Bridging distances: Types of social capital, quantity and quality of interactions, and cultural adaptation strategies of highly skilled professionals in China

Technological advancements have alleviated the challenges posed by geographical distance in connecting international migrants with their home countries, leading to transformations in transnational interaction dynamics and enhancing the complexity of cultural adjustment processes. This study examines the relationships between adaptation strategies, transnational social capital, and local social capital in China among foreign high-skilled professionals (FHSPs) in China. The results indicate that most FHSPs in China employ strategies that blend home and host cultural elements, specifically assimilation-oriented integration, moderate integration, and integration, with a minority adopting a separation strategy. Both local bonding and bridging social capital, as well as digitally mediated transnational bonding and bridging social capital, are positively associated with assimilation-oriented integration strategies. Furthermore, we identified two crucial moderating mechanisms: (1) the quality of transnational interactions (social presence), rather than their frequency, strengthens the positive link between transnational social capital and adaptation outcomes; (2) local interaction frequency, comprising community participation, leisure interactions, and volunteering, strengthens the link between host-country social capital and adaptation outcomes. In contrast, local interaction quality—operationalized as perceived discrimination and perceived preferential treatment—fails to show a significant moderating effect.The paper offers theoretical and policy insights to improve foreign professionals' cultural adaptation in China.