With the advancement of the "Belt and Road" Initiative

the number of international students in China continues to grow

and their intercultural communication competence (ICC) directly impacts their academic performance and quality of life. Existing research predominantly focuses on students at ministry-affiliated universities in first-tier cities

with insufficient attention given to international students at local ethnic institutions. This study takes Cambodian students at Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities as its subjects

employing in-depth interviews to investigate their ICC. The findings reveal that while these students demonstrate strong willingness for intercultural interaction

their actual behavioral competence is weak

exhibiting a significant "knowledge-action gap." Primary difficulties include language barriers

psychological anxiety

and a lack of understanding of implicit Chinese communication rules. To address these issues

this paper proposes four strategies: offering practical ICC training courses

establishing a structured language partner program

organizing low-threshold

high-frequency Chinese-foreign exchange activities

and providing implicit psychological support through skills training. These strategies emphasize behavioral change rather than rote memorization of knowledge

aiming to offer an actionable pathway and reference for cultivating ICC among international students at local ethnic institutions.