Institutions of higher education in China and the United States are increasingly seeking international partners to deliver degree programs to the Chinese populace. This article illustrates how shared and divergent partner motivations and outcome expectations in a Chinese cross-border higher education program have created synergy and challenged the implementation of some of these partnerships. A case study of a Sino-U.S. higher education program established by a well-known business school from China and another elite school from the United States is presented to illustrate how such dynamics between partner institutions play out. In particular, game theory is used to highlight the dynamic relationship and nuanced differences between partners' motivations and preferences for expected outcomes. (Contains 1 note.)