Diplomasi 'Wolf Warrior' Tiongkok pada Masa Pandemi COVID-19

Abstract

The emergence of China’s ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy during COVID-19 pandemic has caused controversy in the international political scene. China’s diplomats made aggressive and assertive moves in response to international pressures during that period. Therefore, China’s diplomats are labeled as ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats. This phenomenon can be explained using neoclassical realism theory. Neoclassical realism theory combines classical realism and neorealism theories, also introduces the internal characteristic of the state as a new element that is often overlooked by those two-predecessor theories. So, this theory uses internal and external factors to explain foreign policy analysis within international political arena. In this case, COVID-19 and China’s position in the international system serve as the external factors, while Xi Jinping’s leader images and China’s strategic culture as the internal factors. The interaction between these factors influenced China’s foreign policy response and resulted ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy as their response to international pressures during COVID-19 pandemic.