What’s trending?

Bernie Sanders, known as “Bai Ni” on Chinese social media, has become a favorite in China as the popular meme of him wearing mittens at President Biden’s inauguration has been given a Chinese twist.

What’s the story?

U.S. Senator Sanders took part in the presidential inauguration in woolen mittens, and the photo of him sitting arms crossed in the cold has been superimposed on regular street scenes in China including roadside mahjong games and Chinese chess sessions. Other popular memes have Sanders photoshopped as a security guard and meeting Chinese political leaders all dressed for mid-winter in the U.S North East.

Even before the senator’s mittens went viral Bai Ni has been popular on Weibo for messages reposted from Twitter arguing for raising taxes and minimum hourly wages. One such tweet points out the minimum wage in the U.S. has not risen for 12 years, while the richest people in the country have earned billions extra in a matter of months.

What are people saying online?

Chinese social media users have a tradition making comments about politicians abroad. One popular comment read; “Americans may laugh, but that’s just because they don’t know that this old man is the one to save them,”

Another popular comment read; “Old American men and women in the political sphere: Can you really adapt to the tech age?”

Seeing leaders dressed so casually was a surprise to some who said, “I can’t even look at such ugly gloves,” and suggested China could make better, with “Which would you chose – designed in China and manufactured in the U.S. or designed in the U.S. and made in China?”

Others commented on the imminent mass-production of the mittens with, “And immediately, there’s a business opportunity.”

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