The inclusion of intercultural communication and intercultural competence in English language education in Chinese Higher Education is now firmly established in the 'National Standards' (2020). In a post-project reflection, we explore the opportunities and challenges in co-constructing an interpretive (non-essentialist) approach to interculturality and the emergent pedagogic framework (theory, methodology, teaching materials) within a Chinese-European research project. While partners shared an enthusiasm to make the project successful, power relations, academic and professional expertise, and certain theoretical and methodological preferences challenged the co-construction of the framework. Thus, our reflections highlight tensions, challenges, and lessons learned which will inform future international collaborations.