China Deletes Internet Posts with Images of Winnie the Pooh on a Mass Scale

Chinese Internet users noticed that posts that mention Winnie the Pooh or include his image are being deleted, The Guardian writes. The ban mostly concerns the popular video services WeChat and Weibo: when users try to write the name of the animation character, they see a warning that this content is prohibited.

Right now, there is no official confirmation that blocking posts with Winnie the Pooh is a deliberate action of the Chinese authorities. However, many media outlets have suggested that the main reason for the ban are the jokes about the fictional teddy bear looking like the leader of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping.

Comparing the politician with Winnie the Pooh became popular back in 2013: then, a photograph from the meeting between Xi Jinping and Barack Obama that reminded some of a scene from the animation went viral. Later, a similar effect was caused by the photograph of a handshake between the head of the People’s Republic of China and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.