US President Donald Trump.
PHOTO: Reuters
The status can be seen wearing a deep frown, holding an index finger pointing up and Trump’s signature gold coiffure beaming on its neck. The dog wears a red kerchief, although it is shorter than the power ties usually worn by the president.
The People’s Daily, the official newspapers of the Communist party, announced on the statue’s arrival, “Welcome the #TrumpDog”.
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The statue stands erect in The Festival Walk Mall in Taiyuan, the capital of the northern province of Shanxi, before start of Lunar New Year, which falls on February 16, 2018. This is not the first time the mall has made a Trump-like effigy. Last year the US president was portrayed as a rooster in the shopping arcade.
The Chinese zodiac is a 12 year cycle. Each year represented by a separate animal. Trump was born in 1946, the year of the dog.
According to Chinese culture, if people share the same zodiac sign as the year they are born in, they experience bad fortune throughout the year. They are told to be careful of succumbing to pitfalls during the whole year.
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Trump criticized China during his presidential campaign, claiming Beijing’s unfair trade practices were “raping” the US. However since his presidency, he has not taken a hard line on China and instead often praises the Chinese president Xi Jinping.
The statue, and the hashtag #TrumpDog, has been a hit on social media.
The article originally appears in The Guardian.
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