Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh: The Taiwan air force badge going viral amid tensions with China

As tensions between China and Taiwan are rising, a spirit of belonging has gripped the islanders. A hot-selling patch worn by Taiwanese air force pilots is proof. It shows a Forseman black bear punching Winnie the Pooh. What does this even mean? A lot, if you follow internet memes. The Chinese government despises the fictional bear. You wonder why. Pooh is often compared to President Xi Jinping – it’s used to mock him. The Communist nation doesn’t find it funny, so much so that the character has been censored in China . Punching Pooh  Now the patch of the Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become the talk of the town in Taiwan. This comes as China conducted a three-day series of military drills across the region in response to President Tsai Ing-Wen’s historic meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. **Also Read: Shandong, J-16s and more: China's military might on display during drills around Taiwan** According to Taiwan News, the Ministry of National Defence on Sunday released a photo showing an Air Force pilot inspecting the fuselage of his jet with the patch on his left shoulder. The patch showcased a red-eyed Formosan black bear roaring as he holds a Taiwan flag in one paw and the other paw punching Winnie the Pooh. It comes with a message: “We are open 24/7” at the top and “Scramble!” at the bottom, reports ANI. Another patch with similar imagery says, “Fight for freedom.”

JUST IN: In a series of photos released by @MoNDefense, a fighter jet pilot’s military patch drew some amusement as it showed a Taiwanese black bear holding a national flag and punching Winnie the Pooh — a character some drew comparisons to Xi Jinping. 1/ pic.twitter.com/lVTWzXfD0y

— Tingting Liu 劉亭廷 (@tingtingliuTV) April 9, 2023

The endangered Formosan black bear is seen as a symbol of Taiwanese identity. Taiwan was previously known internationally as Formosa, according to a CNN report. Soon after the pictures of the fighter jet pilots were released, the patch quickly went viral on social media in Taiwan. The Taiwanese posted links to e-commerce websites such as Ruten, where pre-orders of blue and red versions of the patches can be placed online. The badge is not part of the uniform. Taiwan’s air force told Reuters that while it does not “particularly encourage” its members to wear the patch, which is not a part of their uniform, it “will maintain an open attitude” to anything that raises morale. A military and foreign affairs correspondent Ting Ting Liu of Taiwan-based TVBS News wrote on Twitter, “ROCAF said they allow pilots to purchase military patches close to their hearts as it helps with encouraging the pilots especially when they need to scramble to intercept PLA’s daily incursions.” The Republic of China Air Force is unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese air force. According to AFP, another badge, designed last year, shows a Taiwanese fighter pilot slapping a panda, China’s national symbol. It was produced when China carried out similar exercises in response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last year. The iron-on patches are being sported by the Taiwan pilots as a defiant message to Xi. And now they are all the rage among locals. Also read: No Pooh For You: Why ‘Winnie the Pooh’ movie screening was cancelled in Hong Kong Patch of honour Taiwanese people have rushed to buy the Pooh-punching patches, which sell for 200 Taiwan dollars (USD 6.50), reports the news agency AFP. The badges originated at Wings Fan Goods in Taoyuan City, east of the capital Taipei, where they have now sold out. “It’s so famous that my friends on the other side of the Pacific are asking me about this,” fan Mob Liu said on Facebook. Social media was flooded with requests for the patches, some from as far away as the United States. “Please restock,” said one user, identified as Abigail Eileen. Sepfry Ng asked: “Can you ship overseas? To Hong Kong?” A Facebook vendor who sells the patches said he has received around 1,000 orders since the image went viral on Saturday, AFP reports. Most of the requests are from Taiwan but some have even been received from China. “The people of Taiwan are disgusted with China’s overacting military exercises after the Tsai-McCarthy meeting so this pilot’s badge sparked discussion,” said the Facebook vendor, who asked to be identified by his business name Wizardgeo. “The people support the military in defending our sovereignty.” [caption id=“attachment_12439742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A store owner in Taoyuan, Taiwan shows patches depicting a Formosan black bear holding Taiwan’s flag and punching Winnie the Pooh. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters[/caption] Defending Taiwan Taiwan News reported that the fighter jets of the self-governed island carried out combat readiness missions according to their orders, demonstrating their ability and determination to defend Taiwan’s airspace, while China carried out military drills.

Even after the People’s Liberation Army announced the end of the three-day war games, its warships and planes are reportedly lingering near the island, the Taiwanese military said on Tuesday. **Also Read: Key questions around China's military drills around Taiwan answered** Taipei has lodged a protest against Chinese military drills, saying that the country would not yield to threats. In a statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence called the island their “homeland.” Taking to its official Twitter handle, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said, “#Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every story on this land is etched in our memories. We, #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all our heart to defend our homeland and to protect our home together.” With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.