Two weeks ago, New York’s Cravath, Swaine & Moore kicked off bonus season for associates at the top U.S. firms, announcing that first-years would receive $10,000 on top of their base salaries of $160,000. The amount, unchanged from the year before, has already sparked some grumbling about the firm’s perceived stinginess.

In China, though, $10,000 is frequently more than what starting lawyers at leading firms make in a whole year.