Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Critical Discourse Analysis of News Reports on the New Round of the US-China Tariff War from the Perspective of Proximization Theory

Hengli DaiSchool of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Using news reports from mainstream Chinese and American media on the latest round of the tariff war between China and the US as data, this study applies proximization theory to analyze the discourse strategies employed by the media. The study investigates how each side constructs the legitimacy of its own actions while delegitimizing the actions of the other. The results show that Chinese media mainly focuses on highlighting the negative impact of the US’s unilateral actions on the global economy, emphasizes China’s defensive role, and critiques the legitimacy of US policies. In contrast, American media portrays China as a direct threat, emphasizing China’s economic harm to the US and the potential security crisis. By providing a comparative perspective on media coverage of the same event, the study highlights the role of discourse in shaping public perception and political power dynamics. This study contributes to filling the gap in the discourse analysis of the US-China trade conflict and the application of proximization theory in political discourse.

Keywords: Proximization theory; Spatial-temporal-axiological proximization model; New US tariffs; News reports
Published: June 13, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.BO23806
Volume: CHR Vol.67
pp. 89-97
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