The press in the Chinese territory shows that freedom of expression can make for better governance than the authoritarian democracy in some Asian nations.
Philip Bowring has been based in Asia for 38 years, writing on business, financial, and political issues.
Since 1992, he has been an opinion page columnist for the International Herald Tribune and The South China Morning Post. He also contributes to www.asiasentinel.com, a website he founded.
For many years prior to 1992, he was with the weekly Far Eastern Economic Review, eventually rising to the position of deputy editor and then editor.
Prior to joining the Review, Bowring worked for many years as Southeast Asia correspondent for The Financial Times, covering stories from South Korea to Pakistan.