Diplomatic Barbarism With CCP Characteristics
Udumbara
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The words and deeds of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) diplomatic corps are entirely consistent with Beijing’s increasing belligerence as it pursues strategic and economic interests without regard to international law.
“That filthy neck that barged in on its own—I’ve got no choice but to cut it off without a moment’s hesitation. Are you prepared for that?”—Consul General Xue Jian of the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka, Japan, wrote in a since-deleted X post on Nov. 9.
Xue’s protocol-busting remarks on the social media platform X were his response to a statement made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to a Japanese parliamentary committee on Nov. 7. At that meeting, she stated that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan would likely create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan—an action that could compel Tokyo to deploy its Self-Defense Forces in response.
Xue’s remarks appeared to be those of a barbarian, not a seasoned senior diplomat.
Xue Jian
Xue, 57, grew up in Huai'an, a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city is the most common type of second-level administrative division in mainland China, ranking immediately below the province level in the hierarchy. He graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese language and culture. With this foundation, he was subsequently posted to various billets in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused almost exclusively on Japan-related diplomacy.Here is a list of his various assignments (all senior positions) over the past decade:
2014–2018: Minister-Counselor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan.
2018–2019: Counselor, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2019–2021: Deputy Director-General, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2021–Present: Ambassador-rank Consul General, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Osaka, Japan.
Standard Diplomatic Protocol
The No. 1 rule for diplomats is to avoid any direct, public negative statements about other countries, especially those directed at the host country when assigned to a billet there. It is a core principle of modern diplomacy rooted in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (agreed in 1961), customary international law, and practical necessity.Article 41 of that Convention states: “Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State.”
The “practical necessity” part is pretty obvious: a foreign diplomat cannot possibly be effective and hope to retain the trust of the host country after, for example, a public personal attack on the head of state. The proper course of action is to maintain a “constructive relationship” even when there are major policy disagreements between governments by adhering to the concept of “praise in public, criticize in private.” Virtually all members of the diplomatic corps around the world never criticize the host country through public statements or the media (including social media).
Xue’s statement that Takaichi should be beheaded was a flagrant and barbaric departure from protocol, if not a direct personal threat. A similar comment from an overzealous junior staffer could be written off. Still, one can only surmise that Xue’s statement was tacitly endorsed by his masters in Zhongnanhai, since he has apparently not been recalled (or even disciplined in any known way) to date.
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Other CCP Violations of Diplomatic Protocol
Lest there be any confusion that Xue’s remarks were an isolated occurrence, here are some other examples of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) diplomats breaching standard protocols (such as non-interference in internal affairs, respect for host-state laws, and avoidance of threats or harassment) in recent years.In 2010, a Chinese diplomat was compelled to leave Canada on grounds of violating the non-interference principle due to spying allegations that were uncovered as part of counterintelligence efforts by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
In 2019, two Chinese Embassy officials were “secretly expelled” from the United States after they entered a “sensitive” military base in Virginia in violation of diplomatic inviolability and security laws.
In November 2019, Chinese Ambassador to Sweden Gui Congyou threatened journalists with “shotguns” for critical reporting and accused Swedish media of interfering in China’s internal affairs during a public radio interview. The result was a summons from the Swedish foreign ministry, and Gui’s remarks were written off as “unacceptable” and “astonishing belligerence.”
In March 2021, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye insulted French academic Antoine Bondaz as a “little rascal” on Twitter/X for criticizing Chinese disinformation. This led to a formal summons from the French foreign ministry, where he was encouraged to express regret and warned that such behavior would hinder bilateral relations. Lu apparently was promoted for his remarks, as he was named China’s special representative for European Affairs in February this year.
In October 2022, in the UK, Chinese Consulate staffers in Manchester physically assaulted a Hong Kong protester on consulate grounds, violating diplomatic inviolability rules. As a result of the incident, China removed six officials from Britain after they refused to waive their diplomatic immunity and to be questioned by British detectives investigating the case.
In March 2024, Chinese diplomats and intelligence agents in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, physically followed Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim during her visit there and planned a “kinetic action” (staging a car collision targeting her). No expulsions, declarations of persona non grata, or arrests of the Chinese involved in this incident were carried out by the Czech Republic. However, the Chinese ambassador, Feng Biao, was summoned by the Czech foreign office in protest.
In May 2024, Chinese diplomats in the Philippines were accused of wire-tapping and leaking a private phone conversation with a Filipino admiral in an attempt to coerce concessions in the long-running South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines. Although there were Filipino calls for expulsion, Beijing denied any recording/leaking, called the accusations “baseless,” and took no internal disciplinary action. The incident faded without personnel consequences.
Concluding Thoughts
The Chinese regime’s increased disregard for standard diplomatic protocols in recent years parallels the People’s Liberation Army’s continuing intimidation of China’s neighbors in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, Senkaku Islands, Yellow Sea, East Philippine Sea, and elsewhere.Insofar as Chinese Consul General Xue Jian’s horrible remarks are concerned, George Glass, U.S. ambassador to Japan, may have said it best—appropriately, in an X post on Nov. 9:
“The mask slips—again. Just a few months ago, [Xue Jian] compared Israel to Nazi Germany. Now, he threatens Prime Minister [Sanae Takaicki] and the Japanese people. Time for Beijing to behave like the ‘good neighbor’ it talks repeatedly about—but fails repeatedly to become.”
