Constructing China’s national image through political discourse: A corpus-based diachronic analysis of government work reports (2001–2025)

National image is one of the elements of a country’s soft power, and China’s Government Work Reports (GWRs) serve a critical function in shaping this national image, as the state constructs and communicates its political and economic narrative to both domestic and international audiences. This study addresses gaps in previous research by combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches to the analysis of China’s national image, focusing on self - representation and the other - perspective. Specifically, it examines the English editions of 25 GWRs (2001–2025) using Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS), tracing keywords and their collocates over time and interpreting these patterns within the context of national image construction. Findings reveal a clear “global integration–domestic stabilization–global engagement” trajectory. During the global integration phase (2001–2010) terms including “World Trade Organization”, “opening up”, and “rapid growth” dominate, underscore China’s integration into the global economy. The domestic stabilization phase (2011–2015) foregrounds “structural adjustment”, narrowing “the rural–urban gap”, and “social harmony”, reflecting China’s efforts to manage internal social imbalances while maintaining stability. In the global engagement phase (2016–2025), phrases including “high-quality development”, “Belt and Road Initiative”, and “Chinese Path” signal China’s transformation from rule-taker to solution provider. Overall, China’s national image in its GWRs has transformed from a newcomer focused on speed, to that of a responsible leader setting global standards. The study offers a model case of applying CADS to the GWRs and provides a comprehensive account of how China’s national image has been constructed and repositioned in international communication.