This an amazingly short-sighted move by Beijing. If they let the people have their say, the city will prosper faster, be more agile and will require less maintenance from Beijing. The problem is that the communist party is well-aware of its shortcomings and is getting afraid of it own people. Do you want a prediction? Within the next 100 years we will see China being disintegrated into regions: Guangdong and the south west of China, Tibet, Shangahi and its surrounding (a bit like Venice or Florence a few centuries ago), the Beijing-Tianjing-Qingdao-Dalian region and the abandonned west of China will be quite a lawless place... Who knows?
