ON FUTILITY OF WOLF WARRIOR

There was a period from around 2017 onwards when Chinese diplomats and spokespersons started answering questions in a very brusque, borderline demeaning way. They were called wolf warriors based on the movie by the same name. This sort of language and demeanour from China became more pronounced when COVID struck and the trade war with America began during President Trump's first term.

This was a departure from Deng's " Bide your time and build your strength" phase. China was the world's largest economy in PPP terms, the world's factory, a key cog in global supply chains, a major defence producer and a prominent lender via its Belt and Road Initiative. Somewhere, it had decided that the time was right to show its strength. 

The surprising thing, 2019 onwards, was that even Indian diplomats, ministers and spokespersons also started giving terse answers in a way that we had arrived at. We had done extremely well our growth rates were one of the highest amongst major economies, we had a thriving services sector, information technology exports, a strong military and were in many cases first responders to the global south. 

But we were far from being counted among the superpowers. Our per capita GDP was sub USD 2K. Most of our defence equipment was imported. The share of manufacturing in the GDP was very low, especially for a country with a high demographic dividend; we did not have energy independence. We needed alliances, we needed partners and we needed friends.

I think we got a reality check in 2025. During Operation Sindoor, while our adversary had countries supplying them with weapons, we got a muted response. While we did not expect people standing in complete support - that is a price a growing power displacing people on its rise has to pay, we also did not expect silence. The denouement, though, came with the 50% tarrifs which the US imposed on us. We realised that we were dispensible. The delay in GE engines for our homegrown fighter showed us the limits of our ability.

We already had a skirmish with our northern neighbour in 2020, limiting our interaction with them. Unlike emerging and middle powers, we couldnot play one superpower against the other. We needed friends, alliances and partners. 

So there was a change in our tone. We did not fall for the trap and take the bait when others clearly wanted us to react emotionally. We maintained our silence or deflected sharp attacks with diplomatic speak. We understood our aim, our position and the journey we need to take. 

This was also seen in the wider discourse. The broader public that was high on the Kool-Aid of our invincibility mellowed. There was introspection, and the questions changed from - " ohh look, we are so great" to " what do we need to do to build our national power?"

I think this is good, in diplomacy and in life. Wolf Warrior is short-termism at best.  In the moment, it gives a temporary high of shutting down a caustic comment with a sharp retort. But in the long term, it only alienates others. People remember how they were made to feel small and repay the same with interest, mostly when we need them the most. 

So it's always better to disarm the adversary with a reconciliatory comment. Better to make friends and look for partners. All the while ensuring we know our aim and journey. Nobody is a permanent friend or permanent enemy; there are only permanent interests. Our job is only to achieve our aims - in quiet, focussed and methodical way!

And that is why - my spirit animal is Shri Rajiv Shukla Ji