1 Introduction

This section elaborates on the research background of international Chinese textbooks as carriers for disseminating China's image, points out the long-standing neglect of China image construction in textbooks, and explains that this study takes "China's image" as its theme, employing quantitative content analysis and qualitative text analysis methods to conduct multi-dimensional analysis of six sets of textbooks from three historical stages since the founding of the People's Republic of China, aiming to clarify the representations of China's image in different periods and propose construction suggestions from the functional, normative, and aesthetic dimensions.

2 Research Tools and Theoretical Framework

This section introduces the 4D model of national image proposed by Buhmann et al., which integrates Smith's view of national identity, Ajzen and Fishbein's attitude theory, and Eisenegger and Imhof's reputation model, comprising four dimensions: functionality, normativity, aesthetics, and empathy. The study selects three dimensions of cognitive components—functionality, normativity, and aesthetics—as analytical categories, corresponding respectively to national power competitiveness, social values and institutions, and cultural landscape aesthetics, and provides operational definitions for classifying and coding textbook texts accordingly.

3 Research Design

This section elaborates on the selection methods and basis for research samples. Using the three-stage framework of international Chinese textbook development divided by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education (exploration stage 1949–1980, development stage 1981–2000, and prosperity stage from 2001 to present), two representative textbooks were selected for each stage, ultimately determining six samples: Chinese Textbook, Elementary Chinese Reader, Practical Chinese Reader, New Chinese Course, HSK Standard Course, and Advanced Chinese Reading and Writing Course, with detailed descriptions of each textbook's compilation background and characteristics. The research method adopts content coding and analysis with texts as units, combining quantitative content analysis (frequency statistics, descriptive analysis) and qualitative text analysis (matrix-based organization, in-depth interpretation). The coding consists of three parts: "category code + textbook code + page number," and inter-coder consistency tests were conducted to ensure reliability and validity, with consistency ratios of 0.85, 0.95, and 0.92 for the "functional dimension," "normative dimension," and "aesthetic dimension" respectively.

4 Research Results

Through quantitative content analysis and qualitative text analysis methods, this section depicts the actual representations of China's image in international Chinese textbooks across three historical stages since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Quantitative analysis shows that the number of selected texts involving China's image in the exploration stage, development stage, and prosperity stage were 33, 59, and 59 respectively, accounting for more than 50% of the texts in each set of textbooks, with both absolute numbers and relative proportions gradually increasing with the progression of historical stages. Selected texts in all three stages covered functional, normative, and aesthetic dimensions, but with obvious differences in emphasis: the exploration stage focused primarily on the aesthetic dimension (42.42%), followed by the functional dimension (36.36%), with the normative dimension being the least (21.21%); the development stage clearly emphasized the aesthetic dimension (55.93%), with the normative dimension accounting for 33.90% and the functional dimension only 10.17%; the prosperity stage had the highest proportion of functional dimension texts (44.07%), followed by the aesthetic dimension (37.29%), with the normative dimension being the least (18.64%).

Qualitative text analysis, based on Moscovici's social representation theory, reveals the specific representations of China's image in each stage. The exploration stage anchored the functional image of "a new China with high integration between state and people," the normative image of "social order with symbiosis between individuals and groups," and the aesthetic image of "a philosophical view of dialectical unity between wisdom and strength," demonstrating through stories such as "Tian Ji Racing" and "The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains" the spiritual demeanor of the Chinese nation overcoming difficulties with wisdom as the foundation and strength as the guarantee. The development stage highlighted the functional image of "China going global, the world understanding China," the normative image of "private virtue being gentle, respectful, frugal, and humble, public virtue benefiting China and all," and the aesthetic image of "innovation and preservation equally important, jointly building a beautiful home," portraying through texts such as "How Liu Dayong Went Global" and "Qiu Jin" a China that is striving for strength yet open and confident, with ancient and modern elements blending to generate vitality. The prosperity stage emphasized the functional image of "balanced coordination between self-reliance and opening up," the normative image of "mutual reinforcement between benefiting the people and consolidating the state," and the aesthetic image of "organic integration between returning to roots and opening new paths, and mutual learning through exchange," shaping through content such as "Chang'e lunar exploration," "Belt and Road," "Poverty Alleviation: Seeking Happiness for the People," and "The World of Traditional Chinese Medicine" a contemporary Chinese image that is self-reliant yet open and inclusive, rooted in tradition yet embracing the world.

5 Conclusion

This study employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the representations of China's image in six sets of international Chinese textbooks across three historical stages since the founding of the People's Republic of China. The study finds that the number of selected texts on China's image in each stage exceeded half and gradually increased, but with varying thematic emphases: the exploration and development stages emphasized the aesthetic dimension, while the prosperity stage emphasized the functional dimension. The exploration stage shaped the functional image of "high integration between state and people," the normative image of "symbiosis between individuals and groups," and the aesthetic image of "dialectical unity between wisdom and strength"; the development stage presented the functional image of "China going global," the normative image of "excellence in both private and public virtue," and the aesthetic image of "equal emphasis on innovation and preservation"; the prosperity stage highlighted the functional image of "balanced coordination between self-reliance and opening up," the normative image of "mutual reinforcement between benefiting the people and consolidating the state," and the aesthetic image of "organic integration between returning to roots and opening new paths, and mutual learning through exchange." The study recommends that international Chinese textbooks should comprehensively present China's image from functional, normative, and aesthetic dimensions, deepening content in political systems, technological innovation, poverty alleviation, and cultural inheritance, shaping a credible, lovable, and respectable China image through authentic, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive narratives, and enhancing the "timing, degree, and effectiveness" of external discourse communication.