I don't know about overall elementary education in China, but from my personal experience, I believe that the skills which are gained from a Chinese elementary schooling include discipline by authority, competitiveness, and structure. These elements are foundational skills contributing to future academic success. It is certainly a lot easier to get good grades in schools if you have these qualities, although self-discipline and self-drive (which are advocated more in western education) is more conducive to learning in general.