Author Archives: Nick Sallnow-Smith

This is my last missive as Chairman of LRI. From 1st April, Peter Wong will resume the Chairmanship he passed to me three years ago. Apart the practical reason of making way for a younger and more energetic man (!), there are a number of other factors that led toContinue reading>

Positive Non-Interventionism / 2019-02-26 / Nick Sallnow-Smith The connotation of my title this month has changed in my 25 years in Hong Kong. Originally a proud description of how Hong Kong became successful, it has become in the mouths of many, a critical term for an outmoded policy that isContinue reading>

Asset (Mis)management / 2019-01-25 / Nick Sallnow-Smith I have written before (“Best Use”) on the damaging effect of the land lease structure in Hong Kong on the ability of land use to change to reflect community needs. That piece focussed on leases held by the private sector. This month IContinue reading>

Birdwatching / 2018-12-28 / Nick Sallnow-Smith No Xmas theme this time dear reader; and no New Year’s message either. Rather, I want to contribute some musings prompted by my recent attendance of an update on global accounting and compliance issues. For me, this is close to a visit to theContinue reading>

No, the state doesn’t create wealth / 2018-11-29 / Nick Sallnow-Smith A good friend of mine recently sent me an article entitled “Yes, Government Creates Wealth”. He did this tongue in cheek because he knew I would object to the idea. But rather than throw the piece in the litterContinue reading>

Live and Let Live / 2018-10-24 / Nick Sallnow-Smith Earlier in the summer I wrote about why, in my view, Hong Kong is neither a corporation nor a commune. It is (or should be) a community of individuals living peacefully together in our city. How, you may ask, is thatContinue reading>

Freedom = Property Rights / 2018-09-26 / Nick Sallnow-Smith The simple truth of my title this month is worth repeating regularly, especially in Hong Kong. It seems, listening to comments on private property rights from many people here, that they have forgotten this vital equation. Note I say “equation”; thisContinue reading>

Is Hong Kong a Commune? / 2018-08-28 / Nick Sallnow-Smith Last month I posed the question, is Hong Kong a Corporation? Should the Government think of the city as a business to be run? Of course my answer was ”no”, even though many of our citizens seem to believe otherwise.Continue reading>

(Letter to SCMP Editor on Aug 9, 2018 by Lion Rock Institute Chairman Nick Sallnow-Smith) I was dismayed to read your first leader on Monday this week; not because of the subject matter but by the opening sentence (“Greater Bay Area offers a chance for tourism success”, August 6). YouContinue reading>

Is Hong Kong a Corporation? / 2018-07-24 / Nick Sallnow-Smith For the high summer months of July and August I want to offer a pair of articles. The first entitled as above, the second will ask the question “Is Hong Kong a Commune?” (Spoiler alert – the answer in both casesContinue reading>