Lee's legacy to find suitable model

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father who died on March 23, has been widely praised for his governance and insightful comments on global situations. His persistent efforts for efficient governance have been lauded by leaders in Asia, although some Western observers have criticized him for being autocratic.

For China, the Lee-spearheaded development of Singapore has been an example of an Asian country realizing good governance and economic growth. Many governments have tried to replicate Singapore's democratic politics and social model. But despite its huge success, Singapore's experiences cannot be imitated by China because of the differences between the two countries.

Lee's governance model and the underlying political mindset can be traced to his views on the essence of politics and the tactics to realize political goals. The chaotic era in which Lee was born and the recession the then British colony suffered shortly after World War II caused Lee to realize the "evils" of politics.

Colonial rule and the plundering of weaker countries by the big powers made Lee better understand international relations. These personal experiences forged his perception that there is nothing romantic about the politics represented by governments and that power is not necessarily equivalent to virtues. Lee believed that the "evils" of government must be restricted by the system and rule of law. And he transferred this into law, as is evident from stern legal system in Singapore.

Under the influence of Confucianism, Lee believed a society's basic values are order, stability and harmony. Diligence and enterprise, he said, were the top qualities needed to promote a country's progress. What he wanted to see is a bustling and prosperous society. No wonder, the creation of wealth and technological innovation became the dominating values in Singapore under Lee.

In terms of governance tactics, Lee proceeded from reality, tried to strike a balance among different values and refrained from going to extremes. But when it came to fighting corruption and promoting the rule of law, Lee did not hesitate to take extreme measures.

Lee's governance philosophy was not subject to a specific theory - it was neither purely Eastern nor Western. He believed in allowing the guiding principles to solve problems to determine political governance and social development. He also believed that a good government is one with the rule of law and tolerance.

Different from Western democracy, which is based purely on the electoral system and individualism, what Lee pursued was an elitist route in which public opinions would not influence the elites' decision-making. For him, decision-makers, as political and social elites, were tasked with transmitting public values and virtues to the people, instead of being restrained by them. Thus, Lee ignored the power-sharing and balancing system advocated by the West and didn't allow the media to play the role of society's watchdog. Instead, he advocated "rule of man" and elitism. Such a governance philosophy helped raise the efficiency of decision-making and contributed to Singapore's social stability.

Lee, however, exhibited an open and tolerant attitude and did not succumb to cultural conservatism when it came to dealing with the movement of the workforce. He did not agree with the "the fall of the US" theory, rather he felt the US' strong advantages lie in its tolerance, diversification, ideological liberty and pursuit of innovation. Therefore, he pushed for a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic, multi-religious and multi-cultural Singapore, a policy which also benefited from the city-state's unique geographic location and Lee's broad vision of international affairs.

A country's cultural traditions may be unique but they are partly congruous with others. So, in Lee's view, it would be misleading to use one country's advantages to measure another's disadvantages. Given the inherent differences between any two countries, it is not possible for two countries to be completely alike. Simply learning from and imitating a country's experiences will not help another country to solve its problems.

By having an in-depth understanding of histories, cultures, political systems and governance philosophies, a country can explore a development road suitable to its own national conditions. The strong leadership, highly efficient government and the rule of law Lee advocated as the three conditions for social progress, however, could be used as references by countries, including China.

The author is an associate professor in the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Beijing Foreign Studies University.