The Chinese Government has begun censoring and banning lovable children’s character Winnie the Pooh on social media platforms.

Posts containing Winnie the Pooh and any mentions of his name were censored on China’s Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo, and animated gifs featuring the bear were removed from social messaging app WeChat.

No official explanation was given for the strange censorship request but it has been suggested by experts that the Government has acted on posts comparing the portly bear with China’s President Xi Jinping.

Online censorship in China has been growing in the run-up to the Communist party congress, where key political appointments will be announced.

Comparisons between Mr Xi and Winnie the Pooh first circulated in 2013 during Mr Xi’s visit with then US president Barack Obama.

A photo of the taller and thinner Mr Obama walking with Mr Xi was combined with a picture of Winnie the Pooh and his lanky friend Tigger, and the comparison stuck.

Has China taken censorship too far?

Read more at the Financial Times