HALLOWEEN IS A period of fear, particularly for the Communist Party. With few opportunities to express their frustrations with the government, Chinese partygoers are known to express themselves through their costumes. Last Halloween, the first since pandemic controls were lifted, young adults in Shanghai dressed up as surveillance cameras and covid-19 testers. A brave soul has emerged as Winnie-the-Pooh, a chubby cartoon bear that China’s leader, Xi Jinping, supposedly resembles. The government does not like this comparison. And it’s increasingly clear that he hates Halloween.