[dageshi]

Can you point to any other examples other than Singapore or Hong Kong?

Both of these to me take advantage of inefficient neighbouring countries (in a doing business sense) to offer a safe place for those with the resources to do business. I don't know if you can apply that example to somewhere like China.

I also cannot see them lessening their grip on business. Ultimately money is power and in the past the Communist party has always seemed to favour maintaining political control over economic consequences. I cannot see them allowing potentially competing power structures to develop outside of the Communist party structure.

[dmix]

I agree that it is a bad idea to apply Singapore as an example for China. Just as people can't apply Finland to America. But there may be something about small-isolated economic-centric city-states. They might have way less overhead for political progress and action and the highest-levels are in sync with local issues, since local issues is targetted.

For example, Silicon Valley might have different issues with immigration than say Texas. But SV has to deal with Texas congressmen regarding policy.