Before declaring qualifications worthless, look at China's educational attainment: 15,467 people per 100,000 had tertiary education
In China's 2020 census, 15,467 people per 100,000 had education at junior-college level or above—about 15%. Junior secondary education was the largest category, at 34,507 per 100,000. People aged 15 and over had an average of 9.91 years of schooling, just beyond junior secondary graduation. Junior secondary education is therefore a common baseline in China, rather than evidence of a distinctive advantage.
What it takes
Nothing. Read the figures below.
What you may gain
The reference date for China's seventh national census was November 1, 2020. It counted 218,360,767 people with tertiary education, including junior college; 213,005,258 with senior secondary education, including secondary vocational education; 487,163,489 with junior secondary education; and 349,658,828 with primary education. Compared with the sixth census in 2010, the number per 100,000 with tertiary education rose from 8,930 to 15,467, and senior secondary education from 14,032 to 15,088. Junior secondary education fell from 38,788 to 34,507 and primary education from 26,779 to 24,767. Average schooling among people aged 15 and over rose from 9.08 to 9.91 years, and the illiteracy rate fell from 4.08% to 2.67%.
Context & considerations
These figures describe how common different educational levels are. For an individual's decision, use the calculation in entry 6. The census denominator includes everyone, including children and older people. Tertiary education is much more common among younger people, so comparison with the national figure exaggerates an advantage over your peers. The original also uses the figures to challenge the claim that education is useless, arguing that employment competition extends beyond one's age group; however, the whole population is not identical to the workforce. You are the beneficiary.
Research & references
National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the State Council Leading Group for the Seventh National Population Census (2021). Communiqué of the Seventh National Population Census, No. 6: Educational attainment. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/tjgb/rkpcgb/qgrkpcgb/202302/t20230206_1902006.html