Chinese artist depicts Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as sexy supervillain Harley Quinn

Illustration by Wuheqilin also shows British PM Boris Johnson as the Penguin and Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in crucifixion pose

Provocative artwork comes after row over doctored Wu-tang Clan T-shirt design, which Beijing deemed offensive

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is depicted as supervillain Harley Quinn in a new work by Chinese artist Wuheqilin. Photo: Weibo

Published: 2:00pm, 6 Feb 2021Updated: 10:07pm, 6 Feb 2021

A Chinese artist known for his anti-Western themes has released a new work depicting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the DC Comics supervillain Harley Quinn dressed in hot pants and fishnet stockings.

The illustration by Wuheqilin marks the latest episode in a diplomatic row between China and Canada that began with a spoof Wu-Tang Clan T-shirt designed by a worker at the Canadian embassy. Beijing said it was inappropriate because the altered logo containing the word “Wu-han” seemed to imply that Wuhan residents ate bats.

Canada said the design was modelled on the US hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan’s logo and that it was a misunderstanding, but China’s foreign ministry rejected the explanation and demanded Ottawa take the matter more seriously.

Wuheqilin is known for his computer-generated imagery attacking the West. Photo: Weibo

China and Canada have been at loggerheads since the detention more than two years ago of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial executive for Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies. Soon after, two Canadian citizens working in China – Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – were detained in apparent retaliation.

Wuheqilin, whose real name is Fu Yu, has frequently used his art to attack Western leaders and in doing so stoked anti-Western sentiment on social media platforms.

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