Understanding of “Wolf Warrior”: an Active Defensive Diplomatic Position

Labelling and slandering Chinese diplomats as “wolf warriors”, some Western media expose not only their own posture of “wolf warrior”, but also their ignorance of the connotation of “wolf warrior” in the Chinese context. Therefore, as they misuse the word in the way they assume, it is necessary for us to elaborate on the true meaning of “wolf warrior”. “Wolf warrior” is actually a representation of an active defensive diplomatic position. It is peace-oriented in nature as it is defensive; it is to argue strongly on just grounds to resolutely defend the national image and national interests as it is active. Such an active defensive diplomatic position is out of China’s endeavor as a major country to better engage in equal dialogue with other countries and seek win-win development. Therefore, it is some Western media who are interfering in the preservation of discourse, stigmatizing China and misleading their own people’s understanding of China. This is completely wrong and also very detrimental to international cooperation.

First of all, some Western media project the film series Wolf Warrior into real politics. It is both a distortion of recognition and a misunderstanding of the film series. On the one hand, films are art in nature and differ from real political world. For example, we do not truly believe the Doomsday in 2012 after watching the film 2012. On the other hand, Leng Feng, the character shaped by the Wolf Warrior series, is never an aggressor who stirs up trouble. On the contrary, he is a Chinese hero who defended the security of his country and the peace of mankind when the foreign enemy invaded. Haven’t there been a lot of American heroes in classic Hollywood movies?

Second, the fact that “wolf warrior” diplomacy has become a heated issue just reflects the increasing stigmatization of China by the Western media. Why did some Western politicians and media rush to declare that novel coronavirus originated in China without any scientific investigation? Why did some Western politicians and media make groundless criticism on the so-called “human rights issues in Xinjiang” without ever having visited the region on the spot? Why do some Western politicians keep obsessed with playing up ideological divisions in the second decade of the 21st century? As these groundless accusations are becoming increasingly fierce, it is entirely right for the spokesperson of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to refute them with facts and defend China’s national image and interests.

Third, China’s diplomatic speech has been well-rounded by arguments all the time. Some Western media ignore two issues while they accuse China of its “irrational” “slanderous” and “retaliatory” diplomatic speech. On the one hand, doesn’t the Western media emphasize freedom of speech? How do things become different when the West itself is concerned? On the other hand, unlike the West where the public distrusts what the government says, in China, the most credible statements come from the government, as only the government is able to conduct the most adequate research, collect the most comprehensive data, and mobilize professionals for the most accurate analysis in such a country with a large territory and a large population.

Fourth, peace is part of China’s cultural DNA. As early in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Chinese ideologist Confucius has put forward the idea of “harmony without uniformity”. In Chinese history, the Chinese people have never shown aggression to others. Any war that the Chinese people participated in modern times is just an act to defend their country. It is the West, instead, that shows colonization in its cultural origins. The Athenian statesman Isocrates’s “Panegyrians” in 380 BC is the source of this idea, which contains wars, conflicts, and colonial plunder.

To sum up, “wolf warrior” is an expression of an active defensive diplomatic position in the Chinese context. What really disturbs the Western media is a constantly developing China that they do not want to see. They cannot stand up the slightest challenge to their discourse hegemony. Essentially, these are all attributed to Eurocentrism. Here is a famous saying by Socrates, “Know yourself”, which comes with the spirit of reflection that creates the brilliant Western philosophy. While the Western politicians and media are taking “wolf warrior diplomacy” as an excuse to attack China, they do not have a clear idea of their behaviors. From this perspective, it is not Chinese diplomats but those Western politicians and media who blame China for nothing that need to reflect.

This commentary reflects the author’s personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Global Engagement Academy Shandong University (Weihai).

Wang Yichen, Ph.D candidate of College of Liberal Arts; Shanghai University.

汪一辰，上海大学文学院博士研究生