China is "kicking our butt" in education because they don't educate the children of poor and migrant families. If we want to test only the children of our upper middle class kids, I'm certain we'd win. Also, we win on things like due process, relatively free elections, and economic freedom. Minor things, but still.
@2, in addition, you could compare the list of major intellectual innovations produced by graduates of the respective educational systems. Not by patents, but by ideas for products and services. US: iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Google, eBay, Amazon, Facebook, just off the top of my head. China: nada.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXc-bl2wO…