Wolf Warrior II (战狼2) and the Manipulation of Chinese Nationalism

Due to Xi Jinping’s increased censorship and propagandization of media outlets throughout the People’s Republic of China, many films produced and aimed for a primarily Chinese audience have to be firmly aware and diligent of certain nationalistic requirements they must pursue to be approved by the Chinese Propaganda Department and released in China. Wolf Warrior II,released in 2017 with box office sales accruing to US$874 million, was no exception to these harsh protocols and used this as an opportunity to promote a film that was not only nationalistic, but one that also used China’s many developmental projects and aspirations abroad as a platform to create the film. The film, to become popular among its Chinese viewers, not only praised China’s development efforts abroad – by taking a potent nationalistic interpretation of Xi’s current Belt Road Initiative – but also drew a dichotomy between the Chinese and the American presence in Africa, illustrating the capacity of...