Constructing China’s national image in external discourse on the “Dual-Carbon” goals from a critical discourse analysis perspective
批评性话语分析视角下中国“双碳”目标对外话语中的国家形象构建研究

摘要

构建“双碳”目标对外话语中的国家形象，是中国主动参与全球气候治理、争取国际话语权的重要实践。本文基于批评性话语分析理论，对2020年9月至2025年9月间中国主流外宣媒体发布的114篇“双碳”目标相关报道进行语料库分析和文本解读，从词频特征、搭配词网络和引语结构三个层面系统探讨了中国“双碳”目标对外话语中的国家形象构建逻辑和策略。研究发现，中国“双碳”目标对外话语系统性地塑造了一个兼具全球责任担当者、创新引领者和国际合作者三重身份的国家形象。这些话语策略不仅传递出中国在全球气候治理中的制度自信和技术实力，同时也彰显了其在国际合作中的积极姿态。

Abstract

The construction of China’s national image in external discourse on the “dual-carbon” goals represents a strategic practice through which China actively participates in global climate governance and enhances its international discursive power. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this study examines 114 news reports on China’s “dual-carbon” goals published by major external communication media between September 2020 and September 2025. Through corpus-based quantitative analysis using AntConc and qualitative textual interpretation, the study explores the linguistic patterns and discursive strategies shaping China’s image from three dimensions: word frequency features, collocation networks, and quotation structures. The findings reveal that China’s external discourse systematically constructs a multifaceted national image as a global responsibility bearer, innovation leader, and international collaborator. These discursive strategies not only convey China’s institutional confidence and technological strength in global climate governance but also highlight its proactive and cooperative stance in contributing to a sustainable future.