In recent years, Beijing has adopted a calmer tone in its foreign policy, as President Xi Jinping has called on officials to build a “credible, lovable, and respectable image of China.” This transition has led many observers to conclude that China has abandoned “wolf warrior” diplomacy.
This is not entirely the case.
Rather than retreating from its well-known “wolf warrior” diplomacy, which it adopted in 2019, Beijing has differentiated its diplomatic messaging according to audience, issue, and strategic objective. In short, China did not abandon wolf warrior diplomacy but has rather become far more selective in where, when, and against whom it deploys the tactic.
The Rise of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy
China has pursued a more assertive foreign policy since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. Xi introduced the concept of “major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics,” in which he highlighted two points: first, building a “community with a shared future for mankind”; and second, what Xi coined as the need to “dare to fight,” whereby China strives to defend its core interests and assert itself in international discourse. The 19th National Congress in 2017 mentioned “national sovereignty, security, and development interests” alongside the “core national interests,” but China has never published any official documents to more specifically identify its core interests. This leaves Beijing with room to maneuver.
