The Foreign Policy of the People's Republic of China in Central Asia

This thesis examines how the Chinese concept of mutual benefit is reflected in the media discourse of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan during the period 2017–2026. Theoretically, it is grounded in social constructivism, and methodologically, it draws on critical discourse analysis applied to selected Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz media outlets. The thesis examines how relations with the People’s Republic of China are linguistically framed, which actors contribute to their construction, and what power relations the discourse legitimises. The results show that the official discourse in both countries largely adopts the Chinese narrative of mutual benefit and legitimises cooperation through development, infrastructure, and modernisation. At the same time, however, critical frames emerge in connection with Xinjiang, public distrust, environmental impacts, and debt. The comparison shows that Kazakhstan is more often constructed as a relatively equal partner, while Kyrgyzstan is portrayed as a more submissive junior partner.