China has experienced explosive economic growth since the start of reform and opening up in the late 1970s.
Chinese companies initially focused on manufacturing, but in recent years,
much of the country’s GDP growth has been driven by technology startups.
However, GDP growth has masked a problem: China’s technology industry is incomplete due to a lack of basic research infrastructure. 

Many of China’s innovative products are adaptations of existing technologies.

Many of China’s innovative products are adaptations of existing technologies rather than new ones,
and this can be attributed to the lack of basic research.
China’s lack of progress in basic research is linked to problems in fields such as science and math,
where the belief that tests and scores determine success is ingrained in students, which stifles their creativity and innovation. 

Increasing competition in China’s college admissions

In 2000, there were 3.75 million students taking the Gaokao, but by 2007, there were over 10 million.
College enrollment and acceptance rates have risen, but educational resources are scarce,
and competition for admission to a small number of prestigious universities has become fierce,
to the point where test scores determine one’s entire future.