‘Bamboo Cicada’ Toy Meme Sparks Online Backlash Against Huawei in China

‘Bamboo Cicada’ Toy Meme Sparks Online Backlash Against Huawei in China

A small traditional Chinese toy has become an unlikely symbol of online ridicule of Chinese tech company Huawei—and, more broadly, of public frustration with China’s tightly controlled information environment. Known as a “bamboo cicada,” the noisemaker toy, when spun, makes a loud “wa-wa” sound that mimics a cicada. In late July and early August, Chinese netizens began comparing the sound with the collective exclamations of “whoa” heard at Huawe…