The Positive Discourse Analysis On The Belt And Road News Reports And The Construction Of China Image Based On Appraisal Theory

In recent years,the study of discourse analysis has been a focused topic.The purpose of positive discourse analysis is to make people view the problem positively so as to make the society more stable and the world more beautiful.The world is connected as a whole,and economic globalization is an irresistible trend.The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted attention from all sectors of society since it was put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2013,and it has developed for seven years.During this period,Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has been held twice in Beijing.The Belt and Road Initiative grows gradually mature and its international recognition is increasing rapidly,although the attitudes of international public opinion on the Belt and Road Initiative are significantly different.Hence,the positive discourse analysis on the Belt and Road news reports and the construction of China image based on the framework of Appraisal Theory is of great significance to the external publicity of the Belt and Road Initiative and international image of China.Martin’s Appraisal Theory is the theoretical framework of positive discourse analysis.It includes three systems: attitude,engagement and graduation.The research method of corpus linguistics is to observe the language characteristics of language users through large-scale data analysis.Therefore,under the guidance of Martin’s Appraisal Theory,this thesis conducts a positive discourse analysis on the Belt and Road news report from China Daily by self-built corpus.The thesis includes three research questions:（1）What are the distribution characteristics of attitude,engagement and graduation resources in the Belt and Road news reports?（2）How are interpersonal meanings conveyed by attitude,engagement and graduation resources in the Belt and Road news reports?（3）What kind of international image of China has been constructed by the appraisal resources in the Belt and Road news reports?The findings are as follows:（1）There are abundant appraisal resources presented in the Belt and Road news reports.Attitude resources take up the largest proportion which is70.69%.Graduation resources account for the second-largest proportion,17.26% of the total.Engagement resources occupy the least proportion which is only 12.05%.（2）Firstly,the China Daily employs attitude resources to show many countries’ positive attitudes towards the Belt and Road Initiative and China,to judge the initiative a great idea,to judge China a powerful,proactive,dependable and trustworthy partner,to hail the benefits and contributions the Belt and Road has brought to the countries along the way and the world.Secondly,engagement resources are utilized to affirm that the Belt and Road brings benefit to the countries and regions along the route,to defend China and the initiative,to give evidence to prove China’s contribution to economic globalization and a more harmonious world.Thirdly,graduation resources are utilized to highlight the tremendous contribution of the Belt and Road and China to the countries and their peoples along the way,and to emphasize that the real aim of the common construction of the Belt and Road is to promote the global economic development,cooperation and prosperity.（3）Politically,China is a trustworthy and peaceful country;Economically,China is an open and cooperative country;Culturally,China is a friendly and inclusive country;Ecologically,China is a country paying attention to environmental protection and adhering to sustainable development.This thesis enriches the research for the application of Appraisal Theory in positive discourse analysis,opens another window for China to show its attitude and position towards the economic development and economic globalization and for international community to rightly and comprehensively understand the Belt and Road Initiative and hear Chinese stories.