The first same-sex kiss to grace the Star Wars film franchise has somehow evaded normally stringent Chinese censors – much to the surprise of the public.

Two minor female characters in “The Rise of Skywalker” are shown in a fleeting lesbian romance scene in the movie, which runs for more than two hours, in the ninth and final installment in the popular science fiction series. “I saw it and was very moved.

I really wish that China is making progress, even if just in small steps,” commented one person online. “It’s a good start!” proclaimed another about the uncut film, which has already grossed about £12 million in its first nine days in China.

Not everyone was as optimistic, however: “Don’t worry, China will delete the scene soon,” scoffed one user online. The skepticism isn’t unfounded: China generally tightly restricts foreign films, only allowing about 40 movies from abroad to be released in the country each year, with all films undergoing a censorship review process.

Gay romance scenes in 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” about Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury, and 2017’s “Alien: Covenant,” a science fiction horror film, were cut by censors before making it onto China’s silver screen.

While homosexuality is legal in China, it is not widely socially accepted and “treatment” centers offering “conversion therapy” services are common.