Christopher Robin ‘banned in China over Winnie the Pooh meme’
Chinese social media wags compared the cuddly bear to president-for-life Xi Jinping

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh-inspired fantasy Christopher Robin will not be released in China, with speculation that the ban is due to a popular Chinese social media meme comparing the cuddly bear to President Xi Jinping.
The live-action/CGI tale stars Ewan McGregor as the human protagonist of A. A. Milne’s series of children’s tales, who returns to Hundred Acre Wood as an adult and reconnects with familiar characters such as Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore.
Although no official reason has been given for Christopher Robin’s banishment from China, which operates a strict quota on foreign film, the ban comes on the heels of “several Pooh crackdowns”, says Sky News.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That’s because the “bear with very little brain” has been used to poke fun at all-powerful President Xi in memes spread by Chinese internet users.
The cuddly character has become an improbably subversive resistance symbol for citizens opposed to Xi, who in March this year was made president for life.
The joke began in 2013, Vox reports, when a photo of the rotund Xi walking alongside a comparatively lanky Barack Obama was circulated on Chinese social media giant Weibo alongside an image of Winnie and Tigger walking hand in hand.
The comparison took off, as other encounters with foreign leaders were given similar treatment:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Last summer, government censors blocked all images of Winnie from the site. Typing the bear’s Chinese name into Weibo’s content brings up an error message warning “content is illegal”, Sky News reports.
In March, the country’s Party-controlled legislature voted to remove term limits, paving the way for Xi to rule for life.
-
When should you use a personal loan vs. a credit card?
The Explainer Determine whether you need a lump sum upfront or a borrowing limit
-
‘Conspiracy theories about her disappearance do a disservice’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations