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Like their counterparts from around the world, Chinese diplomats tend to be well-credentialed, sophisticated, multilingual and knowledgeable about their host countries and institutions. Yet an increasing number of Chinese envoys and officials are adopting a stridently nationalistic, even belligerent tone in their official statements. Some of these \\u201cwolf warrior\\u201d diplomats, have even shown a willingness to spread conspiracy theories or use doctored images in order to score points. While this aggressive behavior often plays well back home, it tends to undermine the traditional goals of diplomacy by hardening foreign attitudes toward China.

Peter Martin, a Bloomberg reporter who was previously posted in Beijing, examines this phenomenon in a new book, \\u201cChina\\u2019s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy.\\u201d He joins WPR\\u2019s Elliot Waldman on the Trend Lines podcast this week to discuss the historical development of China\\u2019s diplomatic apparatus from the early days of the Communist Revolution to the present.

If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you\\u2019ve read on WPR, you can sign up for our free newsletter to get our uncompromising analysis delivered straight to your inbox. The newsletter offers a free preview article every day of the week, plus three more complimentary articles in our weekly roundup every Friday. Sign up here. Then subscribe.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

• Why China\\u2019s \\u2018Wolf Warriors\\u2019 Won\\u2019t Back Down

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• More \\u2018Wolf Warrior\\u2019 Diplomacy, Please

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• China\\u2019s Double Standard for Diplomatic Speech Online Sparks a Global Backlash

• Europe Is Souring on China

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter D\\xf6rrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.