The Image of Russia in the Media Space of the PRC Based on the Online Platform Zhihu (2020-2023)

This paper explores the image of Russia in the media space of the People's Republic of China based on the Zhihu online platform for the period from 2020 to 2023. The relevance of the work is justified by the fact that at present the PRC is one of Russia's most important partners, and understanding how Russia is represented in the Chinese public consciousness can become one of the important tools for predicting cooperation. The study of publications in the “new media” is of particular relevance, so the source of the material is the Zhihu online platform - a website for discussions in a question-and-answer format. The aim of the study is to construct an image of Russia in the media space of the People's Republic of China based on the Zhihu online platform for the period under consideration. Using the method of metaphorical modeling and cognitive-discourse analysis, the main characteristics of the image of Russia are determined on the basis of the material under study. As a result of the study the following conclusion is made: for the most part metaphorical models describing Russia are negative and support a stereotypical image of Russia, but some Internet users give a positive assessment of the image. Keywords: media space; Internet communication; PRC public consciousness; image of Russia; political metaphors; metaphorical modeling.