Can China be a Large Singapore?

Abstract

The primary concern of the thesis is to study if China has the conditions to adopt the 'Singapore Model'. Despite interest and extensive research from China, the lack of consensus on the definition of the 'Singapore Model' and the cherry picking of certain components while failing to look at the fundamentals that allowed Singapore to become what she is today meant that the extant literature on the topic remains incomplete. Acknowledging the shortcomings, this research proposes the use of the analytical framework that defines the 'Singapore Model' with the fundamental values of Meritocracy, Multiracialism, Integrity, Rule of Law and Equality to understand foundations of Singapore and the Singapore Story.

First of all, the 'Singapore Model' will be applied to understand the conditions and challenges that Singapore encountered in the 1950s/1960s and how it allowed Singapore to achieve what she is today. Secondly, the conditions that permitted Singapore to implement the 'Singapore Model' would then be compared to the current phenomena of China to examine if she has the potential to adopt the 'Singapore Model' and become a large Singapore. Lastly, a roadmap to adopt the model will be proposed.

While comparing Singapore of the 1950s/1960s and China today, the analysis showed that both countries have strikingly similar socioeconomic and political conditions. Though the analysis might depict that China today have the conditions to implement the 'Singapore Model', her size and the political will remain as the key differences and potential stumbling block for China to do so.

Knowingly, the size for China is a double-edged sword

a tradeoff between benefits of being large (bigger market, greater international influence and etc.) and drawbacks of the heterogeneity of preferences. Nevertheless, twenty-first century authoritarian elites in China are well positioned to manage the negatives and capitalize from her size in the implementation of the top-down 'Singapore Model'.

Therefore, with the socioeconomic and political conditions that are similar to Singapore in the 1950s/1960s, and potentially, China's large size as a plus, it would mean that if the Chinese Communist Party leadership has the political will to implement the 'Singapore Model', then China can be a large Singapore.

By observing at the fundamentals of the 'Singapore Model' and the conditions needed to implement them, this research departs from existing literature through providing a more comprehensive picture to whether China have the potential to undertake those fundamentals and become a large Singapore.