Singapore: a model for China?

A prosperous city-state famous for micromanaging both its economy and its people is beginning to relax the reins.

Last month, Singapore promised to revise a raft of rules and practices in response to public calls for greater freedom. Singaporeans are no longer expected to fly the national flag, and citizenship restrictions have been relaxed. Other changes include workplace rights for the disabled and the creation of an arts school and a philanthropy award.

As the government tweaks its social policy, civil society groups are sprouting here, airing views on gay rights, artistic freedom, and the environment. Their mild dissent has resonated among youth raised on a global diet of pop culture and consumerism.

For observers trying to gauge the spread of democracy in Asia, Singapore's cautious steps show how a maturing economy can embrace social and political change. While there's no exact correlation between prosperity and freedom, social scientists posit that democracy usually blooms after economic development creates a stable middle class that demands a greater say.

No where does this idea matter more than in China, where the Communist Party has unleashed an economic dynamo that threatens to undercut its long-term grip. Free-traders argue that bolstering China's middle class is more likely to bring political change than bashing Beijing's repressive rule, citing the Party's growing emphasis on its legitimacy as a provider of economic growth. Some China-watchers say members of the Communist hierarchy are taking note of Singapore's model of tightly controlled democracy and economic efficiency.

"Singapore is an ideal scenario in the eyes of the [Communist] Party elite who realize they have to be more responsive to the public," said Joseph Chang, professor of political science at Hong Kong's City University.

However, Chang and others caution against applying a formula used in a city-state of 4 million people to China, where sheer size and provincial disparities weigh against a neat solution. In recent months, China has shown its displeasure with Hong Kong's democracy push.

In Singapore, those hoping for a political transformation say the latest moves amount to little more than tinkering. Proposals to relax restrictions on free speech in public forums and arts venues were rejected, along with changes to an electoral system that gives opposition parties almost no chance of taking power. Local media are overwhelmingly pro-government and are shielded from foreign takeovers.

"We need political party competition, and this is something that no govern ment committee can give us," said James Gomez, an activist and co-founder of the opposition Workers Party.

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