Chinese college exam mirrors future competition with US

There is only one day left: Millions of Chinese high school graduates, after 12 years of basic education, are going to face probably the most important test of their life.

For decades, the annual national college entrance examination, known to Chinese as gaokao, has been the primary gateway for Chinese students to seek admission to higher education. Their grades in the exam decide whether they can go to college, what college they can attend and eventually who will gain a better future.

As long as you strive for your dream with hard work and utmost effort, you will very likely realize your personal goal: That’s the message the exam sends to all youngsters.

Therefore, young students have worked hard in the ultra-competitive system in hopes of seizing the chance to climb the ladder of social status.

In the past four decades, generations of college-educated talent have become backbone professionals in all works of life. They are one of the driving forces of rapid Chinese development as well as an important reason for China’s soaring competitiveness.

The college exam system is the foundation for China’s success and nurtures the country’s talent pool. A country’s development depends on its education.

China has a high-quality basic education, which lays the foundation of human resources for the country.

According to the Wall Street Journal, researchers have found that 6-year-old Chinese children trounce their American peers in early math skills including geometry and logic.

The US now views China as a rival and is eager to suppress China’s competiveness. China’s national competitiveness is built on the competitiveness of its talent.

As long as Chinese students arduously study and excel in the exam system, China’s competitiveness will continue to grow.

The number of candidates registered for this year’s exam is more than 9.75 million, equivalent to the population of a mid-sized European country. The gigantic competitive potential to be tapped in these students cannot be ignored.

There have been controversies surrounding the exam in recent years. But this examination system is China’s advantage.

We have to ponder how to further improve it, how to make it fairer and give more of a chance to rural students with poor family backgrounds.

Educational investment in rural and remote areas should be a longterm endeavor upon which the authorities insist.

Global competition will be fiercer in the future and we have to prepare better for it.