The latest fad on the streets and all over the net is Maoist-flavored Obama memorabilia – just in time for Obama's first presidential visit to China in mid-November.

China Daily ran this piece over the weekend on Liu Mingjie, a Houhai shop owner (pictured above) that the article claims, “created a computer-aided design that superimposed U.S. President Barack Obama's face over that of China's late Chairman Mao. So now it’s Obama's face sporting that famous green Communist Party cap with a red star on T-shirts, bags and coin purses sold at Liu's shop…”

While I'd never doubt the veracity of a China Daily report, I seem to remember seeing Obama-Maoist merchandise on sale some time ago around the 798 Art Zone.

The probing article continues: “Liu learned that what many of his local and foreign customers have in common is that they think Obama is a good-looking politician.” Incisive stuff.

Whatever its origins, a casual glance around shops in Houhai, Nanluoguxiang and 798 reveals the "Oba-Mao craze has certainly taken off. There have been numerous posts about it on the net this week, but my favorite was this one from Andrew Leonard, who ponders whether the images of Obama in an old-fashioned red army cap prove whether:

“The tea partiers are correct, and Obama is a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary Manchurian candidate intent on enshrining permanent revolution in the United States…”

or…

“The Chinese are so cynical and market-oriented that if they see a way to make a buck by dressing up Obama as Mao, they'll do it?”

If you have no idea what all the fuss is about you can see more images of the merchandise here.