Chinese envoys are experimenting with a new kind of Trump-style public diplomacy – Twitter spats. Twitter is banned in China, but Chinese diplomats abroad, not traditionally known for being outspoken, have started to use the platform to confront Beijing’s critics more directly and aggressively. https://t.co/KIKanBjQ2LZhao is among a small but increasingly vocal group of Chinese diplomats who are taking their message directly to international audiences via social media. pic.twitter.com/ANWLO2JGbQThe Chinese ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, who joined Twitter last week, also used the platform to criticise the visit of Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, to the US. A Twitter user since 2010 and one of China’s most outspoken diplomats on the platform, Zhao is something of a pioneer.

Source: The Guardian July 17, 2019 02:48 UTC