With profiles of Chinese and American corporations as subjects of study, on the basis of ethos in rhetoric, a contrastive analysis has been made on the rhetorical process of realization of ethos in the corporate profiles between China and America. The analysis finds that there exist differences of appealing to ethos in terms of reputation, vision, authority, reason and consubstantiality between American and Chinese corporations. Chinese corporate profiles focuse on enterprise type, awards and honors, and product quality; while American corporate profiles stress business scope or business goals, and specific facts. Chinese corporate profles highlight their roles in the state economy; while American corporate profiles center on the consumers’ interests. The form of the third person is often employed in Chinese profiles, and so is the form of the first person in American profile. The study suggests that in translating Chinese corporate profiles, such rhetorical strategies as the use of the data and the plural form of the first person could be adopted so as to adapt to the target audience, and to be identified with the audience.