A comical illustration titled "The Last G-7" has been spreading online in China, depicting Japan as a dog pouring mysterious green water into a glass from a kettle with a radiation warning symbol.
A Chinese cartoonist collaged Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper," with the Communist-led government lambasting Japan's decision to release treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in two years.
Portraying animals, the picture mocks the Group of Seven countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- as well as Australia and India, all of which have been trying to counter China's growing assertiveness.
Japan is an "Akita dog," said the Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with the ruling Communist Party, in reporting on the political satire, adding, "Without a seat, it is busy serving the others a 'drink' -- pouring green radioactive water into the glasses of the other animals."
It said, "The green water is the contaminated water that Japan plans to release to the Pacific from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant," citing some users of Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.
In late April, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also drew criticism for using a parody picture of a "ukiyo-e" work by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai to take a jab at Tokyo's decision on the treated water at the Fukushima plant.
Japan's Foreign Ministry lodged a protest with China over Zhao's post that insults Japanese culture, calling for its deletion.
China, meanwhile, has apparently restricted media reports on fuel rods being damaged recently at a nuclear power plant at home, as the leadership of President Xi Jinping has been promoting exports of nuclear reactors to other nations.
In the Last G-7, nine animals sit around a table, on which a cake with a Chinese-map-shaped decoration is put. A bald eagle wearing a bowler hat with a U.S. flag sits in the middle of the table as if it were Jesus in The Last Supper.
A rooster, France's national bird, and black hawk, obviously representing Germany, sit on the right and left sides of the table, respectively, showing "less enthusiasm" for the U.S. propaganda, the Global Times said.
In a communique, released after their three-day summit through Sunday in Britain, the G-7 leaders called for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and urged China to respect the human rights of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and freedoms in Hong Kong.
Related coverage:
China apparently restricts media reports on damaged nuclear fuel rods
China's spokesman draws flak for using ukiyo-e to rap Fukushima water
China summons Japan's envoy to protest Fukushima water release
