News Media and EU-China Relations

234 Pages·2011·1.873 MB·English

by  Li Zhang (auth.)

Palgrave Macmillan Series in International
Political Communication
Series editor: Philip Seib, University of Southern California (USA)
From democratization to terrorism, economic development to conflict
resolution, global political dynamics are affected by the increasing perva-
siveness and influence of communication media. This series examines the
participants and their tools, their strategies and their impact. It offers a
mix of comparative and tightly focused analyses that bridge the various
elements of communication and political science included in the field of
international studies. Particular emphasis is placed on topics related to
the rapidly changing communication environment that is being shaped
by new technologies and new political realities. This is the evolving world
of international political communication.
Editorial Board Members:
Hussein Amin, American University in Cairo (Egypt)
Robin Brown, University of Leeds (UK)
Eytan Gilboa, Bar-Ilan University (Israel)
Steven Livingston, George Washington University (USA)
Robin Mansell, London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)
Holli Semetko, Emory University (USA)
Ingrid Volkmer, University of Melbourne (Australia)
Books Appearing in this Series
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The CNN Effect in Action: How the News Media Pushed the
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Media Pressure on Foreign Policy: The Evolving Theoretical Framework
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New Media and the New Middle East
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The African Press, Civic Cynicism, and Democracy
By Minabere Ibelema
Global Communication and Transnational Public Spheres
By Angela M. Crack
Latin America, Media, and Revolution: Communication in Modern
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Japanese Public Opinion and the War on Terrorism
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African Media and the Digital Public Sphere
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Islam Dot Com: Contemporary Islamic Discourses in Cyberspace
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Explaining News: National Politics and Journalistic Cultures in
Global Context
By Cristina Archetti
News Media and EU-China Relations
By Li Zhang
News Media and EU-China
Relations
Li Zhang
NEWS MEDIA AND EU-CHINA RELATIONS
Copyright © Li Zhang, 2011.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2011 978-0-230-10502-7
All rights reserved.
First published in 2011 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN®
in the United States—a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world,
this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-28946-2 ISBN 978-0-230-11863-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230118638
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zhang, Li, 1977–
News media and EU-China relations / Li Zhang.
p. cm— (Palgrave Macmillan series in international political
communication)
Based on the author’s thesis (doctoral)—University of Leeds.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. European Union—Press coverage—China. 2. China—Press
coverage—European Union countries. 3. European Union—Relations—
China. 4. China—Relations—European Union countries. 5. Mass media—
Influence—China. 6. Mass media—Influence—European Union countries.
7. Mass media and international relations—China. 8. Mass media and
international relations—European Union countries. I. Title.
PN5367.E87Z43 2011
070.4(cid:2)493375104—dc22 2010040690
A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India.
First edition: April 2011
For my parents
Contents
List of Figures ix
List of Tables xi
Acknowledgments xiii
List of Abbreviations xv
1 Introduction 1
2 Soft Power, Country Image, and Media- Policy
Interrelations in International Politics 13
Part I Media Perception and Influencing Factors
3 The Changing Images of China: A Longitudinal
Representation in the European Transnational Media 37
4 The Changing Images of the EU: A Longitudinal
Representation in the People’s Daily 63
Part II News Media–Foreign Policy Interrelations
5 China’s National Interests, Foreign Policy, and
the Media Coverage of the EU 87
6 Media Influence: Media Coverage and
the EU’s China Policy-M aking 111
7 Policy Indexing: Media Coverage and the
EU’s Human Rights Policy Regarding China 139
8 Discussions and Conclusions 165
Notes 179
Bibliography 213
Index 227
Figures
1.1 Relationships between the News Media and
Governments in EU- China relations 8
3.1 Changing Volume of Chinese Coverage in
the European Transnational Media, 1989–2005 39
3.2 Changing Coverage of Chinese News Stories by
Subject in the European Transnational
Media, 1989–2005 48
4.1 Changing Volume of EEC/EU News Stories in
the Coverage of European News Stories in
the People’s Daily, 1989–2005 66
4.2 Changing Focus of EEC/EU Coverage in
the People’s Daily, 1989–2005 70
6.1 Relationship between the News Media and
the EU’s Policy- Making Toward China 124
6.2 Relationship Between Media Coverage and
the Making of 1995 EU Policy Toward China 129
6.3 Relationship between the Media Coverage and
the Making of EU Policy toward China Since 1998 134
7.1 Changing Volumes of Chinese Human Rights
Reference and Focus News Coverage in
the European Transnational Media, 1989–2005 145
7.2 Changing Proportion of Economic and
Trade News Coverage of China in the European
Transnational Media, 1989–2005 159
8.1 The Reality, Media, and Policy Relationship 166
Tables
3.1 Distribution of Chinese Coverage by Subject in
the European Transnational Media, 1989–2005 41
4.1 EEC/EU Coverage by Subject in
the People’s Daily, 1989–2005 68
4.2 Tone of EEC/EU News Stories in
the People’s Daily, 1989–2005 72
6.1 Connection Between Emerging Issues in
the News Media and Statements in Policy Papers 132
7.1 Change of Salience of the Human Rights
Focus Stories in the European Transnational
Media, 1989–2005 146
7.2 Information Sources for Reporting on
Human Rights in China in the
European Transnational Media, 1989–2005 161
Acknowledgments
This book would not have been completed without the help and sup-
port of many people. The biggest debt of gratitude goes to my super-
visor, Dr. Robin Brown, whose guidance, comments, inspiration, and
encouragement have been invaluable in developing the research and
finishing my doctoral thesis, upon which this book is based. It was
from him that I started to know about research and found excitement
in doing it. I would also like to thank Philip Taylor, Katrin Voltmer,
and Daya Thussu for providing beneficial feedback at different stages
of the research and encouraging me in producing the manuscript.
Special thanks go to all my interviewees in Beijing and Brussels for
kindly agreeing to be interviewed for this research and their insightful
opinions during the conversation. I would also like to acknowledge
my appreciation to The Universities UK, the University of Leeds, the
Institute of Communications Studies in Leeds, The Universities’
China Committee in London, and The Great Britain-China
Educational Trust. Their generous funding allowed me to undertake
the research and conduct fieldwork in London, Beijing, and
Brussels.
My deepest gratitude is to my parents and husband, for their love,
care, and understanding. Without their constant support and encour-
agement, this book would not have been possible. My parents have
been a source of strength. They have taught me much while I move
along. My husband has kept me focused while standing beside me. I
would also like to thank my daughter, whose understanding of my
“non-accompany policy” while I was working on the manuscript has
given me great motivation.
Furthermore, I want to thank Phil Seib for his recommendation
of turning the thesis into a book. I am also grateful to Farideh
Koohi-Kamali and Robyn Curtis, my editors at Palgrave Macmillan,
for their patience and quick responses to my questions in the publi-
cation process.