How Metadiscourse Enhances Cross-Cultural Risk Communication in Public Health Emergencies: Evidence from Reciprocal Letters between Chinese and U.S. Universities

Public health emergencies threaten societal well-being, making effective risk communication essential. Universities, through established international networks, serve as key actors in cross-border public health collaboration. This study examines how Chinese and U.S. higher education institutions deployed metadiscourse in reciprocal letters during the COVID-19 pandemic to construct cross-cultural risk communication. Analysis of 14 letters shows that interactional markers—including self-mentions, engagement markers, and boosters—were prioritized to foster dialogic engagement, convey empathy, and reinforce trust. Cultural differences shaped rhetorical strategies: U.S. universities favored factual framing and explicit self-references, reflecting low-context, evidence-based norms, whereas Chinese universities employed literary framing and attitude markers to project an emotionally supportive and collective voice. Despite these differences, both sets of letters emphasized collaboration, mutual support, and collective responsibility, illustrating how crises can activate collectivist orientations across cultural contexts. The findings highlight the significance of cultural and institutional factors in shaping cross-cultural risk communication and offer insights for designing trust-building, culturally sensitive messaging during public health emergencies.