The Influence of Cultural Factors on International Students' Destination Choice: Evidence from ASEAN Students Going to China

Jingyi Li

doi:10.6981/FEM.202503_6(3).0001

Authors

Jingyi Li

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6981/FEM.202503_6(3).0001

Keywords:

Regional Economic Integration; Education Services Trade; Cultural Elasticity.

Abstract

The implementation of RCEP and upgraded China-ASEAN FTA creates natural experiments to examine asymmetric cultural elasticities in education services trade. Using bilateral student flow data (2010-2022), we identify regulatory heterogeneity: Core cultural goods exports and value distance positively correlate with ASEAN student inflows in partially liberalized markets, while genetic distance exhibits paradoxical attraction through diasporic networks. Conversely, religious distance and political institutional divergence demonstrate negative elasticities. These effects become statistically indistinguishable from zero in non-liberalized regimes , revealing market openness as prerequisite for cultural arbitrage opportunities..

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