Cartoonist Bantonglaoatang made a drawing that was widely disseminated in the blogosphere and in the Chinese media. The cartoon entitled “The last G7” is an allegory of the meeting of Seven Greats held over the weekend in Cornwall. During the meeting of the leaders for the first time, the desire for a new approach towards China clearly emerged. The summit was characterized by an unprecedented harmony of the powers to stem the advance of Beijing, with Washington pulling the ranks of the allies.
The cartoon depicts several animals in an imitation of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”: each symbolizes one of the world powers, intent on transforming toilet paper into dollars and sharing a cake in the shape of China. The central place is occupied by the American eagle, struggling with the currency printing. An image that recalls Washington’s will to organize an alternative project to the One Belt One Road to counter Beijing’s influence on the developing countries of the region.
A shiba dog, a native breed very common in Japan, which sheds poison – probably a reference to the contaminated water of Fukushima – represents the Land of the Rising Sun.
The lion to the right of the eagle represents the United Kingdom, a faithful ally of the United States.
The Canadian beaver symbolizes the fragility of the North American country forced to follow Washington’s foreign policy decisions. A clear reference to the case of the arrest of Meng Wanzhou , daughter of the founder of Huawei, in Vancouver. A further reference to the story from the heir of the Chinese company we find in the doll in the hands of the Canadian beaver.
The elephant, weakened with a drip depicting the cow – the sacred animal for the Hindus – while begging for help with a sign that reads “Help me”, represents India in the difficult moment of the wave of Covid. An allegory in decidedly bad taste in the face of the tragedy of the Indian population and the desecration of religious symbols.
The French rooster, the Australian kangaroo, a grim black eagle representing Germany represent the other participants in the G7.
The symbolism linked to Italy has some interesting characteristics: a wolf who rejects the poison poured from Japan and seems to abstain from what happens during the banquet. Italy is described as a reluctant partner, still undecided with respect to the decision of the other participants. The unmistakable gesture of the wolf’s hands shows an obvious refusal or hesitation.
The cartoon is completed by a series of respirators in the background, representing the Western failure in the face of the pandemic, and religious symbols, the cross, and the inscription that reads “With all this we can continue to rule the world”. The frogs trying to reach the table to grab a few dollars would represent, according to the Chinese blogosphere, the Taiwanese government.
It is a cartoon in bad taste, as we have seen so many both on the Chinese blogosphere and in Western periodicals and newspapers on several occasions. The substantial difference concerns the strict control that the Chinese censorship carries out on the materials circulating on the net. The blogsphere of the People’s Republic of China has shown incredible vitality and has often managed to circulate information even without the consent of the Communist Party of China. In this case, given the wide diffusion that the cartoon has had in government channels that are characterized by an aggressive approach, the censors have clearly approved the cartoon. Despite Beijing’s calls for a more moderate approach, the propaganda of the People’s Republic of China is proving increasingly aggressive. A well-targeted strategy that aims to create a continuous dichotomy between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The overused metaphor of the new Cold War is promoted precisely through a continuous representation of two distinct blocks.
