Competition Law and (Dis)order

Dan Ryan (Wall Street Journal, 15 July 2010) One of Hong Kong’s greatest commercial strengths is the rule of law. Both global and local businesses operate right on the doorstep of China with all the traditional common-law protections found in America or Britain. The territory has the additional advantage ofContinue reading>

Bad Buy

Dan Ryan (SCMP, 7 July 2010) For over five years, the Lion Rock Institute has been trying to draw public attention to the flaws in the government’s plan to introduce a cross-sector competition law in Hong Kong. The central problem with the proposed law is that it is based onContinue reading>

Rudd's red rag to reformed China

Dan Ryan (The Australian, 3 December 2009) An abridged version of the notorious The Monthly article in which Kevin Rudd blames the financial crisis on neo-liberalism has just appeared in The South China Morning Post, raising eyebrows and questions in Hong Kong. In particular, what exactly was Rudd trying toContinue reading>

Competition Law Reform – The Way Forward

Dan Ryan (15 December 2008) The Hong Kong government has raised expectations that some sort of competition-related reform will be introduced in the territory in 2009. Although it may surprise some, we are in favor of this. What we are against is that nature of the proposal that the governmentContinue reading>

Resorting to Keynes and other crutches

Dan Ryan (1 December 2008) The world’s governments are about to embark on a massive spending spree. China is busy spending US$586 billion. Others in the region have committed to large government spending packages. US president-elect Barack Obama has just announced he plans to save or create 2.5 million newContinue reading>

Work, not welfare

Dan Ryan (SCMP, 21 October 2008) One of the key elements of Donald Tsang Yam-kuen’s recent policy address was his plan to introduce an across-the-board statutory minimum wage in the coming 2008-2009 legislative session. While no doubt guided by the best intentions – if implemented – this policy would beContinue reading>

How to Make Hong Kong Uncompetitive

Dan Ryan (The Wall Street Journal , April 2 2008) A series of record-breaking fines in American and European competition cases is focusing attention and concern again on the power and purpose of competition regulators themselves – just ask Microsoft. So the Hong Kong government’s ongoing attempt to create suchContinue reading>