A huge statue portraying Donald Trump as a rooster has been erected at a shopping mall in the Chinese city of Taiyuan.

 

The parodic fowl, which has the president-elect's trademark hair-do and is shown making distinctly Trumpian hand gestures, has been adopted as mascot for the N1 ArtWalk Mall as part of celebrations welcoming the Year of Rooster.

 

A range of Trump-rooster merchandise is now on sale to the general public, with a 32 foot-tall model priced at around £1,400, and less imposing options starting at a slightly-more-reasonable £47.

 

Wei Qing, spokesperson for Shenghe Yangtai Business, which is selling the roosters, told CNN: "I think the rooster is very cute and funny, the hairstyle and eyebrows look very much like Donald Trump. I'm sure it will attract a lot of customers."

 

Wei Qing, spokesperson for Shenghe Yangtai Business, which is selling the roosters, told CNN: "I think the rooster is very cute and funny, the hairstyle and eyebrows look very much like Donald Trump. I'm sure it will attract a lot of customers."

 

The president-elect has been making significant waves in China in recent weeks. He sparked controversy after announcing he had taken a call from the president of Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province.

 

He also accused Beijing of currency manipulation and flexing its military might in the South China Sea, and claimed that Chinese agents had stolen a US research drone.

 

The latter allegation prompted admonishment and ridicule in Chinese media. The Global Times published a stern editorial saying: "Trump is not behaving as a president who will become master of the White House in a month. He bears no sense of how to lead a superpower."

 

The China Daily also lambasted Mr Trump over the drone claim, saying: "What is truly amazing about this tweet, was the soon-to-be US president completely misrepresented what had actually happened - that is more dangerous than funny."

 

Photo credit: VCG via Getty Images