I grew up in Asia (though not China). A key difference in experience for most children who grow up there is that being academically excellent is usually admired, sometimes even revered, by peers. Recognition for academic merits is widespread among teachers, schools, parents, their acquaintances, and basically everyone in society.

The above atmosphere is especially intense in China where the seriousness of Gaokao (高考) derives from the long history of imperial examinations (科舉) since over a thousand years ago. Just as in the old days, academic merits can greatly impact one's socioeconomic position for life. [1]

The system originates from Confucianism, which is an ideology with deep influences across East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) and Singapore:

"Another new idea, that of meritocracy, led to the introduction of the imperial examination system in China. This system allowed anyone who passed an examination to become a government officer, a position which would bring wealth and honour to the whole family." [2]

From what I gather, this is not the case for American society. It is even embedded in language with pejorative terms like 'nerd', 'geek', and 'dork'. Yes, there are honor rolls but it doesn't seem like the kids honored are granted much social status by peers (Correct me if I'm wrong. I did not grow up in the US.). The top social groups belong to athletes, cheerleaders, and cool kids who devote their time to non-academic activites.

It is not surprising to see that these social factors, which have great influence on tweens and teens, may lead to weaker academic results for most students who do not have a chance to study and socialize in schools with more academic environment.

(It appears to me that Europe is somewhere inbetween the US and East Asia regarding this matter. If anyone from the US or Europe could comment, that would be quite informative.)

As a concrete effect, average American math level in high school is about 2-3 years behind their peers in developed Asia and also behind most of Europe. [3] This inevitably results in fewer students qualified to take 'hard' STEM majors in college and grad school. The US has been leading the world in science largely by the works of a minority of outstanding locals and a substantial immigration of global talent.

As China develops further and becomes able to train more students at home to their fullest potentials, as well as attracting back Chinese scientists who work abroad, it is not surprising their academic advantage may turn into a practical edge in scientific and technological development.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism#Meritocracy

[3] http://www.businessinsider.com/pisa-worldwide-ranking-of-mat...