RUSSIA’S NATIONAL IMAGE IN XINHUA’S WEIBO COVERAGE (2020–2025)

Feng Yi

The article examines the image of Russia constructed by the Chinese news agency Xinhua on the Weibo social network between 2020 and 2025. The object of the study is the Russia-related publications of Xinhua’s official account. The subject of the study is the specific features of the media construction of Russia’s national image amid the transformation of the digital media environment and international political communication. The aim of the study is to identify the key characteristics, mechanisms and trends in the formation of Russia’s image in Chinese official media. The methodological basis comprises content analysis, thematic analysis, quantitative analysis, sentiment analysis and comparative analysis. The theoretical framework draws on framing theory and agenda-setting theory. The findings show that Xinhua constructs a predominantly positive and multidimensional image of Russia. The greatest attention is devoted to Russian–Chinese political cooperation, international diplomacy, historical memory, economic interaction and humanitarian contacts. The practical significance of the study lies in the applicability of its results to research on international communication, media discourse and national-image-building strategies in new media. It is concluded that social platforms are becoming an important instrument of the political and symbolic representation of the state in the contemporary information space.

Keywords:national image, Russia, China, Xinhua News Agency, social media, media framing