Wanafunzi wa kimataifa wanafanyaje marafiki katika chuo kikuu cha China?
Author: GoToPanda · About 8 min read
Before coming to China, many international students share a common expectation: make Chinese friends.
But after arriving, they find it's harder than expected.
Look at the data first. A Tsinghua University study found that interaction between international students and Chinese students is generally poor. In international students' friend circles, Chinese friends are few, with lower interaction frequency and depth than friends from the same home country or other countries. International students find it hard to build close relationships with Chinese students, and Chinese students rarely occupy the most important position in their friend circles.
Another qualitative study of Malaysian students also found that international students mainly interact with peers from their own or neighboring countries, with very limited contact with Chinese students.
This isn't just your problem.
First, understand: why is making Chinese friends a bit hard?
Reason 1: language barrier is the biggest wall
A study of 384 international students at Nanjing universities showed 89% of respondents considered language barrier their main difficulty. Another study found over 90% of participants ranked language barrier as a high-stress source.
The language barrier isn't just "not understanding class." It means you can't gossip with classmates in Chinese, can't joke in Chinese at the canteen, can't complain in Chinese in the dorm about too much homework. It seeps into every corner of your life — and every social attempt.
Reason 2: structural separation
The living spaces of international and Chinese students at Chinese universities are often separated. English-taught students take classes with international students, live in international student apartments, and go to canteens that international students frequent.
A study explicitly points out that Chinese universities' student management systems cause daily separation between Chinese and international students. It's not anyone's deliberate intent — it's a byproduct of institutional design.
Reason 3: neither side takes initiative
The most piercing finding in the research: a key reason social ties weaken is a lack of willingness to proactively build two-way interaction. One interviewee admitted: "The relationship isn't deep enough, so we make the excuse of not wanting to disturb each other."
This isn't the Chinese students' problem, nor the international students'. Both sides are waiting for the other to speak first.
How to do it: six proven strategies
Strategy 1: start with WeChat, start with adding friends
In China, almost all social life happens on WeChat. Class groups, dorm groups, club groups, event groups — if you're not on WeChat, you're not present.
One direct trick: when you meet a Chinese classmate, add them on WeChat the same day. Don't wait for "next time." When you meet, just ask: "Can we add each other on WeChat?" Scan and add the same day — a few days later gets awkward.
After joining, reply to at least one message in the group. No need for a long essay — an emoji or a "got it" works. The point is to let people know you're "there."
Strategy 2: join interest clubs that don't require fluent Chinese
Not all clubs require fluent Chinese. Find clubs where "action matters more than language":
- Sports (basketball, badminton, running) — play first, chat later
- Music or dance — rehearsals and performances themselves need little conversation
- Photography or hiking — shared activities naturally produce interaction
In the first two weeks of each semester, most universities post club recruitment notices near the canteen. Walk over, point at the poster, and ask: "How do I join this?" — they'll walk you through the rest.
Strategy 3: structure your language exchange — don't just chat randomly
Random chats on language-exchange apps (like HelloTalk) usually die within three days. What really works is an exchange with a fixed rhythm:
- 30 min Chinese — discuss a topic you both chose (food, travel, movies)
- 30 min English — your turn to help them practice
- 10 min free chat — no rules, just making friends
After chatting online two or three times, proactively suggest meeting offline. A coffee or milk tea works. Face-to-face interaction builds trust far faster than typing.
Strategy 4: use your school's Buddy Program
Many Chinese universities have buddy programs, pairing each international student one-on-one with a Chinese student. Shangqiu University's buddy program is typical: Chinese buddies provide academic guidance and life help, while doing cultural and social activities together.
Tsinghua has a Buddy Plan, Sun Yat-sen University has a Buddy Program, and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics provides buddy support from enrollment to graduation. Ask your school's international student office: "Is there a Buddy Program?" If yes, sign up immediately.
Strategy 5: join free-mingling events like Fudan Language Night
At Fudan University's Language Night in March 2025, over 110 international students and 80 Chinese students gathered. No fixed agenda, no tasks — everyone walked around and chatted freely. Participants wore stickers of different colors: a red heart meant "I want to practice a foreign language," a square sticker meant "I'm fluent in a foreign language" — no self-introduction needed, one glance tells you who to talk to.
A student from Ukraine said: "I met many Chinese students genuinely interested in different cultures." A student from Japan said he even met a Chinese classmate who had studied in his hometown and now studies at Fudan: "We talked about the differences in daily life and university systems between the two countries."
If your school has no such event, start one yourself. Find the international student office and a willing Chinese classmate, and hold a small language exchange corner. You don't need 100 people — 10 is enough.
Strategy 6: accept a reality — your real friends may be only a few
Tsinghua's research found an important fact: relationships between international and Chinese students often stay at an "instrumental" level — you help me practice Chinese, I help you practice English. This has value, but lacks the emotional depth needed for lasting connection. One interviewee said: "The relationship isn't deep enough, so we make the excuse of not wanting to disturb each other."
This isn't failure. It's reality.
You don't need to be friends with every Chinese classmate. You need a few real friends — willing to eat with you on weekends, translate for you when you don't understand, and ask "are you okay?" when you're sick.
Want to know which universities have the most mature buddy programs?
GoToPanda (Panda Guide) has data on 300+ Chinese universities and 500,000 entries, covering buddy program setup, international student support services, and language exchange resources across 13 dimensions. Its AI assistant Pandi can help you understand your target university's social support system. Ask it directly:
- "Which universities have the most mature buddy programs? I want a school that's friendly to international students."
- "How do I apply to Sun Yat-sen University's Buddy Program?"
- "As an English-taught student, how can I make Chinese friends?"
It gives concrete answers and directions, instead of making you dig through hundreds of pages.
Making Chinese friends isn't an "integration test." You don't need to become Chinese to be friends with Chinese people. You only need to: add WeChat, join a club, meet for coffee, share a meal. Then let time do the rest.