Antagonistic Narrative Strategies with Chinese Characteristics : A study of Chinese media narratives during 2021

Abstract: This thesis investigates the usage of antagonistic narrative strategies in Chinese state media narratives about the European Union, thus gaining a greater understanding of the usage of narratives by authoritarian states. Articles published during March 2021 and November 2021 by the English-language Chinese state media organisation Global Times are analysed using a novel framework developed by Wagnsson & Barzanje (2021). This framework identifies three strategies used in antagonistic narration but has thus far only been applied to Russian media. Through the framework, the study found that Chinese state media narratively attacked the political systems of the EU and its member states, undermined their relationship with the United States, while also presenting a deepened EU-China relationship as constructive and necessary for the EU’s pursuit of strategic autonomy. The findings suggest that while the antagonistic narrative strategies used by Chinese and Russian media are the same, Chinese state media use different contexts and juxtapose the EU and its member states with different actors to cast them positively or negatively.