Commie Obama t-shirts banned in Beijing

With President Obama scheduled to visit Beijing on Monday, city authorities have banned souvenir vendors from selling a popular t-shirt depicting the president as a Mao-era red guard: Since he was elected the US president last year, the T-shirt has had a ready market. According to some business owners, they got calls last week from ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
577040_091112_obamamao2.jpg
577040_091112_obamamao2.jpg
A shop assistant folds a shirt bearing an image of U.S. President Barack Obama's face imprinted over that of China's late leader Mao Zedong, at a shop in the popular tourist area of Houhai in central Beijing September 21, 2009. The shop has sold thousands of products bearing the "Oba Mao" design since stocks arrived just over a month ago, the shop owner said. REUTERS/David Gray (CHINA POLITICS SOCIETY BUSINESS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

With President Obama scheduled to visit Beijing on Monday, city authorities have banned souvenir vendors from selling a popular t-shirt depicting the president as a Mao-era red guard:

With President Obama scheduled to visit Beijing on Monday, city authorities have banned souvenir vendors from selling a popular t-shirt depicting the president as a Mao-era red guard:

Since he was elected the US president last year, the T-shirt has had a ready market. According to some business owners, they got calls last week from Beijing Municipal Government demanding them to stop the sale of this kind of T-shirt immediately. And inspection officers even came to stores to make sure the T-shirts are off the shelf.

Business owners have been notified that after Obama ends his visit to China, they can resume the sale.

Posters and shirts depicting the president as a communist aren’t uncommon at anti-Obama rallies in the U.S., but I’m confused about what exactly this shirt means when a Chinese person wears it. Are they pro-Obama, anti-Obama, or just all about the LOLz?

Also, while I understand that the authorities are anxious not to offend Obama on his high-profile visit, I have a feeling that the president’s seen way more ridiculous images of himself if he’s ever looked out the window of his limo on Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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