Narrating DeepSeek to the Self and the Other: Discursive Constructions of Technological Power in Chinese Official Media

Emma Lupano

2026-01-01

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Abstract

This article examines the Self-to-Self and Self-to-Other discursive construction of China’s technological advancement through media coverage of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI start-up that gained international visibility after releasing new models in early 2025. Using this event as a case study, the contribution investigates how the company’s rise is narrated to domestic and international audiences through a contrastive analysis of Renmin Wang, the Chinese online edition of the Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily), and its Italian-language counterpart, Quotidiano del Popolo. Drawing on postcolonial theory and Critical Discourse Analysis, the study adopts a qualitative, corpus-assisted approach to examine how DeepSeek is framed as a symbol of national achievement through the political concept of “strong country,” which casts innovation as a national, state-guided effort. While RMW situates the story within a collective discourse that downplays individual agency in favour of Party-led progress, QDP adopts a more assertive tone, portraying China as a “technological powerhouse.” The comparison reveals discursive asymmetries – international-oriented texts place greater emphasis on China’s global competitiveness – and discursive ambiguity – both corpora convey ambivalence, depicting China as a rising power, a cooperative actor of the Global South, and a formerly marginalised nation seeking postcolonial recognition. This fluid positioning reflects China’s attempt to reshape its global image while maintaining solidarity with (and support by) developing countries.