RE DOINGCOM INTERNATIONAL LTD (in liquidation)

HCMP 2076/2025

[2025] HKCFI 6221

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

MISCELLANEOUS PROCEEDINGS NO 2076 OF 2025

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R E A S O N S  F O R  J U D G M E N T

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1.  This is an ex parte originating summons filed on 4 November 2025 by the joint and several liquidators[1] of Doingcom International Limited (中坤國際有限公司) (in liquidation) (“Liquidators” and “Doingcom” respectively) for an order that a letter of request in the form annexed thereto be issued to the Bankruptcy Court of the Fujian Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court (福建廈門市中級人民法庭清算與破產審判庭) (“Xiamen Bankruptcy Court”) seeking recognition and assistance of Doingcom’s liquidation and the Liquidators.

2.  The Liquidators say that they require recognition and assistance of the Xiamen Bankruptcy Court to facilitate performance of their functions in (i) gaining access to information and taking possession and control of books and records of Doingcom and its assets which they are informed are located in Xiamen; (ii) taking possession and control of Doingcom’s assets in the Mainland, and (iii) commencing or participating in legal proceedings before the courts in the Mainland, including but not limited to participating in the reorganisation proceedings for Xiamen Doingcom Chemical (defined in paragraph 10 below) currently pending before the Fujian Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court (“Xiamen Reorganisation Proceedings”). 

Background

3.  Doingcom was incorporated on 18 June 2001 under the former Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32).  Doingcom formed part of a corporate group ultimately owned by EcoGreen International Group Limited (in liquidation) (“Listco”), which was listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 02341) (“Group”).

4.  The Group’s principal operating subsidiaries are in Mainland China. Its principal areas of business are and were (i) scents and taste, (ii) natural products, and (iii) specialties, functional materials and others. Within the Group, Doingcom engaged in the trading of fine chemicals and investment holding.

5.  On 3 June 2024, Listco was wound up, and its listing status was cancelled on 15 July 2024. The Liquidators were appointed as the joint and several liquidators of Listco on 26 February 2025.

6.  On the same day (3 June 2024), Doingcom was also wound up upon a winding-up petition presented by Hang Seng Bank Limited. The Liquidators were appointed by Court order on 26 February 2025, and a committee of inspection was also ordered to be established on that day.

7.  As at the date of liquidation, Doingcom had labilities of approximately RMB 2.48 billion. Proofs of debt in the total sum of approximately RMB 2 billion have been received.

8.  As to Doingcom’s assets, they comprised (i) bank balances located in Hong Kong of RMB 3,586,823; (ii) plant and machinery believed to be located in the Mainland but value is unknown; (iii) 100% equity interest in 漳州滙友實業有限公司(Zhangzhou Huiyou Enterprise Co., Ltd.) established in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, with a book value of approximately RMB 6.7 million; and (iv) debts due to Doingcom totalling RMB 748,013,178.

9.  The total book value of Doingcom’s assets amounted to RMB 758,304,940 as at 3 June 2024, of which the debts due to Doingcom constituted more than 98%.

10.  Of the debts due to Doingcom, RMB 655,947,981 is due from five companies established in the Mainland, of which three are established in Xiamen and are affiliated with Doingcom (being indirect subsidiaries of Listco and part of the Group). Those three debtor companies are:

Name of Company	Book Value (RMB) of Debts Due to Doingcom
廈門中坤化學有限公司(Xiamen Doingcom Chemical Co., Ltd., “Xiamen Doingcom Chemical”)	623,419,821
廈門中坤生物科技有限公司(Xiamen Doingcom Biotechnology Co., Ltd., “Xiamen Doingcom Biotechnology”)	16,204,886
廈門中坤貿易有限公司(Xiamen Doingcom Enterprise Limited, “Xiamen Doingcom Enterprise”)	400,031
Sub-total	640,024,738

11.  In other words, the book value of the debts due from the aforesaid three companies (collectively “Xiamen Debtor Companies”) to Doingcom constituted approximately 84.4% of all of Doingcom’s assets. As mentioned above, the Xiamen Debtor Companies are all established in Xiamen.

12.  The Liquidators have since their appointment been trying to obtain the books and records of Doingcom. However, to date they have not been able to obtain a complete set of books and records of Doingcom. 

(1)  After their appointment, the Liquidators sent letters to Mr Yang Yirong (a director of Doingcom at the time of liquidation) and Mr Lin Zhigang (also a director of Doingcom at the time of liquidation) and Mr Han Huan Guang (a former director of Doingcom), requesting them to deliver up Doingcom’s books and records on various occasions, but none of these gentlemen responded to the requests for books and records.

(2)  The Liquidators also sought assistance from Mr Chan Chi Fai David (“Mr Chan”), who was initially intended to be appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Listco’s subsidiaries in the Mainland to lead the Group’s restructuring (which ultimately did not proceed), and were informed by Mr Chan’s that all of Doingcom’s books and records were located in Xiamen.

(3)  Following various chasers from the Liquidators, in late May 2025 Mr Chan eventually caused to be delivered to the Liquidators:

(a) vouchers and bank statements for the years from 2021 to 2024;

(b)vouchers for the period from January to May 2024; and

(c) bank statements for January 2025.

(4)  The Liquidators then followed up with Mr Chan on Doingcom’s books and records prior to 2021, and although Mr Chan responded that he would continue to check with Doingcom’s personnel in Xiamen, no further books and records have been provided to date.

(5)  Thus, to date the Liquidators have not been able to obtain Doingcom’s the audited financial statements, general ledgers, the statutory registers, or other source documents such as deposit slips.

13.  Further, as can be seen from paragraphs 10 and 11 above, approximately 84.4% of all of Doingcom’s assets comprise of debts due from the Xiamen Debtor Companies. Since 24 October 2024, Xiamen Doingcom Chemical has been placed into reorganisation in the Xiamen Reorganisation Proceedings, and since 17 July 2025 the other two Xiamen Debtor Companies, Xiamen Doingcom Biotechnology and Xiamen Doingcom Enterprise (inter alia) have also been joined in the Xiamen Reorganisation Proceedings. Joint provisional administrators (one of whom is Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, Beijing Branch) have been appointed in the Xiamen Reorganisation Proceedings.

14.  Against the above background, the Liquidators say that they require recognition and assistance from the Xiamen Bankruptcy Court so as to perform their functions in the areas identified in paragraph 2 above. 

Applicable Principles

15.  The court has power under common law to issue a letter of request to facilitate the liquidator in seeking recognition and assistance from another court in order to perform his duties in the jurisdiction of that court. 

16.  In so far as mutual recognition and assistance of insolvency proceedings between the courts of the Mainland and of Hong Kong is concerned, a consensus was reached on 14 May 2021 between the Supreme People’s Court (“SPC”) and the Government of Hong Kong which has been described as the “Cooperation Mechanism”, as recorded in the “Record of Meeting of the Supreme People’s Court and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regionon Mutual Recognition of and Assistance to Bankruptcy (Insolvency) Proceedings between the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” signed by the Secretary for Justice and the SPC on 14 May 2021 (“Record of Meeting”). 

17.  The principles on recognition and assistance of insolvency proceedings pursuant to the Cooperation Mechanism and as set out in the Record of Meeting are summarised in Re Trinity International Brands Limited [2023] HKCFI 1581, §§12-15, 18-20,  Re PPLive Sports International Ltd (in liq) [2024] HKCFI 1850, §14 and Re Hong Kong Lee Yuan International Group Ltd [2024] HKCFI 1971, §17. In short, an applicant needs to show:

(1)  The application is made by a liquidator in insolvency proceedings in Hong Kong. This includes compulsory winding up, voluntary winding up and scheme of arrangement promoted by a liquidator or provisional liquidator and sanctioned by the Hong Kong court.

(2)  The recognition and assistance is sought from a court at a pilot area in the Mainland, which include the People’s Courts in Xiamen Municipality in Fujian Province. 

(3)  The order sought is for recognition of the Hong Kong liquidator’s office, and grant of assistance for discharge of his duties as liquidator.

(4)  Hong Kong has been the centre of main interests (“COMI”) of the company in liquidation continuously for at least 6 months. For this purpose, COMI “generally means the place of incorporation of the debtor. At the same time, the people’s court shall take into account other factors including the place of principal office, the principal place of business, the place of principal assets etc. of the debtor.” (§4 of “The Supreme People’s Court’s Opinion on Taking Forward a Pilot Measure in relation to the Recognition of and Assistance to Insolvency Proceedings in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”).

(5)  The company’s principal assets in the Mainland are in a pilot area, or it has a place of business or a representative office in a pilot area.

(6)  The recognition and assistance sought is necessary to enable the liquidators to carry out their functions as liquidators of the company in the Mainland.

Analysis

18.  In the present case, each of the above requirements is satisfied.

19.  First, the application is made by the Liquidators, and Doingcom has been in compulsory liquidation since 3 June 2024.

20.  Second, the recognition and assistance are sought from the Xiamen Bankruptcy Court, a court at a pilot area.

21.  Third, the order sought is for recognition of the Liquidators’ office, and grant of assistance for discharge of their duties as liquidators of Doingcom.

22.  Fourth, Hong Kong has been the COMI of Doingcom for more than 6 months, as Doingcom was incorporated in Hong Kong, and its liquidation has been conducted in Hong Kong since June 2024.

23.  Fifth, Doincom’s principal assets are located in Xiamen, including debts of RMB 640,024,738 due from the Xiamen Debtor Companies established in Xiamen (Xiamen Doingcom Chemical, Xiamen Doingcom Biotechnology and Xiamen Doingcom Enterprise).

24.  Sixth, it is necessary for the Liquidators to seek recognition and assistance to carry out their functions as liquidators of Doingcom in the Mainland, having regard to the following matters:

(1)  The books and records of Doingcom are located in Xiamen (according to Mr Chan). The Liquidators need to gain access to these books and records to ascertain its assets, liabilities and financial position. The directors and former director of Doingcom and Mr Chan have ignored the Liquidators’ requests for books and records prior to 2021.

(2)  The largest debtors of Doingcom (i.e. the Xiamen Debtor Companies) are currently in the Xiamen Reorganisation Proceedings. The Liquidators require recognition and assistance from the Xiamen Bankruptcy Court to be authorised to participate in the Xiamen Reorganisation Proceedings to safeguard Doingcom’s interests and to receive any distributions as may be made therein on behalf of Doingcom.

(3)  The Liquidators also need to take possession and control of Doingcom’s assets in the Mainland, including the debts due by the Xiamen Debtor Companies as well as its equity interest in its subsidiary in paragraph 8 above.

25.  The powers of assistance sought by the Liquidators, as stated  in the letter of request, are the powers conferred on and exercisable by the liquidators under the Companies (Winding up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) (“CWUMPO”).  A table summarising the powers stated in the letter of request and the relevant provisions under the CWUMPO is included in Appendix B. The powers are materially identical to those set out in Appendix B to the judgment in Re Trinity save for the addition of the powers in §§6.5 and 6.6, which are based on items 3 and 7 in Part 3 of Schedule 25 of the CWUMPO.

Order

26.  For the reasons set out above, it is appropriate for the Court to make the following order:

(1)  A letter of request in the form of Appendix A be issued to the Bankruptcy Court of the Fujian Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court seeking recognition and assistance in aid of Doingcom’s liquidation and its Liquidators.

(2)  The Liquidators’ costs, subject to taxation (unless otherwise agreed to by the committee of inspection), be paid out of the assets of Doingcom.

(3)  There be liberty to apply.

Appendix A

 

香港特别行政区

高等法院

原讼法庭

杂项案件编号：2025年 2076 号

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根据认可和协助香港特别行政区破产程序试点方案发出的司法协助请求函

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致：福建省厦门市中级人民法院清算及破产审判庭（“厦门市破产法庭”）

鉴于:

1.  本法庭是对香港特别行政区（“香港”）的公司法和破产法行使管辖权的法庭。

2.  中坤国际有限公司（“该公司”）是一家于2001 年6 月 18 日根据香港法律注册成立的公司。

3.  于清盘前，该公司在香港主要从事精细化工产品的销售以及投资控股业务。

4.  于2024年6月3日, 本法庭根据案件编号HCCW 28/2024 对该公司发出清盘令，命令对公司进行清盘。

5.  于2025年2月26日, 本法庭经考虑香港破产管理处及临时清盘人的报告而确认委任位于香港金钟道88号太古广场一座35楼德勤.关黄陈方会计师行的何国梁先生和朱静汶女士担任该公司的共同及个别清盘人（“清盘人”）。

6.  根据香港法律（包括第 32 章《公司（清盘及杂项条文）条例》第 197、199（2）及199（3）条）及附表25，清盘人已获授权共同及个别地作出以下行动（其中包括）:

6.1  将该公司有权享有或看似有权享有的所有财产及据法权产，收归该清盘人保管或控制 （第197条）；

6.2  以该公司名义及代表该公司提起任何诉讼或其他法律程序，或以该公司名义及代表该公司在任何诉讼或其他法律程序中答辩（附表25第2部第1项）；

6.3  籍公开拍卖或私人合约，出售该公司的土地财产、非土地财产及据法权产，并有权将该等财产及权产全盘转让予任何人或任何公司，或将它们分拆出售 （附表25第3部第1项）；

6.4  以该公司名义和代表该公司作出所有作为及签立所有契据、收据及其他文件，并可为该目的而在有需要时，使用公司印章 （附表25第3部第2项）；

6.5  在分担人破产、无力偿债或财产被暂时扣押的个案中，针对分担人的产业就任何余款提出证明、要求获顺序摊还债款和提出申索，并在该等个案中就该余款收取摊还债款，作为有关破产人或无力偿债人所欠的各别债项，而该债款是相对于其他各别债权人按比例收取的 （附表25第3部第3项）；

6.6  委任代理人，以从事清盘人不能亲自从事的任何业务 （附表25第3部第7项）；及

6.7  作出为结束该公司事务及派发该公司资产而需要作出的所有其他事情（附表25第3部第9项）。

7.  清盘人认为，鉴于以下事实，若要根据香港法律有效及适当地行使清盘人的权利，需要厦门市破产法庭认可清盘人的的委任：

7.1  该公司的资产主要位于中华人民共和国内地(“中国内地”)，当中大部分位于厦门。该公司的中国内地资产包括：

(a)  ;漳州汇友实业有限公司，一家位于福建省漳州市的全资子公司，其统一社会信用代码为9135062579835865XF，登记地址为长泰县兴泰工业区;

(b)  截至 2024年6月3日，应收下列在中国内地注册的集团公司的款项总额约为6.56亿人民币，其中大部分位于厦门，具体如下：

公司名称	人民币
应收款项来自在厦门设立的关联公司
厦门中坤化学有限公司	623,419,821
厦门中坤生物科技有限公司	16,204,886
厦门中坤贸易有限公司	400,031
小计：	640,024,738
应收款项来自在漳州设立的关联公司
中怡化工（漳州）有限公司	15,887,176
应收款项来自在无锡设立的非关联公司
无锡誉美化学品有限公司	36,067
总计：	655,947,981

7.2  清盘人获悉公司账簿及记录位于厦门。

7.3  2024年10月24日，福建省厦门市中级人民法院根据厦门中坤化学有限公司的申请，作出（2024）闽02破申371号《民事裁定书》，裁定受理厦门中坤化学有限公司重整一案。2024年11月5日，该法院作出 (2024) 闽02破363号决定书，指定北京观韬（厦门）律师事务所，福建天衡联合律师事务所，德勤华永会计师事务所（特殊普通合伙）北京分所共同担任厦门中坤化学有限公司的破产管理人。2025年7月17日，该法院根据厦门中坤化学有限公司管理人的申请，裁定对厦门中坤化学有限公司、厦门中坤食品有限公司、厦门中坤贸易有限公司、厦门中坤生物科技有限公司、漳州汇友实业有限公司、漳州中坤食品有限公司、漳州中天生物科技有限责任公司、中怡化工(漳州)有限公司等八家公司进行实质合并破产重整（“中坤化学破产重整”）。

8.  因此，清盘人认为，根据香港法律，向厦门市破产法庭寻求济助属适当行为，以便（特别及最重要的是）该法庭能认可清盘人及其权力，从而允许他们：

8.1  向第三方（包括银行，该公司的法定代表人、董事和高管，以及曾经担任此等职位的人员）索取并接收自该公司成立以来与其发起、组成、业务交易、账目、银行对账单、资产、债务及/或事务相关的所有文件和信息，包括但不限于的财务报表、审计报告、会计账簿、原始会计凭证;

8.2  找到、保护、取得及管有和控制该公司有权或看似有权在中国内地法院管辖权内拥有的一切资产和财产；

8.3  找到、保护、取得及管有和控制该公司在中国内地法院管辖区内的账簿、文件和记录，包括银行对账单、会计和法定记录；及

8.4  以该公司名义和代表该公司提起或參與任何诉讼或其他法律程序，包括有关中坤化学破产重整的一切程序。

9.  本案所提供的证据已证明并令本法庭信纳，向厦门市破产法庭提出协助请求符合正义。为使清盘人能够履行其职责，谨请厦门市破产法庭协助本法庭，在其认为适当的范围内，授权清盘人根据适用的中国内地法律在中国内地行使香港法律赋予他们的所有权力、职责和酌情权。

10.  本法庭谨请厦门市破产法庭为清盘程序及清盘人提供协助，签发命令并指示：

10.1  该公司的清盘程序和清盘人的委任均获得厦门市破产法庭的认可；以及

10.2  清盘人拥有并可行使香港法律赋予他们的权力（如上文第6段及第8段所载），并可在中国内地法律允许的最大范围内行使。

11.  本法庭确认，已根据香港的程序和法律发出本请求函及作出相关申请。

12.  为免产生疑问，寻求该协助旨在获得与本法庭因公司资产专属于本法庭的管辖范围内所授予的济助大致相符的济助。

13.   本法庭进一步确认，香港法院将在类似情况下，并在行使其固有管辖权时，认可厦门市破产法庭的请求函，并就该请求函提供可能需要的协助 （受香港法律的适用限制约束）。

日期：2025年   月    日

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邝卓宏

香港特别行政区

高等法院司法常务官

Appendix B