About this, there was a relatively recent article from a chinese POV: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15769807

In this article, surprisingly, the author suggests that his education abroad (Cambridge) was a result of his failure in the chinese system.

Finally, I threw in the towel, and asked my parents to send me abroad. Anywhere else on this earth would surely be better.

And regarded western universities as much less competitive and demanding.