Africa-China relations: 'Lawrence of Arabia' vs 'Wolf Warrior II'

In 1962, the British historical epic Lawrence of Arabia depicted an English soldier fighting a colonial power — the Ottomans. In 2017, the hero is Chinese, the film is Wolf Warrior II, and the enemies are US mercenaries.

- Seifudein Adem

Much has changed between these two films, yet the parallel is also remarkable.

TE Lawrence, played by Peter O'Toole, appears to fight for Arab liberation, but in doing so, he clears the way for British dominance in the Middle East. Similarly, as People’s Liberation Army soldier Leng Feng rescues Africans from foreign mercenaries, he advances the image of China as Africa’s protector.

Both films centre on a foreign saviour, supposedly superior, whose triumph benefits his homeland as much as those he claims to help.

In Lawrence of Arabia, a British officer assures King Faisal that “British and Arab interests are one and the same”. In Wolf Warrior II, the same logic applies — Chinese and African interests align. Indeed, an illusion of benevolence is a common denominator in imperial discourse.

Lawrence echoes Rudyard Kipling’s poem White Man’s Burden, a defence of European imperialism. China has yet to produce a similar literary justification but its rhetoric of “development” mirrors Europe’s “civilising mission”.

Both Britain and China emerge victorious on screen. Off-screen, however, the future of China’s global role is less certain.

European empires annexed territory. China avoids this, preferring dominance through economic power. Beijing insists it does not “interfere” in domestic affairs.