Wu Jianmin

I was in Vietnam on Friday, and had a chance to meet a senior Filipino diplomat. Talking about how China and the Philippines should improve their strained ties under incoming President Rodrigo Duterte, he suggested inviting one prominent and open-minded Chinese diplomat to give a lecture in Manila later this year.

"Who do you think would be the right one?" I asked.

"Ambassador Wu Jianmin," the Filipino replied, without any hesitation. "He is a truly respectful diplomat for his exceptional manner, decency, and global view. I'm sure he will be welcomed."

He then asked if I could help. I accepted the request and said I would contact the 77-year-old former Chinese ambassador to France once I was back in the office on Monday.

But a huge shock came on Saturday morning, when Wu tragically passed away in a fatal car accident in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, that morning. He was on his way to give a lecture at Wuhan University to share his views of the current international situation.

I was devastated for I have been a longtime supporter of Wu's thoughts and views. His sudden death would be a huge loss to China's diplomacy and the academia of international relations.

In China, Wu was known as a hardcore "pigeon", who advocated always using peaceful and diplomatic means, like dialogue, to resolve differences between countries, instead of resorting to hardline ways, like showing muscle.

He famously argued that "anyone who resorts to war will fall in the current era of peace and development".

He was even involved in a recent intense debate with Major General Luo Yuan, a researcher at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Military Science Academy. The latter, a known hawk, is a solid proponent of hardline diplomacy.

Wu's viewpoints left him open to fierce attack by hawkish pundits. Some ultra-nationalists, including many Chinese netizens, even labeled him as a "traitor" to the country.

But I would say that Wu's views should be cherished and appreciated in today's world when we see the slowdown, even retreat, of globalization.