Pride and Prejudice: The Dual Effects of “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” on Domestic and International Audiences

Abstract

China has shifted its foreign policy from careful diplomacy to “wolf warrior diplomacy” (WWD). I argue that WWD increases the Chinese public’s support for their government. However, foreign audiences are likely to view WWD as aggressive and threatening; as a result, WWD has dual effects, increased security for the regime at the domestic level and heightened tensions at the international level. To examine these hypotheses, I conducted preregistered parallel experiments, in which I presented identical sets of survey vignettes to Chinese and American citizens. The results show that WWD significantly increases the Chinese public’s support for their government. However, this diplomatic rhetoric also antagonizes the U.S. public and bolsters their support for aggressive foreign policies toward China. These findings contribute to our understanding of the dual effects of authoritarian diplomacy in the global arena where national leaders face a trade-off between preserving domestic support and triggering international hostility.