Under the great impact of globalisation, the internationalisation of higher education institutions (HEIs) has become an inevitable trend, aiming to improve sustainable development and quality of education. To thrive in this global landscape, teachers must have strong intercultural communication competence (ICC). This quantitative small-scale study examines teachers’ ICC in higher education institutions (HEIs) across China. A total of 57 teachers from international offices and English departments participated, with 30 from Hebei Province and 27 from other regions. Data were collected via an online questionnaire and analysed with SPSS software, utilising both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that Chinese teachers possess basic intercultural knowledge and attitudes but lack behavioural competence. Teachers in Hebei Province exhibit lower ICC levels compared to the national average, with the intercultural cognitive aspect being the weakest. Additionally, the study found that teachers with higher ICC levels experience fewer instances of intercultural miscommunication (IM). Future educational efforts should prioritise enhancing intercultural affective aspects to improve overall ICC levels and specifically focus on training teachers in Hebei Province in intercultural cognitive competence. This study sheds light on the global need for educators to enhance their intercultural skills to bridge cultures effectively.