Financial Times, 26 Sep 2008, John Burton
When Lee Hsien Loong, the Singapore prime minister, said several years ago that he wanted the buttoned-down island state to become “a global city with buzz”, he cited the examples of New York and London. But Singapore instead appears to be adopting the model of another tiny country: Monaco.
The staging on Sunday of Singapore’s first Formula One race, which is also the inaugural night-time event on the global grand prix circuit, is part of the city-state’s makeover. The brightly-lit Monaco-styled street track will snake around the central Marina Bay area, which has other Monaco-like attributes. It is the home to a new financial district for its growing private banking industry and where Singapore’s first casino will begin operating next year.
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