This study aims to investigate the relationship between learning pressure and academic performance among international students studying Chinese in China, and analyze the impact of increased learning pressure on academic performance. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 600 Chinese language learners in China, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 software through descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results show that learning pressure has a significant impact on academic performance, with a negative correlation between them; meanwhile, there are significant differences in learning pressure across different demographic variables. All hypotheses of this study are supported, and the findings can provide practical assistance for the education and management of international students in China, offer new research perspectives for the field of Chinese international education, and serve as a basis for optimizing relevant policies and teaching strategies as well as improving the curriculum design of Chinese language majors for international students.