香港營商便利妨礙對朝制裁

Businesses targeted with US sanctions over their ties to North Korea are continuing to operate in Hong Kong despite growing pressure for the Chinese territory to curb trade with the Kim Jong Un regime.

與朝鮮有業(yè)務(wù)往來、因而成為美國制裁目標的香港企業(yè)仍在運營，盡管這個中國特別行政區(qū)受到越來越大的壓力，要求它與金正恩(Kim Jong Un)政權(quán)終止貿(mào)易。

An FT investigation into groups and people singled out for sanctions by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control reveals they have maintained at least 16 registered companies in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

英國《金融時報》對受到美國財政部外國資產(chǎn)控制辦公室(Office of Foreign Assets Control，簡稱OFAC)制裁的集團和個人進行了調(diào)查，結(jié)果顯示，他們在這個半自治的中國特別行政區(qū)保持著至少16家注冊公司。

Their continued existence is likely to add to calls for the Chinese territory to join other jurisdictions in cutting trade ties with Pyongyang, which has drawn international condemnation this year over its escalating nuclear and missile programmes.

這些公司繼續(xù)存在，很可能促使外界加大呼吁香港加入其他司法管轄區(qū)的行列，切斷與平壤的貿(mào)易關(guān)系;朝鮮今年因不斷推進核武和導(dǎo)彈計劃而受到國際社會的譴責。

“Hong Kong should take more actions to stop this activity,” said Anthony Ruggiero, a senior fellow at conservative Washington think-tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracy.

保守的華盛頓智庫捍衛(wèi)民主基金會(Foundation for Defense of Democracy)的高級研究員安東尼•魯杰羅(Anthony Ruggiero)表示：“香港應(yīng)該采取更多措施來阻止這種活動。”

One company, Mingzheng International Trading, had sanctions imposed by the US this year over accusations it had been a front for a North Korean bank connected to the country’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons. Mingzheng maintains an active company registration in Hong Kong.

一家名為明正國際貿(mào)易(Mingzheng International Trading)的公司，今年因被指是與朝鮮核武計劃有牽扯的該國一家銀行的幌子公司而受到美國制裁?，F(xiàn)在明正國際貿(mào)易在香港的公司注冊仍處于活躍狀態(tài)。

After the UN imposed its latest round of sanctions on North Korea in September, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding US measures against the country.

在今年9月聯(lián)合國對朝鮮展開最新一輪制裁之后，美國總統(tǒng)唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)簽署了擴大美國對朝制裁的行政命令。

Singapore last week suspended all commercial trade with North Korea, following a similar move by the Philippines in September.

新加坡上周暫停了所有與朝鮮的商業(yè)貿(mào)易，菲律賓在9月采取了類似的舉措。

The US took the unprecedented step this month of placing sanctions on a Chinese bank, with the Treasury accusing Bank of Dandong of performing millions of dollars of transactions for companies connected to North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

美國本月采取史無前例的舉措，對一家中資銀行實施了制裁，美國財政部指責丹東銀行(Bank of Dandong)為幾家與朝鮮彈道導(dǎo)彈和核武計劃有關(guān)聯(lián)的公司處理了數(shù)百萬美元的交易。

“The United States has been very aggressive in targeting individuals and companies that are trading with North Korea. This includes a lot of Chinese firms and some based in Hong Kong,” says Wendy Wysong, head of law firm Clifford Chance’s anti-corruption and trade controls practice in Asia. “I think we’re going to see more of that in the coming months. This will put more pressure on Hong Kong and other countries to not appear to be harbouring sanctions-evaders.”

高偉紳律師事務(wù)所(Clifford Chance)亞洲反腐和貿(mào)易控制業(yè)務(wù)主管宋慧婷(Wendy Wysong)表示：“近來美國非常激進地瞄準與朝鮮開展貿(mào)易的個人和公司。這包括許多中國公司和一些總部位于香港的公司。我認為，今后幾個月會有更多的公司受到制裁。這將讓香港和其他司法管轄區(qū)受到更大壓力，要求它們表現(xiàn)出不庇護破壞制裁的企業(yè)和個人。”

Companies targeted in older US sanctions have also maintained their base in the city.

較早前受到美國制裁的一些公司也是在香港落戶的。

Seven active Hong Kong Kong companies are registered under the names and passport numbers of three executives of Chinese group Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development, which was hit by US sanctions last year. The trio were among four directors named in the sanctions.

7家處于活躍狀態(tài)的香港公司是用中國丹東鴻祥實業(yè)發(fā)展有限公司(Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development)的3名高管的姓名和護照號碼注冊的，該公司去年受到美國的制裁。在被美國點名制裁的4名董事當中就有這3人。

In another case last year, sanctions imposed on Hong Kong-registered Leader International Trading led to the dissolution of the company. However, the person behind Leader International maintains two other registered companies in Hong Kong.

在去年的另一個案例中，對香港注冊公司Leader International Trading的制裁導(dǎo)致該公司解散。然而，該公司背后的人士在香港保留著另外兩家注冊公司。

Several Hong Kong accounting companies are listed as the company secretaries for the groups under US sanctions. They also share addresses in the city. The accounting companies contacted by the Financial Times either declined to comment or did not respond to queries regarding their clients.

數(shù)家香港會計公司被那些受到美國制裁的集團列為公司秘書。它們在香港的地址也往往是一樣的。英國《金融時報》聯(lián)系的這些會計公司要么拒絕置評，要么不回復(fù)有關(guān)其客戶的詢問。

Hong Kong implements UN sanctions but is under no obligation to enforce those imposed by the US.

香港執(zhí)行聯(lián)合國的制裁決議，但沒有義務(wù)執(zhí)行美國的單方面制裁決定。

A spokesperson for Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau acknowledged there were 15 companies or individuals registered in the city that are connected to US sanctions programmes yet remain active in the city.

香港商務(wù)及經(jīng)濟發(fā)展局發(fā)言人承認，有15家在香港注冊的公司或個人與美國的制裁計劃有關(guān)，但仍在該市處于活躍狀態(tài)。

Authorities in Hong Kong have drawn financial institutions’ attention to the list of US Treasury sanctions and have asked them to stay alert and to “report suspicious cases” connected to the companies and individuals, the spokesman said.

這位發(fā)言人表示，香港當局已提醒金融機構(gòu)注意美國財政部的制裁名單，要求它們保持警惕，報告有關(guān)這些公司和個人的可疑情況。

The presence of such companies presents Hong Kong regulators with a dilemma.

這類公司的存在令香港監(jiān)管機構(gòu)陷入兩難。

Among the biggest attractions for companies wishing to base themselves in the city is its ease of doing business — Hong Kong tops ranking by groups from the World Bank to conservative US think-tank the Heritage Foundation. But the downside of that accolade is that companies tied to murky regimes can use Hong Kong as a platform from which to access the global financial system.

對于那些希望落戶香港的企業(yè)來說，這座城市最大的吸引力之一就是經(jīng)營上的便利。從世界銀行(World Bank)到美國傳統(tǒng)基金會(Heritage Foundation)這樣的保守派智庫，香港是眾多機構(gòu)排行榜上的冠軍。但這一榮譽的陰暗面是，那些與不透明政權(quán)有聯(lián)系的企業(yè)可以利用香港作為進入全球金融體系的平臺。

An FT investigation this year showed how Hong Kong was used as a hub for shipping vessels connected to North Korea.

英國《金融時報》今年的一項調(diào)查展示了香港怎樣被用作與朝鮮有關(guān)聯(lián)的航運船舶的一個樞紐。

“I think it has been known for some time that there are issues in Hong Kong with regards to the ease of registering businesses,” said Mr Ruggiero. “North Korea has been able to use these [Hong Kong] companies to do financial transactions, commerce and shipping.”

捍衛(wèi)民主基金會的魯杰羅表示：“我認為，大家知道香港企業(yè)注冊便利帶來種種問題已經(jīng)有一陣了。朝鮮能利用這些(香港的)公司從事金融交易、貿(mào)易和航運。”

One western diplomat, while acknowledging that the city’s efforts to rein in North Korean business were “sincere, diligent and improving”, said Hong Kong needed to take more steps to ensure businesses registered there were not helping to evade international sanctions.

一位西方外交官承認，香港遏制朝鮮企業(yè)的努力是“誠懇、勤勉和不斷進步的”，但同時表示，香港需要采取更多措施來確保在該市注冊的企業(yè)不是為了幫助規(guī)避國際制裁。

“The challenges in Hong Kong are difficult given the size of the port [and] ease of registering business,” the diplomat said. “We’d like Hong Kong to dedicate more resources and take a more proactive approach to addressing the challenge.”

這位外交官說：“鑒于港口規(guī)模(以及)企業(yè)注冊的便利，香港面臨的挑戰(zhàn)是艱難的。我們希望香港能夠投入更多資源，采取更加積極主動的方式來應(yīng)對挑戰(zhàn)。”