China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen regional connectivity so as to embrace a brighter future together. Since the Initiative was put forward, it has brought many challenges to China’s English education policy. By employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Word2Vec, this study analyzes the evolution of topics and challenges in China’s English education policy under the Belt and Road Initiative. The results indicate that after the initiative, the policy focus has changed. English education has shifted from testing abilities to cultivating students’ intercultural communication skills in order to meet the needs with countries alongside the “Belt and Road”. Moreover, teaching strategies that were examination-oriented have also changed to emphasizing teaching methods and feedback. The focus and teaching strategies have also undergone great changes. China’s English education policy has shifted from focusing on improving students’ writing skills, English proficiency, and creativity to conducting in-depth research and addressing specific issues, including challenges in linguistics, media influence, educational institutions and programs, online courses, attitudes and self-efficacy, use of multiple languages and globalization, teaching issues, and curriculum design. These findings shed light on how the Belt and Road Initiative changed China’s English education policy and provide further directions for future research.

This study aims to explore the research on Chinese higher education policy from 2005 to 2024 through a bibliometric analysis. It is revealed that a continuous growth trend and sustained academic interest in this field. Mainland China leads in publication quantity, showcasing the active involvement of Chinese scholars in higher education policy research. Institutions like Peking University, the University of Hong Kong, and Beijing Normal University play significant roles in this research domain. The focus of research has shifted from student attitudes to international students, teachers, innovation models, changing demands, and urban education development, reflecting a growing emphasis on sustainability and internationalization. The study highlights the positive development trajectory of Chinese higher education policy research, with expanding research focuses and deepening concerns for sustainability and internationalization.