To make China a leading country in education, both international and domestic situations should be taken into consideration. Improving the quality and level of international education cooperation is an important function of higher education in our time, as well as an integral component and an urgent need in building a leading country through education. To promote international education cooperation, we should enrich its connotation by taking local conditions into account, investigate its development process, deal with problems and challenges, and find ways for its realization. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, great progress has been made in international education cooperation with multi-dimensional and autonomous exchanges and law-and procedure-based management. China’s higher education has become more competitive and influential worldwide. However, in the post-epidemic era, wars and conflicts have torn apart the world structure, and the Cold War mentality in some Western countries has generated confrontation. Chinese universities are facing difficulties in strategic planning, in-depth cooperation, and international guarantee system. Under this historical background, universities should seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and make greater efforts to expand global cooperation, enhance global reputation, attract first-class teachers, deepen academic cooperation, cultivate international talents, and improve the guarantee system. It is of great practical significance to explore ways for international education cooperation in universities. Firstly, it enhances China’s international discourse power in the field of education. Secondly, it breaks new grounds for opening up and cooperation in higher education. Thirdly, it fulfills the responsibility and mission of international exchange and cooperation in higher education.