Context: Chinese President Xi Jinping will get an endorsement for a third term as President. His “wolf warrior” style of diplomacy has particularly attracted attention.

Wolf Warrior diplomacy

• It is an unofficial term used to describe the aggressive and confrontational style of carrying out diplomatic communication, especially with Western Countries and also with India.

• The term is derived from the 2015 Chinese movie sequel called Wolf Warrior, which portrayed hard nationalism in the face of the western mercenaries.

Why is China resorting to wolf-warrior diplomacy?

• Soaring Nationalism: Since 2010, when China’s GDP overtook Japan’s as the world’s second largest, the Chinese have become more confident and China’s foreign policy has become more assertive.

• China as a great power: The latest diplomatic offensive is also part of the official effort to project China as a great power leading the global fight against the COVID-19. China’s image suffered during the crisis due to its bungled handling of the outbreak at the early stage.

• With the assertive and ambitious Belt and Road Initiative and Maritime Silk Road, China has consolidated its influence over the Indian neighbours as almost all the neighbour without Bhutan have shown the keen interests in joining.

Indian experience

• The new ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’ confronts head-on any criticism of China in the public sphere.

• They lecture host governments and don’t always show up when ‘summoned’ by foreign offices.

• Delhi has been at the receiving end for a while — especially during the recent crises of Doklam and Ladakh.

Why is Chinese diplomacy becoming aggressive?

• The emergence of Wolf Warrior diplomacy is primarily attributed to increasing authoritarianism in China and the deterioration in China-US relations.

How is Wolf Warrior diplomacy being used?

• It is manifested in Chinese diplomats taking hostile stances in host countries, such as not showing up on receiving the summons, not being apologetic for lapses etc.

How successful has this approach been on the whole?

• The wolf-warrior diplomacy is already hurting China’s foreign policy, since it has generated pushback, such as Australia’s calls for an independent probe into the coronavirus’ origins.

• China’s soft power is weak globally; a belligerent approach will further damage China’s global image.

• Wolf warrior tactics, combined with great military assertiveness on the China-India border, has ended up pushing India much closer to the U.S., and alienating a billion plus-person economy.