China’s ‘Multipolar’ Foreign Policy: A Strategy of ‘Determined Resistance’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent press conference provides a key opportunity to analyze both the continuities and shifts in Chi...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent press conference provides a key opportunity to analyze both the continuities and shifts in China's foreign policy. “If the United States continues to encircle China, we will resolutely fight back,” Wang stated at the press conference, held as part of China’s Two Sessions.

While statements such as "we will fight to the end," made in response to the escalating US-China trade war, suggest a resurgence of wolf-warrior diplomacy, subsequent efforts to justify these remarks indicate that China remains cautious.

‘Conflict Is Not a Choice, but There Is No Backing Down’

A closer analysis of Wang Yi’s remarks reveals three key points.

First, China operates on the assumption that it will confront any challenges from the US with equal assertiveness. While stating that “conflict is not a choice,” China makes it clear that it will never back down, particularly on issues like Taiwan and trade disputes. The US is accused of hypocrisy, with Beijing asserting that pressure and cooperation cannot coexist.

Second, the meeting was marked by strong rhetoric regarding China's unwavering partnership with Russia. Wang repeatedly stressed that this "boundless friendship" would remain unaffected by external pressures. Recent speculation that a Trump-Putin rapprochement could isolate China appears more like a historical analogy than a viable strategic concern.

The third and perhaps most significant point was Wang’s direct and indirect emphasis on multipolarity. “We oppose the monopolization of international relations by a handful of countries. The world should not turn to the law of the jungle, sovereign equality and justice must prevail.” This rhetoric reflects China’s unease with the Western-centered hegemonic order. Particularly noteworthy is the emphasis on strengthening the UN’s authority.

A More Self-Confident China, Not a ‘Wolf Warrior’

At present, it would be inaccurate to claim that China's foreign policy has fully embraced a new wolf-warrior diplomacy. However, it has clearly shifted from a conciliatory stance to one of greater self-confidence. This strategic shift may be a response to the prospect of Trump’s re-election and the continued strain in US-China relations.

China, engaged in an intense great-power rivalry with the US, continues to promote a multipolar world order. However, rather than seeking to overthrow the existing system, Beijing aims to reform it—an order from which it has benefited and which has facilitated its economic rise.

Another key takeaway is that China's comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia remains central to its global strategy. For China, this is both a deliberate strategic choice and a crucial tool for countering containment.

Additionally, China aims to capitalize on the strengthening and growing independence of its domestic market and technological advancements (particularly in artificial intelligence) in response to US economic and technological pressures.

China’s Global Strategy: Building Multipolarity

China is actively cultivating ties with the Global South, deepening economic and diplomatic engagement in Africa and Latin America as a counterbalance in the geopolitical competition with the US. Through institutions such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Beijing seeks to foster “complementary” cooperation structures.

Wang’s emphasis on strengthening strategic dialogue and mutual trust with Europe also signals an effort to exploit transatlantic fragmentation. Given Ursula von der Leyen’s recent remarks that “there is room to develop trade ties and agreements with China,” Beijing may see an opportunity to engage with a Europe seeking greater strategic autonomy.

In sum, China presents itself as a stabilizing force, advocating a multipolar global order as an inevitable reality—one in which it intends to play a leading role.

Note:  This article was published in Turkish on March 7, 2025 on my X account with the title “Multipolar‘ Reconstruction of China's Foreign Policy: A Strategy of ’Determined Resistance' Against Containment”.