Cheating has become an endemic part of the Chinese education system as illustrated by an article from the Telegraph entitled "Riot after Chinese teachers try to stop pupils cheating." The cheating culture can probably be best summarized by a quote from a group protesting against school administrators trying to prevent students from cheating on the college entrance exam:
"We want fairness. There is no fairness if you do not let us cheat."
In my first semester teaching at a Chinese university, I noticed how prevalent cheating was during a written final exam where students were blatantly copying each other's answers. Even after repeated warnings to stop, they continued with no apparent concern for any consequences. I've tried dealing with this in several ways, possibly to a modest degree of success. For example, I print two different copies of a multiple choice exams, with the same questions, but in different order so that if a student blindly copies from someone sitting next to him or her, it won't be very helpful.
There is certainly cheating on exams in other countries, including the United States. However, when it becomes so accepted that students (and their parents) protest for their right to cheat (and riot when not given this right), I think you have to wonder about the underlying cultural values that make this possible.
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