Da Gama, Francisca ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0951-7244 and Cronin, Bruce ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3776-8924 (2026) The evolution of the national discourse on Chinese mining in Ecuador. Third World Quarterly (TWQ). pp. 1-19. ISSN 0143-6597 (Print), 1360-2241 (Online) (doi:10.1080/01436597.2026.2639432)

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Abstract

Ecuador’s Correa government promoted relations with China to advance a plurinational developmental agenda centred on a positive view of mining in support of social programmes, distinct from the negative associations of traditional oil extraction, which had long been an organising focus for social movements. This paper considers to what extent Ecuador’s promotion of Chinese mining actually presents an alternative to traditional extractivism. It examines the evolution of the print media discourse on Chinese mining in Ecuador from its substantive commencement in 2013 up to 2023, through a discourse network analysis of six newspapers in Ecuador. The study includes Correa’s successor government and the conservative Lasso regime to examine shifts in the political discourse on Chinese mining in Ecuador. It finds that government, regardless of political party, and social movements deploy shifting narrative themes in response to opponents’ attempts at hegemonic framings. Chinese mining companies appear relatively ill-equipped to engage in these significant narrative conflicts.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ecuador, China, extractivism, social movements, discourse network analysis
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Greenwich Business School Greenwich Business School > School of Business, Operations and Strategy Greenwich Business School > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC)
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2026 17:11
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/52738

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