Media Framing and Strategic Narratives: A Comparative Study of China’s Trans-Border Road Infrastructure Projects in Nepal Across Local, National, and International Platforms

Abstract

China's trans-border road infrastructure initiatives in Nepal have become contentious spaces of development, connectivity, and geopolitics and have been receiving diverse interpretations on various media platforms. While Beijing presents such projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as collaborative efforts building regional integration, local and global narratives sharply diverge. This research utilizes a comparative mixed-method design—text-mining based quantitative analysis along with qualitative framing analysis—to analyze how China's road projects in Nepal are framed in English and vernacular Nepali media, Indian media, and international sites from the US, UK, Russia, Japan, and China. Discoveries demonstrate a divided media sphere: local English media often highlight disruption, government shortfalls, and economic hazards; vernacular media target pragmatic news and logistical solutions; Chinese media always promote a cooperative and connectivity-based narrative; whereas Western and Indian media highlight security issues, vulnerability, and disaster disruptions. These differences indicate how media framing is not just influenced by journalistic routines but national priorities and geopolitical inclinations as well. By tracing the contesting discourses that organize public opinion and policy discourse, the study highlights the significance of media narratives in determining the strategic importance of trans-border infrastructure in South Asia.