China brings together Batman, Donald Trump and Buddha

HALLOWEEN IS A time of scares – not least for the Communist Party. With few opportunities to vent their frustrations with the government, Chinese revelers are known to speak through their costumes. Last Halloween, the first since pandemic controls were lifted, young adults in Shanghai dressed up as surveillance cameras and COVID-19 testers. One brave soul has emerged as Winnie-the-Pooh, a cartoon bear purported to resemble China’s leader Xi Jinping. The government does not like this comparison. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that he hates Halloween.