Chinese Anger Diplomacy

The ANGER Project explores the dynamics between democracies and autocracies, focusing specifically on how liberal democracies respond to public criticism from China. By analyzing what we call China’s “anger diplomacy”—a practice where Chinese diplomats, bureaucrats, or state media express anger towards other nations and non-state actors—the project examines how China strategically uses these emotional outbursts to shape its international relations and assert influence. Our research not only categorizes instances of China’s anger diplomacy, but also conducts in-depth studies of specific episodes and compares reactions across different contexts. The goal is to provide a systematic understanding of how China employs these tactics, how various actors respond, and what impact this form of diplomacy has on China’s global standing. The project team, which includes a doctoral fellow and international partners, has highlighted China’s relations with countries like Norway and Denmark, as well as its growing influence in Central Asia. Through public presentations, workshops, and publications, we cover a wide range of cases, examining how autocratic diplomacy increasingly challenges democracies not only in traditional politics, but also in fields like global sports, media, and education. Key Findings: Our findings show that non-democratic regimes are not just reacting to liberal norms—they are actively reshaping them. By leveraging evidence such as interviews, comparative case studies, and original databases, the project demonstrates how these regimes constrain the influence of liberal ideas at home and advance anti-liberal narratives on the global stage. We also uncover the crucial role that identity politics plays in these dynamics, using China’s relations with Europe and the narratives of the "Chinese school" of International Relations as examples. This research contributes to a broader understanding of the role emotions play in international politics. By engaging with the “emotional turn” in International Relations, we show how identity dilemmas and postcolonial anxieties shape foreign policy and challenge the established foundations of both liberal and relational theories in IR.

Do liberal-democratic states yield to public criticism by China? ANGER approaches this question by focusing on China's use of "anger diplomacy" - public, vehement displays at the state level in response to a perceived offense. Drawing on the literature of emotions in international relations, ANGER will explain when and how such diplomacy may boost or undercut China's international influence. With a strong team combining area-expertise with theoretical innovation, the project will systematically map episodes of Chinese anger, and conduct comparative analysis of the effects of Chinese anger diplomacy directed against state and non-state actors. By assessing how state-society relations may explain variation in responses and effects of such diplomacy, ANGER seeks to identify causal mechanisms at work. The project will further contribute to broader debates about hegemony, power-political competition, and the rise of China.