Constructing China in Global Climate Governance: A Corpus-Based Analysis of The New York Times’ Discourse

Abstract

This study applies corpus linguistics methods to examine The New York Times’ coverage of Chinese climate issues from 2023 to 2024. Using LancsBox 6.0, the research conducts a critical discourse analysis at both macro and micro levels. The macro-level analysis identifies the overarching narrative framework and implicit ideological orientations within the reporting, while the micro-level analysis investigates collocational patterns to uncover lexical choices and discursive strategies. The findings show that The New York Times not only focuses on China’s policy developments and practical actions regarding climate governance but also frequently highlights the reactions of the United States and other countries. The reports demonstrate a dual stance: they acknowledge China’s contributions to renewable energy development and global climate governance while simultaneously expressing skepticism toward China’s continued reliance on fossil fuels and the effectiveness of its climate policies. High-frequency keywords such as “China,” “climate,” “energy,” and “emissions,” together with their salient collocates, construct a multi-layered narrative that reflects complex geopolitical dynamics and evaluative positions. This study contributes to understanding how international media shape global climate governance discourse and offers insights for enhancing China’s discursive power and international influence in climate communication.