It’s not fair to call us Wolf Warriors when we’re reacting to US acts such as Donald Trump’s consulate closure, says Chinese diplomat

The diplomat said the former US president’s actions highlighted the need for a strong response to attacks on China’s interests

The West is very good at putting labels on us but we only hit back when China’s interests are threatened, says source

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Chinese diplomats say they are forced to adopt a confrontational approach. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:50pm, 16 Apr 2021Updated: 8:13pm, 16 Apr 2021

A Chinese diplomat has said it is unfair to label them and their colleagues as “Wolf Warriors” when they are only reacting to aggressive posturing from the United States.

The diplomat also said they had been shocked by Donald Trump’s decision to close the Chinese consulate in Houston last year, saying that diplomatic colleagues in Los Angeles and New York “had packed their bags and were ready to leave the US at any moment”.

“You never knew what Trump would do next,” said the diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity. “He was capable of anything.”

The diplomat said incidents such as this had forced Chinese diplomatic staff to react strongly to protect the country’s core interests.

“The West is very good at putting labels on us, such as ‘Wolf Warriors’, a phrase not coined by us. But this is never the main part of the story, we only react or hit back when China’s core national interests are interfered with or undermined,” they said.

“We never provoke any country. However, now we begin counter-attacking and they find it unbearable and call us ‘Wolf Warriors’. Most of the time, we look for cooperation and stability.”