New debate over Chongqing model after police chief incident (2)

"The whole point of the Chongqing model is to instill people with an ideology. Its gang-busting and livelihood improvement projects all have strong movement-like characteristics," Zhang told the Global Times.

"Such measures create internal tension as well as bringing an enormous financial burden that can hardly be sustained," he added.

However, some observers pointed out that the current development of Chongqing is the result of combined policies.

"It's the perfect combination of a strong government and a strong market," said Su Wei, a professor at the Chongqing Party School.

"Many people think Chongqing is violating market economy rules in implementing its livelihood projects, but the truth is quite the opposite. Instead of using money from government revenue, the city has raised public funds by issuing a financing product," Su told the Global Times.

"Both central and local policies have stimulated Chongqing's development in the past and will sustain its growth in the future," Su said.

He added that the resurgence of criticism over Chongqing's development shows that many so-called public intellectuals are just using the Chongqing model as a target to voice their own ideologies. "Many of them don't really know what is going on in the city," he said.

More work ahead

Yang Fan, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, has been studying and co-wrote a book about the Chongqing model.

However, Yang expressed caution when asked about the model's future.

"It could have been a great transition," Yang said, "but I guess they were blind-sided by overwhelming success and made some mistakes," he said, pointing to the revival of red culture and the anti-gang campaign.

"The question of whether Chong-qing authorities followed proper legal procedures during the crime crackdown has yet to be asked," Yang said, referring to one of the biggest controversies Chongqing has faced.

Starting in 2009, the city launched a massive yet swift crackdown against syndicate crime, resulting in the arrest of over 3,000 people in less than a year, including the city's former deputy police chief who was eventually sentenced to death.

In a high-profile case, a Beijing lawyer who defended gang members was arrested and sentenced for fabricating evidence, prompting widespread concerns that lawyers were not allowed to voice differing opinions in their practices.

As for the red culture, Yang said it could be misleading as it reminds many people of the Cultural Revolution, which has left the nation with unpleasant memories.

On several occasions, Yang acknowledged the positive influence of Chongqing's development, as well as its downsides.

"Chongqing needs a strong leadership to break the reform barrier," Yang said to Qilu Evening News. "But at a certain point, society needs democracy and law if the achievements made are to be sustained."