China’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy

China’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy

Subject: IR

Context:

• The ongoing National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, China has taken a tough approach in its international dealings, employing a style that has come to be known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy.

What is ‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy:

• It is a term that gained popularity during Xi  Presidency .
• “Wolf warrior diplomacy” is a tactic of the Chinese government to extend its ideology beyond China and counter the West and defend itself.
• It is an unofficial term for the more aggressive and confrontational style of communication that Chinese diplomats have taken to in the last decade.
• A 2015 Chinese action film, titled ‘Wolf Warrior’, and its sequel have served as the inspiration for the term.
• ‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy reinforces a presumed transition of Chinese diplomacy from conservative, passive, and low-key to assertive, proactive, and high-profile.

What is the need for wolf warrior diplomacy:

• The change in strategy has been attributed to many reasons, such as:
• Xi’s more authoritarian tendencies as compared to earlier leaders
• Deteriorating US-China relations under former US President Donald Trump and
• Coronavirus pandemic-related accusations in China.

Indian experience:

• The new ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’ confronts head-on any criticism of China in the public sphere.
• Delhi has been at the receiving end for a while especially during the recent crises of Doklam and Ladakh.

How successful has this approach been on the whole:

• The wolf-warrior diplomacy is already hurting China’s foreign policy,since it has generated pushback from many reliable partners.
• China’s soft power has become weak globally and has further damaged China’s global image.

Wolf warrior tactics, combined with great military assertiveness on the China-India border, has ended up pushing India much closer to the U.S.