AbstractThis study investigates the evolution of protectionism metaphors in English-language media across China, the UK, and the US from 2001 to 2019. It reveals varying degrees of fundamental and incremental changes with cultural variations in the three corpora based on a refined metaphor evolution analytical model. Despite observed changes, the thematic contexts of the examined metaphors remain relatively stable within the UK, US and Chinese narratives with cultural variations and similarities. The Chinese corpus employs metaphors suggesting recurring themes that conceptualize protectionism in ‘dual roles’ and often frame China as a victim. In contrast, the UK and US corpora frame protectionism as a growing and contentious force. The consistent use of the ‘rising protectionism’ frame across three corpora suggests a shared bodily experience and global economic framework. This study contributes to metaphor theory by providing empirical insights into the diachronic metaphorical framing of protectionism from the UK, US and Chinese perspectives. It also contributes to proposing a refined analytical model for understanding metaphor evolution in global economic narratives.