China even sensors some Winnie the Pooh memes

Negative social media reactions towards the government's plan to change the Chinese constitution so as to abolish term limits for the presidency has resulted in censorship of social media to remove critical and sarcastic remarks.

The change in the constitution is to be voted on in March. If it goes through, President Xi Jinping would extend his rule beyond his slated 2023 term limit, and preside over China indefinitely.

Winnie the Pooh the bad bear

A number of Chinese critics of the change took to social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo using Winnie the Pooh memes as a critical vehicle. Winnie the Pooh has long been associated with President Xi Jinping whom he is thought to resemble. Like Pooh, Ping has a rotund face and nose.

This is not the first time Winnie has been subject to censorship as an earlier report in Digital Journal shows.

One post shows Winnie with a crown on a throne enjoying his honey pot. It took several hours after the Central Committee announcement for the posts to be taken down showing that perhaps that authorities were not expecting a flood of unfavorable comments. Usually such negative comments disappear much more quickly.

Some negative comments

On Weibo one user wrote: “Our emperor has received the Mandate of Heaven, so we have to kneel and accept.”

FreeWeibo another website had a comment that said: “Amendments to the constitution are usually supposed to promote people’s freedom and limit public power. An amendment that proposes to do the exact opposite is so unheard of, I didn’t expect to encounter it at all. What a great era we live in.”

One comment even pointed out that China appeared to be following the lead of North Korea in making the leader's position permanent. The Kim family has ruled there well over half a century.

An assortment of phrases banned

An assortment of phrases were banned including "constitution amendment", "re-elected", "proclaim oneself as emperor" and "two term limit".

If you try to compose a message using "Winnie the Pooh" on WeChat you get an error message.

Critics adopt means of avoiding censorship

Generally in China people are not allowed to make fun of leaders on social media and there is constant censorship by authorities. However, critics develop hidden messages, and use slang to get around the censorship. They also use VPN's to get around the official firewall.

Published previously in Digital Journal

US threatens North Korea with military action

(April 2) Last month in South Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that a military option was still on the table in dealing with North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The threats continue as President Donald Trump has declared that he would be willing to go it alone if China fails to alter North Korea's behavior. Trump said in an interview: "China will either decide to help us with North Korea or they won't. If they do, that will be very good for China, and if they don't, it won't be good for anyone." Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping in the U.S. He intends to bring the issue up.

The Chinese president may also bring up the deployment of the Thaad missile system in South Korea an act that both China and Russia see directed against them as discussed in a recent Digital Journal article.

Trump considers China is responsible for allowing North Korea to continue with its nuclear program. He said he intended to use trade as an "incentive" to talk China into fixing it. There is not the slightest thought that China might have any grievances with the U.S. actions in North Korea. Nor do the extensive war games of the U.S. with South Korea that apparently mimic a pre-emptive invasion of the North ever register as being regarded as a provocation by North Korea. Trump said in an interview: "If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will." When asked if he believed the U.S. could solve the problem on its own he said "totally". There was no mention of South Korea it would seem.

North Korea claimed to have tested a nuclear warhead last September and this year it has fired several missiles and tested a new rocket engine. U.S. defense officials claim that North Korea might be able to use the rocket engine it just tested to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile. Many South Koreans worry that the deployment of the U.S. missile defense system may endanger them as shown in the appended video of a demonstration from about six months ago.