Billy K. L. So with Sufumi So: The Guomindang Doctrine Against Capitalism and the Original Intent Behind the 1929 Company Law21.2.2026 {en}

Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Interdisciplinary Research Seminar
The Guomindang Doctrine Against Capitalism and the Original Intent Behind the 1929 Company Law

Professor Billy K. L. So with Professor Sufumi So
The University of Hong Kong

Date and Time: February 24, 2026 (Tue) 12:30 – 13:30 HKT [Feb 23, 2026 (Mon) 20:30 – 21:30 PST]
Venue: Room 201, May Hall, The University of Hong Kong (Map) or via Zoom

Register now: https://hku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eqaFVdr6T6yXTA8gB4pgUw

Abstract
One of the two doctrinal pillars of Sun Yat-sen’s Principal of the People’s Livelihood was to “contain the capital,” which was never clearly defined and invited conflicting readings over the years. Following the consolidation of the Nanjing regime in 1928, many new laws were enacted replacing the former ones under the Beiyang government. The 1929 Company Law was among those enacted with urgency to vitalize the national economy, thereby generating urgently needed revenue, through promotion of the most advanced capitalist corporate practice to the Chinese business community. By examining the law’s original intent in the contexts of legislative process and statutory language, we investigate how this pro-business legislation was reconciled with the perceived anti-capitalist party doctrine and present a more entangled legal reality beneath the crude political rhetoric.

About the Speaker
Billy K. L. So is Fellow and Visiting Professor at The Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, HKU. He formerly taught at National University of Singapore, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The University of Macau. Collaborating with Sufumi So, his recent research is focused on legal and business history in comparative perspective. Their latest co-authored Chinese books are Morality, Rationality, and Legality of Modern Corporation: Tōkyō Kinkōdō and Shanghai Commercial Press (1875-1930) (2024) and Law Without Heaven: Darwinian Constitutionalism from Katō Hiroyuki and Justice Oliver Holmes to John C. H. Wu (2023). Sufumi So is Honorary Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, HKU. She formerly taught at Carnegie Mellon University and George Mason University, among others.

About the Series
This series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas.

Source: Interdisciplinary Research Seminar: Billy K. L. So with Sufumi So – The Guomindang Doctrine Against Capitalism and the Original Intent Behind the 1929 Company Law (Feb 24), H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US.