China is set for one of its clandestine, once-every-decade leadership changes, and in the country's art world, paintings and sculptures can be just as cloaked in secrecy.

At a recent gallery show in Shanghai, censorship officers ordered several paintings covered or removed, even after pre-approving the works.

Some believe the leadership change is one of the reasons behind the increase in interference from the censors. 

Curators take a diplomatic view of the censorship. Some say the work they see in other, more well-established art centres is not even worth censoring.

Art experts even claim that censored works draw greater sums on the international market.

Charles Stratford reports.