Comedian’s Jokes Trigger Probe of Popular Chinese App

Jinri Toutiao faces investigation for allegedly violating China’s ‘Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law’

SHANGHAI—China’s hugely popular Jinri Toutiao news and content aggregation platform has come under investigation for allegedly slandering a Chinese war hero in violation of the country’s new “Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law.”

The content, which has since been taken down, featured a famous satirical comic known as Baozou Comic portraying Dong Cunrui, a Communist soldier who blew himself up during the Chinese Civil War to destroy a Kuomintang bunker. The comic used the episode, taught widely in Chinese schools, as a platform...