Higher Education Evolution in China: A Systematic Review of the Internationalisation of Higher Education in China

ABSTRACT China's higher education system has been reshaped by economic globalisation, national development priorities and growing international competition. Guided by Knight's framework of internationalisation and policy transfer theory, this paper employs a systematic literature review to examine the historical evolution, major policies and global implications of internationalisation and transnational higher education (TNHE) in China. The findings highlight a persistent balance between openness to global practices and the safeguarding of sovereignty, security and economic development. Early reforms relied on importing foreign models, while contemporary strategies emphasise selective adaptation and hybridisation, producing a distinctive model of ‘China‐led internationalisation’. This model integrates global perspectives into domestic frameworks while extending China's academic and cultural influence internationally. The study contributes to international higher education research by showing that policy transfer in China is not passive imitation but an active process of negotiation and innovation, positioning China as both a recipient and a global influencer.