Amid global workforce transformations requiring advanced socio-emotional skills (SES), China’s exam-driven secondary education system struggles to cultivate these competencies. Analysis of 372 high achievers from elite Yangtze River Delta high schools—using mixed methods including psychometric evaluation and regression modeling—reveals a paradox: students exhibit moderately high SES overall (mean SEC score 3.92/5) but lag in self-awareness (3.71 vs. 4.04 in social awareness). Science-track students outperform peers in collective competencies (e.g., collective-awareness: 20.29 vs. 18.92, p < 0.05), while academic high performers show stronger innovation capacities (r = 0.47 with creative ideation). Disparities across gender, disciplines, and achievement tiers highlight systemic gaps in current pedagogy. Results advocate integrating SES development into curricula through metacognitive training, collaborative projects, and tiered support frameworks. The proposed dual-helix model—balancing cognitive rigor with socio-emotional growth—addresses China’s innovation talent dilemma, offering policy blueprints to bridge high academic performance with the leadership skills demanded by AI-driven economies.

Zhao Meiyuyang, He Yuchen, An Xuezi, Luo Chen, Zheng Mingyu. Socio-Emotional Competence among High-Achieving Chinese High School Students: A Investigation from Southern Jiangsu Province. Frontiers in Educational Research (2025), Vol. 8, Issue 6: 1-7. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2025.080601.

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