China Faces Isolation Amid Setbacks in Panda, Wolf Warrior Diplomacy Strategies: Expert

Panda cubs born in 2019 being displayed to the public at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, in China's southwestern Sichuan Province, on Sept. 24, 2019. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Over a dozen pandas were reportedly returned to China from Japan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Britain, and Germany last year.

“China welcomed 17 giant pandas back home from various countries around the world in 2023,” Chinese media outlet CGTN reported on Dec. 30.

However, China observers believe Beijing’s diplomacy strategies—known as “panda” and “wolf warrior”—have faltered.

Panda Diplomacy

Panda diplomacy started in 1972 following then-President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China. Known as the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) soft power, the pandas—initially offered as gifts and later as costly leases—played a crucial role in facilitating China’s entry into the international community.

While pandas symbolize goodwill, their return to China indicates “strained relations between the CCP and Western nations,” China observer Ming-Shih Shen told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.

Mr. Shen is the director of the division of National Security Research and acting deputy chief executive officer at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a think tank based in Taiwan.

“The West realized the CCP’s motivation to shape international order according to its will,” remarked Arthur Shuh-fan Ding, emeritus professor at the College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University in Taiwan.

“Additionally, the CCP’s confrontational approach in diplomacy, exemplified by outspoken ambassadors like Lu Shaye, led to a significant deterioration in China’s relations with Western countries,” said Mr. Ding.

Wolf Warrior Diplomacy

Beijing adopted a more aggressive stance in its foreign policy amid the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Mr. Ding. Since Xi Jinping assumed leadership in 2012, the CCP’s diplomatic approach has evolved into a “wolf warrior” mode, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, he said.

China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, is regarded as a “wolf warrior.” For example, he pressured a French lawmaker to cancel a planned official visit to Taiwan in 2021. The French delegation wanted to learn how the Taiwanese government effectively handled the pandemic.

Mr. Shen pointed out that the current situation is embarrassing for the regime because the CCP has been unable to revive the economy following the impact of the pandemic. Moreover, the chip sanctions imposed during the Trump administration have exposed vulnerabilities in both military and technological aspects for the CCP.

“The coercive wolf warrior diplomacy has lost its effectiveness,” he said.

When Panda and Wolf Fail

The focal point of Beijing’s foreign policy concerning economic matters has consistently been the United States, Mr. Shen said, adding that Xi would aim to improve relations with the United States.

Nonetheless, according to the expert, countries aligning with the CCP’s interests or adopting anti-U.S. positions take precedence in Beijing’s efforts to construct an international coalition challenging U.S. influence, citing Afghanistan as an example.

“China seems to be positioning itself as a substitute for the United States. [Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan] China was the first country to appoint a new ambassador to Afghanistan.”

China is signaling its desire to establish a diplomatic approach different from that of Western nations, according to Mr. Shen.

“While Western countries may consider Afghanistan as an adversary or associate it with terrorism, the CCP is actively pursuing diplomatic ties with it,” he said.

Song Tang and Yi Ru contributed to this report.