China’s Political Discourse on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands: The Evidence from People’s Daily (2010–2024)

This article constructs a political discourse database based on 592 People’s Daily articles on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands (DSI) from 2010 to 2024. Using natural language processing, social network analysis, cluster analysis and time-series analysis, it examines the evolution of China’s political discourse. The findings show that the discourse exhibits a clear core-periphery structure, can be categorized into four thematic modules—Action, Claiming, Critical and Policy Discourses—and has evolved through several distinct phases. These changes closely correspond to shifts in Sino-Japanese relations and U.S.–China strategic competition. The analysis suggests that China is institutionalizing a ‘new normal’ in its discourse on the DSI, embedding the issue within broader global strategic dynamics rather than confining it to the bilateral relationship.