Yes I've seen something in that line of thinking as well. But even if China has schools that are not top notch, they have sent students to other countries to learn for about 50 years. And their own top schools are among the best in the world now.
https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings
#11 in Hong Kong and #13 in Peking.
IDK if the list is entirely fair, I imagine having a good and long track record could have an influence.
China has been investing heavily in research and education, several times more than what we do in Europe and USA.
So it's no wonder they are catching up, and even passing us now.
Funny to see how we both got a downvote? 😋🤣
Maybe someone still believing in the superiority of the west, which clearly we don't have a monopoly on anymore, China has caught up, exactly as Japan and Korea have done before China.