This text opens with a discussion of the nature, causes and consequences of the Asian Financial Crisis (AFC). It examines the impact the AFC had as well as offers answers for the questions: why was the economic downturn so severe and why was the territory initially a laggard in economic recovery?

Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR) is a small and open economy, and a major international financial center with extensive linkages to Mainland China. Over the past two years, Hong Kong SAR's economy and financial sector were adversely impacted by domestic social unrest, US-China tensions, and the global...

Objectives-based legislation - or laws which focus on achieving particular and concrete outcomes - has become a new and important tool that financial sector regulators use to tackle large and varied financial system risks. Yet, objectives-based legislation - and the frequent principles-based...