Fostering cultural affinity through higher education? An ecological analysis of international students’ experiences under the “Belt and Road Initiative” in China

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has catalysed a significant increase in international student enrolment in Chinese universities, accompanied by systematic efforts to cultivate these students’ cultural affinity for China. However, limited research examines the integrative system where different-level policy actors systematically cultivate students’ cultural affinity and students’ responses to the system. This study employed Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to analyse the experiences of 30 international undergraduate students from BRI partner countries at a prestigious Chinese university. Through in-depth interviews and qualitative analysis, the research unveiled a “semi-inclusive international HE ecosystem” was implemented by policy actors across macro to micro levels. While multilevel policy actors coordinated efforts to foster international students’ cultural affinity for China, exclusionary policies/practices in accommodation and career pathways limited sustained relations with Chinese society. Students reported growing cultural affinity for China, though their interpretations differed. Some questioned its value amid limited career and settlement prospects within China, while others saw cultural affinity with China as useful capital for BRI-related careers outside China. This study enriches scholarly understanding of non-Western approaches to international education and highlights the need for more nuanced policy frameworks to accommodate diverse student trajectories. The findings have important implications for international student support and higher education policy in emerging education hubs. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.