Diverging Narratives, Distorting Lenses: France and China Climate Action Through the Media

Climate change mitigation remains one of the few areas in which France and China agree on the importance of sustained cooperation. Between 2007 and 2024, the two countries issued nine declarations and administrative arrangements on this topic, and referred to it in four more general statements.

The media, however, do not seem to echo this displayed official harmony. An analysis of press articles in France and China dealing with the other country’s climate action reveals biases, gaps and distortions of information on both sides.

The analysed publications were thus chosen for the similarities of their targeted audience : Xinhua (新华社) and the AFP because they infuse the whole media coverage in their respective countries; the People’s Daily (人民日报) and Le Monde, because they both target civil servants, executives, and readers with an interest in public affairs; the Economic Daily (经济日报) and La Tribune, widely read by economic actors; the Global Times (环球时报) and Le Figaro, to include titles that aim at an audience looking for a more opiniated coverage. The selected Chinese articles focus either on France or on the EU, considering that Brussels policies also apply to France. In 2023, the four French media published a total of 78 articles on China’s climate action, while the Chinese titles dedicated 58 articles to France’s or the EU’s. A content analysis of this selection reveals the image that French readers have of Chinese climate action, and vice versa.

The Chinese audience has access to a fair amount of information about French and EU climate legislations, thanks to the close monitoring of environmental policies by Xinhua and the People’s Daily. But it is also fed with articles caricaturing Europe’s climate action as driven by protectionist purposes and depicting China as the victim of economic discrimination. This is a clear trend of the Chinese coverage: out of the 58 articles selected based on their reference to climate change, 14 focus on the detrimental economic consequences for China of France’s and Europe’s climate policies. The very nationalist Global Times is the most obvious proponent of this editorial line. Its articles denounce a "loose-loose strategy" and warn that "if the EU investigates Chinese companies in wind energy, electric vehicles, solar energy and other fields, and then imposes so-called punitive tariffs, it will encounter countermeasures from China and harm the interests of European companies. And it won’t help advancing the EU’s green industry either". They systematically label EU’s potential rises of tariffs as a protectionist behaviour violating WTO rules. Similar articles can be found in the Economic Daily, rebuking Europe’s CBAM as a measure of "green protectionism", "probably infringing WTO principles" and that could "cause trade chaos and drag down the European economy". The tone even gets threatening when EU policies on electric vehicles (EV) are discussed. "Investigating Chinese EV? ‘This weapon could backfire’", warns The Global Times, while the Economic Daily denounces a "naked protectionist act".

While Chinese media focus on unfair competition, they lose sight of the decarbonation targets guiding French and EU policies. They remain mute on France’s and the EU’s actions on the international stage, on their diplomatic role and their cooperation initiatives. Paris and Brussels are thus not portrayed as actors and even less as models of decarbonation initiatives, but rather as minor players suffering from international events they have little control over: most articles mentioning the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan actually depict it not as an EU pro-active decision to lower its carbon footprint, but as a defensive economic reaction after the US launched its "Inflation Reduction Act".

This article from Le Monde, titled "China, champion of renewable energies… and a coal addict", is the perfect summary of this ambivalent perception. When it comes to assessing China’s ability to meet its carbon emission targets, French articles can also go both ways: while Le Monde released an article pointing that "China is having the greatest difficulty following the set trajectory", Le Figaro praised the "breath-taking speed" with which the country built renewable energy capacities, "virtually guaranteeing to reduce electricity production from fossil fuels and CO2 emissions by 2024".

Ambivalence also prevails about China’s international positioning. All selected French publications acknowledge the country’s weight in international negotiations and its strong influence on "Global South" countries. But they also depict it as an actor whose agenda favours economic development over climate mitigation.

Overall, as with the Chinese coverage, the French one is largely dedicated to the economic impact of climate policies (19 articles out of 78). And while the Chinese denounce the EU’s hypocrisy in its refusal to buy cheap Chinese goods that would help decarbonation, the French one conveys a pessimistic vision of the impact the race for green technologies can have on the EU’s economy and sovereignty. It also insists on the tilted and unfair nature of China’s competitive advantage, likely to ruin the EU’s production capacities in EV and renewables.

Many factors influence how media tell the story of a country’s climate actions: access to information, the presumed interest of the readers, and the editorial line set by the instances to which the media are accountable, reflecting the countries’ political system. A better informed, less partial media coverage of climate action would contribute positively to the global collective engagement against climate change and would provide a sound base for bilateral cooperation. Better access to information on policies implemented in China, on their impact and challenges, would help give a more accurate picture of the situation in the country. Reporting in China how measures implemented in the European Union are reducing greenhouse gas emissions could foster a positive dynamic, whereas conveying the idea that EU’s climate actions are purely instrumental casts a cynical light on global efforts to curb climate warming. Similarly, sharing with media readers the mutual recognition both powers display in international fora and high-level official discussions, would help limit a "politicisation" of the climate change field.

At a time when countries committed to the Paris Agreements are working on their first Biennial Transparency Report and on their updated National Determined Contributions, limiting the trust deficit tainting the France-China partnership has never been more crucial.

Copyright image : Jeff PACHOUD / AFP