"A Bump on the Head That Even a Doctor Can't Cure"... China Releases Animation Mocking Japanese Prime Minister

China Central Television Targets Takaichi
"Troublesome Lady Talking Nonsense"

Amid escalating tensions between Japan and China over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about possible intervention in a Taiwan contingency, Chinese state media have released an animation mocking Prime Minister Takaichi.

China Central Television (CCTV) recently released a 2-minute and 53-second animation titled "A Bump on the Head That Even a Doctor Can't Cure" on its official website and social media platforms such as WeChat. The animation opens with a scene in which a bird resembling a pelican-nicknamed the "troublesome lady"-makes a loud commotion, causing the other birds nearby to fly away. The pelican then shouts, "Uncle Eagle is behind me," and loudly declares, "If you mess with me, you make him your enemy."

Animation mocking the Japanese Prime Minister released by China Central Television (CCTV). Screenshot from China CCTV

The Singaporean daily Lianhe Zaobao interpreted the pelican in the video as symbolizing Prime Minister Takaichi, while "Uncle Eagle" represents the United States. Additionally, some have pointed out that the Chinese term for "troublemaker" sounds similar to the kanji characters in Sanae Takaichi's name (高市早苗).

In another scene, the pelican cherishes a small object that falls from the sky, saying, "This is proof that Uncle Eagle supports me-it's a medal." The other birds then laugh, saying, "That crooked lady is worshipping a pile of bird droppings again." This is interpreted as satirizing Prime Minister Takaichi's offering of ritual money to the Yasukuni Shrine last October when she was president of the Liberal Democratic Party. The animation ends with a kung fu panda, symbolizing China, looking at the pelican and saying, "A bump on the head that even a doctor can't cure."

In its explanation of the video, CCTV stated, "The lady who loves to pick fights mistakenly believes Uncle Eagle is behind her, and her nonsense is bothering her neighbors." The animation has been shared more than 13,000 times on WeChat. Chinese internet users commented, "They didn't mention her directly, but everyone knows who it's about," and "State media are getting more and more entertaining these days."

Meanwhile, on November 7, Prime Minister Takaichi stated in the House of Representatives that, for the first time as a sitting Japanese Prime Minister, a "Taiwan contingency" could be considered a "situation threatening Japan's survival," which would allow Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Her remarks sparked controversy, drawing strong criticism from China and warnings from within Japan to proceed with caution. However, Prime Minister Takaichi later said she had no intention of retracting her statement.