[oefrha]

I’m currently in Mainland China for a few months. Just searched and surely it’s totally fine:

- Winnie the Pooh Baidu search: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/49120719/62957954-...

- Baidu image search featuring both Winnie and Xi: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/49120719/62958027-... (Memes are filtered or at least demoted, though.)

My local friends don’t think it was ever banned. (Of course they aren’t bored enough to monitor this every day.)

A lot of stupid claims about China in the Western press are easily debunked with the teeniest amount of Mandarin knowledge, or none at all. If it sounds too crazy, it’s probably false. Doesn’t help when people reaffirm each other’s totally unfounded opinions, and discredit anyone who speaks otherwise.

[loyukfai]

The ban was a long time ago, in 2017.

https://www.hk01.com/中國/105476/太像習近平-小熊維尼-慘遭-河蟹

Of course you wouldn't have problem about it now.

Yes, there are a lot of stupid claims a out China in the western press, but there are easily equally, if not more, absurd claims about USA in China too.

Same for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, so on and so forth.

BTW, maybe try 8964 八九六四 and see what you get.

[oefrha]

The link you provided says the phrase "Winnie the Pooh" couldn't be posted on Weibo/WeChat at that time, with a screenshot not supporting that claim, but rather showing a sticker pack of Winnie the Pooh no long being available. Assuming that was truthful (I wouldn't be so sure because HK news about Mainland China can be as exaggerated as Western news, sometimes more because the stake's higher) that's still pretty far from the "someone who bans all Winnie The Pooh pictures across a country" claim above.

> but there are easily equally, if not more, absurd claims about USA in China too.

I wouldn't be surprised. Naturally this is what happens when you talk about things you have zero experience with.

> BTW, maybe try 8964 八九六四 and see what you get.

I never said nothing is censored. Btw at least every single soul I've talked to about this in China knows exactly what it means, contrary to claims I've seen from certain Western journalists that people typically aren't aware. Censoring something inevitably makes people more interested.

[loyukfai]

What do you expect then?

A news report within the PRC that "Winnie the Pooh" was banned?

Reports from Hong Kong and Taiwan is the closest thing you can get.