The present article is devoted to the analysis of the current experience of modernizing higher education in the People's Republic of China. The research is focused on the strategic programmes aimed at modernizing universities in the country – “Project 211” and “Project 985”. The article analyzes the strategic priorities and the logic in conducting the Projects. The analysis of the Projects allows us to come to the conclusion that in the process of their realization we begin to witness the process of creating a network community of Chinese universities and their partner universities in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.