Re: China
Tsinghua University :k: :k: - collaborated on a research project for the NSF with a few professors and students from there - was highly impressed by their knowledge and professionalism. You might also want to look into the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences which is well regarded internationally for their research facilities.
Dunno if you’re interested in Hong Kong, but HKUST (HK Univ. of Science & Tech) is one of the premier learning institutions in the world.