Home Gudgeon and gist Language Log Diplo speak: double talk

Diplo speak: double talk

Language Log 2025-01-27

With the changing of the guard at the State Department, the new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and his counterpart in China's Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi, must needs have a dialog, a man-to-man conversation, so to speak.  As is customary with China's wolf warriors, however, Wang Yi was up to his old habits of giving young Marco a jiàoxùn 教训 (let's just call it "a lesson", not quite a "dressing down").

Here's how the most critical part (the final portion) of Wang Yi's communication was reported in an AP article on the event:

“I hope you will act accordingly,” Wang told Rubio, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, employing a Chinese phrase typically used by a teacher or a boss warning a student or employee to behave and be responsible for their actions.

The short phrase seemed aimed at Rubio’s vocal criticism of China and its human rights record when he was a U.S. senator, which prompted the Chinese government to put sanctions on him twice in 2020.

It can be translated in various ways — in the past, the Foreign Ministry has used “make the right choice” and “be very prudent about what they say or do” rather than “act accordingly.”

The vagueness allows the phrase to express an expectation and deliver a veiled warning, while also maintaining the courtesy necessary for further diplomatic engagement, said Zichen Wang, a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, a Chinese think tank.

[VHM:  I don't think that what Wang Yi said was very courteous / diplomatic at all.]

"China tells Rubio to behave himself in veiled warning" By Ken Moritsugu, AP (1/25/25)

On the one hand, it's hard to determine exactly what Wang Yi meant.  I think he didn't express himself clearly and explicitly.  On the other hand, this type of masked admonition is calculated and coded in Chinese diplo speak.   (heavy-handed, premeditated ambiguity)

Let us examine the official record of this sentence as spoken in Chinese by Wang Yi:  "Xīwàng nǐ hǎo zì wéi zhī 希望你好自为之."  And here is the official English translation as provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:  "I hope you will act accordingly."  Since the MFA is ruled over by none other than Wang Yi himself, it cannot be wrong, can it?    Not only is this the official translation, it is the standard translation (for the present time). 

As a matter of fact, I've shown that Chinese sentence — "Xīwàng nǐ hǎo zì wéi zhī 希望你好自为之" — to a dozen highly literate bilingual, master's and doctoral level native speakers of Chinese, and not one of them came close to translating it the way the MFA official, standard translation reads.   How is this possible?  Is it not bizarre that the official, standard translation from the MFA would be so much at odds with the translations of its own highly educated citizens?  Here are some sample translations from fluent bilingual Chinese speakers (followed by their comments or mine):

  • "Please handle it well on your own." — mystifying
  • “I hope that you behave yourself." — this indeed sends an unexpectedly strong message
  • "I hope that you conduct yourself well." — how dare Wang Yi tell the American Secretary of State how to behave!
  • "I hope that you take good care of yourself." — why should Wang Yi be concerned about Marco Rubio's safety?
  • "You care about yourself then." — strange for Wang Yi to urge Marco Rubio to take care of himself
  • "I hope you make the right choice." — isn't it arbitrary for Wang Yi to presume that only the Chinese side knows what the right choice is, that here's no room for discussion and negotiation; with other countries, that's the whole point of diplomacy
  • "be very prudent about what you do" — that's a little spooky, no?
  • [A lengthier comment by one student] I am quite confused about why Wang Yi used the phrase “好自为之” when addressing Rubio in this context. I understand that it can be interpreted as a suggestion for Rubio to take more responsibility. However, from a diplomatic perspective, “希望你好自为之” seems dismissive, almost sounds like a warning.
  • [Another lengthier comment]  I think the phrase should be translated according to the context and tone. With different context and tone, it can be translated very differently. Here in Wang Yi’s context (I am not sure of his tone), I think it is a neutral expression, close to “It’s up to you now”. [VHM:  That's not very nice either, especially coming at the end of his first conversation with Rubio.]

Even Singapore's largest Chinese newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, noticed the controversy over the meaning of "hǎo zì wéi zhī 好自为之" in this article.

What's going on here?

I've seen many instances where the foreign ministry spokesperson says something in English that is not in the supposed Chinese original, or something in Chinese that can't be found in the supposed English translation.  Often it's very clear that it's all right to say something that is suitable for the foreigner but is not suitable for domestic consumption, and vice versa.  So never believe the official Chinese translation, whether from Chinese to English or from English to Chinese.  Rubio is right about that (as quoted in the AP article).  We must not rely on the translations they supply.

These are not mistakes in Chinese.  They are intentional alter(n)tions.

 

Selected readings

[Thanks to IA]