Hong Kong's economic transparency looks to be the next victim of Chinese authoritarianism

CHINA'S LEADERS believe they can crush the democracy movement in Hong Kong while preserving its glittery reputation as a bastion of Asian capitalism. But can they? In recent days, China's puppet regime in Hong Kong has decided to curb access to a government registry that journalists, banks and others use to identify the true owners of companies and property. This is another step backward from Hong Kong's storied transparency and a sign that authoritarianism is creeping into economic life as well. Currently, the registry permits a search for residential addresses and full identification numbers of directors of Hong Kong companies….