This study is a content analysis of 214 articles and columns about mainland Chinese rural development which appeared in China Daily in 1992-5. Basic findings were as follows: (1) the paper reported on varied objects of coverage, apparently reflecting the Chinese government's opening to the West on economic matters; (2) quoted news sources were dominated by government-controlled institutions, presumably reflecting Deng Xiaoping's lack of `opening' in the political sphere; (3) coverage focused heavily on government-approved solutions in rural development, not on causal factors, advantages or disadvantages of existing circumstances. Data were analyzed in line with information-processing theory and were interpreted in light of Aggarwala's and Altschull's concepts about the press's role in development.