China has censored websites which have mocked the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - by referring to him as "Kim Fatty the Third".
North Korean officials, fearing that the dictator would find out about the nickname, lodged a formal request with China to prohibit names disparaging their leader from appearing online or in Chinese media.
The nickname “Kim Fatty the Third” is often used in China to poke fun at the North Korean leader who reportedly weighs up to 20 stone and is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea.
Reports have said the insult is so commonplace that auto-complete algorithms on Chinese search engines even suggest the phrase.
It is thought to be especially popular among young Chinese who tend to look down on their country’s would-be ally.
Relations between China and North Korea have been strained by the North's nuclear weapons programme, which China has condemned along with South Korea, Japan, the United States and Russia.
But Beijing continues to support the regime with limited trade and diplomatic backing.
