Students need to understand axioms and theorems to think logically and build their own theoretical framework.
This is very different from the process of training students for the Gaokai,
and many students who are trained in rote memorization for the sake of scores are unable to adapt. 

Why China’s Math Olympiad Craze

The problem can be easily seen in China’s math Olympiad craze, where the popularity of the competition is due to the fact that parents see it as a shortcut to prestigious universities, not because they want their children to become mathematicians.
This craze has spawned many academies and tutors who train students to achieve high scores.
This process has led to China’s dominance in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and many proud Chinese parents hold math tutoring in China in high esteem.
While this may seem like a good thing, China’s dominance in the International Mathematical Olympiad has not solved the problem of education in China. 

The Chinese government’s efforts to address education challenges

Students are still focused on getting into highly rated schools,
and only a small percentage of students aim to pursue a career in math. However,
things are likely to get better in China, and the government has begun to crack down on for-profit tutoring,
some provinces are working to ease competition in gaokao,
and test makers are creating new problem topics to discourage memorization.