The aim of this paper is to explore Appadurai's ideas of global cultural flows in the context of the internationalization of higher education in China. Studies on the internationalization of higher education have increased with the expansion of international activities on university campuses; however, more theoretical analysis in the field is necessary, especially in less studied and rapidly developing countries such as China. Appadurai's theorization may provide new insights into the field because of its background in the changes transforming international student flows: intensified migration and mass mediation. The research data of the paper consist of previous literature and statistical data. The paper focuses first on analysing the general ideas of Appadurai's model and second on one of the scapes of the model, the ideoscape. The paper suggests that Appadurai's ideas of global cultural flows, when expanded through further research and theorization, provide a heuristic framework for analysing the internationalization of higher education in China. The continuing significance of the nation state and the locality of international actions characterize the internationalization of higher education. Furthermore, the ideoscape of the internationalization of higher education has widened because the volume and the range of activities at universities have expanded.