香港营商便利妨碍对朝制裁
与朝鲜有业务往来、因而成为美国制裁目标的香港企业仍在运营，尽管这个中国特别行政区受到越来越大的压力，要求它与金正恩(Kim Jong Un)政权终止贸易。
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.
英国《金融时报》对受到美国财政部外国资产控制办公室(Office of Foreign Assets Control，简称OFAC)制裁的集团和个人进行了调查，结果显示，他们在这个半自治的中国特别行政区保持着至少16家注册公司。
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.
这些公司继续存在，很可能促使外界加大呼吁香港加入其他司法管辖区的行列，切断与平壤的贸易关系;朝鲜今年因不断推进核武和导弹计划而受到国际社会的谴责。
“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.
保守的华盛顿智库捍卫民主基金会(Foundation for Defense of Democracy)的高级研究员安东尼•鲁杰罗(Anthony Ruggiero)表示：“香港应该采取更多措施来阻止这种活动。”
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.
一家名为明正国际贸易(Mingzheng International Trading)的公司，今年因被指是与朝鲜核武计划有牵扯的该国一家银行的幌子公司而受到美国制裁。现在明正国际贸易在香港的公司注册仍处于活跃状态。
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月联合国对朝鲜展开最新一轮制裁之后，美国总统唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)签署了扩大美国对朝制裁的行政命令。
Singapore last week suspended all commercial trade with North Korea, following a similar move by the Philippines in September.
新加坡上周暂停了所有与朝鲜的商业贸易，菲律宾在9月采取了类似的举措。
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.
美国本月采取史无前例的举措，对一家中资银行实施了制裁，美国财政部指责丹东银行(Bank of Dandong)为几家与朝鲜弹道导弹和核武计划有关联的公司处理了数百万美元的交易。
“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.”
高伟绅律师事务所(Clifford Chance)亚洲反腐和贸易控制业务主管宋慧婷(Wendy Wysong)表示：“近来美国非常激进地瞄准与朝鲜开展贸易的个人和公司。这包括许多中国公司和一些总部位于香港的公司。我认为，今后几个月会有更多的公司受到制裁。这将让香港和其他司法管辖区受到更大压力，要求它们表现出不庇护破坏制裁的企业和个人。”
Companies targeted in older US sanctions have also maintained their base in the city.
较早前受到美国制裁的一些公司也是在香港落户的。
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家处于活跃状态的香港公司是用中国丹东鸿祥实业发展有限公司(Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development)的3名高管的姓名和护照号码注册的，该公司去年受到美国的制裁。在被美国点名制裁的4名董事当中就有这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.
在去年的另一个案例中，对香港注册公司Leader International Trading的制裁导致该公司解散。然而，该公司背后的人士在香港保留着另外两家注册公司。
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.
数家香港会计公司被那些受到美国制裁的集团列为公司秘书。它们在香港的地址也往往是一样的。英国《金融时报》联系的这些会计公司要么拒绝置评，要么不回复有关其客户的询问。
Hong Kong implements UN sanctions but is under no obligation to enforce those imposed by the US.
香港执行联合国的制裁决议，但没有义务执行美国的单方面制裁决定。
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.
香港商务及经济发展局发言人承认，有15家在香港注册的公司或个人与美国的制裁计划有关，但仍在该市处于活跃状态。
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.
这位发言人表示，香港当局已提醒金融机构注意美国财政部的制裁名单，要求它们保持警惕，报告有关这些公司和个人的可疑情况。
The presence of such companies presents Hong Kong regulators with a dilemma.
这类公司的存在令香港监管机构陷入两难。
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.
对于那些希望落户香港的企业来说，这座城市最大的吸引力之一就是经营上的便利。从世界银行(World Bank)到美国传统基金会(Heritage Foundation)这样的保守派智库，香港是众多机构排行榜上的冠军。但这一荣誉的阴暗面是，那些与不透明政权有联系的企业可以利用香港作为进入全球金融体系的平台。
An FT investigation this year showed how Hong Kong was used as a hub for shipping vessels connected to North Korea.
英国《金融时报》今年的一项调查展示了香港怎样被用作与朝鲜有关联的航运船舶的一个枢纽。
“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.”
捍卫民主基金会的鲁杰罗表示：“我认为，大家知道香港企业注册便利带来种种问题已经有一阵了。朝鲜能利用这些(香港的)公司从事金融交易、贸易和航运。”
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.
一位西方外交官承认，香港遏制朝鲜企业的努力是“诚恳、勤勉和不断进步的”，但同时表示，香港需要采取更多措施来确保在该市注册的企业不是为了帮助规避国际制裁。
“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.”
这位外交官说：“鉴于港口规模(以及)企业注册的便利，香港面临的挑战是艰难的。我们希望香港能够投入更多资源，采取更加积极主动的方式来应对挑战。”
