Upon boarding a plane to China, Randy sees many other people, including NBA players and characters belonging to Disney, who are also going there to expand their businesses.
The friends' reunion inspires Stan to re-form his previous band Fingerbang for a new biopic, but he changes his mind during filming, saying that no matter how badly he wishes to leave the farm, he cannot bring himself to compromise for China, and commenting that anyone who does is worthless.
[6] Forbes contributor Dani Di Placido said the episode was "hilarious, and depressingly insightful," and pointed to the contrast between Stan's decision and Randy's choice to put profit above principle as the best example of that.
[8] Matthew Rozsa of Salon felt the episode expressed valid criticism about the manner in which the American entertainment industry compromises itself to suit China's government, and enjoyed the way in which it illustrated this point.
[9] Jahara Matisek, a professor at the US Air Force Academy, praised the episode in an article for the Modern War Institute, describing the importance of South Park demarcating an American shift in information and political warfare against China.
Matisek contended that the now banned-in-China episode "not only lays bare the conflict of values, but also itself serves as a way of advancing American interests and soft power in an era of China increasingly trying to impose an authoritarian vision on its region and world.
"[10] In response to the episode's criticism of the Chinese government, South Park was entirely banned in China, including on its streaming services and social media platforms.
[14] In response to the criticisms and the subsequent ban of their show in China, South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker issued a mock apology, stating, "Like the NBA, we welcome Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts.
[11][12][13] On the night of October 8, 2019, the episode was screened on a busy street in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po District as a form of protest.