Tweet of the Day: China’s Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe Uses Less Than Diplomatic Language to Describe the U.S. President

China’s typically non-combative deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhao Baogang, revealed his feelings about Donald Trump, accusing the U.S. president of being “arrogant” and “lying all the time.” This is a rather sharp rhetorical escalation for Zhao, who has until now focused his social media account on China-Africa-Zimbabwe issues and avoided wading into the U.S.-China turmoil.

However, now that China’s most outspoken U.S. critic in Africa, former ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, is gone, Zhao may see an opportunity to take on the role as Beijing’s chief U.S. provocateur on the continent.

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by Eric Olander

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