China’s Misguided Twitter Strategy in Africa

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. 

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator
6
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms

You Might Like

China’s Former Ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, is Officially Gone

Despite his reputation as brash, outspoken and confrontational, Lin Songtian, the former Chinese ambassador to South Africa, quietly left the country on Monday.  His sudden departure is a bit surprising given the enormous ...

Reflections on Lin Songtian’s Reported Departure from South Africa

18-hours before the story broke on The Daily Maverick website, we heard rumors that China’s outspoken, high-profile ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, had been recalled. “Holy ^%#*$! That’s huge!” I said ...

Ambassador Lin Songtian’s Recall Signals Shifts Ahead in China-Africa Relationship

The sudden recall from South Africa of Chinese ambassador Lin Songtian was initially interpreted as being a demotion. But the contrary appears to be true – it now looks as though his deft ...

Another High Profile Chinese Ambassador in Africa Heads Home

China’s ambassador to Kenya, Wu Peng, will reportedly make a quiet exit tomorrow when he boards a flight back to Beijing where he’ll apparently take on a new assignment. ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP