Mainland China's domestic academic literature on foreign issues can be regarded as a reference for its policymaking since the early stages of the "Reform and Opening Up". This investigation constructs a multi-theoretical framework for examining and interpreting mainland China's domestic academic narrative surrounding higher education internationalization in foreign countries/regions. Taking an academic journal data-based approach, it presents the findings and further discusses China's domestic disciplinary culture in the field of international higher education studies, as well as the possible impact of such narratives on its practices.