It's rare that I get to start a newsletter on Winnie the Pooh but it was too irresistible not to, so please bear with me (excuse the pun). Winnie the Pooh, that hapless animal with a penchant for honey, ticks China's leader Xi Jinping off no end. It all started when Xi was pictured walking alongside then President Barack Obama in 2013 and a meme emerged comparing the shorter, portly Xi to Pooh and the slender, taller Obama to Tigger. Xi was not happy; Pooh became persona non grata and remains firmly on China's blacklist today. Don't visit the country Pooh Bear is all we can say.

It should come as no surprise then that a nation that makes an enemy of a beloved children's book character hasn't got much appetite for humour generally. But while there is overlap between the Chinese nation and the Chinese Communist Party they are not one and the same, and in recent years stand-up comedy has actually grown exponentially. People love it. For many it's an outlet for free expression in an ever-tightening space. 

Still, there are lines - written and unwritten - and one comedian found himself on the wrong side of them last week when he poked fun at the national army. The comedian could now be facing years in jail, and the comedy group who had hired him has been issued with exorbitant fines. It's not the first time comedians have found themselves in hot water, but it is certainly the worst. Read our analysis on it here from Dr Qian Gong and Dr Jian Xu.

Turns out their neighbour, Vietnam, also can't take a joke. A court has just jailed a noodle seller for five years for his viral video impersonating Salt Bae. Now I know what you're thinking - what does a celebrity Turkish chef known for his obscenely overpriced gold-laced steak have to do with Vietnam? Well Peter Lam Bui's video was posted just days after one of Vietnam's leading officials visited Bae's London restaurant, and was a dig at the official's lavish lifestyle at a time when those back home struggled under the weight of the Covid pandemic. Lam was in trouble almost immediately upon uploading the video, and has now been convicted of spreading anti-state propaganda by a court in Da Nang, according to his lawyer.

Neither of these incidents are funny and they've made us question whether a broader, more global attack of comedians is underway. With this in mind we'll be investigating further as part of a special report in the magazine later this year, so do subscribe if you haven't already. In fact we've decided to offer a special discount for newsletter readers right now. The code Newsletter50 will get you 50% off on Exact Editions here. Go forth and read. 

Jemimah Steinfeld
Editor-in-chief 

Lock-on, Stock and two smoking barrels

A night for Afghanistan | 15 June, Oxford

Afghanistan is many things to many people. It's an ancient and beautiful land of rugged mountains and dazzling poppy fields, a place of literature and music. Its people are known to be welcoming, its food delicious, and its history - once an important stop on the Silk Road - is rich. But it's also a place of conflict, a place caught in so many cycles of violence over the decades that many people know it simply through the prism of war. Beautiful and battered - these sides exist together, and it is with both of them in mind that Index and the International Campaign for Afghanistan’s Musicians are co-hosting an evening in honour of Afghanistan. The evening, which will take place in Oxford, will see a panel discussion on the plight of journalists from Afghanistan, followed by a concert featuring new compositions by Afghan composers living in exile. This will be an unforgettable night to raise awareness around a very important cause. Click here for more information.