Reading the Contemporary Giant

Commercial links and cultural exchanges between China and Australia continue to strengthen. This emergence of China as the new world power is increasingly seen through the eyes of Western media, including the media in Australia. Does this mean more open Australian attitudes to China? Do cultural and political differences still result in media bias against China? What is the future of the bilateral relations between these two countries? Working from the Theory of Social Construction, this work centres on ABC's Foreign Correspondent and SBS's Dateline to uncover the ways that China's images are projected in Australia. The content and semiotic analysis of Australian produced television documentaries are conducted within the research paradigm of framing to examine what framing devices (e.g. visual symbols and myths) are used to shape the coverage. In-depth interviews with ABC staff explore the strategies to reframe China's images. This work should be especially useful for readers interested in China-Australian affairs, researchers in China Studies, and media professionals focusing on China.