Disir
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On October 16, a Hong Kong protester in Manchester, England, was dragged onto Chinese consulate grounds and beaten by unidentified staffers. The violence broke out as individuals emerged from the consulate and began destroying protesters’ posters, which depicted Xi Jinping wearing only a crown and underwear. As they retreated, the men pulled a nearby protester inside the consulate gates and kicked him repeatedly on the ground. Manchester police eventually separated both parties, but not before eyewitness video had ignited the latest China-U.K. diplomatic controversy. The consulate’s actions – reactionary, violent, and indiscreet – mark the latest sign of China’s new diplomatic style under Xi Jinping.
Regardless of their overseas stations, Xi’s diplomats now retain a second, all-important audience: Chinese citizens back home. Harsh rhetoric, offensive tweets, and occasional violence all echo rising levels of domestic nationalism. For China’s “netizens,” fiercely patriotic and perpetually online, this new style symbolizes China’s power to assert itself on the international stage – a China that can say no. Projecting domestic narratives of strength appears just as relevant as promoting peaceful relations abroad. When the two objectives collide, as they did in Manchester, Xi’s diplomatic core increasingly pursues the former at the latter’s expense.
This "wolf warrior" policy has the capacity to be entertaining with the hair pulling.
Regardless of their overseas stations, Xi’s diplomats now retain a second, all-important audience: Chinese citizens back home. Harsh rhetoric, offensive tweets, and occasional violence all echo rising levels of domestic nationalism. For China’s “netizens,” fiercely patriotic and perpetually online, this new style symbolizes China’s power to assert itself on the international stage – a China that can say no. Projecting domestic narratives of strength appears just as relevant as promoting peaceful relations abroad. When the two objectives collide, as they did in Manchester, Xi’s diplomatic core increasingly pursues the former at the latter’s expense.
The Hidden Audience of China’s Undiplomatic Diplomacy
Ugly incidents like the beating of a protester in Manchester are aimed at boosting diplomats’ political standing at home.
thediplomat.com
This "wolf warrior" policy has the capacity to be entertaining with the hair pulling.
