Will China become a democracy?

Will China become a democracy? According to Singapore's elder statesman Lee Kwan Yew, the short answer is "No", and "if it did it would collapse". Lee's assessment about this aspect of China's development can be read in an informative article in Time (4 Feb 2013). Mr Lee's insights about China are indispensable for anyone considering doing business in China. He also discusses China's cultural roadblocks affecting business development, including the view that China's creativity is stifled compared to the process in the US - this is because the culture "does not permit a free exchange and contest of ideas". To understand China is to know what China will do in the future and how it may react to various events. Mr Lee suggests that China's "reawakened sense of density is an overpowering force" in contemporary China. China estimates in needs 30 to 40 years to bride the econ mic gap and avoid the mistakes of the Japanese economy. To compete head on with the US now is unwise given the current gap. However, 20 years down the track, we will be in a different setting. For sure, the Chinese leadership will take the long view and we need to consider this when trying to determine what China will do today. No doubt, China require peace in its region in the catch-up phase. This augurs well for the recent crisis in the Korean peninsula, where China can play a leading role in encourgaing North Korea to rejoin the modern world.

Knowledge about China can also be gained from watching modern Chinese films and television shows. Two in particular reveal the subtle sides of Chinese culture. Chongqing Blues and The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World are both worth watching. Be an anthropolgist and treat the screen as a text. Observe the surroundings and the people, listen closely to the dialog (especially the language and action that indicates cultural peresispositions). Just observing the surroundings and how people interact also tells you alot about modern China.