Ten years of transformation: A comparative analysis of American news coverage on China during Xi’s initial and fifth US visits

This study investigates the evolution of American news coverage of China over a period of ten years, comparing the portrayals during the Chinese president’s initial and fifth visits to the United States (US) in 2013 and 2023, respectively. Previous research on media coverage of foreign countries suggests that foreign policy and bilateral dynamics significantly influence the media’s use of agendas and tones when reporting on issues related to the country. However, few studies have examined how dramatic changes in a country’s foreign policy towards another in just a decade would be reflected in the media coverage of that country. To address this gap, the study conducted a content analysis of news reports on China during Xi’s 2013 and 2023 visits. The findings indicate that US media coverage of China was increasingly shaped by US foreign policy towards China, particularly as the main American political parties’ views on China converged over the decade.