No laughing matter: China blocks HBO website over comedian's dig at Xi

HBO.com was blocked and therefore took away the opportunity for Chinese people to see the Xi Jinping segment by Oliver

ANI  |  Washington 

xi jinping, hbo, china, john oliver
China's President Xi Jinping

Chinese authorities have blocked its mainland users from accessing the website after American comedian poked fun at President

The 20-minute segment, which aired on June 17 in the US, gave a detailed description of China's alleged human rights abuses, including the country's suppression of free speech.

The joke was about censoring the online comparison between and cartoon character, Winnie-the-Pooh, by the Asian country' s internet users.

"Clamping down on Winnie-the-Pooh comparisons doesn't exactly project strength," Oliver said, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

"It suggests a weird insecurity," he added.

According to the report, the mainland internet users are unable to access the website since June 23.

com was blocked and therefore took away the opportunity for Chinese people to see the segment by Oliver.

Despite the crackdown, shows like 'Game of Thrones' is still viewable in the country.

First Published: Tue, June 26 2018. 22:45 IST