Jonathan Gandari

The Sinking Hummer: China Frowns at the Sinking Hummer Jonathan Gandari

The HUMMER screams and kicks to the grave. When GM motors declared it was bankrupt it tried to go the route of asset stripping by selling the once revered HUMMER brand. But who has the money to buy the troubled HUMMER? China of course! Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., Ltd (Tengzhong) throws in its bid and for a moment the deal appears to be on course. The deal disintegrates as Beijing juxtaposes the HUMMER?s fuel consumption appetite, size and environmental consequences. The symbolic fall and failed acquisition of the HUMMER ignites media debate between the New York Times.com and Xinghuanet.com and the public sphere. The question is: What are the national images (of America and China) constructed through the discourses privileged by the two national online media? To get to the bottom of this the author analysis the two online media?s coverage of the HUMMER deal.