Towards “Ecological Civilization”: Development Discourse in People’s Daily ’s Climate Change Communication (1995–2023)

China’s journey towards balancing socio-economic development with environmental sustainability represents a pivotal aspect of its official communications about climate change. Central to this messaging is an orientation to the notion of “发展” (develop, development), which has also shifted over time. Using a corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, the study examines how this development discourse has been constructed in climate change communication (1995–2023) in China’s official newspaper, the People’s Daily. An initial keyword analysis pinpoints the emergence of “development” and then a collocation analysis shows the shift from the strategic formulation of China’s sustainability policy in terms of economic growth and poverty alleviation to a more explicit orientation to sustainability where development must avoid environmental harm. In the mid-2010s, this discursive transition culminated in a focus on “ecological civilization” as a central dimension of the State’s vision for China’s modernisation. This latest discursive shift is rooted in Confusion philosophies: the Unity of Heaven and Humanity and the Doctrine of the Mean. The study also reveals the under-representation of development activities that fail to meet sustainability goals. Therefore, the incorporation of critical perspectives is proposed in its coverage of climate governance, to offer the public a comprehensive understanding of the pressing issue.