The current discourse on higher education internationalisation is mainly Western, and there is a need to examine non-Western perspectives on internationalisation informed by different contexts, traditions and goals. Reported in this paper is a study that aims to glean the Chinese conception of internationalisation in higher education among 37 Chinese professionals, all working in the international education portfolio from 37 different institutions in mainland China. Based on the thematic analysis of a written interview with open-ended questions, the study ventures to provide a Chinese definition of higher education internationalisation based on Chinese institutional goals, approaches and challenges in internationalisation. The study provides insights on how a country in non-Western context learns, selects and adapts Western practices in a flexible and creative manner to meet national needs.