[News Terms] China’s Increasingly Overt 'Jeonrang Diplomacy' Toward Korea

'Wolf Warrior Diplomacy' refers to China's diplomatic approach that emphasizes aggressive power diplomacy, including military force and retaliation, based on its rapidly growing economic and military strength.

The term originates from 'Jeonrang (戰狼)', meaning 'wolf warrior'. Since President Xi Jinping's administration, Jeonrang has symbolized China's diplomatic line, derived from the movie 'Wolf Warrior', which was released in China in 2015 and 2017 and achieved great success.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is conducting a regular briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Beijing.
[Photo by Beijing AFP/ Yonhap News]

This movie is famous for the poster phrase, "Whoever offends China will be punished no matter how far away they are (犯我中華者 ?遠必誅)." The story features a protagonist who is a former member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Special Forces defeating villains from the U.S. Navy SEALs.

A representative example of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy is the South China Sea dispute. China is in conflict over sovereignty in the South China Sea with neighboring countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei. Despite the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, ruling in July 2016 that China's historical rights cannot be recognized, China has refused to accept this decision, drawing international criticism.

The behavior of Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, during a dinner meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 8th, is also a typical example of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy.

On that day, Ambassador Xing openly criticized South Korea's diplomatic line, saying, "It is wrong for Korean diplomacy to bet on America's victory and China's defeat." Regarding the deterioration of China-Korea relations, he asserted, "The responsibility does not lie with China," and showed a high-handed attitude by demanding, "Firmly respect China's core concerns on the Taiwan issue," which sparked controversy.

Since the public actions of Chinese diplomats are carried out in close consultation with their home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Xing's remarks are analyzed to have been part of a prearranged script. On the 12th, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, justified Ambassador Xing's activities at a regular briefing, stating they were "to enhance understanding, promote cooperation, and maintain and drive the development of China-Korea relations."