China For Ministry[cont] “…the #US use of force is a clear overreaction & a serious violation of international practice. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserves the right to make further responses if necessary”.
Images of the balloon being shot down now being shared on social media in #China. #US
Read 13 tweets
Stephen McDonell Profile picture
Feb 3
BREAKING: Chinese govt says this is a weather balloon which has accidentally been blown a long way off its course and that it “regrets the unintended entry of the airship into #US airspace due to force majeure”.
#China's Foreign Ministry statement says that the balloon "used for research, mainly meteorological purposes" had been "affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability" had "deviated far from its planned course". #US
Reuters is reporting that #US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to #Beijing because of tensions over the balloon.
Read 5 tweets
Stephen McDonell Profile picture
Feb 3
I'm not a spy balloon expert but seems like a weird time for #China to launch this type of surveillance over the #US and #Canada, just days before US Sec of State Antony Blinken's visit to #Beijing. Maybe these balloons float around for ages? Any spy balloon experts out there?
#China's Foreign Ministry says it is attempting to verify details of the alleged surveillance balloon which the #US has said is Chinese. However Spokesperson Mao Ning said that hype and speculation were not conducive to a solution until the facts became clear.
And BTW, in this day and age, with satellites and other advanced aircraft, what do spy balloons bring to the table?
Read 12 tweets

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