Something's Funky in Big China

There is something going on in China ... a bit of a quickening. In language and tone, they are a bit ... off.

Have a sniff of this from Global Times by Wang Wenwen based on an interview with Chu Yin, a professor at the University of International Relations;

As China rises and walks close to center stage of the world, facilitated by the relative decline of the West, many Western countries are feeling uncomfortable, which is behind their unwarranted accusations against China. In the eyes of Westerners, China is not behaving as humbly as it once did. The West believes it occupies the high moral ground and only it can point a finger at others who it deems submissive, which reflects the West's deep-rooted, self-centered mind-set.

The days when China can be put in a submissive position are long gone. China's rising status in the world, requires it to safeguard its national interests in an unequivocal way. After all, what's behind China's perceived "Wolf Warrior" style diplomacy is the changing strengths of China and the West. When the West falls short of its ability to uphold its interests, it can only resort to a hysterical hooligan style diplomacy in an attempt to maintain its waning dignity. As Western diplomats fall into disgrace, they are getting a taste of China's "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy.

Moreover, as Chinese diplomacy increasingly reflects the interests of its people, they have become more astute in diplomatic affairs. They are no longer satisfied with a flaccid diplomatic tone.

Some claim that China is abandoning its principle of "hiding its ability and biding its time" which it stuck to over the past 30 years. The "Wolf Warrior" style of diplomacy doesn't contradict this principle, it's just less subtle. The reasoning behind this principle was to dilute ideological conflicts and concentrate on development, and China's national policy has always prioritized economic development. China embraces globalization and multilateral cooperation. The growing influence of China worldwide can be largely attributed to internationalization and the force of markets.

This isn't isolated either. There is a lot of this overcompensating, over-caffeinated verbosity being thrown about as of late. It has been building in the background for a few years, but COVID-19 seems to be acting like an oxidizing agent.

Kristina Wong outlined the mood nicely;

They are really working overtime here. Not sure if it’s a sign of panic and desperation, or they think they’re in an advantageous position.

Whatever it is, it isn't healthy or helpful.