Self-learning through teaching: Singapore's land development policy transfer experience in China
Journal
Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy
Journal Volume
33
Journal Issue
6
Pages
1639-1656
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Abstract
As a rising market, China has attracted many transnational agents seeking to tap new resources and/or do business overseas. These agents include international governmental and non-governmental organizations, multi-national corporations, and foreign states. We propose a theoretical concept of ‘self-learning through teaching’ to empirically examine the process by which the government of Singapore does business via policy transfer in China, specifically in Suzhou and Tianjin. Most of the existing literature argues that Singapore has leveraged its experience of rapid economic growth to teach China how to pursue development. Our findings suggest that, in addition to providing China with the benefit of its experience, the Singaporean government has also self-learned a great deal through interaction with China in terms of the political complexities of conducting transnational business, such as how to improve budgeting control over land development, negotiating local interests, and coordinating central fragmentation. © The Author(s) 2015.
Subjects
China; land conflict; local politics; self-learning through teaching; Singapore; transnational policy transfer
Other Subjects
economic growth; international organization; land use conflict; land use planning; learning; multinational enterprise; nongovernmental organization; policy approach; political integration; state role; teaching; China; Jiangsu; Singapore [Southeast Asia]; Suzhou; Tianjin
Type
journal article