China ‘s Foreign Policy
By: Jason Ferdinand Wijaya
Tags: China Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy Analysis, Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, International Affairs, Foreign Policy

Behind the Xi Jinping’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy

By: Jason Ferdinand Wijaya

Image Credit: Time Magazine

The “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” is the right term in explaining China’s Foreign Policy under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. This foreign policy believes to be more aggressive and more nationalistic than ever before in China history. This new approach is more popular within China and strengthening the diplomatic transition from pacifist conservative and humble to be more assertive, proactive, and high profile. The term of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy is based on the title of popular Chinese blockbuster movie. This movie is successful in increasing the nationalistic and patriotism pride among the audiences in China. The Wolf Warrior Diplomacy describes the defense statement made by Chinese diplomats to defend China’s national interests which is often carried out in a controversial manner (Zhu, 2020 ). Sometimes, this led to the conflict between China and other countries in the world.

The implementation of China Wolf Warrior Diplomacy is the aim protect their national interest, in order to replace the United States as the new hegemony in the world. This aggressive diplomacy does not tolerate any critics from Western Countries in the issues such as Human Rights, China’s way in handling the Covid-19 Pandemic, and in dealing Hong Kong demonstration in response to Controversy Extradition Law that had been impose by Chinese government toward them. In response toward such the critics, the Chinese diplomat, and Chinese State media often response the critics in a controversial manner in social media or the conference. China has doing everything to rewrite the narration and their image in order to secure their influence in international affairs.

Image Credit: Global Times

China also aggressively lay the claim in the South China Sea and bring the conflict with Southeast Asia Countries in term of territorial dispute with Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia. Then, in Cross-straits relations, China also provoked Taiwan in sovereignty issues and trying to undermine Taiwan effort in their international diplomacy, because China believe that Taiwan is still part of China and argue that Taiwan is rogue country separatist who trying to broke down China territorial integrity. Territorial dispute between China and India, Bhutan and Nepal also become the part of China’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy. China press the claim on disputed territory such as Aksai Chin. Because of the nature aggressive trait of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, China have made many enemies with their neighboring countries.

The reason behind the China’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy could be analyses from the President Xi Jinping leadership style and his personality. Xi Jinping become the president of China in 2013. He become the most powerful president in China after Chairman Mao Zedong. According to Shan, under his leadership, he attempted to revive certain Maoist elements (Shan, 2016). He does show interest in introducing the Maoist style to the party leadership and his statecraft (Shan, 2016). Xi’s father, Xi Zhongxun belonged to the first generation of Communist leadership headed by Mao, the Maoist legacy may highlight Xi’s red background and enhance his authority. He become the only powerful figure by decreasing the influents of Politburo and State Council with the centralization of government under his command. Xi also tend to depend on a very small circle of people he trusts for decision making and bypassing the Politburo and State Council without consult with them first (Shan, 2016). It could be argued that the President Xi using the legitimacy of Mao’s legacy because the need of power to rule the country based on social context he possesses from his father (Mintz & Jr, 2010).

Image Credit: Radio Free Asia

Xi shown himself to be an assertive and unyielding leader in his presidency (Shan, 2016). At home, Xi merciless purge the political rivals and dissidents with his anti-corruption campaign (Shan, 2016). In foreign relations Xi also assertive and it is reported that his personal leadership style dominates foreign policymaking. China has maintained a tough stance when facing challenges of territorial disputes and American dominance in Asia-Pacific region (Shan, 2016).

He also shown have a strong suspicion of “western values” in propaganda campaigns and cultural policy (Shan, 2016). On 19 August 2013, he called for a national conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work, warning against western values such as constitutionalism, respect for civil society and press freedom, and urging the authorities to step up the party’s “leadership and guidance” and “improve the ideological and political work” (Shan, 2016). Since the conference, Beijing has tightened its cultural and educational policy, as well as public opinion control (Shan, 2016). From this we can argue that Xi tend to distrust the others based on the cognition factors such as belief and values especially toward the western power and their influence which he believe will destroy the Chinese values and undermine his rule (Mintz & Jr, 2010).

President Xi could be considered as strategic leader to maintain his power in the country (Mintz & Jr, 2010). He is using the Populism approach in order to gain support from the ordinary people by giving them what they want. As, Xi drew lessons from Western political culture, Xi profiled himself as a “man of the people”, a warm, tenderhearted, and easygoing man (Shan, 2016).

As the result the Wolf Warrior Diplomacy was born based on his leadership style and personality, he also gain so many supports within the country to implemented his aggressive diplomacy and tough stance in order to achieving the national interest as the one of major power in world. Since President Xi come the power, he has worked diligently to develop his own system of thinking on foreign policy. His though on foreign policy is most typically reflected in his concept of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristic. As Xi Jinping concluded that it is time for China to behave like a major country (power) in all dimension of international affairs, that why Wolf Warrior Diplomacy could be describe as assertive; proactive; and high profile (Zhu, 2020 ) by constructing more norms and discourse, making more initiatives, taking more responsibilities, exercising more influence and providing more public goods (Wang, 2018). In the end Hu argue that President Xi Jinping leadership and his personality has played a key role in redirecting Chinese foreign policy toward the new direction and could overcome the challenge in years to come (Hu, 2019).

References

Zhu, Z. (2020 , May 15 ). Interpreting China’s ‘Wolf-Warrior Diplomacy‘ . Retrieved from The Diplomat : https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/interpreting-chinas-wolf-warrior-diplomacy/

Hu, W. (2019). Xi Jinping’s ‘Major Country Diplomacy’: The Role of Leadership in Foreign Policy Transformation. Journal of Contemporary China, 28(115), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2018.1497904

Mintz, A., & Jr, K. D. (2010). Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making. Cambridge University Press, 224.

Shan, W. (2016). Xi Jinping’s Leadership Style. East Asian Policy, 08(03), 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1793930516000283

Wang, J. (2018). Xi Jinping’s ‘Major Country Diplomacy:’ A Paradigm Shift? 17.