A factory in eastern China has been doing brisk business selling giant inflatable roosters, some as tall as 16ft (4.9m), based on a design widely perceived to resemble US President-elect Donald Trump.

Yifang Inflatables, a factory in the city of Jiaxing, near Shanghai, began selling the inflatables after images of a large sculpture of a similar design outside a shopping centre in the northern city of Taiyuan went viral on social media last month.

Chinese state media have described the rooster as "sporting the president-elect's signature hairdo and hand gestures".

Wei Qing, owner of the factory, said they have sold around 100 of the roosters, in sizes from 7ft (2.1m) to 16ft (4.9m) tall, to shopping centres in mainland China and Taiwan.

Seattle-based US graphic artist Casey Latiolais, the statue's designer, said he was commissioned to produce something rooster-like but agreed there were some similarities.

"I can definitely say Mr Trump has a lot of similarities in that he likes to tweet," Latiolais said.

"And he also likes to tweet at or around sunrise, and if you take away the fact that roosters are kind of loud and self-absorbed, then I think you can start drawing similarities that way."

China is paying close attention to Trump as he takes the reins on January 20.