Where Did China’s ‘Wolf Warrior Diplomacy’ Come From (and Where Did It Go)?

Don’t overlook Sinocentrism: China’s historical memory and Japan

This article, first published by Pacific Forum, is republished with permission. China’s response to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7, 2025, remarks to the Diet that a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan could arise in a “Taiwan contingency” has largely been framed as a warning to step back as China chooses to coerce Taiwan. However, China […] The post Don’t overlook Sinocentrism: China’s historical memory and Japan appeared firs…

Where Did China’s ‘Wolf Warrior Diplomacy’ Come From (and Where Did It Go)?

The fates of two prominent wolf warriors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qin Gang and Zhao Lijian – provide some insights.

China has turned the page on its aggressive ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy – except when it comes to Japan

At the recent Munich Security Conference, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, delivered a rebuke of what he said were dangerous trends of militarism in Japan. In a panel discussion, he pointed out comments made in November by the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in which she suggested Japan could intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan. Wang stressed that these remarks were a direct challenge to China’s national so…