China Banned Winnie The Pooh For Looking Like Its President

by Isaac HimmelmanThe Chinese government has no problem censoring political topics, from Taiwan protesters to the Dalai Lama, but now a new target has been acquired in the government’s routine censoring: Winnie the Pooh.Internet users in China have reported problems posting references to the tubby, little cubby all stuffed with fluff. Censors allegedly began to block references to the beloved A.A. Milne’s children’s books after some commenters used images of Winnie the Pooh to suggest that resembles President Xi Jinping.The government’s army of censors has been battling the meme since at least 2013, when Xi met President Barack Obama in California. At the time, internet users posted pictures of the pair alongside an image showing Winnie the Pooh and Tigger.The Communist Party is quick to censor any mockery or criticism of Xi, but it’s unclear why the comparison is being treated as mockery. Who doesn’t love Winnie the Pooh?
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