Discursive Strategies Of The Chinese Media On Sino-EU Trade Disputes

The European Union (EU) is China's biggest trading partner and largest export market, whereas China is EU's second trading partner and biggest source of imports. With such a strategic trade partnership between China and the EU, it is of tremendous significance to conduct in-depth researches on Sino-EU trade disputes.After critiquing the mainstream universalistic approaches to media communication and trade disputes, this paper proposes to adopt a multiculturalist approach to discourse and Shi-Xu's cultural-equilibrium view of the Chinese media discourse. With this holistic and multiculturalist perspective, the study examines how Chinese official media respond to and resist against the discourse of cultural repression, that is, explores the discursive strategies adopted by Chinese media on Sino-EU trade disputes. The data was collected from Xinhuanet. With an overall empirical analysis on the issue of Sino-EU antidumping in 2006, the analysis of data shows that Chinese media are (1) responsive, (2) resolute and (3) oppositional to hegemony in cultural power equilibrium. Meanwhile, the empirical study presents a theoretical framework to examine Chinese media discourse communication with the west, and suggests a conceptual framework for the Chinese media communication with the west, on the issue of Sino-EU trade disputes in particular.My empirical study is not designed to reveal a "real" Chinese trade situation with the EU, or to argue whether China or EU members are on the right track. My study centers its attention on the discursive strategies employed by Chinese media communication through the media communication process of Sino-EU trade disputes. In this respect, this study theoretically broadens academic scope and enriches perspectives on the issue of Sino-EU trade disputes. Meanwhile, it helps the international community more holistically understand Chinese media as well as its culture from a more local and historical view.