Read on Twitter
1/ I have received several inquiries lately about Chinese MFA spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s rhetoric and tweets, mostly along the lines of what is driving his antics and whether they should be seen as an aberration or a new normal.
2/ I see Zhao as a reflection of the current call for Chinese diplomats to “struggle.” Even though many veteran Chinese diplomats and foreign policy experts abhor his actions, they also grudgingly acknowledge the popularity he enjoys within China for his fighting spirit.
3/ Multiple Chinese foreign policy experts have noted to me that Zhao attracts public praise for his willingness to “show his emotion,” to stand up for Chinese dignity, and to call out what they perceive as double-standards and unfair criticism of China.
4/ Zhao is an undiplomatic diplomat. He does not serve as MFA spokesman to solve problems, advance specific objectives, or attract international support for China’s priorities. His role seems to be to volley criticisms back to their original overseas source.
5/ And in many ways, Zhao is an embodiment of a tension in China’s foreign policy. Should China’s top diplomats be focusing on building international support for advancing Chinese goals overseas, or should they be devoting themselves to struggling against foreign pressure?
6/ China’s external environment currently faces stress, particularly in the developed world. China’s relations with an expanding list of countries are trending negative. An element of that trend is the dynamic of nationalism devouring diplomacy and statecraft.
7/ When Trump and others crudely attack China and the CCP, the Chinese leadership has little difficulty at home deflecting blame to the US for some of China’s external problems. Such attacks create their own narrative for Chinese to rally around the flag.
8/ When Trump departs, Beijing’s built-in excuse will go away. I expect the Biden team will have message discipline and purposefulness in their comments on China. There’s also the prospect of rising international scrutiny over developments in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, etc.
9/ This shift could concentrate scrutiny on the wisdom of some of China’s domestic and foreign policy decisions. The sharper the scrutiny becomes, the more likely I expect Zhao Lijian will be used to stoke national pride and find fault in others. END.
