National identities of China and the U.S. in Kazakhstani media: a post-Russia–Ukraine war analysis

Following the outbreak of the Ukraine Crisis, Central Asia has emerged as a critical arena for geopolitical competition and geoeconomic rivalry between China and the United States. Understanding how Central Asian countries construct the identities of these two powers is essential for predicting their policy choices amidst Sino–American competition. This study draws on constructivist identity theory and Qin Yaqing’s theory of relational identity. Using a combination of topic modeling, corpus-based discourse analysis, sentiment analysis, and an inductive–deductive reasoning approach, it provides a comprehensive analysis of how Kazakhstan’s mainstream media constructs the identities of China and the United States, as well as the key factors shaping these representations. The study reveals that: (1) Kazakhstani media constructs China’s role identity as a regional economic driver and a key strategic partner, while also portraying its collective identity as a key actor in global governance. In contrast, the U.S. is portrayed as a globally influential financial power, a strategic partner, and a global security intervener. (2) The media discourse in Kazakhstan shows a selective emotional attitude: it actively embraces China’s role identity as an economic driver and strategic partner, alongside its collective identity as a key actor in global governance, when these align with Kazakhstan’s national interests. However, it remains cautious about the identity of the U.S. as a globally influential financial power and security intervener. (3) These identity differences primarily stem from the geopolitical pressures arising from the Ukraine Crisis and the China–U.S. rivalry, Kazakhstan’s strategic balancing of interests in its relationships with both China and the U.S., and the influence of its own multicultural context.