In this article, we assume a direct relationship between variation in media coverage from a country and that country’s national interests. Using this vast data set, we hope to gain insights into differences across perspectives on Chinese activities and relations abroad. Big data is an increasingly important part of modern life and online media can be computationally analyzed to reveal patterns, trends, and associations. Our analysis mobilizes the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) 2.0 which offers nearly 20 terabytes of information on news reports-1.3 billion articles since 2015-from around the globe and across 65 languages. The engagement of Chinese-supported capital investments around the world embodies China’s new direction through economic statecraft.

Chinese companies are working on projects around the world, from natural gas pipelines in Pakistan and Bangladesh to deep-water ports in Sri Lanka and Djibouti. China’s President Xi Jinping has linked Chinese business interests with foreign policy through the Belt and Road Initiative. The international order is changing through political and economic shifts, and China is emerging as a forceful entity with bold plans.