London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Will China’s calls for more ‘Wolf Warriors’ leave country’s diplomats feeling sheepish?

The country’s foreign minister and ambassador to Britain have backed the combative approach, but observers warn it may only alienate the rest of the world. Meanwhile, state-owned tabloid Global Times argues that the label is better applied to US diplomacy

Senior Chinese diplomats have called for more “Wolf Warriors” to defend the country abroad despite warnings that this combative approach was likely to alienate the rest of the world.

On Sunday Foreign Minister Wang Yi defended this combative approach – named after a series of nationalistic action movies – saying that China would fight back against “slanders” and “firmly defend national honour and dignity”.

“We will lay out the truth to counter gratuitous smears and resolutely maintain fairness and justice and conscience,” Wang said.

Wang also insisted that China had no desire to lord it over the world no matter what state of development it reached, saying “those who go out of their way to label China a hegemon are precisely the ones who refuse to let go of their hegemonic status”.

Wang’s comments were echoed by Liu Xiaoming, the outspoken ambassador to Britain, who has previously clashed with TV journalists when defending the country.

“Some people said China now has many Wolf Warriors’, the reason is that there are many ‘wolves’ out there in the world now. If there are ‘wolves’, we must have ‘Wolf Warriors’ to fight,” Liu told state broadcaster CCTV.

“We encourage diplomats at all levels to actively fight. Where there is a ‘wolf’, we need to fight back actively to protect national dignity and interests.”

But Liu said diplomats should still bear in mind that they need to make the general public in other countries understand that China is a country that wants cooperation and values friendship and truth.

Wang and Liu did not explicitly state who they thought was “smearing” or “slandering” the country, but an editorial in Global Times, a state-owned tabloid, said the United States was more wolf-like than China.

“In terms of ‘Wolf Warrior’, the US has peaked in its diplomacy. Just look at how many countries are being sanctioned by the US, in how many places is the US stationing its troops and how many countries’ internal affairs are being interfered with by the US,” the editorial said.

The article, published on Sunday evening with the headline: “Wolf Warrior diplomacy a US trait”, concluded: “Labelling Chinese diplomacy as ‘Wolf Warrior’ reflects an extreme ideology.”

But observers warned that no matter how much China tried to justify its more aggressive approach to diplomacy, it was likely to backfire.

Fergus Ryan, an analyst from Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said that both Xi Jinping and Donald Trump’s attitudes affected diplomats’ behaviour.

“Ultimately, there’s only one person in the Chinese system whose opinion on this aggressive style of diplomacy matters, and that’s Xi Jinping.

“Another key factor is rising hostility from the United States towards China which is helping to accelerate the shift towards a truculent approach to foreign affairs,” said Ryan, who argued that to some extent Chinese diplomats were copying the US president’s own belligerent tone.

“Beijing will continue its pugnacious tone if the approach helps to achieve its diplomatic objectives. But it’s more likely that these displays of aggressive nationalism will only serve to drive the world further away from China,” Ryan said.

Chen Daoyin, an independent political scientist, echoed Ryan and said one of the worst scenarios China could face was a new bloc of countries alienated by the “Wolf Warrior” approach.

“Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many countries are rethinking the negative effects of globalisation and gradually inching closer to the US,” Chen said.

“If irritated by China’s aggressive stance and actions, countries might form a circle to confront China together, leaving China isolated.”

Jia Qingguo, professor and associate dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University and a member of China’s political consultative conference, urged diplomats to chose their words carefully.

“There are still things Chinese diplomats have to learn. Different forms of expression can achieve totally different results. So I think China’s diplomacy might have better outcomes if they improve their way of working,” Jia said.

Chen Gang, assistant director of National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute, said the “Wolf Warrior” style could become the norm as China was ready to adopt a head-on approach to pressure.

“China’s tensions with the United States and its allies could escalate in the short run due to the wolf-like diplomats, and some of China’s external behaviour will come under more scrutiny from these governments,” Chen said.




Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×