This study analyzes Global Times coverage of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict from 2022 to 2025 to examine Chinese media discourse on the conflict. It applies Fairclough’s three-dimensional critical discourse analysis framework, adopting a mixed-methods approach that integrates quantitative corpus linguistics with qualitative discourse analysis.

The findings reveal that the Global Times constructed a blame-the-West narrative by heavily relying on keywords such as “NATO expansion”, thereby framing Russia’s military action as a “preemptive war”. Although Global Times frequently cited Western sources, it achieved semantic reversal through selective quotation and reinterpretation. Projecting a pro-Russia stance in media while officially adhering to neutrality, China maintains a delicate balancing act: it sustains strategic cooperation with Russia while avoiding direct diplomatic repercussions. The media discourse also underscores China’s long-standing apprehensions about color revolution and its opposition to the U.S.-led international order.

The study further warns that such discourse could reinforce hawkish attitudes among the Chinese public, potentially escalating the risk of military confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region.