Discursive representations of China in the Gulf Cooperation Council English press: an appraisal system approach

The countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are important partners of China against the backdrop of the Belt and Road initiative. China and the GCC counties have established multidimensional strategic partnerships in recent years. Strong links between the two sides boost the media’s interests in reporting China. This paper, in light of Appraisal System, investigates how China is discursively represented in the GCC English press due to its relative lack of research and popularity among readers in the GCC and even in the world. It is found that China is primarily represented in a positive manner. China is depicted as the largest trade partner of the GCC, an important importer of the GCC energy, a key exporter to the GCC and the world’s fastest growing economy. Voices from the GCC political and economic leaders are the main sources of positive evaluations on China. However, the stereotyped image shaped by the Western media, such as China as a threat, lack of human rights and the absence of democracy, is occasionally constructed. Negative evaluations on China are mainly made by American and Indian officials, EU committee and dissidents, which are reproduced from the Western news agencies and prestigious Anglo-American newspapers in most cases. The reasons for China’s discursive representations in the GCC mainstream English press are discussed.