This study focuses on evaluating Chinese interpretations of English questions posed by international journalists during China's Premier Press Conferences (PPCs) from 2018 to 2022, to examine the function of interpreting as a gatekeeping mechanism in mediating political discourse. By utilizing the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach, the discrepancies identified in target texts are analyzed based on the adopted translation strategies: addition, omission, and modification. The findings reveal that interpreting is a significant tool for managing linguistic and ideological nuances, and it plays an important role in shaping domestic and international perceptions of China. In the context of political communication, strategies adopted by interpreters are influenced by the government's perspectives, aim to mitigate adversarial expressions, and reinforce a favorable national image. Additionally, the analysis of the interplay between language, power, and ideology provides evidence for the necessity of further interpreting and translation research in diplomatic contexts.