In Russia, skaters have to meet certain timetables. If they don't meet them, they are cut from the "team." Only if you are on the "team" are you going to get funding (which includes lessons, quality ice time, programs, skates/boots, and off-ice). Once cut from the team, all this goes away and even finding a coach to teach you are private lesson is next to impossible. At least that is was how it was explained to me from a mother whose daughter is currently on the "team." By "team," I mean currently funded by the Federation and in the pipeline, but not necessarily yet reached the Junior or Senior ranks.
As a parent, I view that Russian focuses a lot on developing their skaters, while the US focuses on the developed skater.
My impression is the Chinese system is more like the US system. My neighbor has a niece who is a Chinese skater who visited for the summer. The Chinese mother seem unfazed by the US system while the mother of the Russian skater seemed overwhelmed by the US system. I'm curious how accurate my impression.
Chinese skaters come from two separate tracks, the amateur system and the so-called "professional" provincial teams/sports schools. The amateur system is a lot like the US system, whereas the other system like the Russian ones, though not as well funded or managed. Provincial team athletes get a salary and free training facilities, whereas the amateurs are covered by their parents. Xiaoyu Yu was the first skater who made national team from the amateur system. Yu/Jin used to represent their club, not any provincial team, though Jin Yang was in a provincial team before he paired up with Yu.
Skaters from both tracks can compete together in a series of domestic competitions a bit like the Russian Cups, but it's my impression that they tend to only send provincial team skaters to the JGPs and other competitions abroad. It's also never clear what the criteria are for making the national team. This spring they set up a junior national team and one of the junior girls quitted the team to go back to amateur status because the professional stream would bar athletes from going to normal schools. IMO it's a totally crap system run by ignorant bureaucrats.