Overseas Strategic Communication Strategies of New Energy Enterprises: Media Image Analysis of BYD and CATL in Hungary

Abstract

The 2024 Government Work Report released by the State Council pointed out that the export of “new trio” - electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products has witnessed a year-on-year increase of nearly 30%, showcasing that the momentum of Chinese new energy enterprises going global is thriving. Hungary, ranking among the top three lithium-ion battery producing countries globally, with its automotive industry accounting for 10% of its GDP and 20% of its total exports, serves as a crucial market. Since 2022, Chinese leading battery enterprises represented by CATL and electric passenger vehicle enterprises represented by BYD have successively established factories in Hungary, drawing extensive attention from local media and the public. These flagship enterprises of the “new trio” have become important symbols of China’s high-quality development, and their media image in host countries can to some extent represent the overseas image of Chinese new energy enterprises, holding significant implications for the construction of China’s national image. Leveraging the author’s language expertise, this paper selects and analyzes 220 relevant reports from three mainstream media outlets in Hungary through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, supplemented by longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis. Additionally, considering the enterprises’ overseas social media operations, the paper examines the external communication images of the two Chinese new energy enterprises and the challenges they face, concluding with tailored recommendations.