Conclusion : the decline of the Singapore model

Mark R. THOMPSON, Stephan ORTMANN, Kai YANG

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference ProceedingsBook ChapterResearchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

After revisiting the reasons for China’s once intense interest in Singapore in terms of its project of “authoritarian modernism”, this chapter discusses the loss of interest in the Singapore model. One reason for this is Xi Jinping’s fundamental reorientation of Chinese policy away from calibrated political reforms and a cautious foreign policy to a greater emphasis on the distinctiveness and success of China’s own developmental strategy. This has been accompanied by ramped up nationalist appeals and a more assertive stance internationally, particularly towards countries China perceived within its sphere of influence in the region. Foreign lessons have thus been dismissed as alien to the Chinese context as the government has embraced a much more repressive form of governance and abandoned institutional innovations that had been introduced under Deng Xiaoping, such as the much-praised term limits and the collective leadership. But the chapter also points out that because Chinese observers have long misunderstood fundamental institutional differences between China and Singapore meaningful “lesson learning” has always been limited.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationChina’s 'Singapore Model' and Authoritarian Learning
EditorsStephan ORTMANN, Mark R. THOMPSON
PublisherRoutledge
Pages187-198
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9780429425554
ISBN (Print)9781138388390
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameRoutledge/City University of Hong Kong Southeast Asia Studies
PublisherRoutledge

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Conclusion : the decline of the Singapore model'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this