China has reportedly banned the English letter "N" from the internet amid growing online criticism of the country's Communist Party, which unveiled its plans to abolish the two-term limit on presidency.

The party's potential move could pave the way for the current leader Xi Jinping to become China's ruler for life.

China banned the letter "probably out of fear on the part of the government that 'N' = 'n terms in office', where possibly n > 2," Victor Mair, a University of Pennsylvania China expert, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

In addition to the letter "N," the country's authorities also censored several Chinese phrases as well two of George Orwell's books — Animal Farm and 1984.

"I doubt that they actually put that much thought into it so sadly, the letter 'N' was a temporary victim of this rash decision," Mair said.