Title: Sino-Thai economic cooperation under bri in the eyes of Taiwanese and Chinese media : A comparative study from 2017 to 2024
Author: Mr.Chun-tsung Yang
Year: 2024
Keywords: Sino-Thai, Taiwan, Belt and Road, Media Framing
Theme: Public Sphere and Media
Advisor(s): Pitch Pongsawat,
The full thesis available here.
Abstract: This study investigates how Chinese and Taiwanese media construct narratives around Sino-Thai economic cooperation, focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Through a comparative content analysis of 20 primary articles and 30 supplementary articles from People's Daily Online, The Paper, United Daily News (UDN), and Central News Agency (CNA), the research explores differences in thematic focus, narrative frames, sentiment tone, source attribution, and visual representation. Findings reveal that Chinese state media consistently employ centralized, development-focused frames with minimal dissent. In contrast, Taiwanese media, particularly CNA, offer more pluralistic and skeptical coverage, especially regarding Thai social responses to Sino-Thai economic and further cooperation. UDN presents a hybrid model, aligning with Chinese frames in its main coverage while allowing subtle variation in supplementary content. This research contributes to media systems theory and framing analysis by demonstrating how political context shapes international media narratives. It further highlights the importance of editorial independence in shaping public understanding of development cooperation and geopolitical alignment