huánqiú shíbào: 环球时报 - Global Times

• Keywords: 环球时报, Huánqiú Shíbào, Global Times, Chinese newspaper, Chinese state media, nationalism, propaganda, People's Daily, foreign policy, wolf warrior diplomacy, Hu Xijin.
• Summary: The 环球时报 (Huánqiú Shíbào), known in English as the Global Times, is one of China's most prominent state-affiliated daily newspapers. Published by the People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party, the Global Times is famous for its fiercely nationalistic, often confrontational, and populist perspective on international affairs. For learners, it serves as a key window into the more hawkish and assertive side of Chinese public discourse and official sentiment, making it an essential resource for understanding modern China's worldview.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): Huánqiú Shíbào
• Part of Speech: Proper Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: The Global Times, a daily Chinese tabloid newspaper known for its focus on international news from a strong nationalistic viewpoint.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 环球时报 (Huánqiú Shíbào) as the loud, opinionated, and highly patriotic voice in the Chinese state media family. While its parent, the People's Daily, is formal and authoritative, the Global Times is a tabloid designed to stir up national pride and push back aggressively against foreign criticism. It's where you'll find the kind of “wolf warrior” rhetoric that often makes international headlines.

• 环 (huán): This character originally depicted a ring or a jade annulus. Its meaning extends to “to encircle,” “to surround,” or “loop.” In this context, it means “global.”
• 球 (qiú): This character means “ball” or “sphere.” When combined with `环`, `环球 (huánqiú)` means “the entire globe” or “worldwide.”
• 时 (shí): This character means “time,” “era,” or “season.” Here, it refers to current times or contemporary events.
• 报 (bào): This character means “to report,” “to announce,” or “newspaper.” The component `扌` (a variation of 手, hand) on the left suggests an action, while the right side provides the sound and a sense of obligation.

The characters combine literally to mean “Global Times Newspaper,” a direct and fitting name for a publication focused on international news. `时报 (shíbào)` is a common suffix for newspapers, similar to “The Times” in English (e.g., The New York Times, The Times of London).

The 环球时报 (Huánqiú Shíbào) occupies a unique and important space in China's media landscape. It is not the primary mouthpiece of the Communist Party—that role belongs to its parent, `人民日报 (Rénmín Rìbào)`. Instead, it functions as a state-sanctioned populist tabloid. This allows it to voice more extreme and nationalistic opinions that the government might find useful but does not want to state in a formal diplomatic capacity. A useful comparison in Western culture would be to a partisan cable news channel or a highly opinionated tabloid newspaper like the *Daily Mail* (UK) or the *New York Post* (US). However, there is a critical difference: the Global Times is not an independent entity. Its provocative editorials and hawkish stance are widely understood to be aligned with, and often guided by, certain factions within the state apparatus. It serves several purposes:

• Gauging Public Opinion: It can float more aggressive policy ideas to see how the domestic and international public reacts.
• Rallying Domestic Support: Its strong nationalistic tone helps to unify public opinion, especially during times of international tension. This is connected to the cultural value of `爱国 (àiguó)`, or patriotism.
• External Propaganda (外宣 - wàixuān): Its English edition is a key tool in China's efforts to project its narrative directly to a global audience, bypassing Western media filters.

Understanding the Global Times is crucial to understanding the concept of “Wolf Warrior” (`战狼 - zhànláng`) diplomacy, as the paper is one of its most ardent champions in the media.

In China, the 环球时报 is a household name, but opinions on it are highly polarized.

• As a Source of News: For many, it is a primary source for international news presented from a pro-China perspective. They see it as defending the national interest and providing a necessary counterbalance to what is perceived as biased Western media.
• On Social Media: Headlines and articles from the Global Times are frequently shared on platforms like Weibo (微博). They often spark heated discussions between nationalists who support the paper's stance and more liberal-minded netizens who criticize it for being jingoistic or one-sided.
• In Conversation: When Chinese people discuss international relations, they might say something like, “According to the Global Times…” (`环球时报说… - Huánqiú Shíbào shuō…`) to introduce a nationalistic talking point. Conversely, someone might dismiss an aggressive opinion by saying, “You've been reading too much Global Times” (`你看环球时报看多了吧 - Nǐ kàn Huánqiú Shíbào kàn duō le ba`).

The connotation is almost never neutral. It is either seen as a bastion of patriotism or a source of crude propaganda, with very little middle ground.

• Example 1:
  • 我爸爸每天早上都看环球时报。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bàba měitiān zǎoshang dōu kàn Huánqiú Shíbào.
  • English: My dad reads the Global Times every morning.
  • Analysis: A simple, neutral statement about someone's daily habit. This is a very common way to encounter the term.
• Example 2:
  • 环球时报的社评总是措辞强硬。
  • Pinyin: Huánqiú Shíbào de shèpíng zǒngshì cuòcí qiángyìng.
  • English: The Global Times's editorials are always strongly worded.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes the newspaper's well-known characteristic tone. `措辞强硬 (cuòcí qiángyìng)` means “strongly worded” or “harsh in tone.”
• Example 3:
  • 你同意环球时报上关于中美关系的最新文章吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ tóngyì Huánqiú Shíbào shàng guānyú Zhōng-Měi guānxì de zuìxīn wénzhāng ma?
  • English: Do you agree with the latest article in the Global Times about Sino-US relations?
  • Analysis: This shows how the newspaper is used as a reference point in discussions about current events.
• Example 4:
  • 很多外国人通过环球时报的英文版来了解中国的看法。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō wàiguórén tōngguò Huánqiú Shíbào de Yīngwén bǎn lái liǎojiě Zhōngguó de kànfǎ.
  • English: Many foreigners come to understand China's perspective through the English version of the Global Times.
  • Analysis: This highlights the role of its English edition (`英文版 - Yīngwén bǎn`) in China's global outreach.
• Example 5:
  • 这又是环球时报的典型论调，太民族主义了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè yòu shì Huánqiú Shíbào de diǎnxíng lùndiào, tài mínzú zhǔyì le.
  • English: This is the typical rhetoric of the Global Times again, it's too nationalistic.
  • Analysis: This is a critical comment, showing how some people view the paper. `论调 (lùndiào)` means “argument” or “rhetoric,” and `民族主义 (mínzú zhǔyì)` is “nationalism.”
• Example 6:
  • 前总编辑胡锡进在社交媒体上依然很有影响力。
  • Pinyin: Qián zǒngbiānjí Hú Xījìn zài shèjiāo méitǐ shàng yīrán hěn yǒu yǐngxiǎnglì.
  • English: The former editor-in-chief, Hu Xijin, is still very influential on social media.
  • Analysis: While not using the term “环球时报” directly, this sentence references its most famous figure, `胡锡进 (Hú Xījìn)`, linking him to the paper's identity.
• Example 7:
  • 我不完全相信环球时报的报道，我更喜欢看一些中立的媒体。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù wánquán xiāngxìn Huánqiú Shíbào de bàodào, wǒ gèng xǐhuān kàn yīxiē zhōnglì de méitǐ.
  • English: I don't completely trust the reports from the Global Times; I prefer to read some neutral media outlets.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly contrasts the Global Times with `中立 (zhōnglì)` or “neutral” sources.
• Example 8:
  • 环球时报今天头条报道了什么？
  • Pinyin: Huánqiú Shíbào jīntiān tóutiáo bàodào le shénme?
  • English: What did the Global Times report on its front page today?
  • Analysis: A practical question for asking about the day's top news from the paper's perspective. `头条 (tóutiáo)` means “headline” or “front page.”
• Example 9:
  • 他的观点听起来就像是从环球时报上抄下来的一样。
  • Pinyin: Tā de guāndiǎn tīng qǐlái jiù xiàng shì cóng Huánqiú Shíbào shàng chāo xiàlái de yīyàng.
  • English: His opinion sounds like it was copied directly from the Global Times.
  • Analysis: A slightly sarcastic or critical way to say someone's opinion is unoriginal and parrots the nationalist line.
• Example 10:
  • 虽然环球时报是人民日报的子公司，但它的风格非常不同。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán Huánqiú Shíbào shì Rénmín Rìbào de zǐgōngsī, dàn tā de fēnggé fēicháng bùtóng.
  • English: Although the Global Times is a subsidiary of the People's Daily, its style is very different.
  • Analysis: This sentence explains the important organizational relationship and stylistic difference between the two publications. `子公司 (zǐgōngsī)` is “subsidiary company.”

• Mistake 1: Assuming it is the final word of the Chinese Government.
  • A common error for foreigners is to quote the Global Times as “China's official policy.” While it is state-affiliated, its role is often to be more provocative and aggressive than the official statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Think of it as a “trial balloon” or a “barking dog” for the state, not the “emperor's decree.” Its statements give insight into official thinking but are not the final policy itself.
• Mistake 2: Equating it with all Chinese media.
  • Do not assume all media in China sounds like the Global Times. Outlets like `新华社 (Xīnhuá Shè)` are more formal and factual (from the state's perspective). Financial publications like `财新 (Cáixīn)` are known for more in-depth investigative journalism (within limits). The Global Times represents a specific, highly nationalistic segment of the media ecosystem.
• False Friend: “Newspaper”
  • While it translates to a newspaper, its function is different from an independent newspaper in a Western democracy like *The Guardian* or *The Washington Post*. The Global Times operates with a political mission first and a journalistic one second. Its primary goal is to promote a specific state-approved narrative, not to practice objective, independent journalism.

• 人民日报 (Rénmín Rìbào) - The People's Daily. The parent newspaper of the Global Times and the official, most authoritative newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
• 新华社 (Xīnhuá Shè) - Xinhua News Agency. The official state press agency of China. It is the most formal and widespread source of official news.
• 官媒 (guānméi) - Official Media / State Media. A general term for media outlets controlled and run by the government, such as the Global Times, CCTV, and People's Daily.
• 宣传 (xuānchuán) - Propaganda; publicity. This term describes the work that state media outlets are engaged in.
• 民族主义 (mínzú zhǔyì) - Nationalism. The core ideology and tone that defines the Global Times's content.
• 爱国 (àiguó) - Patriotic; to love one's country. The Global Times frames its aggressive stance as a form of patriotism.
• 战狼 (zhànláng) - “Wolf Warrior.” Describes a style of confrontational and assertive diplomacy adopted by Chinese officials, which the Global Times strongly supports and promotes.
• 胡锡进 (Hú Xījìn) - Hu Xijin. The highly influential and controversial former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, famous for his provocative tweets and editorials.
• 小粉红 (xiǎo fěnhóng) - “Little Pinks.” A slang term for young, hyper-nationalistic Chinese netizens who are often the most vocal audience and defenders of the Global Times.
• 舆论 (yúlùn) - Public opinion. The Global Times plays a significant role in shaping and guiding domestic `舆论` on international issues.