Internationalization serves as a significant hallmark of world-class universities globally. Numerous studies have underscored the strong relationship between internationalization and university development, but few have succeeded in elucidating the mechanisms and modus operandi of internationalization for university excellence. Using a qualitative case study approach, this study examines the underpinnings and methodologies of internationalization efforts at a Chinese 'quasi-first-class' university and scrutinizes the main factors contributing to certain effectiveness of these initiatives, through the researcher's long-term participant observations of its internationalization policy adjustments, as well as in-depth interviews with 25 representative key individuals. This study summarizes a model of Chinese universities using internationalization as a transformational tool to support the construction of 'Double First-Class' universities, and explores both its strengths and possible negative impacts. The insights and reflections presented in this article provide an informative case study for global scholars to better understand the trend of internationalization of Chinese universities in the new era.