This study examined the knowledge development of teacher-student relationships (TSRs) for Chinese pre-service teachers in an outbound teacher education programme in Canada. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess the TSR development of 22 Chinese pre-service teachers who participated in the programme. The findings indicated that pre-service teachers' TSR knowledge had developed across three dimensions of 'nature', 'outcomes' and 'how-to' owing to the design of the programme, supportive and professional network, transcultural reciprocal learning context and practical experiences participants had acquired from China and Canada. The pre-service teachers could thus develop their TSR knowledge in a co-constructed, reflective and practice-oriented manner.