This study examines the portrayal of China's economic image in the German popular media during the post-COVID-19 era, focusing on Bild, Germany's most widely circulated newspaper. The research analyzes China-related economic news reports from Bild's online version (bild.de) published from January 2020 to March 2024, with particular emphasis on the first quarter of 2023-2024. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, including text and discourse examination, the study compares the constructed image of China's economy during three distinct periods: the COVID-19 outbreak years (2020-2022), the year 2023, and the first quarter of 2024.
The findings reveal that Bild's portrayal of China's economy evolved from "economic collapse" arguments during the pandemic to "economic threat" narratives in the post-epidemic era, while maintaining a predominantly negative tone. The study identifies 69 China-related reports in the first quarter of 2023-2024, with 26 specifically addressing the Chinese economy. Key themes include macroeconomic pessimism, criticism of the real estate sector (particularly the Evergrande crisis), accusations of "commercial espionage" in Sino-German trade, skepticism towards Chinese e-commerce platforms in Europe, and unexpectedly positive reporting on China's new energy vehicle industry.
By offering insights into the dynamic construction of China's economic image in popular German media, this study contributes to the understanding of international communication trends and provides a foundation for future research on media representation of national economic images in the post-pandemic global context. It also highlights the need for more longitudinal studies on popular media's economic reporting, particularly in the context of Sino-German relations.

Authors:
Zhao Zhao, People's Daily Online, China

About the Presenter(s)
Zhao Zhao serves as the Senior Editor of People's Daily Online's International Communication Center.

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