Uncomfortable Xi-Abe Handshake Spawns New Winnie the Pooh Comparison
Asian powerhouses China and Japan have not been on the best of terms lately, following disagreements over who has claim to some islands — and possible undersea gas and oil fields — in the South China Sea.
So perhaps we can excuse the leaders of the two nations for being a tad uncomfortable greeting each other on camera at the APEC meeting in Beijing this week. But their discomfort inspired a satirical comparison with two fictional characters.
This image may be the most important thing that’s come of the APEC summit thus far. Following the delightful Pooh-themed satire that emerged after Xi Jinping’s Sunnyvale stroll with Barack Obama in California last year, netizens were quick to carry on the theme with the likening of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the anhedonic, droopy-eared donkey, Eeyore.
More: Uncomfortable Xi-Abe Handshake Spawns New Winnie the Pooh Comparison: Shanghaiist
In case you missed it, here’s the other Winnie-the-Pooh image mentioned above. Needless to say, China’s net censors are none too fond of equating President Xi with a somewhat silly old bear.