TAIPEI — Patriotic badges exhibiting Winnie the Pooh being punched within the face by a Taiwanese black bear—a humorous dig at China’s chief Xi Jinping—have gone viral throughout the self-ruled island.
The iron-on patches being worn by a few of Taiwan’s air pressure pilots are a defiant message to Xi, who is usually satirized for trying just like the honey-loving cartoon bear.
“It’s amazing. It’s the happiest thing in recent days,” social media person Mark Sasha Liang mentioned on Facebook.
Chen Kai-chu, one other fan, mentioned: “Wear this to go through Chinese customs.”
The patches on the market at a store in Taoyuan on April 11, 2023. Sam Yeh / AFP
China, which claims the island as a part of its territory, launched three days of large struggle video games on Saturday that concerned simulating assaults on democratic Taiwan.
The present of pressure from Beijing was a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s assembly with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy final week.
Taiwan’s protection ministry launched a sequence of pictures and movies through the drills to point out off its navy preparedness.
One image particularly, of an air pressure pilot inspecting a fighter jet, instantly caught the attention of social media customers.
They observed on the sleeve of his jacket a patch that includes an illustration of a flag-wielding Formosan black bear pounding Winnie the Pooh.
The discovery set off a social media storm.
Two of the badges have the phrase “scramble” on the backside, certainly one of them additionally proclaiming “we are open 24/7.”
A 3rd badge designed final 12 months reveals a Taiwanese fighter pilot slapping a panda, China’s nationwide image.
It was produced when China carried out related workout routines in response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s go to to Taipei final 12 months.
Taiwanese folks have rushed to purchase the Pooh-punching patches, which promote for 200 Taiwan {dollars} (US$6.50).
The badges originated at Wings Fan Goods in Taoyuan metropolis, east of the capital Taipei, the place they’ve now offered out.
“It’s so famous that my friends on the other side of the Pacific are asking me about this,” fan Mob Liu mentioned on Facebook.
Social media was flooded with requests for the patches, some from as distant because the United States.
“Please restock,” mentioned one person, recognized as Abigail Eileen.
Sepfry Ng requested: “Can you ship overseas? To Hong Kong?”
A Facebook vendor who sells the patches mentioned he has obtained round 1,000 orders for the reason that picture went viral on Saturday.
Most of the requests are from Taiwan however some have even been obtained from China.
“The people of Taiwan are disgusted with China’s overacting military exercises after the Tsai-McCarthy meeting so this pilot’s badge sparked discussion,” mentioned the Facebook vendor, who requested to be recognized by his business identify Wizardgeo.
“The people support the military in defending our sovereignty.” — AFP
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
