How have three decades of change in Chinese society, business, and politics influenced its official media coverage of emerging partnerships and interactions with US business? This question was explored through text mining and semantic network analysis of 929 articles in China Daily and Xinhua News Service, from 1979 through 2011. The articles were examined via cluster analysis (grouping news stories with similar coverage) and factor analysis (revealing themes for each cluster). Four clusters of stories emerged, suggesting phases in Sino-American trade relations: 1979–1983 (emergence of basic principles), 1984–1987 (delicate balance between trade and politics), 1988–2002 (maturation of relations with American business), and 2003–2011 (tensions following China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization). Factor analysis revealed 17 themes throughout the period. A sense of historical inevitability surrounded China’s progress from the periphery to the core of globalization, while the US moved from sole player to one of many partners for China.
Akhavan-MajidRRamaprasadJ (2000) Framing Beijing: Dominant ideological influences on the American Press Coverage of the Fourth UN Conference on Women and the NGO Forum. The International Communication Gazette62: 45–59.
2.
BeaudoinCE (2007) SARS news coverage and its determinants in China and the US. The International Communication Gazette69: 509–524.
3.
CaiPLeePTPangA (2009) Managing a nation’s image during crisis: A study of the Chinese government’s image repair efforts in the “Made in China” controversy. Public Relations Review35: 213–218.
4.
China Daily (2004a) Troubles amid triumph as NATO expands eastward. March 30. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
5.
China Daily (2004b) FDI continues to be hotbed of debate. November 16. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
6.
China Daily (2005) Poor brand awareness hinders firms. July 29. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
7.
Chinadaily.com.cn (2005) China Daily: Chinese brands needed. October 29. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
8.
Chinadaily.com.cn (2007a) Xenophobia at heart of product panic in US. July 31. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
9.
Chinadaily.com.cn (2007b) China to beat Japan in US imports. August 24. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
10.
Chinadaily.com.cn (2009) The Jing. September 17. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
11.
ChoiaYLinY-H (2009) Consumer response to crisis: Exploring the concept of involvement in Mattel product recalls. Public Relations Review35: 18–22.
12.
CormanSKuhnTMcPheeR (2002) Studying complex discursive systems: Centering resonance analysis of communication. Human Communication Research28: 157–206.
13.
CurtinM (2012) Symposium: Chinese media and globalization. Chinese Journal of Communication5: 1–9.
14.
GoodmanRS (1999) Prestige press coverage of US-China policy during the Cold War’s collapse and post-Cold War years: Did a deteriorating Cold War paradigm set the stage for more independent press coverage?International Communication Gazette61: 391–410.
LeeCC (2012) China as a rising world power: Chinese press discourses. Chinese Journal of Communication5: 38–42.
18.
LeungCCMHuangY (2007) The paradox of journalistic representation of the other: The case of SARS coverage on China and Vietnam by western-led English-language media in five countries. Journalism8: 675–697.
19.
LiHTangL (2009) The representation of the Chinese product crisis in national and local newspapers in the United States. Public Relations Review35: 219–225.
20.
McPheeRDCormanSRDooleyK (2002) Organizational knowledge expression and management. Management Communication Quarterly16: 274–281.
21.
NgSHYeJLeeCC (2011) Media discourse on globalization in China: A social-psychological analysis. Journal of Language and Social Psychology30: 139–157.
22.
PanZLeeCCChanJM (1999) One event, three stories: Media narratives of the handover of Hong Kong in cultural China. The International Communication Gazette61: 99–112.
23.
SeongCH (2013) Scare sells? A framing analysis of news coverage of recalled Chinese products. Asian Journal of Communication23: 86–106.
24.
ShanBWanL (2008) Discursive imbalance and deficiency in intercultural news communication. Chinese Journal of Communication1: 156–167.
25.
SongYChangT-K (2013) The news and local production of the global: Regional press revisited in post-WTO China. The International Communication Gazette75: 619–635.
26.
SorokaSN (2003) Media, public opinion, and foreign policy. The International Journal of Press/Politics8: 27–48.
27.
StoneGCXiaoZ (2007) Anointing a new enemy: The rise of anti-China coverage after the USSR’s demise. The International Communication Gazette69: 91–108.
28.
Xinhua General News Service (1979a) Cuba-U.S.S.R.’s citrus fruits garden. March 30. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
29.
Xinhua General News Service (1979b) Viet Nam’s war preparations undermine peace negotiations. April 26. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
30.
Xinhua General News Service (1980) FRG chancellor on visit to Moscow. July 4. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
31.
Xinhua General News Service (1981) House committee calls for practical deeds to expand U.S.-Chinese relations. July 17. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
32.
Xinhua General News Service (1986) US permits sale of supercomputer to India. November 2. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
33.
Xinhua General News Service (1994) Brown’s China trip to redefine relations, not deal with disputes. August 25. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
34.
Xinhua General News Service (1997) Towards a China-US relationship for the 21st century: Qian. April 30. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
35.
Xinhua General News Service (2001) Chinese ambassador calls for healthy, steady Sino-U.S. ties (part two). March 30. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
36.
Xinhua General News Service (2003a) Chinese hope ancient shadow art will animate cartoon industry. March 8. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
37.
Xinhua General News Service (2003b) US government opposes a 27.5 pct tariff on Chinese-made goods: US ambassador. November 11. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
38.
Xinhua General News Service (2005a) China focus: Chinese industry outraged by ‘hasty, unwise’ US decision on textile imports. May 15. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
39.
Xinhua General News Service (2005b) HK, Asian base for US companies. October 26. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
40.
Xinhua General News Service (2007) Interview: Chinese American community leaders call for fair U.S. treatment towards Chinese products. September 1. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
41.
Xinhua General News Service (2009) Top Chinese legislator stresses importance of upholding principle of free trade. September 8. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
42.
Xinhua General News Service (2010) Quotable quotes from Chinese president’s tour in U.S. April 13. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
43.
Xinhua General Overseas News Service (1985) Sino-American conference on telecommunications to take place in October. August 7. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
44.
Xinhua General Overseas News Service (1987a) Head of U.S.-China trade council urges new China trade policy. November 20. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
45.
Xinhua General Overseas News Service (1987b) Round-up: Senate China trade caucus a success. November 20. Available at: LexisNexis Academic database.
46.
WangJWangZ (2007) The political symbolism of business: Exploring consumer nationalism and its implications for corporate reputation management in China. Journal of Communication Management11: 134–149.
47.
ZhouH (2000) Working with a dying ideology: Dissonance and its reduction in Chinese journalism. Journalism Studies1: 599–561.
