Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis - ECU Access Only

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

School

School of Arts and Humanities

First Supervisor

Paul Arthur

Second Supervisor

Danielle Brady

Abstract

This discourse-based doctoral research explored the representations of China in Australian news reports between 2018 and 2020. It examined reports concerning China from the news outlets of News Corp Australia (The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser, Mercury, and Northern Territory News), Nine Entertainment Company (The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and WA today), and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2020. The thesis focused on the most frequently reported topics – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Huawei, and Confucius Institutes (CIs).

Drawing upon Systemic Functional Linguistics, transitivity analysis, appraisal analysis, framing analysis, and critical discourse analysis revealed that China’s image was negatively constructed through the negative representations of the BRI, Huawei, and the CIs in Australia. The BRI was represented as a means of China seeking expansion, growing influence, and even global hegemony. It was framed as posing threats and risks, not only to Australia, but also to those countries which had collaborated with China through the BRI projects. Huawei was framed as threatening Australia’s cybersecurity, and national security. The CIs in Australia were framed as having close links with the Chinese government and challenging academic freedom in Australian universities.

Appraisal resources were most abundant in the BRI-related news, and the analysis revealed that the BRI was appraised as causing strategic and economic concerns, leading to uneasiness regarding debts, environmental impact, and most importantly, geopolitical implications. The appraisal was associated with the Australian media’s overwhelming reliance on Australian officials’ voices, which were typically negative and critical.

This thesis also examined the relationship between Australian media representations of China and the trilateral relationship between Australia, China, and the United States. Australian media coverage of China has the potential to significantly shape public perceptions and evaluations of China, especially when a stereotyped historical China threat discourse prevailed, personal experiences were lacking, and allied countries – in this case the US – shared the same agenda and presented a similar image. The construction of China’s image as a threatening country seeking hegemony and global dominance could be detrimental to the Australia-China relationship, despite the close links of the two countries in terms of trade, economy, education and tourism.

This research has illuminated the relationship between language, power and ideology in intercultural reporting and therefore may contribute to a better understanding of the complex role of the media in shaping public perception of an ‘Other’ country. The application of linguistic tools to media studies has contributed to the interdisciplinary studies of language and media.

DOI

10.25958/3hs7-ks67

Access Note

Access to this thesis is embargoed until 7th February 2030

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Available for download on Thursday, February 07, 2030

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