Is this not colonization? Framing Sino-South African relations in South Africa’s mainstream press

Abstract

Drawing on a media-centric framing theory, and utilising qualitative framing analysis, we examine how selected mainstream newspapers in South Africa framed Sino- South Africa relationships. We observe the ubiquity of negative anti-Chinese frames in the South African mainstream media. We demonstrate that these largely negative frames on China clustered around key issues: its economic relationship with South Africa; human rights issues; and China’s political ties with African regimes. We argue that the negative frames were a result of newspapers’ sourcing routines. Furthermore, we argue that anti-Chinese frames in the South African media sync neatly with a growing negative public perception of China, sustained by global media especially in the West and the US.