Formed in China, negotiated in the UK

Blog post by Dan Liu, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China

​In an era of heightened global mobility and geopolitical tension, international students are often seen as cultural bridges between nations. Yet, how these students themselves experience and rethink their own national identities while studying abroad remains less discussed. My Identities article, ‘Formed in China, negotiated in the UK: national identity among Chinese international postgraduate students’, examines how Chinese international postgraduate students in the United Kingdom negotiate their national identity.

Based on interviews with 19 Chinese postgraduate students studying in the UK, my article shows that national identity is actively negotiated rather than carried from one context to another. Rather than adopting a single, stable position, students move between different ways of understanding and expressing their national identity depending on who they are interacting with, what is being discussed, and what is at stake.

At the beginning of their overseas studies, many students describe how living in the UK prompts them to reassess both British society and their own experiences of China. Everyday observations of cross-cultural differences, from institutional support to public services, become opportunities for reflection. Through these comparisons, students often develop a more nuanced understanding of both contexts. Importantly, recognising differences does not necessarily lead to rejection. Instead, it often deepens their awareness of China’s distinct social and cultural features.

This reflective process frequently leads to a reaffirmation of national attachment. Even when students acknowledge areas where the UK may appear more advanced, they do not simply devalue their home country. Rather, they engage in ongoing evaluation, balancing critique with appreciation. National identity, in this sense, becomes something that is consciously revisited and rearticulated, rather than passively inherited.

At the same time, some students take on a more outward-facing role as informal cultural ambassadors. In conversations with peers, teachers, or in social settings, they may find opportunities to explain Chinese culture, correcting misunderstandings, or respond to media narratives about China. These interactions are not always neutral. They often involve navigating unequal perceptions and responding to implicit assumptions, which can place students in the position of defending or representing their country. This ambassadorial role reflects both a sense of responsibility and the realities of cross-cultural power dynamics.

Alongside this, students also engage in more cautious forms of negotiation. When encountering stereotypes, political sensitivities, or contested viewpoints, they may choose to balance openness with self-protection. Rather than directly challenging others, they may adopt more diplomatic strategies, carefully managing how much they share and how they respond. This highlights that identity negotiation is not only about expression, but also about navigating risk, comfort and belonging.

Notably, postgraduate students appear particularly adept at moving between these different strategies. Their prior educational experiences and exposure to diverse perspectives seem to support more flexible and context-sensitive responses. This suggests that national identity is shaped not only by background, but also by the development of critical thinking and reflexivity.
These examples remind us that national identity is never fixed or uniformly shaped by the home country. Instead, it emerges through everyday interactions, moments of inclusion and exclusion, and encounters with difference. For both sending and host countries, this has important implications. Supporting meaningful intercultural engagement and reducing stereotyping can create environments where international students are better able to reflect, negotiate and develop more nuanced understandings of identity.

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Image credit: Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash

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Read the Identities article:
Liu, D. & Xue, Q. (2026). Formed in China, negotiated in the UK: national identity among Chinese international postgraduate students. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power. DOI: 10.1080/1070289X.2026.2654993

Read further in Identities:

​Migration aspirations and polymorphic identifications of the homeland: (im)mobility trajectories amongst Chinese international students amidst COVID-19

There are no Asians in China: the racialization of Chinese international students in the United States

Chinese immigrant youth identities and belonging in Prato, Italy: exploring the intersections between migration and youth studies