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<p>This article examines the role of Chinese state media in sustaining China’s external communication through softball questioning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conferences. We develop a typology of four questioning strategies—charm offensive, negative othering, criticism mimicking, and preemptive counterframing—and analyze 4,988 questions posed by state media from 2020 to 2025. Our findings reveal frequent use of these strategies, varying across temporal and thematic contexts to address evolving external communication needs. Charm offensive and negative othering dominate, promoting positive images of China and criticizing rivals, while criticism mimicking and preemptive counterframing enable controlled rebuttals of international criticism. This study highlights the strategic function of softball questioning as a medium of state propaganda, advancing understanding of China’s media politics and external communication beyond traditional news framing approaches.</p>

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State Media Questioning at Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Conferences, 2020–2025

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月6日

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  • Lize Yang,
  • Arianna Ioki,
  • Hai Yang

摘要

This article examines the role of Chinese state media in sustaining China’s external communication through softball questioning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conferences. We develop a typology of four questioning strategies—charm offensive, negative othering, criticism mimicking, and preemptive counterframing—and analyze 4,988 questions posed by state media from 2020 to 2025. Our findings reveal frequent use of these strategies, varying across temporal and thematic contexts to address evolving external communication needs. Charm offensive and negative othering dominate, promoting positive images of China and criticizing rivals, while criticism mimicking and preemptive counterframing enable controlled rebuttals of international criticism. This study highlights the strategic function of softball questioning as a medium of state propaganda, advancing understanding of China’s media politics and external communication beyond traditional news framing approaches.