Strategic Comrades? Russian and Chinese Media Representations of NATO

Abstract

This article analyses perceptions of NATO in Chinese and Russian press narratives. China and Russia are often mentioned together as they share a common (geo)political position towards a perceived hegemonic West. We analysed frames constructing NATO, a key Western military alliance, at the time of the Warsaw summit in 2016 as well as the origins of the frames, stemming from the sources quoted. Both countries frame NATO foremost as an aggressive organisation stuck in Cold War confrontational worldviews while Russia and China are open to dialogue and cooperation. The main narrative that emerges, therefore, centres on the self-proclaimed moral superiority of Russia and China.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 ‘Remarks by President Biden on America’s Place in the World’, The White House, 4 February 2021, available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/02/04/remarks-by-president-biden-on-americas-place-in-the-world/, 4 February 2021, accessed 4 February 2021.

2 See also Boc (2015, p. 537).

3 ‘About Us’, Moscow Times, available at: https://themoscowtimes.com/, accessed 5 January 2016.

4 ‘About Us’, Shine, 2017, available at: https://www.shine.cn/about.shtml, accessed 2 April 2021.

5 All italics in the quotes have been added by the authors to pinpoint the exact locus of discursive construction.

6 Emphasis added. ‘Moshch’ Putina rastet bukval’no na glazakh’, Kommersant’’, 6 July 2016, available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3031157, accessed 7 March 2021. All translations from Russian were done by Lisbeth Smeyers and Fien De Coninck.

7 Emphasis added. ‘Moshch’ Putina rastet bukval’no na glazakh’, Kommersant’’, 6 July 2016, available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3031157, accessed 7 March 2021.

8 Emphasis added. ‘Stoltenberg: NATO ne schitaet Rossiyu neposredstvennoi ugrozoi’, Kommersant’’, 9 July 2016, available at: https://rg.ru/2016/07/09/stoltenberg-nato-ne-schitaet-rossiiu-neposredstvennoj-ugrozoj.html, accessed 7 March 2021.

9 Emphasis added. ‘US Sends Soldiers, Black Hawk Helicopters to Latvia’, Moscow Times, 13 July 2016, available at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2016/07/13/us-sends-soldiers-black-hawk-helicopters-to-latvia-a54563, accessed 7 March 2021.

10 Emphasis added. ‘Russia Blasts NATO for Cold War Mentality’, China Daily, 25 May 2016, available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2016-05/24/content_25443392.htm, accessed 4 March 2021.

11 Emphasis added. ‘NATO Ponders New Ground Force’, China Daily, 4 May 2016, available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2016-05/04/content_25042041.htm, accessed 4 March 2021.

12 Emphasis added. ‘NATO to Send Troops to Deter Russia; Putin Orders Snap Checks’, China Daily, 16 June 2016, available at: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2016-06/16/content_25727471.htm, accessed 4 March 2021.

13 ‘Russia Says Will Retaliate if US Weapons Stationed on its Borders’, China Daily, 16 June 2015, available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2015-06/16/content_21016038.htm, accessed 12 March 2021.

14 Emphasis added. ‘Russia Ready to Cooperate with West Without Ceding its Own Interests: Putin’, People’s Daily, 12 January 2016, available at: http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0112/c90777-9002045.html, accessed 4 March 2021.

15 Emphasis added. ‘Officials Say 10 Soldiers Killed in US Airstrike’, China Daily, 21 July 2016, available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2015-07/21/content_21365059.htm, accessed 4 March 2021.

16 Emphasis added. ‘28 Killed in Ankara Bomb Attack on Turkish Military’, Shanghai Daily, 18 February 2016, available at: https://archive.shine.cn/world/28-killed-in-Ankara-bomb-attack-on-Turkish-military/shdaily.shtml, accessed 4 March 2021.

17 Emphasis added. ‘NATO Backs Turkey on Islamic State, Some Urge Peace with Kurds’, China Daily, 28 July 2015, available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2015-07/28/content_21433875.htm, accessed 4 March 2021.

18 ‘China “Not an Enemy”, But NATO Must Face Growing Role, NATO Chief Says’, Euractiv, 8 June 2020, available at: https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/china-not-an-nemy-but-nato-must-face-growing-role, accessed 9 June 2020.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lutgard Lams

Lutgard Lams, KU Leuven Campus Brussels, Bronstraat 7, B-1700 Dilbeek, Belgium. Email: [email protected]

Hedwig de Smaele

Hedwig de Smaele, KU Leuven Campus Brussels, Karel de Floustraat 15, B-8000 Bruges, Belgium. Email: [email protected]

Fien De Coninck

Fien De Coninck, Damaststraat 18, B-9030 Mariakerke, Belgium. Email: [email protected]

Charlotte Lippens

Charlotte Lippens, Ooststraat 16, bus 5, B-8800 Roeselare, Belgium. Email: [email protected]

Lisbeth Smeyers

Lisbeth Smeyers, Konijnenstraat 93, B-1930 Zaventem, Belgium. Email: [email protected]