Last week, the Chinese government confirmed the appointment of Lu Shaye as its Special Representative for European Affairs. Lu was previously the Chinese Ambassador to France and known for his incendiary statements which earned him a reputation as one of China’s quintessential “wolf warriors.” His appointment at a time of growing tension between Europe and the U.S. may signal the Chinese government’s intent to take a harder stance towards Europe, some analysts argue. In a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun provided the only official public remarks on Lu Shaye’s new role in the context of China-Europe relations:
The Chinese government has appointed Ambassador Lu Shaye as the Special Representative of the Chinese government for European Affairs, replacing Ambassador Wu Hongbo. Special Representative Lu Shaye will assist in coordinating and handling European affairs, and conduct consultations and exchanges with European countries and EU institutions as needed.
Special Representative Lu Shaye is a seasoned diplomat familiar with the situation in Europe. We believe he will actively fulfill his duties, assist in communication and coordination with the European side according to the instructions and needs of the Chinese government, promote dialogue and cooperation, and make due contributions to the steady and sound development of China-Europe relations. [Source]
Lu has a long history of provocation in his public diplomacy, especially during his tenure in France. Perhaps his most inflammatory comments occurred in April 2023 in a televised interview with French broadcaster LCI, when he denied the sovereignty of ex-Soviet states. Other incidents include claiming that nursing staff at French retirement homes left residents to die during the COVID-19 pandemic; sharing anti-Western content on social media; attacking French media outlets and researchers (calling one researcher a “mad hyena”); and proclaiming that Taiwanese citizens “must be re-educated” were Taiwan and China to reunify. Despite being summoned by the French government for criticism numerous times, Lu has not deviated much from his combative communication style, and there is no sign of Lu having been publicly reprimanded by Beijing, either.
Lu succeeds Wu Hongbo, who previously served as the Chinese Ambassador to Germany and then in 2019 became China’s first Special Representative for European Affairs, a position created just before a major leadership reshuffle of the European Commission later that year. “You have to wonder why he would be put in such a position at this time,” an E.U. diplomat said about Lu, adding, “It is an unusual signal to send.” Joe Leahy and Henry Foy at The Financial Times described how Lu’s appointment might show the Chinese government’s preference for a tough-talking form of diplomacy:
Michael Sheridan, author of a biography of China’s president, The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China, said that given the delicate balance of relations with the EU, Lu’s appointment was designed to send a message to Europe that Beijing was willing to play tough.
“This is a signal appointment,” Sheridan said. “Just as there are rumbles out of Brussels that the EU and von der Leyen might be moderating their pitch towards China, Xi Jinping sends a very hard-edged operator who clearly has his complete confidence.”
Reuben Wong, deputy head of the political science department at the National University of Singapore, said the appointment was “another example of a more assertive Chinese foreign policy”.
Lu’s manner reflected a more tough-talking form of Chinese diplomacy that emerged during Trump’s first term.
“The US says outlandish things, makes outlandish statements” as a negotiating tactic, Wong said. “I think the Chinese are playing that game as well.” [Source]
For the E.U., a hardening position by the Chinese government would be particularly difficult in the context of Donald Trump’s ongoing trade grievances that threaten to weaken ties between the U.S. and Europe. Finbarr Bermingham at the South China Morning Post described how Lu’s appointment may portend a more challenging diplomatic balancing act for Europe:
The appointment has been seen in Brussels as a signal of Beijing’s future intentions for the relationship.
“Putting a consummate Wolf Warrior like Lu in the driver’s seat suggests Beijing may be preparing to get more assertive in its dealings with Brussels,” wrote analysts at Trivium, a consultancy on China.
The episode helped demonstrate the challenge facing Europe as it tries to find a path forward – caught between two superpowers, neither of which seem to be in the mood for making concessions.
Transatlantic ties are on life support following the return of US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to slap tariffs on EU-made goods, threatened to annex the Danish territory of Greenland, and, three weeks into his tenure, declined to pick up the phone to any of the EU leaders, who were in the driving seat for Europe’s foreign policy during four years of Joe Biden’s administration. [Soure]
The new Chinese Ambassador to France replacing Lu is Deng Li, 60, who had been a vice minister of foreign affairs since 2021. Previously, Deng had served as Chinese Ambassador to Turkey and department head of West Asian and North African Affairs, as well as a minister of the embassy in France. Deng officially began his posting last month. French media appeared pleased with Lu’s departure, which was announced in December. One Libération headline read, “Goodbye, Lu Shaye, the ‘mad hyenas’ send their regards.”
