avatar image
Advertisement

Opinion | Could Xi-the-Pooh have saved China's declining world image?

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
0
China's netizens have linked the two leaders to Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger. Photo: Reuters and Weibo
China’s deteriorating world image could use some help, even if it comes from Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger, said the country’s bloggers.

But unfortunately China's censors have nipped in the bud what could have been a positive PR campaign tailor-made for President Xi Jinping to potentially woo friends and enemies.

The disappointing move came after China’s net users linked two of the world’s most powerful leaders - Xi and US President Barack Obama - as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger this week.

In a Reuters photo, Xi is seen strolling side by side with Obama during their Sunnylands, California, summit at the weekend. Eagle-eyed netizens were reminded of a similar scene involving the two popular fictional characters, and they eagerly shared their discovery on Weibo.

Pictures were later deleted by censors, who apparently did not appreciate the idea of comparing the Chinese president to a chubby bear.

Amy Li
Amy Li began her journalism career as a crime news reporter in Queens, New York, in 2004. She joined Reuters in Beijing in 2008 as a multimedia editor. Amy taught journalism at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu before joining SCMP in Hong Kong in 2012. She is now an online news editor for SCMP.com. Amy can be reached at chunxiao.li@scmp.com, or follow her on Twitter @AmyLiSCMP
Advertisement