The Chinese government announced that the film Christopher Robin, about A.A. Milne, author of the Winnie-the-Pooh books, would be banned from showing in China. The film stars Ewan McGregor as the son of the famed writer, who struggles to relax until his characters give him advice on how to do so.

The government has not issued an official reason for the ban of the film. Already government policy is a quota on the number of foreign-made films in China at any one time, and the country is currently showing a large handful.

Some observers have speculated that it is because Chinese President Xi Jinping doesn't appreciate comparisons of him with Pooh. Such comparisons began in 2013, with an online side-by-side presentation of a photo of Xi and American then-President Barack Obama and a photo of Tigger the tiger and Pooh the bear. China has blocked online mentions and images of Winnie-the-Pooh and has banned online sales of the books that Milne wrote featuring Pooh and friends.

Xi was elected in 2012 and began serving as president in March 2013. He was recently the beneficiary of a law change that effectively removes any requirement for him to be re-elected.