This article examines the dynamic mechanism of cultural appreciation and institutional governmentality to ensure successful quality control in a transnational higher education collaboration context. Adopting participatory action research and a case study approach, this paper investigates the quality control system in a Chinese tourism university. The present study finds that mutual cultural appreciation, responsible government guidance and institutional governmentality are essential quality control measures for transnational higher education cooperation. The quality control system is suggested to be established to enrich and improve the quality standards of joint international higher education collaboration. This study proposes to expand the international influence and recognition of China-foreign education collaboration through quality international exchange and cooperation.