China's 'Doves' Break Cover to Criticize Foreign Policy

Peter Cai

Security, Asia

The open duel between China’s leading dove and hawk is a clear indication that the country’s internationalists and reformers are worried about the country’s foreign policy direction. 

The Global Times is one of the favorite publications for Western journalists and pundits on China. The nationalist tabloid is known for its hawkish stance and colorful English language. If you are looking for a punchy quote, the Global Times never disappoints.

The paper’s editor-in-chief Hu Xijing has a cult following in China. He is both reviled and loved. For the country’s liberals, Hu is the embodiment of China’s ills, nationalistic and ideological. For his followers, his hawkish worldview resonates strongly with their nationalist instincts.

Worryingly, China’s foreign policy increasingly resembles The Global Times’ firebrand nationalist editorials, especially in relation to the South China Sea disputes. One of China’s best known retired diplomats, Wu Jianming, a former ambassador to France, has hit back at Hu and his brand of xenophobic nationalism.

The spat between Wu and Hu has attracted widespread coverage and discussion in China, from nationalist tabloids to progressive publications like Caixin. Wu, who was a former interpreter for Chinese leaders including Mao and Zhou Enlai, penned several scathing columns critical of Hu and China’s rising tide of nationalism.

The former ambassador made three critical points in an op-ed piece for Caixin, a respected and progressive business publication. He challenges the notion that China is a victim of globalization. It is not uncommon nowadays to see news reports and opinion pieces that describe China as a victim of international cooperation and engagement.

Nationalists have decried how ruthless Western capitalists have exploited hopeless Chinese workers. Wu argues China has no choice but to open itself up for international capital and technology; China is a beneficiary of international engagement, not a victim. By portraying China as a victim, it is in essence a repudiation of the whole policy of reform and opening up,' he wrote.

Wu reserves his strongest condemnation for the increasingly popular idea that China should resort to military forces to settle its disputes with its neighbors including Japan. He notes that many neighboring countries are becoming increasingly mistrustful, anxious and even threatened by China.