I don’t think Xi is considered effeminate over in China; I would venture to guess he is viewed in quite an opposite light. Such notions might be Western projections of what is stereotypically is considered masculine in Western cultures onto that of Asian culture.

I think the allusions to Winnie the Pooh were more reflective of internet culture in China and were meant by making him seen as more 可爱; sort of like the whole 蛤蟆 phenomenon with Zhang Zemin. I believe such comparisons were made back when Xi was warmly referred to by many on the internet as 习大大. I can’t say that this was the case for everyone but rather a trend I noticed and apparently, the govn’t found the comparisons of their leader to a dimwitted but loveable bear distasteful enough to strike such references from the internet.