China's emergence in the global economy has captured the attention of U.S. policy makers, who have a vested interest in understanding how China has advanced so quickly. The Chinese government views education as a key to economic growth and has initiated several rounds of education reform since the late 1970s. To meet the demands of globalization, Chinese education is becoming more increasingly decentralized and learner-centered. On the other hand, government policies in the U.S., most notably No Child Left Behind (NCLB), have been pushing for the centralization of elementary and secondary education and a more test-oriented system. It appears that China and the U.S. are moving in opposite directions. It must be acknowledged that the American and Chinese education systems have been at opposite ends of the continuum in many respects, so these opposing trends might be considered a movement by each toward the center. However, lessons can be learned by examining how and why policy makers in two major powers are seeking to reform education in such strikingly different ways. In this article, the author analyzes the trends in each education system and addresses implications for policy. (Contains 29 endnotes.)