Representing the other: a critical discourse analysis of British media coverage of China’s role in climate change

Linlin Liang, Hongli Wang () and Fei Li
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Linlin Liang: Xi’an Jiaotong University
Hongli Wang: Xi’an Jiaotong University
Fei Li: Xi’an Jiaotong University

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract News media play a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of climate change and constructing national identities. However, limited research has examined the discursive strategies and underlying ideologies employed by Western media in reporting on China’s role in climate change. This study applied corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis to a dataset of 283 articles from The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, examining how British media construct China’s role in climate change through five key discursive strategies: (1) nomination, framing China’s role by naming social actors, objects/phenomena/events, and processes/actions in layered and selective ways; (2) predication, evaluating China’s climate actions through specific verb choices and comparative language; (3) argumentation, attributing climate responsibility to China primarily through topoi of numbers, responsibility, definition, and threat; (4) perspectivization, predominantly featuring specific sources including government, social institutions, international organizations, opinion leaders, and the public; and (5) intensification/mitigation, amplifying or downplaying China’s actions and responsibilities using adverbs and modal verbs. These strategies serve to position China as both a central actor in global climate governance and as the other, highlighting its contributions while emphasizing its responsibilities and challenges as a major emitter. The findings provide critical insights into the power dynamics of global climate politics and their reproduction in media discourse, informing future studies on international climate communication.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05456-w

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