Skyfall: The censored Chinese edition
James Bond's latest adventure has finally come out in China, but only after authorities removed any unfavourable mention of the government.
One scene in Skyfall where a French hitman shoots a Chinese security guard in the elevator lobby of a Shanghai skyscraper has been cut altogether.
Censors also removed a reference from villain Raoul Silva to his torture at the hands of the Chinese.
During a bar scene in which hostess Severine reveals she was a sex slave, the audio track is kept as in the original but the Chinese subtitles focus instead on her connection to organised crime.
Chinese authorities are used to censoring films, even in cases where it is hard to imagine them sparking political controversy.
Men In Black 3, a comedic action-adventure about alien invasion, was heavily altered, as was Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End.
But the work of the censors cannot always overcome the efforts of DVD pirates, who often put unedited versions of movies into the hands of customers well before the release hits cinemas.
That is especially likely in the case of Skyfall, which gets to Chinese cinemas well after its planned November release date so domestic blockbusters could attract a more sizeable audience.
