1 Introduction

Explored the importance of shaping national image through international communication as an important component of national soft power. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the Olympic Games as an internationally recognized sports event in enhancing the international influence of the host country. This article reviews the historical background of China hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics, and analyzes the impact of the two Olympic Games on shaping the country's image. At the same time, the necessity of studying China's national image in the current global changes was discussed, aiming to explore the construction of China's national image and the reasons for its changes through comparative analysis of two Olympic reports.

2 Literature Review

Discourse analysis reveals the interaction between social reality and language, in which the media plays a crucial role, influencing people's perception of social reality. In the study of China's national image, the presentation and construction of news media are the focus of research. The research is divided into the construction of China's image by foreign media and Chinese media. The former analyzes foreign media reports on China, while the latter focuses on literary works, documentaries, etc. Research on China's image is mostly focused on communication studies, with less attention given to the field of linguistics. Existing research is mostly based on news reporting frameworks to extract China's image, but the Olympic theme has not been given much attention. Some scholars have compared the construction of China's image by domestic and foreign media and found differences in reporting. This article adopts the perspective of Chinese media, selects reports from China Daily about the two Olympic Games hosted by China, and uses corpus and critical discourse analysis framework to compare and analyze China's image from a self shaping perspective.

3 Research Design

The research design was elaborated in detail, including the selection of research corpus, research questions, theoretical framework, and research steps. The research corpus is sourced from the reports of China Daily during the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics. Two comparable corpora, C08 and C22, were constructed through random sampling. The research focuses on the national image and its differences shaped by Chinese media in the coverage of the two Olympic Games. The theoretical framework adopts Fairclough's three-dimensional discourse analysis method, focusing on the relationship between discourse and social, political, and cultural factors. The research steps analyze the corpus from three levels: text, discourse practice, and social practice, aiming to reveal the national image constructed by Chinese media in Olympic reporting and the social motivations behind it.

4 Results and Analysis

Through the Fairclough three-dimensional discourse analysis framework, an in-depth analysis was conducted on the Chinese image constructed by China Daily in its coverage of the 2008 and 2022 Olympic Games. In the text analysis section, AntConc4.1.4.0 tool was used to study the collocation characteristics of China and Chinese. It was found that in 2008 reports, China's frequently collocated with words such as first, best, and top, highlighting China's breakthrough progress and athlete performance in the Olympics, while also paying attention to China's economic, cultural, and diplomatic image. The 2022 report focuses on sports events, environmental efforts, and the performance of Chinese athletes, emphasizing China's contributions to the ice and snow industry economy and environmental protection.

5 Comparison and Discussion

In the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China Daily showcased China's development and changes in different periods. In the report, the achievements of Chinese athletes and the feelings of the Chinese people have always been the focus of attention, reflecting the image of China as a "sports power" and the idea of "people first". The reporting method mainly relies on direct quotations, striving to objectively and truthfully present the image of China. The difference in coverage of the two Olympic Games reflects China's progress in economy, environmental protection, diplomacy, and cultural confidence. The 2008 report emphasized China's economic achievements and the concept of a "Green Olympics" since its reform and opening up, while the 2022 report focused more on the economic development of China's ice and snow industry, comprehensive environmental protection measures, and a foreign policy of equal cooperation. The expression of cultural self-confidence has also changed from the traditional cultural display in 2008 to the introduction of modern Chinese concepts and lifestyles in 2022, demonstrating the openness, tolerance and self-confidence of Chinese culture.

6 Conclusion

Using three-dimensional discourse analysis to study the national image of China constructed by China Daily in its coverage of the 2008 and 2022 Olympic Games. Research has found that there are commonalities in the reports, such as focusing on sports breakthroughs, people's experiences, and objectively presenting China's image. At the same time, the two reports also showcase China's development and changes in economy, environmental protection, diplomacy, and culture. In 2008, the report highlighted China's display of strength, while in 2022, it emphasized the positive impact of the Olympics on the economy. In terms of environmental protection, the 2008 "Green Olympics" did not become a key focus, while 2022 fully demonstrated China's environmental efforts. In terms of diplomacy, China has evolved from a new international face in 2008 to equal cooperation and mutual benefit in 2022. In terms of cultural confidence, the concept of culture was broad in 2008, and specific cultural elements such as the Spring Festival will be showcased in 2022. Overall, the report reflects China's confidence and mature image as a responsible major country.