There’s been a lot of discussions recently over the rise and effectiveness of China’s new class of “Wolf Warrior” diplomats, named after the hugely successful 2018 China-Africa action movie, who’ve made a name for themselves by targeting the U.S. and other critics with aggressive Tweets, even conspiracy theories.
China’s former ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, and the current Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian were among the pioneers in this space but recently both seem to have been brought to heel.
Similarly, the appointment of the mild-mannered former foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang to a new high-profile public diplomacy post at the United Nations provides another indication that Beijing may be reconsidering its confrontational approach on social media.
That said, it’s evident China’s foreign policy strategists have not reached a consensus on this issue, particularly when you look at the tone of the messaging that’s coming from diplomats and missions in Africa. They’ve recently shifted their focus from showcasing local Chinese initiatives to promoting China’s COVID-19 official narrative and criticizing the United States amid the ongoing George Floyd protests against police brutality.
Take a look at Johannesburg Consul General Lin Jin’s feed and you’ll see a constant stream of anti-U.S. posts and little mention of the work he’s actually doing in South Africa. Similarly, the Johannesburg consulate’s official page and the embassy in Pretoria use their accounts as launchpads to criticize the U.S.
Very few of these anti-U.S. posts are getting any meaningful traction in terms of engagement (likes/views/shares) indicating that local audiences in places like South Africa really aren’t looking to these Twitter accounts for this kind of content.
Chinese diplomats and embassies would be well advised to shift their editorial focus to highlight local engagement rather than acting as just another foot soldier in the rapidly escalating U.S.-China messaging duel.
