Disney's new movie "Christopher Robin" has reportedly been banned from release in China because its main character, a talking bear, has previously been likened to President Xi Jinping.

The movie is a 2018 fantasy comedy, based on the children's classic story about a bear called Winnie the Pooh, written by the author AA Milne.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the new film will not be seen in China as Beijing is upset that the Pooh character has become a way for people to mock the president.

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Images of Xi as Pooh started in 2013 as Chinese internet users shared the comical take on social media platforms such as Weibo. The most popular meme depicted Xi and former U.S. President Barack Obama as Pooh and his friend Tigger.

A photo of Xi standing up through the roof of a parade car, next to a picture of Winnie the Pooh in a toy car, was named the "most censored image of 2015" by political consultancy Global Risk Insights.