China’s “Charm Offensive” Masks Old Coercion in New Language
Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses Central Conference on work related to neighbouring countries (Image credit Xie Feng, X)
Beijing’s diplomats are wrapping old authoritarian ambitions in soothing talk of “mutual respect” and “correct perception.”
By TRH News Desk
New Delhi, October 18, 2025 — There is a shift in the way China deals with the world in the shadow of Trumpian order, adjusting lone-wolf strategy to velvet charm offensive. Michael Kovrig, Advisor to the Asia Program, International Crisis Group, in a detailed article shared on Substack, has sought to make a sense of clever adjustment by Beijing in dealing with the world.
“China’s officials are again smiling at Canada — and Canadians should beware. Ambassador Wang Di, Beijing’s envoy in Ottawa, has been on a charm campaign, calling for ‘win-win cooperation’ and ‘positive energy’,” wrote Kovrig in the article, which first appeared in National Post of Canada.
The Chinese envoy appeared on CTV’s Question Period promising that trade disputes would vanish if only Canada adopted a “correct perception” of China, wrote the analyst. “After years of ‘wolf warrior’ belligerence, this shift in tone may sound refreshing, especially as Foreign Minister Anita Anand visits Beijing. But beneath the syrupy diplomacy, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is pursuing the same strategic goals — expanding economic leverage, deepening dependency, and silencing criticism,” he added.
The analyst stated that “correct perception” (正确认知) is not harmless semantics. It’s a coded demand rooted in Communist Party doctrine: don’t question Beijing’s one-party rule, accept its claims over Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan, and stop aligning with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy. It’s a linguistic trap designed to make dissent illegitimate and complicity respectable.”
This rhetorical makeover — “rectification of perception diplomacy,” as it might be called — mirrors Beijing’s recent outreach to the US, EU, Australia, and Japan. The goal is to rebrand China as a benign global partner while quietly reinforcing its mercantilist dominance and authoritarian prerogatives.
Similar Chinese stance may be seen in dealing with India as its envoy in New Delhi strikes right chords in public utterances while two nations normalised ties.
When Ambassador Wang claims that Canada and China have “no fundamental conflicts of interest,” he’s asking Canadians to overlook Beijing’s enabling of Russia’s war in Ukraine, its support for Iran and North Korea, and its interference in democratic societies. Kovrig stated that the envoy’s “proverbs about untangling knots and dancing in harmony are diplomatic gaslighting: they invert blame and demand obedience in the name of friendship.”
Canada’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aluminum, and steel are not provocations — they’re necessary responses to China’s massive state subsidies that distort markets worldwide. Beijing’s request for “rational” cooperation conceals a familiar agenda: create dependence first, then extract concessions later.
The CCP’s new soft talk is preferable to threats and hostage diplomacy, but the danger is subtler when the dragon smiles. As Kovrig writes, “Don’t get stuck in the syrup. Decode the slogans. Remember that the CCP’s charm can turn to menace in a heartbeat.”
For Canada, he counselled, the task is clear: stay firm, defend sovereignty, and build partnerships with trustworthy allies. Only then can Canadians form their own truly “correct perception.”
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