Video Recording Now Available: Penn State JLIA Fall Speaker Series; A Conversation with Peter Martin About his Book--"China's Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy"

 

The Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs invited  Mr. Peter Martin  to discuss his recent book, "China's Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy" as part of its Fall 2021 Speaker Series. The book is nicely described:

China's Civilian Army charts China's transformation from an isolated and impoverished communist state to a global superpower from the perspective of those on the front line: China's diplomats. They give a rare perspective on the greatest geopolitical drama of the last half century. In the early days of the People's Republic, diplomats were highly-disciplined, committed communists who feared revealing any weakness to the threatening capitalist world. Remarkably, the model that revolutionary leader Zhou Enlai established continues to this day despite the massive changes the country has undergone in recent decades.

Little is known or understood about the inner workings of the Chinese government as the country bursts onto the world stage, as the world's second largest economy and an emerging military superpower. China's Diplomats embody its battle between insecurity and self-confidence, internally and externally. To this day, Chinese diplomats work in pairs so that one can always watch the other for signs of ideological impurity. They're often dubbed China's "wolf warriors" for their combative approach to asserting Chinese interests.

Drawing for the first time on the memoirs of more than a hundred retired diplomats as well as author Peter Martin's first-hand reporting as a journalist in Beijing, this groundbreaking book blends history with current events to tease out enduring lessons about the kind of power China is set to become. It is required reading for anyone who wants to understand China's quest for global power, as seen from the inside.

The Session took place on 3 November 2021 and was was moderated by Larry Catá Backer and hosted by Brea Jones (Penn State Law | J.D. Candidate 2022) for the Journal of Law and International Affairs. Mr.  Martin's presentation was followed by a lively discussion.

 The video recording of the event may be accessed HERE.