For his latest CDT cartoon, Badiucao reinterprets the photo that went viral of Xi Jinping sharing his meal with a soldier in a restaurant. Chinese netizens have mocked the picture, which is reminiscent of almost identical images of previous leaders including Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin. In Badiucao’s drawing, leaders past are shown sharing items from their own legacies with their successors: Mao Zedong hands Deng Xiaoping his “little red book”; Deng Xiaoping hands Jiang Zemin a tank; Jiang Zemin gives Hu Jintao a watch, which is a play on his guiding socio-political theory of the “three represents”; and Hu hands Xi a river crab, a euphemism for the “harmonization” of society, or censorship. Xi is shown handing a baozi steamed bun to his as yet unnamed successor.
Share and Share Alike, by Badiucao for CDT:
Read also a CDT Q&A with Badiucao in which he discusses his artistic and personal influences. All Badiucao cartoons for CDT are available here. See also exclusive CDT t-shirts with a Badiucao design, for sale on our Zazzle store.
