An interesting trend amidst the general deterioration of relations (of course, officially, everything is wonderful), and reflective of a growing middle class in China able to pay for overseas education.
But it also shows that far-sighted Chinese prefer the sort of "questioning"/critical thinking education that the US offers over the more rote version offered at home. Last time I was in China, I heard that directly from college execs: they feared they just weren't developing the students the country needed.
Of course, that sort of academia would be harder to control, so China effectively outsources the function. That does delay the eventual impact of making so many critical thinkers happen - but that's all.
Remember how the Middle East starting pushing so many young people into college across the last decade. Yes, it kept off the streets for a while, but when they got back on the streets, my, were their expectations then even more "unreasonable." The Arab Spring is a direct result of that.