CCP to Continue Aggressive Wolf Warrior Diplomacy After Party Congress: Analysts

On Oct. 19, Zheng Xiyuan, Consul General of the Chinese Communist Party in Manchester, was interviewed by Sky News (screenshot of the interview video from Sky News), and believed that it was his "duty" for pulling the hair of the Hong Kong protesters shown on the left. ". Matthew Leung/THE CHASER NEWS/AFP

After the incident of a Hong Kong democracy protester being dragged into the Chinese consulate in the UK city of Manchester and brutally beaten by four Chinese diplomats, including the Chinese consul general in Manchester, the Chinese communist regime has insisted on continuing its aggressive wolf warrior diplomacy.

Protesters were demonstrating outside Manchester’s Chinese consulate on the day of the opening of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) national congress on Oct. 16. Hong Kongers in the UK put up a number of protest banners, including “Heaven destroys the CCP.” Four men from the Chinese embassy then came out onto the street. One of them was seen kicking the protest banner in a video that went viral. Later, the four men dragged a protester from the street, Bob Chan, into the embassy where they began beating him. The UK police had to pull Chan out of the embassy to protect him. The incident has drawn international attention and condemnation.

Hongkongers holding a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Manchester, UK, were dragged into the consulate and beaten by the staff, on Oct. 16, 2022. Screenshot of Hong Kong Indigenous Defense Force

The British Foreign Office said it was continuing to investigate the incident and hasn’t ruled out the deportation of the Chinese diplomats involved.

Zheng Xiyuan, the consul general of the CCP in Manchester, eventually admitted on Oct. 20 to beating the protester inside the embassy but did not admit any wrongdoing. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also defended Zheng’s behavior, which represents the regime’s aggressive wolf warrior foreign policy, which has caused wide criticism.

CCP’s Fighting Spirit

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said at a press conference of the CCP’s 20th National Congress on Oct. 20 that daring to fight is the spirit of the CCP’s diplomacy. He added that the CCP’s diplomacy will continue to demonstrate its fighting spirit, improve its combat capability, and will always be ready to safeguard the CCP’s national interests and dignity on the front line.

Shen Beili, deputy director of the International Liaison Department of the CCP Central Committee, said at a press conference at the party congress on the same day that the CCP will never accept the condescending and bossy preaching of the West, and will never adopt the political system of other countries for China.

U.S.-based current affairs commentator Li Linyi said that Ma Zhaoxu’s speech during the party congress about daring to fight is tantamount to indirectly supporting Zheng Xiyuan’s assault of the HK protester. Zheng Xiyuan also said in an interview with British Sky News, “This is my responsibility.” This shows that the CCP’s wolf warrior diplomacy will not only continue after the party congress, but will also intensify under Xi’s re-election, Li said.

CCP’s Export of Violence

Sheng Xue, a Chinese-Canadian writer, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 20 that the assault at the Chinese Consulate in Manchester is a practical manifestation of the CCP’s violent revolutionary thinking, which has exported violence to the world. Chinese diplomats are personally promoting the CCP’s export of violence.

“This consul general in Manchester wants to take credit to Xi Jinping as a wolf warrior, but in the eyes of the international community, they clearly see the threat of the CCP to the entire international community,” she said.

Protesters march down Whitehall, London, England, on Oct. 23, 2022, carrying a banner asking for CCP officials that assaulted Bob Chan to be deported. Bob Chan was dragged into the grounds of the Manchester Consulate and beaten up during a Hong Kong pro-democracy protest on 16 Oct. 2022. Martin Pope/Getty Images

Zheng Qinmo, director of the Department of Diplomacy and International Relations at Tamkang University, told The Epoch Times that aggressive wolf warrior tactics of CCP diplomats who are overseas appear often, which is enough to show the essence of Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thinking in the new era. They totally disregard the hosting countries’ laws and directly use violence against those who challenge CCP values.

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“This incident happened during the CCP’s 20th National Congress. The wolf warrior behavior of Chinese (CCP) diplomats is a demonstration of their oath of allegiance to Xi Jinping, which is to obey Xi’s diplomatic guidelines. This incident will make the British people more aware of the nature of the Chinese communist regime, and will further affect the UK’s China policy,” he said.

Zheng pointed out that the incident was the result of many European countries’ long-term appeasement of the disorderly behavior of CCP diplomats, which makes them believe they can do whatever they want.

Relations between the UK and China have grown increasingly tense since China imposed the “national security law” in Hong Kong. Last year, the UK government granted Hong Kongers holding the British National Overseas visa (BNO) the right to live, work, and study in the UK, and ultimately obtain citizenship.

Lin Song, a PhD of political science from the University of New South Wales in Australia, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 19, “The CCP has already had huge conflicts with Hong Kong people, and the regime can’t stand the fact that the UK takes in so many Hong Kong people. So this time, it seems that this incident was deliberately created to pressure and make trouble for the Hong Kong people in the UK and the UK government.”

Yi Ru, Li Xinan, Xia Dunhou, Chang Chun, Xia Yu contributed to this report.