Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is finishing up his trip to China, where he has affectionately been given the nickname “xiao tudou,” or “little potato,” as the name Trudeau sounds similar to the Mandarin word for potato. Trudeau is following in the footsteps of his father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who established diplomatic ties with China.
“This trip is aimed at restoring, refreshing and strengthening the Canada- China relationship,” International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland told CNBC on Sunday 4 September.
“We are quite proud. The prime minister has been given a fond nickname in China, he is called tudou, which I believe means potato.”
“His father Pierre Elliott ‘tudou’ was ‘senior potato’,” Freeland said.
Gao Xiaosong, a popular Chinese talk show host, also called Trudeau “Little Potato,” in an episode that featured a discussion about First Nations issues in Canada.
Trudeau capped off his official visit to China for the Group of 20 leaders’ summit on Tuesday 6 September, with a speech in Hong Kong where he raised his concerns about China’s human rights record.
Source: globalnews.ca
