The designer of a popular aviation jacket patch on Monday expressed joy at the sudden popularity of his latest work, saying he seeks to show support for Taiwan’s military through political satire.
In a photograph released by the air force on Sunday, a pilot can be seen inspecting his jet alongside an engineer. The patch on his jacket shows a Formosan black bear punching Winnie-the-Pooh.
On closer inspection, the black bear is holding the flag of the Republic of China, while Pooh, dressed in signature red, is dropping his honey pot, which has five stars on it.
Photo courtesy of Wings Fan Goods Shop via CNA
The reference to Pooh comes from a viral meme comparing the Disney depiction of the fictional English teddy bear to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
As a result, China has banned media projects involving Pooh, and removed images of the character from its domestic search engines.
The patch’s designer, Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), said he created the patch last year in response to China’s frequent aerial provocations of Taiwan.
The English word “scramble” is included in the design as a reference to Taiwan’s fighter jets being constantly deployed in response to maneuvers by the Chinese air force.
Hsu, who served in the air force during his mandatory military service, said he creates merchandise to show his support for the military, which to him is a part of everyone’s “extended family.”
He created the patch of his own accord and it had nothing to do with the military, he added.
Hsu said that while the patch has been available for some time, he only realized on Sunday that it is being worn by some military personnel.
It is a good thing for military personnel to have different patches on their clothing to boost morale, he said.
Sewing patches onto military jackets is a long-standing practice, and they were traditionally created for different missions and drills for commemorative purposes, Hsu said.
He said he would continue to create patches that revolve around the military and politics, such as a series he designed to celebrate then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.
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