Chinese attitude from Silence to Wolf-Warriors Diplomacy

Authored By:- Rohan Kumar Tolani

Zhao Lijian

Modi and Xi

In recent times, Chinese diplomats are given the title of wolf warriors. There has been a change in the nature of diplomacy from Mao to Xi's era.

PRC was founded in 1949, and Mao was its supreme leader. He was the international face of the country, but Zhou Enlai controlled the government. Zhou was China's head of government as well as Foreign minister from 1949 to 1976. Zhou's style of diplomacy came to define Chinese foreign policy over the next half-century. If Mao represented the crude face of Chinese communism, then Zhou was the epitome of its refinement. 

Mao and Zhou

Zhou's strategy was consistent: -

1. Avoid Isolation (Because of China's communist nature, many countries even did not recognize China)
2. Building solidarity with non-aligned countries
3. Divide the west

These tactics were called the united front that isolates the primary threat by building unity with all other forces.

Zhou and India: -

Through his diplomacy, Zhou persuaded India to accept China's occupation of Tibet in 1950 and 1951. India was later persuaded to act as a neutral mediator between China and the US during many difficult phases of negotiations settling the Korean War. And the most crucial Panchsheel signing even after border issues.

Jawaharlal Nehru and Zhou Enlai

He guided his team to "strive to expand the united front of the world peace force and create conditions for establishing diplomatic relations between China and a member of Afro Asian countries."

Read this to know the conflict between India and China Indo-China Conflict -An Overview.

Under Zhou, diplomats of calibre kept the ship of state steady in a churning sea full of storms. When the tide rose, these diplomatic fishermen gathered the fish — expanding China's global presence and gaining international acceptability. When it ebbed, they saw to it that the ship remained firmly moored. They navigated the Cold War, playing the Soviets against the Americans.

Zhou Enlai

The biggest win for Zhou and his team was in February 1972, Richard Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries. It was a critical step in normalizing relations between the US and China. China persuaded US President Richard Nixon to abandon Taiwan. Afterward, Taiwan lost its permanent membership in UNSC and was given observer status in UN. And China got a Permanent seat in UNSC.

After Mao and Zhou Enlai died in 1976, Deng Xiaoping became the leader from 1978 until his retirement in 1992. He is the man behind China's capitalistic economy. He was called China's reform man.

In the 1980s, when Deng Xiaoping took up the reins, Zhou's 'sailors' continued to navigate the Chinese ship through the early days of opening up to the outside world.

Deng Xiaoping

Deng's "24-Character Strategy":-

Deng supplemented Zhou's strategy with his own:

"Observe calmly; secure our position; cope with affairs calmly; hide our capacities, and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile, and never claim leadership."

It became the 'mantra' of Chinese diplomacy. Chinese diplomats measured their words and kept their dignity. They projected power but rarely blustered. They were masters of their brief because Zhou had taught them that the real advantage in negotiations.

Behind closed doors, they were tireless in whittling down the opposition through negotiation and skilful in putting the onus of responsibility for failure on the other party. Occasionally they would hold out a veiled threat. The Chinese diplomats rarely offended anyone. The negotiations for the return of Hong Kong and Macau were done on these lines only.

Rajiv Gandhi and Deng Xiaoping

The 1980s and 1990s were very successful for Chinese diplomacy. US President George Bush and Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev made visits. Rajiv Gandhi, 1st Indian PM after 35 years, along with Sonia Gandhi, went to China. They normalized relations, settled borders.

Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai

In the early 2000s, the US and the European Union bought into Chinese assurances that it would soon transition to a market economy. They helped steer it into the World Trade Organization.

Deng died in 1997. China prospered and began to occupy centre stage in world diplomacy, but the ship began to come apart from its moorings. A new generation of diplomats, with knowledge of the English language, showed arrogance had replaced humility. Persuasion is quickly abandoned when countries take actions contrary to Chinese wishes.

The Chinese pursue unilateralism instead of compromise, usually in the South China Sea. In place of 'united front' tactics, they are bent on creating problems simultaneously with multiple neighbouring countries. They see statements of fact or reasoned opinion as insult or humiliation. Example: - Wuhan Virus.

China has dispatched an increasingly vocal cadre of diplomats out into the world of social. They aim to defend China's handling of the Wuhan Virus pandemic and challenge those who question Beijing's version of events. They often give unwanted advice to countries. Hence, they are often called 'Wolf Warriors.'

China has adamantly refused any enquiry into its handling of Wuhan Virus. The Chinese expect to receive gratitude for everything they do, including handling Wuhan Virus. The reserves of Chinese goodwill built over the decades are fast depleting.