Shenzhen Trump Toilet Lid (Photo : sztrump.en.ec21.com)
Not knowing the name of American politicians among ordinary Chinese is not surprising because of the country’s internet censor. More so if the politician was a businessman before, that would give him lesser exposure in China.
It really is not a big issue if Zhong Jianwei, general manager of a manufacturing company based in Guangdong Province, came to know of the name of billionaire Donald Trump only when he announced in 2015 his intention to run for U.S. president as candidate of the Republican Party. The only problem is the company he manages makes toilets, and its business name is Shenzhen Trump International.
Zhong explained to Global Times that the business name has been trademarked with the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce for more than 10 years. Aside from that legal protection, “It is a common foreign name. Donald Trump is only one of many Trumps throughout the world. We did not use his portrait or reputation [to gain profit],” he reasoned out.
The general manager is confident the company could defend itself in court if Trump files a lawsuit against the company. Zhong stressed the name is just a coincidence, and they would never had predicted that Trump has the ambition of replacing Barack Obama in the White House.
The company was established in 2002 and filed two years later for an English trademark. The original trademark was TRMP, but the company added the letter “U” which is the symbol of a toilet lid. It uses continuous rewinding toilet sanitary cover devices to solve sanitation problems linked with public toilets, according to the Shenzhen Trump’s website.
CBS News, meanwhile, reported that while Trump and Hillary Clinton, Trump’s likely rival in the election, are the frontrunners for the GOP and Democratic Parties, they are also the least-liked among the party nominees. A focus group from the two political parties in Florida said they are fed up with the two.
