Published on: 2026-06-01
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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An article published on the British site “Wonkhe” notes that although China remains one of the largest exporters of international students in the world, this no longer reflects the whole picture. It is increasingly difficult to ignore China’s growing confidence. It not only strives to send its citizens abroad for education but also actively attracts foreign students to its own country.
Today China should be understood more multifacetedly: it is not only a major country-exporter of students, but also a country that increasingly attracts foreign students; China is simultaneously a global partner in scientific research, and a country that constantly strengthens its cultural and educational influence; and in some areas, it gradually becomes a center of global academic attention.
According to data from the Ministry of Education of China, published in April of this year, in 2025, 570.6 thousand Chinese went abroad to study, and 535.6 thousand people returned to the country. The number of Chinese students studying abroad remains huge, but no country can anymore take it for granted that Chinese students will continuously come to them. Moreover, internationalization is already considered a key element for Chinese universities in enhancing their own status, influence, and competitiveness.
The transformation of China from a major exporter country of students into an attractive destination for study is not a transient phenomenon, but an organic part of the country’s development. In recent decades, China’s global influence has most often been described through the scale of its processing industry, infrastructure construction, the intensity of scientific research, and technological progress. Today, the role of higher education is also becoming increasingly noticeable.
China is entering a completely new stage: its higher education is increasingly directly integrated into the national development strategy. China remains a major exporter of students, but at the same time attracts foreign students much more actively; it continues to participate actively in global academic exchanges, but increasingly strives to ensure that its voice is heard. China aims to become a center capable of attracting talent, shaping reputation, and strengthening academic influence.
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