Home Gudgeon and gist Language Log PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi's not-so-subtle reprimand falls on deaf ears

PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi's not-so-subtle reprimand falls on deaf ears

Language Log 2025-02-10

Seldom does a matter of correct / precise translation go viral the way these words of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to American Secretary of State Marco Rubio did:  "hǎo zì wéi zhī 好自为之".  The set phrase ("chéngyǔ 成語") has been rendered scores of different ways, most of them dismissive or pejorative.

Why Wang Yi’s message to Marco Rubio may have been lost in translation: There has been much discussion about how to interpret an idiom used by China’s foreign minister in talks with the US secretary of state

Meredith Chen, South China Morning Post (1/28/25)

Clearly, Wang Yi meant to teach Marco Rubio (and the United States) a lesson.  China is accustomed to using such undiplomatic tactics, not just toward America, but to all other countries "under heaven".  By using serpentine (especially appropriate for this year) sleight of tongue, China's representatives think that other nations will not retaliate against their rebukes and insults because they are, oh, so very clever — so they think.

China’s top diplomat held his first phone conversation with the new US secretary of state on Friday, days after Donald Trump’s return to the White House brought more uncertainty to relations.

Since then, there has been much discussion about how to translate a four-character Chinese idiom used by Wang Yi when he was talking to Marco Rubio: hao zi wei zhi. Interpretations of Wang’s message to Rubio – a China hawk who has been sanctioned twice by Beijing – have varied, from the foreign ministry calling it a warning to “act accordingly”, to a foreign media outlet translating it as “conduct yourself well”. So what was Wang really saying?

How it got translated

After the call, China’s foreign ministry released a readout in English saying that Wang had cautioned Rubio to “act accordingly” and “play a constructive role for the future of the people of China and the United States, as well as for the peace and stability of the world”. State news agency Xinhua interpreted it as Wang telling Rubio to “make the right decisions”. Reuters translated the idiom as “conduct yourself well” while Bloomberg’s interpretation was “conduct yourself properly”.

Before delving deeply into the implications that have been extracted from Wang Yi's infamous idiom, let's look at what the four bare characters signify:

hào 好 ("be fond of, like, have a tendency to, be prone to") / hǎo 好 ("good, well, carefully, properly"), and many other meanings and parts of speech depending upon context)

zì 自 "self"

wéi 为 "do"

zhī 之 "it"

Wiktionary offers an excellent treatment of this quadrisyllabic idiom, both in its original, ancient, classical meaning, where 好 in Modern Standard Mandarin (MSM) is pronounced in the fourth tone ("be fond of, like, have a tendency to, be prone to") and in its corrupted, contemporary meaning, where 好 in MSM is pronounced in the third tone ("good, well, carefully, properly").

What does it actually mean?

According to the Xinhua Dictionary of Idioms, the phrase hao zi wei zhi means to “handle things properly yourself and act accordingly” and is often used when giving advice to others. That was also the verdict on Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account run by state broadcaster CCTV. A video posted to the account on Saturday said the idiom was “often used to advise someone to properly manage their own affairs, or else they will have to bear the consequences”. Another Yuyuan Tantian video ran through several translations for the idiom: a casual way to say “suit yourself” with a hint of negativity and criticism; a more serious reminder or caution to “behave yourself”; a way to say “take care of yourself” that conveys a sense of contempt; and it can also be used with a heavier tone to express rejection by saying “you care about yourself then”.

Diplomatic context The idiom has been used before in diplomatic exchanges and has previously been translated into English – in different circumstances – as “make the right choice” or “be very prudent about what you say or do”, according to Yuyuan Tantian. According to its video on the topic, the idiom is used to convey a message of caution to others. It said Wang’s use of the phrase highlighted the “subtlety of diplomatic language” and was an effort to present China as a great power issuing a “stern reminder” to another party. It said the implication was that “if the US insists on an anti-China stance, it will have to deal with the consequences”, and Wang was issuing “a reminder to the US government about what to say and do over the next four years”. Well-known political commentator Qiu Zhenhai, who has more than 2 million followers on social media network Weibo, also weighed in on the debate on Saturday, saying the phrase could imply that “[we can] temporarily put past issues aside and let’s aim to open a positive chapter for the future”. “These are rather serious words, not something used between friends or in a cheerful atmosphere,” Qiu said in a video post. “It suggests that something unpleasant has happened but I do not want to escalate the conflict, and even extend some courtesy to you.” Beijing has previously used the idiom in response to other countries’ engagement on issues it deems sensitive, such as the Taiwan Strait, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

 

Exegesis of allusion

Although Wang Yi was almost certainly unaware of the classical basis of the demeaning gibe he directed at Marco Rubio, its ultimate source is from the Huáinán Zǐ 淮南子 (Master Huainan) (before 139 BC).

Zhǔ shù xùn 9.25: Jūn rén zhě bù rèn néng ér hàozìwéizhī, zé zhì rì kùn ér zìfù qí zé yě

主術訓 9.25:  君人者不任能而好自為之，則智日困而自負其責也。(Chinese Text Project)

"The Ruler's Techniques", 9.25:  If the ruler does not rely on capable people but wants to do everything himself, then his wisdom will be taxed daily, and he will be burdened with responsibilities.

—-

John S. Major, Sarah A. Queen, Andrew Seth Meyer, and Harold D. Roth, tr., ed., intro., and annot. Liu An, King of Huainan, The Huainanzi, "The Ruler's Techniques"), 9.25:  A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China (New York: Columbia University Press, 2010), p. 323.

 

Afterword

A learned friend told me that "hàozi wěi zhī 耗子尾汁" (lit., "mouse tail juice") (Baidu) is a homophonic expression for "hào zì wéi zhī 好自为之", and that we should throw it back in Wang Yi's face.

Other popular homophonic versions of Wang Yi's daft insult are "hàozi wěi zhī 耗子萎汁" (lit. "mouse wilt / wither juice"), "hàozi wèi zhī 耗子喂汁" ("mouse suckle juice"), etc.

 

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