China Has a ‘Wolf Warrior’ to Protect Its Maritime Borders

Former Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, a “wolf warrior” diplomat, was made deputy head of China’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs on January 9.

• “Wolf warrior” diplomacy is a confrontational and ultranationalistic approach to championing China’s interests and lambasting critics.
• Zhao is known as a wolf warrior because of his virulent propaganda, mainly directed at the United States.
• Zhao is now a deputy director general of the organization that “develops policies concerning land and maritime boundaries,” according to the Foreign Ministry website.
• This department also “handles external boundary matters and cases concerning territories, maps and place names, and engages in diplomatic negotiations on maritime delimitation and joint development.”

South China Sea: China regularly runs into border and territory disputes with neighboring nations in the South China Sea. From developing military bases to stealing offshore resources to challenging neighbors such as Taiwan, China has done a lot in the South China Sea to warrant rebuke. Zhao’s assertive nature could mean an even more aggressive stance from the nation.

China is claiming the entire South China Sea as its own! By building artificial islands atop coral reefs in the Spratlys and installing surface-to-air missile batteries in the Paracels, China is building a new strategic sea gate. After passing through the Strait of Malacca, oil tankers and other ships pass between the Spratly and Paracel Islands on the way through the South China Sea. Whoever controls these vital sea gates controls one third of the world’s maritime commerce.
—“China Is Steering the World Toward War”