Li Chao, a noodle cook at a small restaurant in Beijing's Fengtai district, has a simple job. He slices beef brisket, boils it with noodles, adds vegetables and spices and serves it in a bowl.

Many people could learn to do it within a few weeks, but it took Li years.

Li, 27, has learning difficulties - his IQ is lower than 70, equal to a 7-year-old's. No school or training institution would accept him after he finished elementary school.