This paper suggests that there is very little substance to the so-called Beijing Consensus. Instead, China's political system is simply the consequence of the communist triumph over the Kuomintang, and her economic approach the reversal of the disastrous policies of the Mao period coupled with lessons learnt from the economic development of other Asian economies including Singapore. As Singapore is often touted as a model for China, this paper sets out an important but often underappreciated element that underpins Singapore's success, namely its democratic system of government. It suggests that this may be the most important lesson that China can learn from Singapore.