For Chinese President Xi Jinping, a lot is at stake. Jinping is a man who dons many hats. For starters, he is the President of China. That is a direct consequence of him being the General Secretary of the powerful and authoritarian Chinese Communist Party, which is effectively the Chinese regime all by itself. Jinping is a strongman who has overseen the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, apart from stripping Hong Kong of all its autonomy. Over the past two odd years, the man has led an unprecedented campaign to kill private enterprise in China – best epitomised by the crackdown on the country’s tech sector.
Evidently, Xi Jinping has been toying with the Chinese economy at full throttle. To add to it all, China has antagonised the United States and the West at large. A key factor which led to such antagonism has been Beijing’s incessant want of engaging in what has now come to be known as “wolf-warrior diplomacy”.
Heralded by Xi Jinping’s regime, wolf warrior diplomacy includes Chinese diplomats defending their country’s “national interests” with aggression and with an intent to intimidate and even coerce entire countries.
China Recalibrates its Foreign Policy
This autumn, the fate of Xi Jinping will be decided by the CCP’s National Congress. It is during this session of the Chinese Communist Party that Xi Jinping is hoping to get an extension as the party’s General Secretary as well as the country’s President. Will the CCP bestow him with these coveted titles again? In all likelihood, it will. However, Jinping is willing to take no chances.
There are some issues that could spoil the party for Xi Jinping. Among them, the most important is the fact that there are many diplomats and people of eminence in China who see the rivalry between Washington and Beijing as over the top and completely avoidable. That such rivalry has grown beyond control after Jinping’s rise to power has not been given a miss by consequential people within the CCP.
Such people view China’s growing bonhomie with Russia as problematic, especially in the current scenario – when Moscow is waging an all-out war against Ukraine. China is getting tainted more than it already is due to mere association with Russia.
So, to calm tempers in Beijing, Xi Jinping has taken a rather dramatic and unexpected step. Recently, the most vociferous pro-Russia diplomat in China was demoted.
According to Nikkei Asia, the demotion of Le Yucheng, China’s first vice foreign minister is being seen as a step in the direction of China temporarily recalibrating its ties with both Russia as well as the United States. Had he not been demoted, or rather, fired from China’s Foreign Ministry, the man was all set to become the country’s next Foreign Minister. The dramatic demotion, therefore, has given rise to a perception that Xi Jinping wants to mend ties with Washington, even if that comes at the cost of antagonising Moscow.
Le Yucheng was no ordinary Vice Foreign Minister. He was one of the most important Chinese diplomats, who has now been appointed deputy head of China’s obscure ‘National Radio and Television Administration’. As Vice Foreign Minister, Yucheng practically framed China’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Russia. How China is to respond to the war in Ukraine and how ties between Moscow and Beijing are to be managed so that they flourish in difficult times like these fell under the sole jurisdiction of Le Yucheng.
Wolf Warrior Diplomacy Paused
The demotion of Le Yucheng must not be seen in isolation. Accompanying it has been China’s concerted effort to engage in extensive damage control exercises in Europe, and even admit to Europe’s political and business class that Beijing has erred on more occasions than one. Xi Jinping recently deployed Wu Hongbo, the special representative of the Chinese government for European affairs to Europe on a three-week tour.
Hongbo on his tour was neither aggressive nor offensive. Instead, the Chinese diplomat engaged in some unexpected sweet talk that surprised the Europeans.
It seems China has put its wolf-warrior diplomatic style of engaging with countries on hold for the time being. China’s international image taking a hit has much to do with its diplomats pursuing an aggressive line. As Xi Jinping nears autumn, and as the CCP’s scrutiny of his actions and policies intensifies, the Chinese president is taking some preventive measures to secure a third term as General Secretary.
Pakistan – Always the Collateral Victim
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which prides itself on being Beijing’s “all-weather ally”, recently got snubbed by China. Here’s how.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the High-Level Dialogue on Global Development (HLDGD) on June 24 in Beijing. Among those invited were India, Russia, Iran, Egypt, Fiji, Algeria, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Guess who was not in attendance? Pakistan and its Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif. Turns out, Pakistan’s invitation was blocked at the behest of India.
Pakistan is being continuously snubbed by China for quite some time now. In fact, even when Imran Khan was Prime Minister in February and Beijing hosted a handful of “world leaders” on the occasion of the opening of the Winter Olympic Games, Islamabad was told to cut down its ministerial entourage. China offered no loans or bailouts to Pakistan, and all that Imran Khan got was a short and inconsequential meeting with Xi Jinping.
These are all steps that have been taken to soften the blow that Xi Jinping’s image has suffered both domestically in China, as well as around the world. Simultaneously, China has kept its wolf warrior diplomacy in abeyance – for now at least. This pause is expected to last until Xi Jinping secures a third term as President, after which his regime will be back to its usual ways. Amid an economic slowdown that is proving to be extremely painful and the barrage of sanctions against Russia, China is left with little options and is making overtures to the United States, India and others.
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