This article investigates how the International Baccalaureate's 'global dream' for education interacts with the national priorities of governments. In mainland China, a thriving international school market has been met with tightened government control. We draw on the analytical lens of 'cosmopolitan nationalism' to demonstrate how a cosmopolitan openness to international schooling was subject to reversal when deemed to counter national interests. Through content analysis of government documents and state media, we discuss how representations of the International Baccalaureate were in tension with national agendas of the "China dream' and 'common prosperity". Finally, we reflect on the malleability of the International Baccalaureate across diverse national contexts.