Table 1.
Themes involving COVID-19 in news reports from China Daily and news releases from MFA.
| Discourse subjects | Themes | Key words and expressions |
|---|---|---|
| China Daily | China's COVID-19 response and prevention measures | contain, fight, boost, approve, widen, high-tech methods, herd immunity, vaccine, emergency use, COVID-19 testing, action, choices, COVID-19 booster shots, COVID-19 drug, feasible, |
| economic measures to mitigate fallout from COVID-19 | dampen, recover, credit expansions, positivity, recovery | |
| positive outcomes and recovery from China's COVID-19 response | inspire, speak for, end, recover, right thing, effective | |
| China's international cooperation on epidemic response | share, provide, call for, offer, international solidarity, supplies | |
| criticism and political issues related to COVID-19 response | sit out, political manipulation, groundless | |
| The MFA of China | China's capacity to handle COVID-19 cases | eighth edition of diagnostic and therapeutic protocols, vaccine progress, significant capacity |
| China's global leadership in COVID-19 response | chair, five “firsts”, in a timely manner, important | |
| China's contributions to the global fight against COVID-19 | curb, donate, contribute, support, proper and necessary measures, notable results | |
| international cooperation and assistance in fighting COVID-19 | implement, advancing, prepared, sharing information, international cooperation, solidarity, common development, consensus, source tracing, joint fight, joint mission, assistance, committed, joint statement, ready | |
| building a community of common health for mankind in the fight against COVID-19 | China-Arab community with a shared future, China-Africa friendship, a community with a shared future |
China Daily news reports primarily focus on China's domestic response to the pandemic, as well as its international cooperation and solidarity with other countries in the fight against COVID-19. They cover topics such as effective prevention measures, economic measures to mitigate fallout, sharing experiences and knowledge with other countries, positive outcomes and recovery, and criticism and political issues related to the pandemic response. On the other hand, MFA news releases emphasize China's global leadership and contributions to the fight against COVID-19, highlighting China's capacity to handle the pandemic, international cooperation and assistance, and the goal of building a community of common health for mankind. While both sources cover topics related to China's domestic and international response to the pandemic, MFA news releases tend to emphasize China's role as a global leader in the fight against COVID-19.