This is a somewhat controversial article but it makes a point that China's unfair competitive advantage is its lack of respect for most human rights, IP laws, etc.
Another thing is that going to college is not a fundamental right of a citizen. If you do not score high enough on the NCEE, you are basically slotted for factory work (if your family is not well-off enough to pay full freight at at a European or American institution)...
"Students in the Chinese education system endure six years of elementary school and six years of middle and high school to prepare for what is often the most important turning point of their lives: the National College Entrance Examination. The exam takes place once each year. If student scores are high enough, they might be able to enter one of the few high-ranking Chinese universities in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai. This builds the foundation for good jobs after graduation. And if their English is good enough, they can take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Teaching System, or the British equivalent of the TOEFL). And last, if their families are financially blessed, they might have a chance to apply to colleges in English-speaking countries such as the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand.
Unfortunately, if their entrance examination scores are below a certain point, the options after high school are limited to obtaining associate’s degrees or starting in extremely low-paying jobs.
For most Chinese students, the only way to a brighter future is to ace every subject in school and to be in extraordinary condition on the three days of the National College Entrance Examination...
Many American students find it hard to understand the Chinese schedule. But we accepted the rigor because competing for the few high-ranking Chinese universities requires a lot of work. Nearly 8.8 million students take the college entrance exam each year, and only about 20,000, or 0.2percent, make it to the top colleges in China."
Reading this, I have to offer an anecdotal (counter?)point. All of the following is true, but is by no means the norm.
My father was born in rural China. He grew up eating roasted grasshoppers. His parents were both teachers; they were proletariats and there was no way to rise up the social ladder (not that there was much of one within thirty miles).
Around fourteen, he realized he was in serious trouble. There was no way out, he was trapped in that village. He decided to start paying attention in school and worked on mathematics problems in his free time. Mathematics problems were all he needed (solutions to them were nice, but not necessary after a few examples). He also worked on a few other subjects, but those were all closely related to mathematics (physics is one, for example).
He did well on the NCEE, and went to TsingHua. After that, he immigrated to the United States.
He maintains that there is no such thing as being "genetically smart". All there is to it is work. He has a brother and a sister; none of them achieved the level of success he did, simply because they didn't practice math problems when they were young.
So yes, you're right when you say "For most Chinese students, the only way to a brighter future is to ace every subject in school". However, contrary to what you make it seem, it isn't impossible or even extremely difficult though; all it requires is determination and work.
Of course, this is anecdotal evidence. It is by no means a key to success in China today.
Though other factors come into play, environment, education, etc., we are not all gifted with the same faculties, and it is ignorant to claim otherwise.
Also, there may be structural reasons why it can't work for everyone. I imagine that if everyone studied harder, the score needed to go to college would go up.
http://www.tapsns.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/what-is-china/
EDIT:
Another thing is that going to college is not a fundamental right of a citizen. If you do not score high enough on the NCEE, you are basically slotted for factory work (if your family is not well-off enough to pay full freight at at a European or American institution)...
"Students in the Chinese education system endure six years of elementary school and six years of middle and high school to prepare for what is often the most important turning point of their lives: the National College Entrance Examination. The exam takes place once each year. If student scores are high enough, they might be able to enter one of the few high-ranking Chinese universities in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai. This builds the foundation for good jobs after graduation. And if their English is good enough, they can take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Teaching System, or the British equivalent of the TOEFL). And last, if their families are financially blessed, they might have a chance to apply to colleges in English-speaking countries such as the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand.
Unfortunately, if their entrance examination scores are below a certain point, the options after high school are limited to obtaining associate’s degrees or starting in extremely low-paying jobs.
For most Chinese students, the only way to a brighter future is to ace every subject in school and to be in extraordinary condition on the three days of the National College Entrance Examination...
Many American students find it hard to understand the Chinese schedule. But we accepted the rigor because competing for the few high-ranking Chinese universities requires a lot of work. Nearly 8.8 million students take the college entrance exam each year, and only about 20,000, or 0.2 percent, make it to the top colleges in China."
http://www.mercurybrief.com/2010/06/chinese-teenagers-stick-...