An investigation into ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy in Africa via Twitter and Facebook at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT Chinese diplomats have been dubbed ‘Wolf Warriors’ following their efforts to shape the COVID-19 narrative. This study explores how ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy was applied on Twitter and Facebook by Chinese diplomats in Africa in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, in the context of China’s wider public diplomacy on the continent. It seeks to analyse the diplomatic tone adopted by the Chinese, focusing largely on media posts concerning the US administration in early 2020 and their respective responses to the pandemic. This study investigates this diplomatic form on social media accounts of the former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, and others. Discourse analysis was used to test and understand the exercise of ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy and its implications for Africa, noting the emerging practise of African digital diplomacy.