John Bolton, who previously served as national security advisor to former President Donald Trump’s national security administration, recently informed Newsmax that China’s saber rattling with regards to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan constituted little more than “wolf warrior diplomacy.”
Bolton also noted that Pelosi’s appearance constituted little more than “reiterate existing American policy,” or the status quo, to Taiwan.
During an appearance on “American Agenda,” Bolton described the loud protests from the Chinese government as a form of theater. The phrase “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” originates from Wolf Warrior (2015), the most commercially successful action film release in China.
“I think the Chinese government is hyperventilating about [the Speaker’s] trip,” Bolton drawled, “the only thing she did was reiterate existing American policy, which I think is too bad because I think our policy toward Taiwan is not strong enough.”
Bolton also noted that China’s remarks indicated the nation was interested in showing how much they can “bully the United States into where [American] senior officials go,” a tactic that he finds completely “unacceptable.”
However, the former national security advisor also noted that far more appeared to be occurring than what initially meets the eye as far as Pelosi’s trip is concerned.
“I think there’s a lot of the blue smoke and mirrors going on here,” Bolton observed, “I’m not doubting their capabilities, but I think this is a form of theater.”
Peter Martin, who authored China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, noted that this type of diplomacy refers to China’s newly assertive diplomacy, which is starkly different than the past.
“In the past, Chinese diplomats tended to keep a lower profile and to be quite cautious and moderate in the way that they interacted with the outside world,” Martin mused, noting that this stance has shifted in favor of theatrics, including strident, assertive, and arrogant.
“The new mixture of confidence and increasing insecurity combined to create what we now call wolf warrior diplomacy,” Martin concluded.
