21-5-2023 (Beijing) Nigel Ng, widely known as ‘Uncle Roger’, a British-Malaysian comedian, has encountered censorship on Chinese social media platforms Weibo and Bilibili. The incident occurred after a clip of him making jokes about China, Taiwan, and Xi Jinping was uploaded on May 18th.
On May 19th, Ng’s social media accounts were suspended for discussing censorship, monitoring of the internet by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the status of Taiwan in a satirical manner. Weibo stated that the comedian had violated relevant regulations.
In the clip, Ng playfully asked the audience where they were from, to which one guest responded, “Guangzhou, China.” Ng humorously replied, “Good country! Good country!” and added, “We have to say that now, correct? All the phones are listening.”
He then asked if anyone was from Taiwan, and upon receiving positive responses, Ng sarcastically remarked, “Not a real country! Not a real country!” Towards the end of the clip, he clarified that it was not a political show and jokingly stated that he would face consequences after that night. The suspension of Ng’s accounts followed the next day.
Uncle Roger’s censorship incident comes shortly after another comedian named Li Haoshi, known as House in Beijing, was fined $2 million for a joke referencing a slogan associated with China’s People’s Liberation Army. According to BBC, Li is currently under criminal investigation.
Known for his satirical and exaggerated style, Ng often pokes fun at cultural and societal norms. However, his recent comments concerning China, Taiwan, and censorship have evidently provoked a reaction from the Chinese authorities, leading to the suspension of his social media presence.
