Where Did China’s ‘Wolf Warrior Diplomacy’ Come From (and Where Did It Go)?

The fates of two prominent wolf warriors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qin Gang and Zhao Lijian – provide some insights

By: Andrew Scobell and Yi Li

Between 2019 and 2021, the world witnessed a barrage of shrill and belligerent public outbursts by China’s diplomats. This wave of loud and combative Chinese diplomats assailing individuals and governments in public settings, as well as in the traditional media and on social media, was dubbed “wolf warrior diplomacy.”

The labe…