International publicity translation (IPT) serves as a crucial medium for conveying national image and cultural values, yet its effectiveness is often hampered by insufficient interpretation within socio-cultural contexts. Focusing on China’s IPT practices, this study examines the derivation and evolution of connotative meanings through the theoretical lens of Yuri Lotman’s Cultural Semiotics. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates textual analysis and case studies, this paper explores how Lotman’s concepts of textual functions—namely, the informational memory, transmission, and creation functions—facilitate the regeneration and transformation of cultural meanings in cross-cultural communication. The analysis demonstrates that Cultural Semiotics provides a robust framework for addressing cultural disparities, revitalizing collective memory, and bridging ideological divides inherent in international publicity. Furthermore, this research highlights the divergence between ideologically mediated representations in translated texts and their original cultural intentionality, emphasizing the need for nuanced textual interpretation in translation studies. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying cultural meaning-making in IPT and offer theoretical and methodological insights for enhancing China’s cultural soft power in global discourse.

International Publicity Translation, Cultural Semiotics, Lotman, Textual Functions, Cross-cultural Communication