Is the Chinese version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster racist?

The poster for the seventh film of the Star Wars saga in China is slightly different from the original one as black characters have been dwarfed in size and even erased, leading to controversy and accusations of racism.

In the Chinese version of the poster, actor John Boyega, one of the protagonists in The Force Awakens, appears marginalised and significantly smaller in size compared to the original.

When placed side by side the differences are clear.

The original poster vs one that was tweaked for the Chinese market

Meanwhile, another black actor Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Maz Kanata, has been completely removed from the Chinese poster.

Moreover, Chewbacca and the Hispanic actor Oscar Isaac are also missing, all of which have led to severe criticism among Star Wars fans, both in China and abroad, especially on social networking sites.

"So Chinese don't like black people and furry things? Don't know whether to laugh or cry," an internet user under the name "Jay" wrote on Twitter, while Chinese fans claimed their country is not racist.

Others too, took to Twitter to express their opinions.

Star Wars UK and China posters. Spot the difference pic.twitter.com/bOeyfOodbl

— jeremyweate (@jeremyweate) December 4, 2015

Star Wars' Finn (who happens to be black) and Chewbacca (happens to be Wookiee) get shafted in China. HT @asmuniz pic.twitter.com/ATpvcd51L6

— Ray Kwong (@raykwong) December 1, 2015

"Since the poster is merely a promotion method and an individual case, it would be unfair to criticise Chinese audiences for discriminating against the black actor," Chen Qiuping, head of the scriptwriting branch of Beijing Film Association, told official Global Times newspaper.

The seventh film of the Star Wars franchise, which comes more than a decade after the release of the sixth film, will be screened in cinemas across China on January 9, 2016, few weeks after its launch in the US and other markets.

This is the first time that a Star Wars film will be played in Chinese movie theaters as the six earlier installments had failed to get the necessary clearance from the country's authorities.

However, it was only during the Shanghai Film festival in June this year that the country got its first taste of the Star Wars saga on the big screen.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases in New Zealand on December 17.

-AAP