習 First anniversary since 3rd consecutive term
Concerns about events like last year’s ‘blank protest’
2.5 billion fine for remarks comparing military training
Increased pressure on foreigners to detect spies
Recently, a comedian who parodied the remarks of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) was arrested by the public security, and his agency was fined over 2.5 billion won. Many analysts say that the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests (June 4) is approaching in 15 days as the Chinese authorities are creating an atmosphere of fear, such as the recent sentence of a US citizen accused of espionage to life imprisonment. As it is the first ‘Tiananmen Anniversary’ since Xi’s third consecutive term, it is said that society as a whole is being held in preparation for a situation like the ‘blank protest’ last year.
According to Chinese media outlets including Teng Xunwang on the 18th, Chinese comedian Lee Haos (31), who goes by the stage name “House,” was arrested by the public security after parodying President Xi’s remarks at a stand-up comedy performance held in Beijing on the 13th. got investigated
Apart from the public security investigation, the Beijing city authorities decided to impose an administrative disposition of fines of 13,353,816 yuan (approximately 2.55 billion won) on Lee Haos’ agency. In addition, the agency decided to confiscate the illegal income of 1.32 million yuan (about 250 million won). In addition, the performance will be suspended indefinitely, and all involved in the organization and venue will be investigated and punished if violations are found.
Rehaos talked about his experience of adopting two stray dogs at the performance, saying, “Seeing the stray dogs chasing squirrels reminded me of the saying, ‘If you fight with a good attitude, you win’.” This is a parody of President Xi’s words.
At the 2013 Party Congress, President Xi emphasized the training of a strong army, saying, “If you fight while following the party’s command, you must win and build an army with a good attitude.” Since then, this remark has been published in Xi Jinping Quotes, etc., and has become famous as it appeared in education for Communist Party members and ideological study textbooks for college students. Rihaos’s comedic comments can be seen as comparing his adopted puppy to the People’s Liberation Army of China.
Regarding this, the city of Beijing said, “The People’s Army is a strong defender of national security and people’s well-being, and we cannot tolerate any act that damages the image of the People’s Army or hurts the people’s deep affection for its soldiers.” It should not be used as a means of distance.”
The fact that the Chinese authorities took issue with comedians’ parody remarks and strongly sanctioned them is in line with the recent trend of strengthening social control by actively seeking out spies. Famous Chinese blogger Luan Xiaohuan (阮曉寰, 45), who was arrested in Shanghai in May 2021, was recently sentenced to seven years in prison for incitement to subvert the state regime.
Chinese political experts are paying attention to the fact that the 34th anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Democratization Demonstration, which is approaching in less than 15 days, is the first since President Xi’s long-term rule began. In November of last year, slogans such as ‘Xi Jinping’s resignation’ and ‘Communist Party’s resignation’ appeared in the ‘blank protest’ held by Chinese university students, so the CCP has no choice but to be vigilant to prevent the recurrence of such a situation.
Chinese authorities are stepping up pressure not only on Chinese citizens but also on foreigners in China. This is because it is relatively easier for foreigners to access materials related to the Tiananmen protests than Chinese people, and they can disseminate them within China.
On the 15th, a court in Suzhou, China sentenced US citizen Liang Chengyun (梁成運, 78) to life imprisonment on charges of espionage. There are many interpretations that the sudden sentence of life imprisonment to him, who was arrested in 2021, was to put pressure on foreigners. A verdict on Cheng Lei (47), a leading anchor of CGTN, an English broadcasting channel of China Central Television (CC) TV, who was arrested in August 2020 and is still on trial, is expected to come out soon. Chinese-Australian Cheung Lei was arrested for leaking state secrets. There are many prospects in China that it will be difficult for Chung Lei to avoid a heavy sentence.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.