DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE FEATURES OF TEXTS PRODUCED BY UKRAINIAN ANALYTICAL CENTERS ABOUT CHINA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RUSSIA–UKRAINE CONFLICT

Abstract

The article presents a discourse-linguistic analysis of the distinctive features of texts produced by Ukrainian analytical centers about China in the context of the Russia – Ukraine conflict. Based on corpus material covering the period 2022–2025, the study examines key frames of the representation of the PRC as well as the linguistic means through which the image of China as an international actor is constructed. The author identifies the dominance of evaluative vocabulary associated with risk and threat, the active use of modal constructions expressing probability and hypotheticity, and the presence of binary oppositions (“democracy – authoritarianism,” “West – East,” “victim – aggressor”) that shape a normative model of the political worldview. It is established that the expert discourse of Ukrainian analytical centers combines formal neutrality with implicit evaluative positioning and extensively employs metaphorical models (“axis,” “chess,” “pressure,” “leverage”) as a tool for geopolitical interpretation. The study demonstrates that discourse about China performs not only a descriptive function but also a pragmatic one, related to legitimizing Ukraine’s foreign policy stance and mobilizing international support.