Chuckles of Authority: Navigating Political Humor in China Through the Political Communication Process. The Li Haoshi Incident and Trump–Clinton Duet

Political humor is rarely found in the public political discourse or used to depict the political circumstances in China. This does not mean, however, that political humor is absent or irrelevant. From a political sociology perspective, Ding (2017) argues that it is an opportune moment for high-quality political humor to emerge in China; meanwhile, there is a growing perception that China is becoming increasingly authoritarian, particularly under the leadership of President Xi. Therefore, this paper will explore the relationship between political humor and political authority in China, by asking: How do political authorities in China respond to humor, and in what ways do they utilize or instrumentalize political humor, and for what purposes? The existing literature on political humor in China tends to overlook the multifaceted functions it serves and the diverse responses of citizens to political authority. By adopting a communicative, discursive rather than empowerment approach, the paper views political humor as a form of popular rhetoric and investigates its interaction with authority. It posits that political humor in China serves as both a political communication tool and a public discourse mode. The government strategically deploys it to shape public opinion in a manner that upholds the existing social order and legitimizes its governance and also fosters a nationalistic identity that aligns with its objectives. Relying on a qualitative content analysis, the article is structured as follows: first, the literature on political humor in China is reviewed; second, the concept of political legitimacy is discussed, and an analytical framework that employs a communicative and discursive approach are discussed; third, two empirical cases of political humor in China are explored (namely, the Li Haoshi incident in 2023, and the Trump–Clinton duet in 2016); and, finally, conclusions are offered to reflect the significance of political humor in Chinese politics.