China’s approach to inward student mobility since 1949 : an analysis of the state’s role from historical and political economy perspectives

Before the outbreak of COVID-19 in late 2019, China had emerged as a major destination for inward student mobility (ISM), hosting 529,000 students across various programmes. Existing research often explains popular study destinations via neo-liberal policies that treat education as an export. Yet the Chinese context reveals a more complex interplay between market forces and state intervention, pointing to a distinctive “China model.” This paper draws on policy texts, government data, and secondary literature to trace the evolution of China’s ISM since 1949 from a political economy perspective. Specifically, we deploy the concepts of neo-liberalism and the developmental state to understand how China simultaneously embraced market mechanisms while retaining strong state control. We identify three stages in Chinese ISM policy: (1) a state-commanded model (1949–1976), during which foreign student education served diplomatic and socialist ends; (2) a state-steered model (1977–2012), reflecting partial marketisation under continued government oversight; and (3) a state-strategic model (2013–present), where ISM aligns closely with China’s geopolitical initiatives, notably the Belt and Road Initiative and Greater Bay Area. Findings contribute to the broader literature on how emerging countries adapt global trends to local political contexts, illustrating that China’s ISM strategy is neither fully neo-liberal nor purely state-led, but an evolving hybrid shaped by shifting domestic and international priorities.