The Chinese leader Xi Jiang wants his country to be ‘loved’ universally; he thinks it is possible with soft diplomacy. Clearly, he subscribes to the view that the China story presented in a ‘positive’ way will help “expand the circle of friends”.

For this, China has to be ‘open and confident but also modest and humble’ in its communications with the outside world, as President Xi himself told the Communist apparatchiks. Both he and his egg-heads cannot overlook the reality thatChina’s image is inextricably linked to the treatment of its own Muslim minorities in Uighur province and the Buddhists in Tibet, besides its handling of the pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong.

Xi’s concern is no more than an admission that China has indeed an image problem globally. This is a surprise flowing from the mouth of the leader of the one-party state, who is known to be assertive, authoritative, and above all ruthless.

China’s circle of friends is narrow; no major world power other than Russia is ready to stand with it. It has no friend other than Pakistan in its immediate neighbourhood.

Yet, betting on China giving up its belligerent, expansionist polices is as hazardous as playing with the nuclear button.  Not very long ago, President Xi had given a call for Chinese domination of the world, overtaking the US role, economically and militarily.

Chinese diplomats will have a big role in President Xi Mission to refurbish the country’s unfriendly image.

Diplomats of China—and Pakistan-- have acquired infamy for using undiplomatic language.

The Pakistani diplomats’ vitriol, however, is directed usually at India and sometimes the US. But the Chinese diplomats do not hesitate to bad mouth all countries that question Beijing’s policies. It is not for nothing that they have earned the sobriquet of Wolf Warriors!

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also falls in the same category, according to the Washington Post. He had perfected his art during a stint in Islamabad.  Many in China’s Foreign Ministry are aping Zhao’s undiplomatic style of diplomacy. An average of 10 percent of Foreign Ministry speeches were “combative and hostile” before 2012. That increased to more than a quarter in 2019 and 2020, says a recent survey.

Put simply, the conventional diplomatisque - delivering even hard messages couched in subdued tonesis alien to Bamboo capitalist’s diplomats.    

China’s image has taken a severe beating in recent times; it coincided with its deteriorating relations with the US.  The outbreak of coronavirus a year ago made it worse. The increasing perception is that the deadly virus came from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan.

Any first Chinese step at image makeover must begin from Wuhan with a transparent probe. It will mark the march towards a ‘credible, loveable and respectable’ country, President Xi wants China to become. 

China’s image problems are as much due to its neighbourhood policy, which has created enemies, asdue to its wallet diplomacy, which has trapped several countries including iron friend Pakistan in debt.  Roll back of these policies will bail the Dragon from President Xi predicament.  Neither is anywhere on the horizon with the Chinese scrip drowned in debt at home.

For the present, this much can be said: “Don’t Laugh: China Wants to be ‘Loved’ Universally”.

People that reason with their brain not cow brain.