‘It will come back to haunt us’: inside warnings against China’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ coronavirus diplomacy

Beijing should scale back its combative efforts to change the narrative over the coronavirus pandemic and rein in rising nationalist sentiment because the attempts have backfired and hurt its international reputation, Chinese diplomats and foreign policy experts have said.

The warnings come after pushback in the region and beyond to China’s diplomatic posturing in the midst of a devastating global health crisis, especially its “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy, an assertive approach named after a popular nationalistic film. In the past week, the French government has summoned China’s ambassador after the Chinese embassy posted an article suggesting workers in French nursing homes had abandoned their jobs; and Beijing’s much-touted all-weather friendship with Africa took a beating over reports of forced eviction and other mistreatment of Africans in Guangzhou.

It is rare for Chinese observers to issue such blunt warnings about their country’s tactics, especially since China has taken an increasingly strident tone against the United States and its Western allies in the past two years.

Read more