Singapore in the Global System: Relationship, Structure and ChangeThis book tracks the phases of Singapore’s economic and political development, arguing that its success was always dependent upon the territories links with the surrounding region and the wider global system, and suggests that managing these links today will be the key to the country’s future. Singapore has followed a distinctive historical development trajectory. It was one of a number of cities which provided bases for the expansion of the British empire in the East. But the Pacific War provided local elites with their chance to secure independence. In Singapore the elite disciplined and mobilized their population and built successfully on their colonial inheritance. Today, the city-state prospers in the context of its regional and global networks, and sustaining and nurturing these are the keys to its future. But there are clouds on the elite’s horizons; domestically, the population is restive with inequality, migration and surplus-repression causing concern; and internationally, the strategy of constructing a business-hub economy is being widely copied and both Hong Kong and Shanghai are significant competitors. This book discusses these issues and argues that although success is likely to characterize Singapore’s future, the elite will have to address these significant domestic and international problems. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 91
... regional scope; the collapse of the European and American empires followed; the post-war struggles for independence and clarity in respect of national development generated further confusions; but in time a series domestic elites ...
... The stated political-economic goal is to become a regional service hub; a critical variant speaks of the hotel Singapore, whilst a related critical political comment speaks of an air-conditioned nation. The future is debated. There.
... Regional Hub (East Asia): the PAP party-state is partially reformed as the elite turns to the local East Asian region. • Scenario 5, Hotel Singapore: the PAP continues to run Singapore and the island is made into a business hub, with ...
... regional and global systems. 5 At the outset, the projects of agents animate historical development trajectories; there are various major actors (state regimes, multinationals, commercial operations and international organisations) and ...
... regional and extra-regional relationships will shift as individual trajectories advance unevenly; the historical development experience of a particular territory is always lodged within the contexts offered by the wider region and ...
Contents
Impact and reply 40 | |
General crisis 58 | |
New trajectories 79 | |
Locating Singapore 100 | |
Trading cities 160 | |
Unfolding trajectories 197 | |
Notes 216 | |
Bibliography 263 | |
Index 275 | |
Other editions - View all
Singapore in the Global System: Relationship, Structure and Change Peter Preston Limited preview - 2007 |
Singapore in the Global System: Relationship, Structure and Change Peter Wallace Preston No preview available - 2007 |