Selective Multiculturalism and Strategic Connectivity: Representing Malaysia as a Trade, Tourism, and Cultural Gateway in China Daily

Abstract

This study examines how Malaysia is represented in China Daily, focusing on the construction of multicultural identity and Malaysia’s positioning between China, ASEAN, and the Muslim world. Guided exclusively by Stuart Hall’s theory of representation, the study treats news discourse not as a transparent reflection of Malaysia but as a meaning-producing practice organized through selection, visibility, association, and absence. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on 20 English-language articles published by China Daily between September 1, 2023, and April 30, 2025. The articles were purposively selected from cultural, political, economic, heritage, and tourism coverage in which Malaysia was the central subject. Two themes were identified. First, China Daily constructed selective multiculturalism by placing Chinese diasporic heritage at the center of Malaysian diversity while translating cultural plurality into food, festivals, tourism, and harmonious coexistence. Second, Malaysia was represented as a civilizational bridge through historical connections, particularly Malacca and Zheng He, and through contemporary intermediary roles involving ASEAN diplomacy, halal trade, infrastructure, education, and tourism. The study argues that Malaysia is granted visibility and agency, but mainly in forms compatible with cooperation, connectivity, and mutual benefit. This representation makes Malaysia simultaneously culturally familiar and strategically useful within China-centered regional narratives.