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“This offensive and proactive communication strategy, in particular on Twitter, is instilled at the highest level of the State”, explain to CheckNews Marc Julienne, researcher at the Asia Center of IFRI and co-author of a recent article on the subject for the journal Foreign politic. The researcher dates the origins of this online offensive turn to a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping, delivered to the Central Party School in September 2019 (“equivalent” of the ENA) where he called on Chinese officials (and therefore diplomats) to have a “Fighting spirit” to defend China, in the face of all attacks. Ambassador Lu Shaye is thus a leading figure in “Warrior wolves”, nickname given to very aggressive Chinese diplomats on social networks who discredit all criticism of China by calling them an anti-Chinese Western offensive.
According to the two researchers, the Embassy’s Twitter account is one of the most aggressive in Europe. “He allows himself freedoms, not representative of all embassies, but of this tendency within Chinese diplomacy”, Antoine Bondaz notes. “This message addressed to Antoine Bondaz is certainly not aimed at the Chinese population – which does not have access to Twitter anyway – but seeks to demonstrate loyalty and determination to the highest authorities of the Communist Party”, analysis on his side Marc Julienne. The ambassadors of Sweden and Germany also communication strategies that approach of those of Lu Shaye, according to Marc Julienne. Ditto for the very active Chinese Embassy in Washington account, which was suspended by Twitter after a tweet defending politics in Xinjiang.
What does the Quai d’Orsay say?
With this purely personal attack on a researcher, “China is completely coming out of diplomatic practices”, note Marc Julienne. The tweet prompted a reaction from several researchers and politicians who supported Antoine Bondaz, including MEP Raphaël Glucksmann who asked the government to summon the ambassador.
French diplomacy summoned the ambassador in April 2020 after a series of press releases brought together under the name “Observations of a Chinese diplomat stationed in Paris” who criticized the French management of the epidemic denouncing in particular the treatment of residents of nursing home (the ambassador will then explain that he was referring to Spain).
The Chinese Embassy on Sunday castigated calls for the summons of Ambassador Lu Shaye by French politicians and researchers, considering that this exchange did not fall within the diplomatic field. The Quai d’Orsay has so far not reacted. “As long as there is no reframing at the highest level, they will continue”, considers Antoine Bondaz.
Find the entire article on the website of Release.
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