Hong Kong loses pride of place in economic freedom league table to rival Singapore for first time, after 53 years at top

Hong Kong has been dethroned for the first time in 53 years as the world’s freest economy by rival Singapore in a Canadian think tank’s international league table because of what was said to be Beijing’s greater interference in city affairs – a view dismissed by the government.

The Fraser Institute, a public policy research organisation headquartered in Vancouver, said on Tuesday that mainland China was responsible for the demotion.