According to information released by the U.S. Treasury Department, this international network consisting of seven individuals and six companies “facilitated the procurement of sensitive and critical components and technology for Iran’s ballistic missile development by key institutions including the Iranian Ministry of Defense and its subsidiaries.”
Hong Kong Ke.Do International Trade Co Ltd and Qingdao Zhongrong Tong Trade Development Co Ltd were sanctioned for jointly selling military-civilian dual-use non-ferrous metals worth millions of dollars to intermediary PB Sadr.
Hong Kong Ke.Do International Trade Co Ltd Is a Shell Company.
Hong Kong Ke.Do International Trade Co Ltd was registered in Hong Kong on Aug. 13, 2020, and is currently valid but has no official website.The company’s registered address is “Southex Building, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.” A reporter from The Epoch Times found out from the security guard of the building at the address that the building had been vacant for two years and was currently undergoing renovation and reconstruction, with no companies present.
The reporter found on the Asian Metal Trading Matching Platform in mainland China that Hong Kong Ke.Do International Trade Co Ltd posted a “request” on Aug. 24, 2022, seeking to purchase 180 tons of “4130 steel pipe rods and plates,” with delivery to major ports in China. “4130 steel pipe” is a type of steel containing multiple non-ferrous metals. The reporter tried to contact Li Wenwei, the contact person listed on the platform but found her Beijing phone number was invalid.
The reporter then contacted Asian Metal for help and learned that the contact person for Ke.Do International was in mainland China. The reporter pretended to be a seller and requested an employee of the platform to contact Ke.Do International in mainland China. The employee relayed that Ke.Do International said it was a previous “request,” and they do not wish to be contacted again. They also said that they have now switched from steel materials to non-ferrous metals. The employee also stated they were unwilling to disclose their contact information.
According to The Epoch Times’ search at the company registry, Hong Kong Ke.Do International Trade Co., Ltd. was established on Aug. 13, 2020, with Qin Xutong holding a Chinese passport, as its director. She also registered another company called “Hong Kong Meta Resource Ltd” in 2015.
Qin is also a shareholder of another sanctioned company, Qingdao Zhongrongtong Trade Development Co., Ltd., holding a ten percent stake, while another Chinese citizen, Gao Dongbo, holds a 90 percent stake. Qin joined Qingdao as a supervisor on April 1, 2020, and registered Ke.Dou in Hong Kong four months later. Gao replaced another Chinese national, Wei Zunyi, on the same day to become a shareholder, executive director, and manager.
The Epoch Times also found that after Qin joined Qingdao, the company changed its businesses several times. On May 23, 2020, it added businesses such as import and export agency, goods import and export, technology import and export, and sales of non-ferrous metal alloys and high-performance non-ferrous metal and alloy materials.
On July 27, 2022, it added businesses that require approval, such as the operation of dangerous chemicals. “Operation of dangerous chemicals” in mainland China includes enterprises that operate highly toxic chemicals and enterprises that operate easily explosive dangerous chemicals.@
