Yang He

Yang He is a PhD candidate in Translation Studies at SOAS, University of London, specializing in the translation, communication, and cross-cultural representation of Chinese political discourse in Japanese mainstream media. Her doctoral research project, titled “The Translation and Representation of Xi Jinping Era Chinese Political Discourse: A Study of Japanese Newspaper Coverage (2017–2020)”, investigates how key Chinese political narratives are selectively translated, reframed, and recontextualized in Japanese news reporting. 

Before pursuing her PhD, Yang completed her undergraduate studies in Japanese at Harbin Institute of Technology and later obtained a master’s degree in Japanese Translation and Interpreting from Nankai University. This academic path reflects her strong background in Japanese language and cross-cultural communication. Through multiple interpreting experiences involving political discourse, she gradually realized that translation is not merely a transfer of meaning, but also plays a role in shaping perceptions, conveying identities, and negotiating power in cross-cultural contexts. 

This insight inspired her to shift from traditional interpreting practices to the study of news translation and international media discourse, with a focus on how translation acts as a strategic form of mediation in global information flows.  In addition to her studies, He Yang interned at a major internet company, where she worked on multilingual content review and communication support. This experience helped her better understand how language is used in digital platforms and strengthened her interest in how language, story, and power connect in public communication. 

Yang also works as a freelance translator, especially engaging in the translation of texts related to politics, media, and public communication. She has served as both an on-site and remote interpreter for numerous international conferences, supporting research institutions, government delegations, and corporate exchange projects. These practical experiences have provided him with valuable linguistic and cultural insights that continue to inform his academic inquiry. Her research interests include news translation, critical discourse analysis, media studies, and cross-cultural political communication, especially in the context of East Asia.

• News translation
• Critical discourse analysis
• Media studies
• Cross-cultural political communication