The Chinese Embassy in Ireland sent out a bizarre tweet Wednesday proclaiming “China is not a lamb” in an apparent reference to an Aesop fable.
“Who is the wolf? Some people accused China for [sic] so-called ‘wolf warrior diplomacy,'” the tweet said.
The term “Wolf warrior diplomacy” refers to a recent trend among Chinese diplomats to take to social media to aggressively refute any criticism of China or the Chinese Communist Party, according to CNN. (RELATED: REPORT: Twitter Locks China’s US Embassy Out Of Twitter After Post Touting Birth Rate Decline Among Uighurs)
“In his well-known fable, Aesop described how the Wolf accused the Lamb of committing offences,” the tweet continued. “The wolf is the wolf, not the lamb. BTW, China is not a lamb.”
Who is the wolf?
Some people accused China for so-called “wolf warrior diplomacy”. In his well-known fable, Aesop described how the Wolf accused the Lamb of committing offences.
The wolf is the wolf, not the lamb. BTW, China is not a lamb. pic.twitter.com/VNoZB4QHfm
— Chinese Embassy in Ireland (@ChinaEmbIreland) March 31, 2021
In the cited fable, a hungry wolf attempts to justify eating a helpless lamb by fabricating and concocting absurd excuses, such as imagined slights the lamb had committed against the wolf. The lamb refutes the wolf’s claims, however the Wolf chooses to devour the lamb regardless.
The morals of the fable are that “The tyrant can always find an excuse for his tyranny” and “The unjust will not listen to the reasoning of the innocent,” according to the Library of Congress.
The Trump administration placed China under intense scrutiny for their human rights abuses and trade practices. In January, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the Communist Party’s policies towards Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities constitute “genocide,” a designation the Biden administration has upheld, according to The Washington Post.
However, Republicans have consistently criticized the Biden administration for being soft on China. Ted Cruz stated that Biden’s choices for administration officials “raise serious questions as to whether this administration understands the threat” that China poses, according to The Wall Street Journal.