Meet the invisible hand behind Hong Kong’s rise
Sir John Cowperthwaite is that most unlikely of things: a bureaucrat hero to libertarians
Architect of Prosperity: Sir John Cowperthwaite and the Making of Hong Kong. By Neil Monnery. London Publishing Partnership; 337 pages; £24.50.
DURING the 1960s, governments were responding to political unrest and economic challenges with nationalisation, centralised planning and public spending (financed by heavy taxes and debt). There was intense pressure for Sir John Cowperthwaite, the financial secretary of Hong Kong, to join the crowd.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline "The resistance"
Culture October 7th 2017
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- Meet the invisible hand behind Hong Kong’s rise
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- An argument over the evolution of language, with high stakes
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