The Chinese well-known comedy firm, Xiaoguo Culture Media Co., issued an apology on Monday, apologizing to the public for the controversy caused by its stand-up comedian HOUSE (also known as Li Haoshi)'s inappropriate metaphor during an offline performance. Photo: Sina Weibo

 The China-Japan Youth Exchange Center Century Theater, where a stand-up comedian made insulting remarks about the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was fined 100,000 yuan ($13,942) by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism recently, according to data from database query platform Tianyancha.com.

The theater did not take measures to stop the performance and they didn't report it to the relevant authorities, according to the platform. 

Chinese comedian Li Haoshi, who normally goes by the stage name "House," used inappropriate and offensive words about the PLA during two public stand-up comedy shows in Beijing on May 13, 2023, leading to a negative social impact, according to the General Brigade of Cultural Market Law Enforcement of Beijing Municipality on May 18.   

One netizen was present when the show was performed, and noted the venue, according to media reports. Ticket information from Damai.cn also showed that stand-up comedy from Xiaoguo Culture Media Co was performed at the theater, which is in Chaoyang district, media reports said.  

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism said the behavior of Shanghai Xiaosheng Culture Media Co (Xiaosheng Co), which is a subsidiary of Xiaoguo Culture Media Co, violated the regulations for administration of commercial performances. The company was given administrative penalties including a warning, confiscation of illegal income totaling 1.32 million yuan ($184,789) and a fine of 13.35 million yuan, according to the bureau on May 17.

The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism also immediately ordered the company to suspend all performances in Shanghai and talked to relevant people in charge. It also asked the company to immediately carry out internal management and rectification, and cooperate with the follow-up processing of the case.