Generative AI in Digital Disaster Response: A Douyin Case Study of the 2021 Henan Floods

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sparked divergent narratives in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), reflecting a contest of strategic frames in the media. This study examines how leading news media in selected CEE countries frame the BRI and how these frames embody discursive contestation. Drawing on a mixed-methods content analysis of news articles from 2013–2022, we identify distinct patterns in tone and framing across countries. We combine quantitative analysis – including sentiment trend mapping, heatmap visualizations of frame frequencies, and keyword frequency analysis – with qualitative interpretation of framing strategies. The findings reveal that CEE media portrayals of the BRI range from positive economic opportunity frames to critical geopolitical threat frames, often shaped by each country’s domestic political orientation and international alignments. For instance, Hungarian and Serbian outlets largely emphasize economic benefits and cooperative narratives, whereas Czech and, to a lesser extent, Polish media are more skeptical, highlighting security risks, “debt-trap” concerns, and political contestation. These differences illustrate a broader discursive contest: Chinese-promoted “win-win” frames versus EU/US-aligned critical frames, with domestic political actors leveraging the BRI in partisan debates. The study sheds light on how media framing in the CEE region can influence public opinion and policy toward China’s flagship initiative. We conclude by discussing the implications of these contested narratives for EU cohesion and China-CEE relations, noting that strategic framing in the media has become an arena of soft power competition that may shape the future of the BRI in Europe.