A Study of the Evolution of the Chinese Image Represented by Time Magazine from the Perspective of Appraisal Theory

There is a mismatch between China's international image and its status quo as a world power, which is, to a large extent, the result of the image projection of China by Western media headed by the American ones. The researcher searches the relational clauses attributing or identifying "China" with WordSmith tools in the sub-corpora of Time Magazine Corpus (Oct., 1949-Dec., 2007), and then analyzes the evaluation sources in these clauses referring to the attitude system and the engagement system. The findings are that the image of China is depicted by Time Magazine as very negative from 1949 to 1969, as somewhat positive in the 1970s, as slightly negative during the 1980s and the 1990s and overwhelmingly positive in the 2000s. Finally the researcher, after examining the American-Chinese relations (1949-2007), concludes that the image representation of China by Time Magazine has always been subject to the US's national interests, and that the apparent evolution of the Chinese image is in essence the result of the adjustments of America's global strategies.