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Framing the Belt and Road Initiative: Australian mainstream media narratives from 2013 to 2020

This thesis focuses on Australian mainstream media narratives about China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from 2013 to 2020. Through a frame analysis of articles in outlets such as The Australian and The Age and interviews with prominent experts in this field, this study found that the narratives surrounding the BRI shifted in tone from mostly supportive to highly critical. This thesis, therefore, illustrates the significant impact of the Australian Federal Government’s policy towards China on the coverage of the BRI, and not vice versa.