Chinese censors ban Winnie the Pooh

Chinese censors banned the children’s character Winnie the Pooh and temporarily restricted the letter “N” online, according to reports from March 2, 2018. The actions came as President Xi Jinping prepared to extend his leadership past a second term.

The censorship efforts intensified after the Communist Party proposed to abolish the 10-year limit on the presidency, a move that would sideline constitutional restraints. Following the announcement, the letter “N” was briefly blocked, though the China Digital Times reported it was usable again the following day. Censors also blocked search terms and posts referencing George Orwell’s novels “Animal Farm” and “1984.”

The constitutional changes were expected to be addressed at the annual session of the National People’s Congress. The move to scrap term limits would solidify the power of Xi, who previously served as governor of Fujian province from 1999 to 2002, and as governor and party secretary of Zhejiang province from 2002 to 2007.

Other items subjected to Chinese government control and censorship included abnormally long beards and Buddhist monks in Tibet, who were banned from reincarnating without government permission.