In China's Rising Foreign Ministry: Practices and Representations of Assertive Diplomacy, Dylan M. H. Loh provides a masterful analysis of China's assertive diplomacy in Southeast Asia from 2009–2020. By employing the practice theory and studying the overlooked China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereafter MFA) and its diplomats, he argues that MFA “is now the central driver and representation of the ‘assertive China’ meme” (2).

China's diplomacy is becoming more assertive and less transparent. Loh's book sheds light on MFA's influence, motivations, and perceptions by others.

First, MFA has proved its competencies to “counselling top leadership, implementing policy, and coordinating the efforts of other actors” (139). In return, it has been rewarded in terms of personnel promotion and resource allocation. In addition to the doubling of MFA's budget between 2011 and 2018 mentioned by Loh, in 2024, Beijing approved a monthly salary increase of US$1,000 for its diplomats in overseas posting. A rare movement as Chinese economy is slowing, and the government tells its agencies to tighten the belt.

Second, MFA performs China's assertive diplomacy faithfully, typified by the wolf-warriors such as Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ambassador Lu Shaye (to France), ambassado