In the 2010, January, National Geographic Magazine, there was a feature about Singapore that said, “the per capital income for its 3.7 million citizens exceeds that of many European countries, the education and health systems rival anything in the West, government officials are largely corruption free, 90 percent of households own their own homes, taxes are relatively low and sidewalks are clean (and safe), and there are no visible homeless people or slums.”
Singapore beach scene
When was the last time you heard the Western media or an American politician criticize Singapore’s government? Probably never.
There’s a reason for that. Singapore is a strong US ally and an English-speaking city-state.
It makes sense that China should want to model their economic and political system after another country with similar values and a stronger and more stable economy than the United States. The Chinese, like the Singaporeans, save money too. When the world economy collapsed while George W. Bush lived in the White House, China had a few trillion dollars in reserve with no national debt, and the Chinese people work harder and save more money than any other country.
Compare that to the United States and you will know why China’s role model is Singapore—not the United States of America. Now, see what a traveler said about Singapore.
Return to Part 2 of Why China is Studying Singapore
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse 
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