Long-running cartoon comedy South Park is known for pushing the limits with some of its humour, but a recent run-in with the Chinese government is like no other.

Following news South Park had been banned from Chinese streaming and social media platforms after an episode – aptly titled ‘Band in China’ – parodied China’s censorship laws, the creators of the program Trey Parker and Matt Stone issued an ‘official apology’ to the Chinese government.

“We too love money more than freedom and democracy,” the apology reads. “Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all,” referencing China’s ban of the fictional character after memes spread comparing the bear with China’s leader.

Watch the full episode – https://t.co/oktKSJdI9i@THR article – https://t.co/nXrtmnwCJB pic.twitter.com/Xj5a1yE2eL

— South Park (@SouthPark) October 7, 2019

“Long live the Great Communist Party of China… We Good now China?” it continued.

The apology also referenced the NBA’s current China crisis, after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey made a pro-democracy Hong Kong tweet, which has now been deleted.

However, the apology did seem to question the NBA’s decision to distance itself from Morey’s tweet, after the association said the comments “have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable”.