





































Education, Language and Sociology Research 

ISSN 2690-3644 (Print) ISSN 2690-3652 (Online) 

Vol. 6, No. 3, 2025 

www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr 

20 
 

Original Paper 

Presentation of China’s National Image in Foreign News Media 

Meng Qiao1 

1 Guangzhou College of Commerce, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China 

 

Received: May 21, 2025         Accepted: June 3, 2025      Online Published: June 16, 2025 

doi:10.22158/elsr.v6n3p20        URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/elsr.v6n3p20 

 

Abstract 

The article aimed to analyze the presentation of China’s national image through China related reports 

in BBC news website in the UK and CNN news website in the USA. The research utilized descriptive and 

qualitative approaches that used thematic, stylistic and content analyses to analyze the themes, content, 

and emotional tone in foreign news reports on China. Results of the data analysis showed that the 

common themes were on economic, healthcare, politics, sports and social issues. Stylistic devices like 

lexical, rhetorical, and syntactic strategies were used dominantly by journalist. A rising China, a 

cooperative China, a competitive China and a mysterious China were presented in foreign news media. 

Nonetheless, the emotion tone about China tends to be more negative than neutral or positive. Results 

would serve as a reference to better understand the international community’s perceptions of China, and 

ultimately cultivate awareness of international understanding through cross-cultural communication. 

Keywords 

BBC and CNN news, China, emotional tone, lexical, rhetorical and syntactic strategies, national image 

 

1. Introduction 

A national image is the expression and way of existence of a country’s objective situation. The “existence” 

involves a specific country’s history and current situation, national behavior, and activities whereas the 

“expression” suggests impression and evaluation in the minds of the international community and 

domestic people (Ye, 2012). Therefore, national image is not only a channel to wield the national power 

of a country, but also an important resource of national power. In the era of globalization, national image 

has become an important variable in the game between countries (Lu, 2015).  

Many literature that addressed the national image of China mainly focused on two opposite sides: the 

positive and negative image of China. The global survey conducted by Center for International 

Communication of China in 2018 generated a very comprehensive picture and optimistic view on China’s 

overall image, China’s image in economy, politics, and culture. Other surveys strengthened this image 

by stating four national images of China: a solidarity and bravery China; duty-shouldering and challenge-



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facing China; China that respect human lives and rights; and dedicated and committed China (Wu, 2021), 

and there is significant difference in the improving image of China before and after the international 

students’ visit of China (Zhao et al., 2022).  

However, the research on the national image of China is not always objective (Wang, 2021; Yan, 2019; 

Zhang, 2022), sometimes is very unfavorable by foreign media (Charles, 2016). Whether the national 

image of China is presented positively, neutrally, or negatively by media of other countries, is largely 

because of the economic, cultural, and other concerns of the country (Chen & Lee, 2023).  

On the one hand, many objective, subjective, and specific factors can contribute to the national building 

of China (Zhu & Zhang, 2022). On the other hand, the national image of China has great influence on 

many sectors of its economy (Fan, 2019; Hien et al., 2020; and Woo, 2019). 

However, despite the diversity and complexity of these related literature and contemporary studies on 

the national image of China, the researcher identified the following gaps or deficiencies: 

First, the current research on the image of the Chinese state in media world mostly starts from the 

perspective of Chinese media, lacking analysis of foreign media coverage related to China over a 

successively long period of time. Second, the existing discourse analyses of national image reports are 

mostly from the perspective of communication studies theory, focusing on the characteristics, functions, 

and strategies of communication studies. There is relatively little research on analyzing the national 

image from a linguistic perspective, especially from Burke’s terministic screen perspective on China’s 

national image. Besides, there are few studies on the national image of China both from the sources of 

CNN and BBC news media. 

The proposed study aimed to analyze the construction of China’s national image through China related 

reports in BBC news website in the UK and CNN news website in the USA, mainly exploring the 

frequently presented types of news, themes, stylistic devices used, emotional tendency presented, macro 

and micro selection strategies, and other possible factors and paradigms hidden behind the news 

presentation of China. Results of the present study would serve as a reference to better understand the 

international community’s views and perceptions of China, and ultimately cultivate awareness of 

international understanding through cross-cultural communication. 

 

2. Methodology  

2.1 Research Design 

The present study adopted a descriptive research approach, employing thematic, stylistic and content 

analyses. The researcher conducted thematic analysis to group news headlines into economy, politics, 

culture and other social themes. Besides, stylistic analysis was employed to discuss the stylistic devices 

of the news articles. In addition, the researcher adopted content analysis to classify the emotion tones in 

the extracted news and analyze the construction of China’s national image. 

 

 



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2.2 Corpus of the Study 

The data used for analysis in this study contain 20 pieces of digital news articles that were randomly 

selected by relevance to two keys words: China and Chinese from the BBC news website and CNN news 

website, as is shown in table 1 and table 2.  

 

Table 1. 10 News Articles from BBC News  

No. BBC News Articles Date 

BBC 1 Yinchuan: China restaurant gas explosion kills 31 22 June 2023 

BBC 2 China's New Iron Rice Bowl 23 September 2012 

BBC 3 China: A New World Order 29 August 2019 

BBC 4  Fifa Women’s World Cup Day nine: Argentina v South 

Africa, England v Denmark, China v Haiti 
27 July 2023 

BBC 5 World Business Report: Will China’s new central banker fix 

the crisis? 
26 July 2023 

BBC 6 Italy joining China's Belt and Road Initiative was atrocious 

move, defense minister says 
30 July 2023 

BBC 7 China's Old Age Challenge 11 December 2016 

BBC 8 China and America: Harmony and Hostility 15 September 2013 

BBC 9 Our World: China's Zero-Covid Trap 30 September 2022 

BBC 10 ChatGPT: Can China overtake the US in the AI marathon? 23 May 2023 

 

Table 1 shows the 10 news articles that were randomly selected from BBC news media website by 

utilizing China and Chinese as the searching keywords. The date of the news articles is from September 

23, 2012 to July 30, 2023. 

 

Table 2. 10 News Articles from CNN News  

No. CNN News Articles Date 

CNN 1 China + math Olympiad = rare U.S. victory 5 August 2015 

CNN 2 China leads its citizens to snow ahead of the 2022 Beijing 

Winter Games 
25 February 2018 

CNN 3 China devalues its currency: What you need to know 12 August 2015 

CNN 4 China launches third, most advanced aircraft carrier 

named ‘Fujian’ 
17 June 2022 

CNN 5 China approves world’s first inhaled Covid vaccine for 

emergency use 
7 September 2022 



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CNN 6 
Top Chinese bank targets Europe 16 September 2012 

CNN 7 China celebrates growth in wealth, power – and height 11 October 2021 

CNN 8 China to reduce abortions for ‘non-medical purposes’ 27 September 2021 

CNN 9 Weibo IPO leads Chinese stock invasion 17 April 2014 

CNN 10 Ancient teeth found in China challenge modern human 

migration theory 
15 October 2015 

 

Table 2 presents the 10 news articles that were randomly selected from CNN news media website by 

utilizing China and Chinese as the searching keywords. The date of the news articles is from September 

16, 2012 to September 7, 2022. 

 

3. Results And Discussion 

3.1 Themes Frequency Viewed in Foreign News Report about China 

 

Table 3. Frequency and Percentage of Themes in Foreign News Media about China 

Types of Themes Frequency Percentage 

Economy 7 35.00 

Healthcare 4 20.00 

Politics 3 15.00 

Sports 2 10.00 

Culture 1  5.00 

Education 1  5.00 

Technology 1  5.00 

Social Life 1  5.00 

Total 20 100.00 

 

Table 3 shows the frequency and percentage of different themes based on the 20 sample articles. 

Economic themed news accounts for the largest proportion, reaching 35%, followed by health themed 

news at 20%, political themed news at 15% and then sports news at 10%. Other themes include culture, 

education, technology, and social life, each with 5%. 

As Gómez (1994) pointed out, the writer’s perspective on what they will say or write is shown by their 

themes (p. 296). The frequency and percentage of the above themes from the data could suggest the 

general perspective and interest from BBC news media and CNN news media. The theme regarding 

economy is the hottest issue and makes up the biggest proportion (35%) in the collected data.  

The result could be supported by the study from Kantar (2018) and Basu (2024). Kantar (2018) believed 

that China’s economic influence gets more recognition and is going to be the biggest trading partner with 



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more and more countries. Another reason is probably that economic news is closely related to citizens’ 

life and influences the citizens’ perception of the governments (Basu, 2024). Therefore, economy-themed 

issues are more likely to be reported in news media.  

The percentage of healthcare theme (20%) is only second to economic issues, partly because The COVID 

-19 pandemic, as a global health emergency, has attracted a great deal of attention from the international 

community. The results also support the results of previous study by Liu et al. (2020), who found that 

the top three most popular themes in the fields of healthcare include prevention and control procedures, 

medical treatment, and research, and global or local social and economic influences. China’s lockdown 

policy in the combat against COVID-19 (S9) and China’s first inhaled COVID vaccine (S15) demonstrate 

the prevention and medical research from the Chinese government during the epidemic period. 

What ranked after the health issue is the political theme, with 15% in news media. This could be easily 

explained when considering the global survey by Center for International Communication of China (2018) 

that China’s overall image is continuously improving in the world, with its influence in international 

affairs ranked only next to the United States. Therefore, political issues concerning China and US relation 

would be one of the top concerns in foreign news media. The headlines of “China and America: Harmony 

and Hostility” (BBC 8) and “China launches third, most advanced aircraft carrier named “Fujian” ” (CNN 

4) are typical examples of this type of theme.  

3.2 Stylistic Devices Used in Foreign News Report about China  

3.2.1 Lexical Strategy 

Lexical strategy generally refers to vocabulary choice and grammar in a text, like abbreviation, 

shortening, compound words, fuzzy words, and other special words. In the data, BBC and CNN 

nationalists utilize specific words selection in the news reports, including double negation, modal verb, 

linking verb and compound word. 

Journalists and reporters choose specific term or word choices in news reportage to convey their attitude 

and emotion (Hamborg et al., 2019; Spinde et al., 2022; Rodrigo-Ginés, 2023). Data shows that the 

lexical strategies adopted in BBC and CNN news artifacts, including double negation, modal verb, 

linking verb and compound word.  

LS1: Double Negation 

Double negation is a grammatical structure that contains two negations. The tone of the double negative 

sentence is stronger than that of the affirmative sentence, strengthening the affirmative effect. This 

structure is usually used to strengthen tone or express strong emotions. The following are examples of 

three negations to express affirmative ideas in news coverage. 

(1)  

It is our final, we can’t look any further ahead than that game because everything else doesn’t matter. 

(BBC 4 para.12) [Emphasis added.] 

(2)  



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This is not without political risk, especially in the run-up to the twice-a-decade Communist Party 

Congress. (BBC 9 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

(3)  

“They live in a world where speed is essential, copying is an accepted practice, and competitors will stop 

at nothing to win a new market,” wrote Mr. Lee, a prominent figure in Beijing’s internet sector and the 

former head of Google China. (BBC 10 para.19) [Emphasis added.] 

In the example of “can’t look any further ahead” (BBC 4 para.12), double negations “can’t” and “any” 

are used to emphasize South Africa’s priority on the present, indicating the efforts and determination of 

their preparation for the final game. 

In the structure “not without political risk” (BBC 9 para.1), “without” first negates the following 

“political risk”, and then “not” negates “without political risk’ twice, thus expressing affirmative 

semantics through the negation of negation. It is used to emphasize the political problem that is likely to 

arise when the Communist Party Congress firmly carried out the coronavirus lockdown “zero-COVID” 

policy. This lexical strategy indicates BBC’s doubt on the effectiveness of zero clearing policy in China, 

which may influence the Chinese government's image in its ability to handle public affairs.  

Similarly, “stop at nothing” (BBC 10 para.19) means “to do anything to reach the goal”. However, “to 

do anything” is just a straightforward statement compared with “stop at nothing”, in which “nothing” 

negates itself first, then “stop” negates “nothing” again, forming a stronger sense of affirmation on China 

to take extremely improper means in the fierce global market, which implies China’s image of being 

over-competitive in the fierce technological competition between China and the United States.  

LS2: Modal Verb 

Modal verb represents possibility and commonly used expressions include can, could, may and might. 

These modal verbs are used to express the probability or likelihood of something happening, usually in 

uncertain situations. Here are some examples of how modal verbs are used in news article. 

(4)  

But China could catch up, according to analysts, as AI solutions take years to be perfected. (BBC 10 

para.4)[Emphasis added.] 

(5)  

...it would be difficult for China to prevent big swings in the yuan’s value.(CNN 3 para.18) 

(6)  

“But if they are talking about investing in a listed entity, it may look interesting from a long-term 

perspective because the asking price must be reasonable now.” (CNN 6 para.17) [Emphasis added.] 

For example, in BBC news report on the AI race between China and the US, “could” (example 4) implies 

the possibility that China may be comparable to the US in the future. Likewise, “would” (example 5) 

indicates the possible big fluctuation in the value of Chinese currency, and “may” (example 6) suggests 

that China are likely to conduct an international acquisition in the future. All these possibility suggests a 

rising China is likely to compete economically with Western powers in the future. 



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LS3: Linking verb 

The linking verb itself does not perform an action, but it is still a verb because it is part of a dynamic 

process. It is just a marker or representation of the state or property of the subject in this process. The 

following examples demonstrate how linking verbs help mark the uncertain condition. 

(7)  

How that message will affect the future of China’s AI industry remains to be seen. (BBC 10 para.37) 

[Emphasis added.] 

(8)  

...and many in the world’s most populous nation seem happy about it. (CNN 1 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

(9)  

The trend appears consistent with what Chinese researchers have found in their own studies. (CNN 7 

para.3) [Emphasis added.] 

In the first example, BBC journalist takes Zhao Weibo’s corruption case as a hint and then concludes 

that its influence on China’s AI industry “remains to be seen” (example 7) in a doubtful and uncertain 

tone. While reporting on China’s first failure to win the world math championship in 20 years, CNN 

journalist adopts “seem happy about it” (example 8) to describe the possible mentality of some Chinese 

people towards the result. 

In example (9), CNN journalist reports that China saw the largest male height increase between 1985 and 

2019. Nevertheless, reporter of CNN does not confirm the fact directly but selects “appear” to indicate 

the trend with a doubtful and uncertain tone. All these linking verbs in the news show their concern and 

doubts on China as a rising power.  

LS4: Compound Word 

Compound word in linguistics refers to a word composed of two or more words. They can create new 

concepts or expressions by combining different vocabulary, making language expression richer and 

specific. Here are two typical examples of compound word in BBC news report. 

(10)  

In recent weeks, tens of millions of people in China have again been confined to their homes in 

coronavirus lockdowns. This is not without political risk, especially in the run-up to the twice-a-decade 

Communist Party Congress. BBC China Correspondent Stephen McDonell travels across the country 

and meets people struggling to stay afloat, with their country showing no signs of abandoning its 'zero-

covid' policy. (BBC 9 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

(11)  

“This rough-and-tumble environment makes a strong contrast to Silicon Valley, where copying is 

stigmatized, and many companies are allowed to coast on the basis of one original idea or lucky break." 

(BBC 10 para.20) [Emphasis added.] 

(12)  



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Last week, as China celebrated the 72nd anniversary of Communist Party rule with a week-long public 

holiday, state-run media cranked up the patriotism to hail the country’s economic rise, military 

achievements, political clout – and even the height of its men. (CNN 7 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

In example (10), “twice-a-decade” combines three words into one by using two hyphens. Compared to 

“twice a decade”, there are no pauses between the words, so the semantic connection is closer, and the 

pronunciation time is shorter. It not only accurately expresses the specific time frequency, but also 

conveys a sense of urgency in terms of the tone of reporting. 

In example (11), “rough-and-tumble” is composed of three individual words, connected by two hyphens. 

The individual word “rough” means “not smooth, not gentle, not pleasant” while “tumble” refers to 

falling down. BBC reporter puts the two words together to be “rough-and-tumble”, creating a sense of 

chaotic and disordered atmosphere and leading the audience’s focus to the unfavorable side of China’s 

AI progress.  

However, in example (12), “week-long” is utilized to describe the special and long Chinese holiday, 

whereas “state-run media” suggests the attributes and possible position of the Chinese media in reporting. 

Though specific way of words combination, the journalists could tailor news content to target audiences’ 

cognitive and guide their emotional preferences to hold either a positive or negative view towards the 

image of China (MolekKozakowska & Wilk, 2021). 

3.2.2 Rhetorical Strategy 

Rhetoric is a technique used to modify language, which increases the presentation effect of language 

through the organization and processing of words and sentences. It mainly includes metaphor, idiom, 

personification, parallelism, and comparison. The use of rhetoric makes sentences more vivid and also 

conceal the true intentions of news reporters (Wang, 2021). 

RS1: Metaphor 

Metaphor is the act of secretly comparing one thing to another (Wang, 2021), and is used to make an 

abstract experience more concrete by describing this experience in terms of a journey, a disease, magic, 

war, or as a physical force (Anisa, 2022), as is shown in the following examples. 

(13)  

So Rana goes to visit a young Chinese PR executive and keen online shopper in her smart central Beijing 

flat - and discovers that she has only clambered onto the housing ladder with the aid of years of parental 

saving. (BBC 2 para.3) 

(14)  

So the math competitions become another bitter pill to swallow along the cutthroat road to success. 

(CNN 1 para.10) [Emphasis added.] 

One Chinese commentator, Wei Wei, compared math Olympiads to “gutter oil,” a reference to an 

infamous type of distilled sewage used by some restaurants to cut costs. (CNN 1 para.11) [Emphasis 

added.] 

(15)  



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This has fueled talk of a currency war (CNN 3 para.5) [Emphasis added.]  

In example (13), BBC journalist compares China’s rising housing price to a ladder to show the difficult 

life of the Chinese people when facing the market reform to encourage people to consume rather than to 

save. 

Similarly, when reporting on China’s first failure to gain the math championship in 20 years, CNN 

reporter introduces and comments on the negative effect of math competition on Chinese students and 

their parents. The reporter adopts metaphor through comparing a regular math competition to “bitter pill” 

and “gutter oil” (example 14), with the former indicating the unpleasant experience and the latter harmful 

to the body.  

By presenting the fierce math competition as two metaphors with negative connotations - “bitter pill” 

and “gutter oil”, the journalists indicate the drawbacks of education in China and lead the reader to have 

an visual understanding of the negative effects of Chinese mathematics competitions. 

In example 15, CNN journalist utilizes the war metaphor for China’s monetary reduction policy. Such 

metaphor magnifies the impact of Chinese monetary policy on the world and implies the negative 

consequence that China may bring to other countries. 

RS2: Idiom 

Idioms are fixed phrases gradually formed in the long-term development of language. Idioms originate 

from literary classics, historical stories, fables, life practices, and other aspects, and are well-known to 

people in general. Idioms are a treasure of language and culture (Sun, 2023), and the correct use of idioms 

in news can add lustre to articles and enrich the language and reasoning characteristics of news (Zhang, 

2018). The following phrases are two typical Chinese idioms used in BBC and CNN news report. 

(16)  

For decades, Beijing followed a policy of hide your strength and bide your time, but since Xi’s 

accession that has changed, creating alarm in the West over China’s growing influence. (BBC 3 para.2) 

[Emphasis added.] 

(17)  

Beijing’s focus on certain industries can bring financial incentives and loosen red tape, but it may also 

mean greater scrutiny, and more fear and uncertainty. (BBC 10 para.35) 

(18)  

“Primarily this is a liberalization attempt,” he says. “But it’s a clever move by China as it allows them to 

kill two birds with one stone.” (CNN 3 para.14) [Emphasis added.] 

Seen from the above examples, the phrase “hide your strength and bide your time” (example 16) is the 

translation of the Chinese idiom 韬光养晦 (tāo guāng yǎng huì). This idiom originates from the story 

of Li Chen in the Tang Dynasty of China, who had hidden his talents for many years, retreated deep into 

the mountains to avoid the annihilation of his own clan, and finally took advantage of the opportunity to 

seize power and become the emperor. The BBC journalist uses this idiom vividly to describe the previous 

Chinese government’s development strategy-hiding talent and seeking self-development. By 



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constructing a contrast with President Xi’s new political policy, BBC journalist may pose worry and 

concern to western audience about China’s growing influence. 

Another idiom “red tape” (example 17) refers to a large number of redundant and rigid regulations that 

can hinder action or decision-making. The first person to use red ribbons is generally believed to be King 

Charles V of Spain in the early 16th century. He used red ribbons to bind important documents that 

needed to be discussed in the national parliament during the modernization of national management, 

distinguishing them from other documents processed through ordinary administrative procedures. 

Therefore, BBC journalist uses “red tape” to imply China’s rambling long work efficiency in the past. 

The third idiom “kill two birds with one stone” (example 18) is equivalent to the Chinese idiom 一箭双

雕 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo), which originates from Chang Sunsheng in the ancient Northern Zhou Dynasty 

in China. While accompanying the Turkic king on a hunting trip, Chang Sun sheng saw two large eagles 

vying for a piece of meat in the sky. He shot an arrow while the two eagles were flying in a line due to 

the competition and killed the two eagles at once. CNN news journalist uses the idiom to describe how 

Bank of China addresses the issue of currency depreciation to achieve various purposes. 

The three idioms used to report news events about China not only arouse the interest of Western readers, 

but also better express that the policies adopted by China follow many tradition, thus successfully enrich 

the language and reasoning characteristics of news (Zhang, 2018). 

RS3: Personification 

Personification refers to imbuing lifeless objects with human like emotions, giving them life, or endowing 

other animals and plants in nature with qualities, behaviours, attitudes, and feelings that only belong to 

humans (Yang, 2022). The following examples exemplify how personification is utilized in BBC and 

CNN news report.  

(19)  

It is the birthplace of technology giants such as Google, Apple and Intel. (BBC 10 para.6) [Emphasis 

added.] 

(20)  

But to some, losing the Olympiad offers hope that painful, nightmarish years spent studying for the 

contest could finally be over.(CNN 1 para.3) [Emphasis added.] 

(21)  

...it’s a “revolutionary move” and will allow the market a greater hand in determining the yuan’s 

value.(CNN 3 para.11) 

(22)  

When it comes to phones, competitor WeChat seems to be eating Weibo’s lunch. (CNN 9 para.11) 

[Emphasis added.] 

In example (19), BBC journalist refer to Google, Apple and Intel as “technology giants” to give life to 

these companies. Since these companies were originally established in Silicon Valley, the journalist 

therefore calls this place as the “birthplace” of these giants. 



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When reporting about China’s first failure in the world math championship in the example (20), CNN 

journalist describes the time of preparation for the contest as “painful” and “nightmarish” years. This 

strategy gives life to the year, but it reflects more the suffering of Chinese mathematics competitors.  

Example (21) is a report on China’s policy change in devaluation that may influence other countries. 

CNN journalist quotes comments from Singapore strategist by saying that the market may behave like a 

human being with “a greater hand” in making decision and action on Chinese Yuan’s value. 

In example (22), the use of personification suggests the fierce competition between media companies 

even within China. CNN journalist utilizes “eating Weibo’s lunch”, personification to endow the fierce 

network platform competition with human characteristics. CNN journalist reports Weibo, one of China’s 

media platforms, lost internet users before its way to initial public offering because more and more 

Chinese users are switching to mobile devices, which are controlled by WeChat. By imbuing Wechat 

Company with life as if it were a person, CNN journalist visualizes the conflict of interests between the 

two media platforms.  

RS4: Parallelism 

Parallelism is a rhetorical device that emphasizes meaning through grammatical symmetry, including 

identical or similar words, phrases, or clauses. When reasoning, parallelism makes the argument more 

organized and logically clear, making it easier for readers to understand and accept (Fu, 2009). The 

following example (BBC 2 para.5) shows how parallelism structure helps enhance the reasoning effect. 

(23)  

So-if young people’s elderly relatives are looked after, if urban migrants are integrated into the welfare 

system, if healthcare and housing provision improves, perhaps such reforms will help grow the new 

nation of consumers the Government want to see. Or perhaps, as some of those Rana meets contend, it 

would be better simply to raise ordinary people’s wages. (BBC 2 para.5) [Emphasis added.] 

As shown, three “if” and two “perhaps” (example 23) are used as parallel structures when BBC journalist 

reports on China’s welfare system. Three “if” indicate three possible conditions and challenges that China 

may have to face. Then, the journalist chooses two “perhaps” to suggest that the challenges being 

discussed may have two possible solutions but there is still no clear evidence or guarantee. By using this 

rhetorical technique, BBC journalist is able to convincingly guide the audience to doubt China’s welfare 

system.  

Here is another example of parallelism structure used in news report.  

(24)  

Nearly everyone in the country uses the super app WeChat, for example. It is used for almost everything 

from sending text messages, to booking doctor’s appointments and filing taxes. (BBC 10 para.15) 

[Emphasis added.] 

In this report, BBC journalist utilizes three parallel verbs - “sending”, “booking” and “filing” to describe 

the enormous functions of WeChat. Such a strategy not only enhances the persuasiveness of language, 

but also implies China’s potential advantage in the AI competition.  



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In the following example (25), three parallel adjective words - “amazing”, “wild” and “variable” (CNN 

10 para.19) are used to describe the new discovery in China, which reflects the astonishment and surprise 

of CNN journalist in commenting on the big discovery in China. It may also arouse curiosity among the 

potential reader. 

(25)  

“I think that Asia is an unknown land,” she said. “The samples are amazing, they are wild, they are 

variable and I think in the next few years we are going to have surprises because they have a lot to say 

not only about Asian study but about the main stories that we have been talking about (regarding) human 

evolution.” (CNN 10 para.19) [Emphasis added.] 

In short, the parallelism structure not only strengthens the news content from a logical and structural 

perspective, but also guides the target readers to reflect on China's welfare system and its ancient and 

mysterious history. 

RS5: Comparison 

Comparison is usually the comparison of two things that have opposing or contradictory relationships. 

In foreign media reports on China, contrastive rhetoric is a commonly used technique to express true 

intentions. By comparing two related or unrelated events, it secretly presents their attitude tendencies 

(Wang, 2021). Here are some typical examples below: 

(26)  

Meanwhile, new variants of the coronavirus have impacted the protection offered by first-generation 

vaccines around the world, including China’s homegrown vaccines that provide less robust antibody 

protection compared with mRNA vaccines developed in the West. (CNN 5 para.9) [Emphasis added.] 

(27)  

China is seeking to continue their record of making it to the knockout stage of every Women's World 

Cup they’ve played in, while Haiti is searching for their first goal at a World Cup. (BBC 4 para.31) 

[Emphasis added.] 

In the above examples, whenever reporting on one issue in China, the journalist always makes a 

comparison with its counterpart from west countries. For instance, CNN journalist compares China’s 

homegrown vaccines with that developed in the West (example 26), making it more prominent that 

China’s vaccine has less robust antibody protection. Similarly, through comparison, there is a stark 

contrast between China’s pursuit of knockout rounds and Haiti’s pursuit of world championships 

(example 27).  

Here are more examples from samples of the report of China’s aircraft carrier “Fujian”: 

(28)  

Those two carriers used the ski-jump launching system, where planes would simply take off from a slight 

ramp, while US carriers use a more advanced catapult system to launch their aircraft. (CNN 4 para.16) 

[Emphasis added.] 



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All US aircraft carriers are also nuclear-powered, while the Fujian is believed to run on conventional 

steam propulsion, which Funaiole said would limit its reach. (CNN 4 para.19) [Emphasis added.] 

Seen from sample (28), though the focus of the report is on China’s most advanced aircraft carrier 

“Fujian”, CNN journalist again compares it with its counterpart in the US in terms of the different 

“launching system” and power mechanism, highlighting the advanced and powerful capabilities of US 

aircraft carriers. As a consequence, CNN journalist indirectly presents their attitude (Wang, 2021) to lead 

readers to have a preference of the aircraft carriers from the United States, implying China’s potential 

competitiveness and current shortcomings in politics. 

3.2.3 Syntactic Strategy 

Agu (2015) defined syntax as “the arrangement of words in a sentence or the grammatical arrangement 

of the various elements of a sentence” (p.25). It includes the various ways of using grammar and sentence 

structures, like use of phrases, use of clauses and use of sentences. 

SS1: Transition of “but” Structure 

The transition structure of “But” is commonly used in sentences to convey contrast and contradiction 

between two statements or ideas. The word “but” could be used as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction 

to guide some clauses. When “but” is used as a coordinate conjunction, it connects the components that 

indicate a transitional relationship before and after (Gu, 2011). 

The following examples show how the word “but” is used within a sentence in news report to make a 

transition of ideas and stance in different contexts. 

(29)  

Brown-Finnis’ prediction: China looked well organised against Denmark, but they don’t seem to have 

much in attack. (BBC 4 para.33) [Emphasis added.] 

(30)  

Beijing’s focus on certain industries can bring financial incentives and loosen red tape, but it may also 

mean greater scrutiny, and more fear and uncertainty. (BBC 10 para.35) [Emphasis added.] 

(31)  

In a country like China with lots of ambition but little in the way of an established winter sports industry, 

there’s a lot of potential. (CNN 2 para.19) [Emphasis added.] 

From the above examples, it can be observed that the cluster of words or clauses before “but” is to praise 

while those after it is to belittle, thus making a sharp contrast of ideas. For instance, when reporting on 

sports event (example 29), after praising the organizational ability of Chinese team, “but” is used by BBC 

journalist to doubt the attacking ability of the Chinese team. Likewise, in the report of AI technology 

(example 30), BBC journalist first affirms the positive role of the Chinese government’s economic 

policies before “but”, and then begins to state that the strict monitoring system in China will lead to 

corresponding negative effects.  



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Also, in the report on China’s preparation for 2022 Beijing Winter Games (example 31), CNN journalist 

first affirms China's sufficient preparation for the competition, then uses the transition word “but” to 

point out that China does not have a mature mechanism to support it.  

These are typical BBC’s and CNN’s strategy of using “but” to praise the advantages or efforts of China 

before belittling the possible negative effects, which successfully makes a transition in the tone and leads 

the reader to focus more on the negative presentation of China.  

Besides, “but” is also applied between sentences or paragraphs to make a great transition in ideas. Here 

is a typical example. 

(32)  

As the yuan is used more frequently to execute international transactions and payments, many predict 

that it will one day rival the dollar, euro and yen. (CNN 3 para.19)  

But it’s unlikely to take its place alongside the world’s most traded currencies quite yet, as China is still 

reluctant to enact many of the reforms that would make the yuan freely convertible. (CNN 3 para.20) 

[Emphasis added.] 

As shown in the sample above, report in CNN 3 para.19 is an affirmation of the competitiveness of the 

RMB currency, which may confront the dollar, euro and yen. Nevertheless, CNN journalist puts “But” 

at the beginning of para.20 to indicate a change in the tone. “It’s unlikely to take place” further negates 

the previous competitiveness, reflecting the journalist’s syntactic strategy of first promoting and then 

suppressing in news reporting to construct a rising China yet with quite a lot of problems in the field of 

economy.  

SS2: Adverbial Clause of Concession 

In sentences containing concessive adverbial clauses，the main clause and subordinate clause often have 

opposite meanings. The meaning of the subordinate clause is “retreat”, while the meaning of the main 

clause is “advance” (Wang, 2005). Obviously, the main clause has the upper hand in meaning. Here are 

a few typical examples below. 

(33)  

While Chinese tech companies certainly have unique advantages, the full impact of Beijing's 

authoritarianism is still unclear. (BBC 10 para.24) [Emphasis added.] 

(34)  

But although China’s two initial aircraft carriers increased its naval power, their capability was still far 

behind the US, which has a total of 11 of the vessels in service. (CNN 4 para. 15)[Emphasis added.] 

(35)  

And though rates of stunting and undernutrition have dropped dramatically around the country, they still 

remain common in poor rural areas, according to the 2014 study. (CNN 7 para.19) [Emphasis added.] 

(36)  

Weibo claims to have 130 million active users, although one academic study suggests that most of the 

site's content is generated by a small minority of users. (CNN 9 para.6) [Emphasis added.] 



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It can be seen from the above examples that “while”, “although” and “though” are used to connect 

concessive adverbial clauses. In example (33), the subordinate clause confirms China’s special advantage 

in AI technology, but the main clause ends with “unclear”, reflecting BBC journalist intention in 

prioritizing the latter. In example (34), the subordinate clause affirms the improvement in naval power 

of China’s aircraft carrier, then the main clause moves to the capacity “still far behind the US”, 

highlighting the insufficient aspect stated in the main sentence.  

The same syntactic strategy is also applied in example (35). The subordinate clause states the decline in 

undernutrition problem; however, the main clause points out such a problem “still remain common in 

poor rural area”, leading the reader to believe more in the problems in the rural countryside. Similarly, 

in example (36), the subordinate clause suggests that only a small group of users are producing the Weibo 

content, whereas the main clause presents a large number of active users, emphasizing Weibo’s capacity 

to attract users.  

This usage of adverbial clause of concession indicates that in reporting on China’s advantage and 

development, journalists tend to focus on the problems that exist in China.  

SS3: Rhetorical Question 

Rhetorical question is a question that ends in a question mark and is posed more for effect than to elicit 

a response. In news reporting, rhetorical questions are usually used to attract the audience's attention and 

strengthen the tone. At the same time, the form of questioning without answering also leaves room for 

imagination for the audience (Wang, 2021).  

There are two types of rhetorical question. One is affirmative rhetorical question, and the other is negative 

rhetorical question. Here are a few typical examples of affirmative rhetorical question from the data. 

(37)  

Will the huge affordable housing programme change how much they feel able to spend? (BBC 2 para.3) 

[Emphasis added.] 

(38)  

As Xi faces his greatest test yet - a confrontation in Hong Kong - how will the newly resurgent China 

react? (BBC 3 para.2) [Emphasis added.] 

(39)  

China’s elderly population is exploding. By 2050, forty percent of the country will be aged over 60. Will 

they be able to cope? (BBC 7 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

(40)  

There are questions, for instance, about whether censorship would affect development of Chinese AI 

chatbots. Will they be able to answer sensitive questions about President Xi Jinping? (BBC 10 para.25) 

[Emphasis added.] 

It can be observed from the above examples that affirmative rhetorical questions are posed by “Will” 

“how will” “Will they”. In example (37), after providing examples of people who have to face high 

housing prices but get limited support from the state, BBC journalist uses rhetorical question to address 



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housing programme and spending willingness, partly indicating the doubt on the effectiveness of China’s 

Government’s new policy to improve healthcare and housing.  

Besides, BBC and CNN journalists usually put forward rhetorical questions as how to cope with a 

problem or situation immediately after proposing the exact issue. For example, BBC journalist puts 

forward rhetorical questions as how China will react to the confrontation in Hong Kong immediately 

after proposing the same issue faced by President Xi (example 38). BBC journalist raises a rhetorical 

question as whether China is able to solve the aging problem since forty percent of Chinese will have 

been over 60 by the year 2050 ( exaple 39). Also, BBC journalist asks a rhetorical question in terms of 

the ability to answer sensitive questions about President Xi when “There are questions” about the 

effectiveness of censorship on the development of Chinese AI chatbots (example 40).  

It shows that the form of rhetorical questions has a stronger tone than general declarative sentences, and 

can better arouse people’s deep thinking and reflection. Just as Hågvar (2019) put it, these rhetorical 

questions are asked for the purpose that readers might be guided to stop and deeply reflect upon the issue 

when they are addressed directly to achieve an effect of levelling out the interpersonal imbalance between 

the newsroom and the readers and facilitate the eye-level communication ( p.14).  

Apart from the affirmative rhetorical question, here are two examples of negative rhetorical question 

from the data below.  

(41)  

“Uh oh, the U.S. now defeats China in exams. Isn’t our exam-oriented education supposed to be superior? 

(CNN 1 para.7) [Emphasis added.] 

(42)  

There’s also a pride factor as well, said Dreyer. What host country wouldn’t want to win more medals 

on its home turf? (CNN 2 para.21) [Emphasis added.] 

In the above examples, CNN journalists use the negative form of “isn’t” (example 41) and “wouldn’t” 

(example 42) to ask rhetorical question, indicating the journalists’ affirmative meaning of “the exam-

oriented education is not superior as supposed” in the former and “Every host country wants to win more 

medals on its homeland” in the latter. Although it does not directly express the viewpoint, it guides the 

possible answer to the question based on the preset position, affecting the audience’s understanding of 

the reported question (Wang, 2021). 

 

3.3 Emotional Tone Detected in Foreign News Report about China 

 

Table 4. Frequency and Percentage of Emotion Tone Presented in New Media 

Types of Emotion Frequency Percentage 

Positive 2  10.00 

Negative 12  60.00 



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Neutral 6  30.00 

Total  20 100.00 

 

Table 5 presents the frequency and percentage of emotion tone presented in the data. From the table, it 

can be seen that the BBC and CNN news media have the majority proportion of negative emotion tone 

reports on China, with 12 or 60%, followed by 6 news reports with neutral emotion tone (30%), whereas 

positive emotion tone reports are the least, with 2 or 10%.  

3.3.1 Positive Tone 

Positive tone refers to the optimistic, upbeat, and encouraging tone in news coverage, with a focus on the 

positive aspect of a story or event. As shown in table 15, BBC and CNN news media have the lowest 

proportion of positive emotion tone in their reports on China, containing only two news samples (BBC 

1 and CNN 10). The data suggests that both BBC and CNN journalists have a relatively low level of 

complete recognition of China. Below are the few examples to illustrate how the two reports on China 

are viewed in a positive tone. 

BBC and CNN news media have the lowest proportion of positive tone in their reports on China, with a 

small focus on China’s ancient history and China’s effort in handling disastrous gas explosion.  

(43)  

Nine people have been detained over an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in north-west China which 

has killed at least 31 people ( BBC 1 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

The death toll is expected to rise with at least seven people injured, one of whom is in a critical condition, 

Xinhua news agency reported (BBC 1 para.7) [Emphasis added.] 

President Xi Jinping has called for maximum efforts in treating the wounded and boosting safety 

measures (BBC 1 para.8) [Emphasis added.] 

“We must do our best to rescue the injured and reassure the families of the casualties, identify the cause 

of the accident as soon as possible, and seriously pursue responsibility according to the law,” Mr Xi 

said. (BBC 1 para.9) [Emphasis added.] 

The above examples are from a report on a restaurant gas explosion in China, in which BBC journalist 

first uses objective figures, like “nine people” detailed, “31 people” killed (para.1) and “seven people 

injured” (para.7) to represent the serious consequences of the event. Afterwards, BBC journalist collects 

a series of positive words, such as “called for maximum efforts” (para.8), “do our best to rescue”, 

“reassure the families” and “pursue responsibility” (para.9) to express the government’s concern about 

the incident and the great effort and determination to solve the problem. 

3.3.2 Negative Tone 

Negative tone refers to the negative, critical, and condemning tone in news report. Seen from table 15, 

negative tone takes up the highest proportion, up to 60%, in the samples. The data suggests that when 

choosing to report on China, journalists in BBC and CNN tend to emphasize and pay attention to the 



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existing problems that may weaken China's image. Below are some typical examples of negative tone in 

news reporting. 

By selecting a series of words and expressions with negative connotations in the report, BBC and CNN 

journalists display the highest proportion of negative tone in their reports on China. 

(44)  

China has named Pan Gongsheng as the new governor of its central bank, the People’s Bank of China 

(PBOC). The country is experiencing challenging economic times, with sluggish consumer spending, a 

crisis in the property market, weakening exports, record youth unemployment, and high local 

government debt.(BBC 5 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

When reporting on the personnel appointment of the new governor of people’s Bank of China, BBC 

journalist focuses on depicting the negative economic situation in China. By choosing adjectives and 

nouns with negative connotations, such as “challenging”, “sluggish”, “weakening”, “high...debt” and 

“crisis”, the journalist could deepen readers' negative understanding of the Chinese economy, and 

expresses concerns and doubts that the new governor may have difficulty in changing China’s current 

situation. 

3.3.3 Neutral Tone 

Between the positive tone and the negative tone, there is the neutral tone that provides objective 

information about a story or event. The data of 30% neutral tone news report in table 15 suggests that 

some of the news report from BBC and CNN could hold a quite objective view about China. 

The proportion of neutral tone ranges between positive and negative tones, providing quite informative 

message like objective figures about events, without obvious praise or deliberate negation. 

(45) 

This summer President Obama hosted the new Chinese Premier, Xi Jinping at an informal summit in 

Palm Springs. It was a clear sign of the importance placed on the relationship between the world’s two 

greatest powers. Both leaders stressed the need for their countries to cooperate - on a whole range of 

issues. And yet both sides are also competing against each other, economically, politically and, 

increasingly, in the military sphere (BBC 8 para.1) [Emphasis added.] 

In the above example, BBC journalist holds a neutral tone toward the relationship between China and the 

US by using equal comparison. Firstly, the journalist uses “the world’s two greatest powers” when 

mentioning the two countries, without emphasizing who goes first. Then, the journalist chooses “both 

leaders stressed” to affirm the need of cooperation for the two countries. Finally, the journalist changes 

the perspective by using “And yet both sides are” to emphasize competition between the two countries 

in the field of economy, politics, and military. Throughout the narrative, the journalist does not lean 

towards any side, but just fairly mentioning it. 

 

 

 



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4. The National Image of China Formed in the Pseudo- Environment 

4.1 A Rising China 

BBC and CNN journalists present the national image of China as a rising power in many fields, with 

priority on the economic field. For example, China is referred to as “a nation of producers” (BBC 2 

para.2), “a rising superpower” (BBC 3 para.1), one of “the world’s two greatest powers” (BBC 8 para.1) 

and “the world’s second largest economy” (CNN 3 para.21). Besides, China has an economy “crucial to 

people’s lives around the world” (BBC 3 para.1), has “a thriving internet sector” (BBC 10 para.14) and 

has become the “first country to green-light an inhaled Covid-19 vaccine” (CNN 5 para.1). Moreover, 

Chinese people’s general status has “increased” (CNN 7, para.6), people’s life quality has “improved” in 

just a few decades (CNN 7 para.7) with food supply and personal wealth expanded (CNN 7 para. 9). In 

addition, in military field, China has launched “its third and most advanced aircraft carrier” with better 

combat systems that maybe “fast catching up with” (CNN 4 para.1).  

However, when reporting on the upward development of China’s economy and society, BBC and CNN 

journalists often praise first and then criticize later, using rhetorical devices such as comparison, clause 

of concession, metaphor and specific vocabulary such as “while”, “although”, “but”, and other 

connectors to introduce opposite or negative side of the issue immediately after the positive reporting. 

At the same time, they also include sudden events, like gas explosion (BBC 1) and flooding (CNN 7) to 

present China as a rising power but with frequent disasters and numerous problems during the process of 

developing. 

4.2 A Cooperative China 

From the data, BBC reporters tend to show that China is an active and cooperative partner, especially in 

the economic field, when reporting on China’s development. For example, in BBC 6, when the reporter 

reports that Italy has joined China’s the Belt and Road Initiative, the journalist points out that China is 

“a partner” (BBC 6 para.10). Besides, the journalist sees more “potential” of the cooperation between 

China and Italy in the future (BBC 6 para.14). In addition, BBC journalist quotes comments from China 

to validate “fruitful results” between China and Italy due to their cooperation (BBC 6 para.15). This 

sample further proves the finding of the sixth global survey conducted by the Academy of Contemporary 

China and World Studies (ACCWS) and Kantar (2018), which pointed out that the Belt and Road 

Initiative proposed by China is beneficial to countries, regions and individuals. 

From a macro perspective in sample 8, BBC journalist reports on the relationship between China and the 

US in a more neutral manner, referring the two countries as “the world’s greatest powers” (BBC 8 para.1). 

Besides, through emphasizing “Both leaders [President Obama and Chinese Chairman Xi] stressed the 

need for their countries to cooperate - on a whole range of issues”, the journalist presents a growing and 

cooperative China on the international stage.  

Just as Wang (2021) put it, “the rapid development of the Chinese economy and the concept of a 

‘community with a shared future’ that China has always upheld have enabled China to actively engage 

in economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world” (p.56). However, the cooperative 



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image of China is only detected in BBC news report from the samples data and there is no sign of showing 

such a cooperative image in CNN news report in the data. For CNN news report, China is more likely to 

be presented as a competitive image, which will be illustrated in the following section. 

4.3 A Competitive China 

Accompanied by the image of collaborator is the image of competitor, which has been repeatedly 

mentioned in BBC and CNN reports and is mainly reflected in economic and political aspects. 

Firstly, China is presented as an opposing competitor by BBC and CNN media. For example, BBC and 

CNN journalists adopt competitive expressions with negative connotations to present the competitive 

image of China. Expressions like “growing tension between China and the west” (sample 3 para.4), 

“competing against each other” (BBC 8 para.1) and “it doesn’t shift the competitive environment” (CNN 

3 para.9) all indicate the competitive aspect of China. 

Secondly, the media emphasizes China’s damage to the Western economy, presenting China’s image as 

a “troublemaker” in the global economy, and weakens other countries as “victims”. For instance, China 

is unfairly stigmatized as “large-scale industrial espionage” and thief to “steal the west’s business secrets 

and technological know-how” (BBC 3 para.4) and China’s devaluation has “rattled” financial markets of 

the US (CNN 3 para.3), whereas the west becomes “victim” who just expresses their so called “concern”

（BBC 6 para.7) and worry (BBC 8 para.2) about China. 

Finally, from the perspective of BBC and CNN media, China becomes a huge challenge and even threat 

to the West. China is reported to be “the largest naval force in the world” (CNN 4 para.10) that could 

aggravate “growing geopolitical tensions” with the US (CNN 4 para.11) in the field of military. Also, 

China’s currency devaluation could “rival” the dollar, euro and yen (CNN 3 para.19) and could be 

“devastating” for the U.S. economy (CNN 3 para.3). 

4.4 A Mysterious China 

From the sample data, it can be seen that there is only one report on China (CNN 10) in the field of 

culture. Although the sample size is relatively small, it also partially reflects the foreign media’s 

preference coverage of China. Just as Wang (2021) proposed, culture is the common language of 

humanity and plays an important role in national communication and development (p.58). It is also an 

important manifestation of a country’s comprehensive national strength. 

As shown in artifact CNN 10, foreign media present China’s cultural image with positive evaluations. 

For instance, objective figure “dating back at least 80,000 years” (CNN 10 para.1) showcases the long 

history of Chinese civilization. In addition, evaluative superlative “one of the most importance finds 

coming out Asia” (CNN 10 para.3) suggests the significance of the “ancient teeth” found in China. Other 

evaluative adjectives like “stunning” (CNN 10 para.3), “unknown”, “amazing”, “wild” and “variable” 

(CNN 10 para.19) give full expression to the journalist’s surprise at the discovery of this mysterious 

tooth. Moreover, the journalist’s comment that “The research also raises questions about how and why 

modern humans reached Asia earlier than Europe” (CNN 10 para.11) reveals the academic significance 

of this mysterious discovery. 



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In summary, although it is the only one cultural topic report on China, media reporter has provided 

positive reports on the discovery of mysterious teeth, presenting the ancient and mysterious image of 

China. 

 

5. Conclusion 

In summary, BBC and CNN journalists have constructed four types of national images of China through 

topic selection and linguistic devices. However, these four types of images are not equivalent to China’s 

reality. On the one hand, the presentation of China’s rising, cooperative and mysterious image in BBC 

and CNN news report basically reflects China’s current development, suggesting foreign media’s 

attention and recognition of China’s progress. On the other hand, BBC and CNN news reports show an 

tendency to have an imbalanced presentation of the positive and negative aspects of China, first focusing 

on the positive and then capitalizing on the positive to prioritize the negative image of China. 

On the whole, positive tone and complimentary words take up very small proportion, and there is a clear 

negative tone in overall reporting. Although BBC and CNN news reports present some positive attitude 

about China, they focus more on the negative aspects of China. By forming a word screen, BBC and 

CNN news media shape China’s national image mainly from their own perspective with the national 

interests of the UK and the US as the starting point. 

 

Acknowledgements 

This article presents the author’s phased research findings in the construction of the following projects: 

[1] Research on the Assessment and Evaluation System for the Effectiveness of Course Ideological 

Construction in Sino-foreign Cooperative Education Projects in Guangdong Province (2023JXGG07); 

[2] 2021 Guangdong Provincial First Class Undergraduate Course “Communication and Presentation 

Skills” (2021SJYLKC01); 

[3] The 2022 Campus level project - Ideological Demonstration Course “Communication and 

Presentation Skills” (2022XJKCSZSFKC02) in Guangzhou College of Commerce. 

 

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