Representations of Chinese migrant workers in Singaporean newspapers

This research examines Singaporean newspapers’ coverage of Chinese migrant workers and contributes to the study of media representation of migrant workers within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). A critical discourse analysis was conducted on 207 news articles published between 2013 and 2025 in leading Singaporean newspapers, focusing on the discursive representations of Chinese migrant workers. The analysis included articles from The Straits Times (English) and Lianhe Zaobao (Chinese), the two most prominent newspapers in Singapore. Media portrayals of Chinese migrant workers have become increasingly diverse, reflecting a broad range of topic categories. The representation of this group primarily falls into four types: vulnerable workforce, outsiders, precarious workforce, and hardworking contributors. These findings reveal the social perceptions, ideology, and media stance toward Chinese migrant workers in Singapore.