As a means of communication, city branding can influence public opinion and change the general public’s perceived image of a city. In China, news producers may not regard their activities as city branding. Since they have to follow the view and plan of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in terms of reporting on certain aspects of cities, news media, especially official media, is perform a Chinese way of city branding. This article presents a critical discourse analysis of how the People’s Daily, as the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), portrays Shenzhen, as the tone and depictions used in this newspaper when describing this city are arguably part of a Chinese approach to city branding through journalism. Through an analysis of 40 years of news coverage regarding Shenzhen in the People’s Daily, this study draws conclusions regarding the features of city branding through journalism in China and how this approach represents a new form of city branding.
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