China’s National Image in News Reporting on “Dual Carbon”: A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Study

Abstract

This article applies a corpus-based harmonious discourse analysis to explore China’s image as represented in a series of “dual carbon” Chinese (i.e., China Daily) and foreign (i.e., The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post) English-language outlets over the period from 2014 to 2023. The findings show that China is reported in a generally positive light, particularly in Chinese English-language newspapers. China is depicted as a reliable partner that assumes responsibility for global environmental governance, cooperates with other countries, pursues mutual benefit and a win-win outcome, and aligns with the principle of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. However, a stereotypical image of “China as a polluter” is occasionally constructed in American and British newspapers, largely shaped by political factors, although this portrayal has shifted toward a more positive side in recent years. Moreover, Chinese harmonious ecological philosophy, which holds that humans and nature are a community of life and should be harmonious to achieve integration, is presented behind the Chinese “dual carbon” discourse. This study may contribute to the corpus-assisted ecological discourse studies and offer insights into the construction of China’s image.