I was reading a BBC article about how the British flag has become a particularly popular fashion icon in Cuba...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21082793
It occurs to me that this is true in China too. I see the Union flag being worn or displayed in KM more than any other flag, even US or Chinese. The BBC article claimed the Cuban phenomenon was a result of the Olympics, but I suspect the Chinese usage dates back longer than that and is more about the flag's design than the country it represents? Or maybe I just notice it more? Have others seen this British "invasion" too?

[...and as a side note, I read recently that there are only 22 countries worldwide that have never been invaded by Britain at some point in history! Sorry about that!]

I think it's popular because it has the hanzi for 'rice' 米 in it.

Countries like Thailand are still to this day being invaded by the Old Sad Miserable Fat Bastard division of the Queen's Royal Army.

I hardly see anyone wearing an item with the Chinese flag on it. Strange.
They probably had too much to smoke.

having lived in shanghai and guangzhou...big cities where games of English football (soccer ? ) are shown on pub TVs and the young people in china probably know more English football than the brits do, it comes as no surprise that there are lot more T-shirts with brit flag sold and worn in china. but when i come to think of basketball, ooop... it doesnt fit! :-)

about the chinese flag, you just have to read the chinese national flag law, article 17,18,19 to understand why. :-)

on second thought, i think, it is highly plausible that it is something to do with the London Olympics. the Chinese simply were making one too many T-shirts with the Union Jack on it for export during the games. :-)

just to cheer up the brits, here in shenzhen there are 'dollar shops' still selling fake Royal Doulton Royal Wedding banquot cabinet plates. :-)

I think Olympics has something to do with it. If the big fashion houses were producing Union Jack fashion items, then guess what would be ripped off.
The 16 shades of grey type GB flag was also the colors for team GB's track uniform I think.

Faddish - but mixed feelings on that issue. On one side, it's good to eventually move forwards with relationships to make the world a kinder, gentler, and better place - but on the reverse I remember about places like YuanMingYuan. And then again - if the UK hadn't looted hordes of Chinese treasures for their museums - they'd probably have been long lost.

Neurotic eh?

I first mentioned the popularity of the Union Flag (over all other nationalities' flags) to my Chinese wife a couple of years ago, so it certainly pre-dates the Olympics. I like the idea that it relates to the hanzi for 'rice' 米! My own guess is that it's simply a recognisable yet abstract-ish design, with western-lite overtones (ie it doesn't scream BRITAIN in the way that the stars and stripes screams U-S-A) and lots of pretty colours. I have a fun time spotting them, regardless!