The institutional construction of audit ethics is a crucial component in forming a self-contained knowledge system for auditing in China, as well as a key pathway for implementing the logic of modern governance. Its historical mission lies in providing institutional support and value guidance for the independent development of China’s auditing discipline, while drawing on indigenous experience to address shared concerns in global governance. The construction process is grounded in Confucian normative ethics, supported by a semantic analysis of nearly 3, 000 regulatory and policy documents from 2018 to 2025, which culminated in the formulation of a five-dimensional audit ethics framework: Integrity as Foundation, Independence as Conduct, Competence as Profession, Prudence as Trust, and Public Service as Virtue. This framework has been validated in practice through China’s participation in the audit of the United Nations “Umoja” information system, demonstrating institutional effectiveness and cultural advantages that transcend Western proceduralism. The localization and institutionalization of Chinese audit ethics not only consolidate the normative foundations of national governance but also contribute a universally relevant Chinese Approach to global governance, offering valuable insights for building an independent knowledge system in audit studies with Chinese characteristics.