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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 4, 2019
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Baozun Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of Registrant's name into English)
| Cayman Islands (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
5961 (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
Not Applicable (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Building B, No. 1268 Wanrong Road
Shanghai 200436
People's Republic of China
+86 21 8026 6000
(Address and telephone number of Registrant's principal executive offices)
Cogency Global Inc.
10 East 40th Street, 10th Floor
New York, New York 10016
+1 800 221 0102
(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)
| Copies to: | ||
David K. Michaels, Esq. Fenwick & West LLP Silicon Valley Center 801 California Street Mountain View, California 94041 +1 650 988 8500 |
Niping Wu, Esq. Fenwick & West LLP Unit 908, Kerry Parkside Office 1155 Fang Dian Road Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201204 People's Republic of China +86 21 8017 1200 |
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ý
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act o
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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| Title of each class of securities to be registered(1) |
Amount to be registered(2) |
Proposed maximum offering price per unit(2) |
Proposed maximum aggregate offering price(2) |
Amount of registration fee(2) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share(3) |
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- (1)
- Includes
securities initially offered and sold outside the United States that may be resold from time to time in the United States either as part of their
distribution or within 40 days after the later of the effective date of this registration statement and the date the securities are first bona fide offered to the public. These securities are
not being registered for the purposes of sales outside of the United States.
- (2)
- An
unspecified number of securities to be offered at unspecified prices are being registered pursuant to this registration statement. In accordance with
Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee and excluding this information.
- (3)
- American depositary shares issuable upon deposit of the Class A ordinary shares registered hereby have been registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6. Each American depositary share represents three Class A ordinary shares.
PROSPECTUS
Baozun Inc.
CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES
We may offer and sell Class A ordinary shares, including Class A ordinary shares represented by American depositary shares, or ADSs, from time to time in one or more offerings, at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. In addition, this prospectus may be used to offer securities for the account of persons other than us.
Each time we or any selling security holder sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in any of our securities.
We or any selling security holder may sell the securities independently or together with any other securities registered hereunder to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods, on a continuous or delayed basis. See "Plan of Distribution." If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names, and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangements between or among them, will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our ADSs are listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "BZUN."
Our issued and outstanding share capital consists of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares will have the same rights except for voting rights and conversion rights. Our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law. In respect of matters requiring shareholders' vote, on a poll each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to ten votes. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of beneficial ownership of any Class B ordinary shares by a holder or a beneficial owner thereof to any person or entity that is not an Affiliate (as defined in our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) of such holder or beneficial owner, such Class B ordinary shares will be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares. See "Description of Share Capital."
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should read the "Risk Factors" section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus before investing in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is April 4, 2019.
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Before you invest in any of our securities, you should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described in the sections titled "Where You Can Find Additional Information" and "Incorporation of Documents by Reference" in this prospectus.
In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires,
- •
- "ADRs" refers to the American depositary receipts, which, if issued, evidence our ADSs;
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- "ADSs" refers to our American depositary shares, each of which represents three Class A ordinary shares;
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- "Baozun," "we," "us," "our company," or "our," refers to Baozun Inc., a Cayman Islands company, formerly known as Baozun
Cayman Inc. and unless the context requires otherwise, includes its consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entity;
- •
- "brand e-commerce" refers to business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce conducted through official brand stores, official marketplace stores, or
official stores on other channels;
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- "brand partners" refers to companies for which we operate or have entered into agreements to operate official brand stores, official
marketplace stores, or official stores on other channels under their brand names;
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- "China" or "PRC" refers to the People's Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this prospectus only, Taiwan, the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region;
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- "official brand stores" refers to brands' official online stores;
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- "official marketplace stores" refers to brands' flagship stores and authorized stores on third-party online marketplaces;
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- "ordinary shares" refers to our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share;
- •
- "RMB" or "Renminbi" refers to the legal currency of China; and
- •
- "US$," "U.S. dollars," or "dollars" refers to the legal currency of the United States.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a shelf registration process permitted under the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act. By using a shelf registration statement, we or any selling security holder may sell any of our securities from time to time and in one or more offerings. Each time we or any selling security holders sell securities, we may provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and the terms of that offering. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the prospectus supplement. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or the applicable supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of its respective date, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
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INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with them. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to that information. Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents should not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since such date. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus and should be read with the same care. When we update the information contained in documents that have been incorporated by reference by making future filings with the SEC, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus is considered to be automatically updated and superseded. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information contained in this prospectus and information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below:
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- our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the SEC on April 3, 2019, or the
2018 20-F; and
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- all our subsequent annual reports on Form 20-F and any report on Form 6-K that indicates that it is being incorporated by reference, in each case, that we file with the SEC on or after the date of this prospectus and until the termination or completion of the offering under this prospectus.
Unless expressly incorporated by reference, nothing in this prospectus shall be deemed to incorporate by reference information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC. We will provide to you, upon your written or oral request, without charge, a copy of any or all of the documents we refer to above which we have incorporated in this prospectus by reference, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in the documents. You should direct your requests to our principal executive office located at Building B, No. 1268 Wanrong Road, Shanghai 200436, People's Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 21 8026 6000.
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SPECIAL NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of, and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which are not statements of historical fact, may contain estimates, assumptions, projections and/or expectations regarding future events, which may or may not occur. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "could," "will," "should," "would," "expect," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "future," "is/are likely to," "project" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include:
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- our goals and strategies;
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- our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;
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- the expected growth of the retail and online retail markets in China;
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- our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our products and services;
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- our expectations regarding our relationships with our brand partners and e-commerce channels;
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- our plans to invest in our technology platform;
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- competition in our industry;
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- relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry;
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- our ability to attract, train and retain executives and other qualified employees; and
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- fluctuations in general economic and business conditions.
You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results. You should read thoroughly this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include those discussed in the section titled "Risk Factors." They include economic and political conditions and government policies in the countries in which we operate, inflation rates, exchange rates, regulatory developments, technological improvements, customer demand and competition. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for our management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference contain certain data and information that we obtained from various government and private publications. Statistical data in these publications also include projections based on a number of assumptions. The online retail industry may
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not grow at the rate projected by market data, or at all. Failure of this market to grow at the projected rate may have a material and adverse effect on our business and the market price of our ADSs. In addition, the rapidly changing nature of the online retail industry results in significant uncertainties for any projections or estimates relating to the growth prospects or future condition of our market. Furthermore, if any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market data are later found to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements and any related statements made in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference are made as of the date of the respective documents. The forward-looking statements obtained from third-party studies or reports are made as of the date of the corresponding study or report. We undertake no obligation, beyond that required by law, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made, even though circumstances may change in the future.
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We believe we are the leading brand e-commerce service partner in China. We help brands execute their e-commerce strategies in China by selling their goods directly to consumers online or by providing services to assist with their e-commerce operations. Our integrated end-to-end brand e-commerce capabilities encompass all aspects of the e-commerce value chain covering IT solutions, store operations, digital marketing, customer services, warehousing and fulfillment. Leveraging our mastery of the four "I"s—interpretation, implementation, integration and innovation, we deliver omni-channel solutions to create seamless shopping experience across various touch points online and offline, enabling optimal and consistent branding and generating sales results that reflect our brand partners' unique e-commerce proposition.
With e-commerce in China growing rapidly in scale, more leading brands view e-commerce as a critical part of their expansion strategy. However, as the industry also grows in complexity, brands rely on us as their trusted partner to provide local knowledge and industry expertise in executing and integrating e-commerce strategies. This helps our brand partners avoid significant investment and risk associated with establishing and maintaining their own local infrastructure and developing their own capabilities.
We provide e-commerce solutions to 185 brand partners as of December 31, 2018. These brands encompass diverse categories, including: apparel and accessories; appliances; electronics; home and furnishings; food and health products; beauty and cosmetics; fast moving consumer goods and mother and baby; and insurance & automobiles. Many of our brand partners, such as Philips, Nike and Microsoft, are leaders in their respective industries.
Our principal executive offices are located at Building B, No. 1268 Wanrong Road, Shanghai 200436, the People's Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 21 8026 6000. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Vistra (Cayman) Limited, at P.O. Box 31119, Grand Pavilion, Hibiscus Way, 802 West Bay Road, Grand Cayman, KY1-1205, Cayman Islands. Investors should submit any inquiries to the address and telephone number of our principal executive offices set forth above.
Our Internet address is www.baozun.com, and the information contained on this website is not a part of this prospectus. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 10 East 40th Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10016.
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Investing in our securities involves risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors and uncertainties described under the heading "Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated in this prospectus by reference, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, and any risk factors and other information described in the applicable prospectus supplement before acquiring any of our securities. These risks and uncertainties could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition and cause the value of our securities to decline.
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We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities we offer as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement(s).
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We may issue from time to time, in one or more offerings, the following securities:
- •
- Class A ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs.
We will in certain cases set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement a description of the Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares represented by ADSs) that may be offered under this prospectus. The terms of the offering of securities, the initial offering price and the net proceeds to us will be contained in the prospectus supplement, and other offering material, relating to such offer. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and any supplement before you invest in any of our securities.
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We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, the Companies Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, which is referred to below as the Companies Law, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. A Cayman Islands exempted company is a company that conducts its business outside of the Cayman Islands, is exempted from certain requirements of the Companies Law, including a filing of an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies, does not have to make its register of shareholders open to inspection and may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation.
As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized share capital is US$50,000 divided into 500,000,000 shares comprising of 470,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each and 30,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each.
The following are summaries of material terms and provisions of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Law insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares. These summaries are not complete, and you should read the forms of our memorandum and articles of association, which was filed as an exhibit to our registration statement on Form F-1 (file number: 333-203477) filed with the SEC on May 5, 2015.
Registered Office and Objects
Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Vistra (Cayman) Limited, at P.O. Box 31119, Grand Pavilion, Hibiscus Way, 802 West Bay Road, Grand Cayman, KY1-1205, Cayman Islands. According to our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the objects for which we are established are unrestricted and we have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Law or as the same may be revised from time to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands.
Board of Directors
See "Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—C. Board Practices" in our 2018 20-F, which item is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Ordinary Shares
General. All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. The ordinary shares are issued in registered form and each shareholder is entitled to a share certificate in respect of its shares. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.
Ordinary Shares. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares will have the same rights except for voting rights and conversion rights.
Conversion. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of beneficial ownership of any Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an Affiliate (as defined in the fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares will be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares.
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Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors subject to the Companies Law and to our fourth amended and restated articles of association. In addition, our shareholders may declare dividends by ordinary resolution, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by our directors.
Our fourth amended and restated articles of association provide that dividends may be declared and paid out of the funds of our company lawfully available therefor. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, our company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.
Voting Rights. Our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law. In respect of matters requiring shareholders' vote, on a poll each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to ten votes. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided by a show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by the chairman of such meeting or any shareholder present in person or by proxy with a right to attend and vote at the meeting.
A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of at least one or more shareholders present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative, who hold in aggregate not less than one-third of the votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company and are entitled to vote. An annual general meeting may be held in each year. Extraordinary general meetings may be convened by a majority of our board of directors or upon a request to the directors by shareholders holding in the aggregate not less than one third of our voting share capital. Advance notice of at least 10 calendar days is required for the convening of our annual general meeting and other shareholders' meetings.
An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast in a general meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast in a general meeting. A special resolution is required for important matters such as a change of name. Holders of the ordinary shares may effect certain changes by ordinary resolution, including increasing the amount of our authorized share capital, consolidating and dividing all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing share capital, and cancelling any unissued shares.
Transfer of Shares. Subject to the restrictions of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association set out below, as applicable, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or ordinary form or any other form approved by our board.
Our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or on which we have a lien. Our directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless (a) the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the share certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; (b) the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of ordinary shares; (c) the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required; (d) in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; (e) the shares concerned are free of any lien in favor of us; or (f) a fee of such maximum sum as The Nasdaq Stock Market may determine to be payable, or such lesser sum as our board of directors may from time to time require, is paid to us in respect thereof.
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If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, within two months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal. The registration of transfers may, on notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers or by electronic means, be suspended at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended nor the register closed for more than 30 days in any year. Our board of directors may also close our register of members for transfers for determining who is a shareholder for certain purposes for a period not to exceed 30 days at a time.
Liquidation. On a return of capital on winding up or otherwise (other than on conversion, redemption or purchase of shares), assets available for distribution among the holders of ordinary shares shall be distributed among the holders of the ordinary shares on a pro rata basis. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders proportionately.
Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 calendar days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid on the specified time are subject to forfeiture.
Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Law, we may issue shares on terms that are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders, on such terms and in such manner, including out of capital, as may be determined by our board of directors, before the issue of such shares, or by a special resolution of our shareholders. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares provided that the manner and terms of such purchase have been approved by our board of directors or by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders, or are otherwise authorized by our memorandum and articles of association. Under the Companies Law, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company's profits or share premium account or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including in certain circumstances capital redemption reserve) if the company can in the case of payment out of the share premium account or capital, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Law no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding, or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.
Variations of Rights of Shares. All or any of the special rights attached to any class of shares may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Law, be varied either with the written consent of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.
Inspection of Books and Records. Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records. However, we will provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements.
Changes in Capital. Our shareholders may from time to time by ordinary resolution:
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- increase our share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such classes and amount, as the resolution shall prescribe;
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- consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of a larger amount than our existing shares;
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- •
- sub-divide our existing shares, or any of them into shares of a smaller amount; and
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- cancel any shares that, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of our share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled.
Subject to the Companies Law and our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association with respect to matters to be dealt with by ordinary resolution, we may, by special resolution, reduce our share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorized by law.
Issuance of Additional Shares. Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes our board of directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent there are available authorized but unissued shares.
Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes our board of directors to establish from time to time one or more series of convertible redeemable preferred shares and to determine, with respect to any series of convertible redeemable preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:
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- designation of the series;
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- the number of shares of the series;
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- the dividend rights, conversion rights and voting rights; and
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- the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences.
The issuance of convertible redeemable preferred shares may be used as an anti-takeover device without further action on the part of the shareholders. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.
Differences in Corporate Law
The Companies Law is modeled after companies law statutes of England and Wales but does not follow recent statutory enactments in England. In addition, the Companies Law differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the State of Delaware.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. The Companies Law permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (a) "merger" means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company and (b) a "consolidation" means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company.
In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (i) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company; and (ii) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company's articles of association. The plan of merger or consolidation must be filed with the Registrar of Companies together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a list of the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Dissenting shareholders have the right to be paid the fair value of their shares (which, if not agreed
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between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) if they follow the required procedures, subject to certain exceptions. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.
In addition, there are statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies, provided that the arrangement is approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made, and who must, in addition, represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:
- •
- the statutory provisions as to the required majority vote have been met;
- •
- the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of
the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class;
- •
- the arrangement is such that may be reasonably approved by an intelligent and honest man of that class acting in respect of his interest; and
- •
- the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Law.
When a take-over offer is made and accepted by holders of 90.0% of the shares affected (within four months after making the offer), the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four months period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed in the case of an offer which has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.
If an arrangement and reconstruction is thus approved, the dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Shareholders' Suits. In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff to sue for a wrong done to us and as a general rule a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands courts can be expected to apply and follow common law principles that permit a minority shareholder to commence a class action against the company or a derivative action in the name of the company to challenge certain acts, including the following:
- •
- a company acts or proposes to act illegally or ultra vires;
- •
- the act complained of, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by more than a simple majority vote that has not
been obtained; and
- •
- those who control the company are perpetrating a "fraud on the minority."
Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability. Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company's articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime.
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Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association permit indemnification of officers and directors for losses, damages costs and expenses incurred in their capacities as such unless such losses or damages arise from dishonesty, fraud or willful default of such directors or officers. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and senior executive officers that will provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Directors' Fiduciary Duties. Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He or she must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, a director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.
As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore it is considered that he owes the following duties to the company—a duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a profit based on his or her position as director (unless the company permits him to do so) and a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his or her personal interest or his or her duty to a third party. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his or her duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his or her knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities (which are of persuasive authority, although not binding on the courts of the Cayman Islands) are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.
Shareholder Action by Written Consent. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent by amendment to its certificate of incorporation. Cayman Islands law and our fourth amended and restated articles of association provide that shareholders may approve corporate matters by way of a unanimous written resolution signed by or on behalf of each shareholder who would have been entitled to vote on such matter at a general meeting without a meeting being held.
Shareholder Proposals. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or
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any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.
Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company's articles of association. Our fourth amended and restated articles allow our shareholders holding in the aggregate not less than one-third of the aggregate number of votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company to requisition an extraordinary meeting of the shareholders, in which case the directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting; however, our articles do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders.
As an exempted Cayman Islands company, we are not obliged by law to call shareholders' annual general meetings. Our fourth amended and restated articles of association provides that we may in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting, and to specify the meeting as such in the notice calling it.
Cumulative Voting. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation's certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder's voting power with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under Cayman Islands law, but our fourth amended and restated articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.
Removal of Directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our fourth amended and restated articles of association, directors may be removed by ordinary resolution of the shareholders.
Transactions with Interested Shareholders. The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an "interested shareholder" for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target's outstanding voting stock within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target's board of directors.
Cayman Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, it does provide that such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company for a proper corporate purpose and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.
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Dissolution; Winding up. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation's outstanding shares.
Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board. Under Cayman Islands law, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.
Under the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands, our company may be dissolved, liquidated or wound up voluntarily by a special resolution, or by an ordinary resolution on the basis that we are unable to pay our debts as they fall due.
Variation of Rights of Shares. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our fourth amended and restated articles of association, and as permitted by Cayman Islands law, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may vary the rights attached to any class either with the written consent of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.
Amendment of Governing Documents. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation's governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under Cayman Islands law, our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by special resolution.
Inspection of Books and Records. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any shareholder of a corporation may for any proper purpose inspect or make copies of the corporation's stock ledger, list of shareholders and other books and records.
Holders of our shares will have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records subject to certain limited exceptions. However, we intend to provide our shareholders with annual reports containing audited financial statements.
Anti-takeover Provisions in Our Memorandum and Articles of Association. Some provisions of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association have the potential to be exercised in a way that may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including a provision that authorizes our board of directors to issue preference shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preference shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders.
Such shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue these preference shares, the price of our ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.
However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.
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Rights of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders. There are no limitations imposed by our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.
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DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
American Depositary Receipts
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. ("JPMorgan"), as depositary will issue the ADSs which you will be entitled to receive in this offering. Each ADS will represent an ownership interest in a designated number of shares which we will deposit with the custodian, as agent of the depositary, under the deposit agreement among ourselves, the depositary and yourself as an ADR holder. In the future, each ADS will also represent any securities, cash or other property deposited with the depositary but which they have not distributed directly to you. Unless certificated ADRs are specifically requested by you, all ADSs will be issued on the books of our depositary in book-entry form and periodic statements will be mailed to you which reflect your ownership interest in such ADSs. In our description, references to American depositary receipts or ADRs shall include the statements you will receive which reflect your ownership of ADSs.
The depositary's office is located at 383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11, New York, NY 10179.
You may hold ADSs either directly or indirectly through your broker or other financial institution. If you hold ADSs directly, by having an ADS registered in your name on the books of the depositary, you are an ADR holder. This description assumes you hold your ADSs directly. If you have a beneficial ownership interest in ADSs but hold the ADSs through your broker or financial institution nominee, you are a beneficial owner of ADSs and must rely on the procedures of such broker or financial institution to assert the rights of an ADR holder described in this section. You should consult with your broker or financial institution to find out what those procedures are. If you are a beneficial owner, you will only be able to exercise any right or receive any benefit under the deposit agreement solely through the registered holder of the ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs owned by you, and the arrangements between you and the registered holder of the corresponding ADRs may affect your ability to exercise any rights you may have. For all purposes under the deposit agreement, an ADR holder is deemed to have all requisite authority to act on behalf of any and all beneficial owners of the ADSs evidenced by the ADR(s) registered in such holder's name. The depositary's only notification obligations under the deposit agreement shall be to the ADR holders, and notice to an ADR holder shall be deemed, for all purposes of the Deposit Agreement, to constitute notice to any and all beneficial owners of the ADSs evidenced by such holder's ADRs.
As an ADR holder, we will not treat you as a shareholder of ours and you will not have any shareholder rights. Cayman Island law governs shareholder rights. Because the depositary or its nominee will be the shareholder of record for the shares represented by all outstanding ADSs, shareholder rights rest with such record holder. Your rights are those of an ADR holder. Such rights derive from the terms of the deposit agreement to be entered into among us, the depositary and all registered holders and beneficial owners from time to time of ADRs issued under the deposit agreement. The obligations of our company, the depositary and its agents are also set out in the deposit agreement. Because the depositary or its nominee will actually be the registered owner of the shares, you must rely on it to exercise the rights of a shareholder on your behalf. The deposit agreement and the ADSs are governed by New York law. Under the deposit agreement, as an ADR holder or a beneficial owner of ADSs, you agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving us or the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement, the ADSs or the transactions contemplated thereby, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, and you irrevocably waive any objection which you may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding and irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.
The following is a summary of what we believe to be the material terms of the deposit agreement. Notwithstanding this, because it is a summary, it may not contain all the information that you may otherwise deem important. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit
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agreement and the form of ADR which contains the terms of your ADSs. You can read a copy of the deposit agreement which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You may also obtain a copy of the deposit agreement at the SEC's Public Reference Room which is located at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330. You may also find the registration statement and the attached deposit agreement on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
Share Dividends and Other Distributions
How will I receive dividends and other distributions on the shares underlying my ADSs?
We may make various types of distributions with respect to our securities. The depositary has agreed that, to the extent practicable, it will pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on shares or other deposited securities, after converting any cash received into U.S. dollars (if it determines such conversion may be made on a reasonable basis) and, in all cases, making any necessary deductions provided for in the deposit agreement. The depositary may utilize a division, branch or affiliate of JPMorgan to direct, manage and/or execute any public and/or private sale of securities under the deposit agreement. Such division, branch and/or affiliate may charge the depositary a fee in connection with such sales, which fee is considered an expense of the depositary. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of underlying securities that your ADSs represent.
Except as stated below, the depositary will deliver such distributions to ADR holders in proportion to their interests in the following manner:
- •
- Cash. The depositary will distribute any U.S. dollars available to it resulting from a cash
dividend or other cash distribution or the net proceeds of sales of any other distribution or portion thereof (to the extent applicable), on an averaged or other practicable basis, subject to
(i) appropriate adjustments for taxes withheld, (ii) such distribution being impermissible or impracticable with respect to certain registered ADR holders, and (iii) deduction of
the depositary's and/or its agents' expenses in (1) converting any foreign currency to U.S. dollars to the extent that it determines that such conversion may be made on a reasonable basis,
(2) transferring foreign currency or U.S. dollars to the United States by such means as the depositary may determine to the extent that it determines that such transfer may be made on a
reasonable basis, (3) obtaining any approval or license of any governmental authority required for such conversion or transfer, which is obtainable at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable
time and (4) making any sale by public or private means in any commercially reasonable manner. If exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot
convert a foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution.
- •
- Shares. In the case of a distribution in shares, the depositary will issue
additional ADRs to evidence the number of ADSs representing such shares. Only whole ADSs will be issued. Any shares which would result in fractional
ADSs will be sold and the net proceeds will be distributed in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto.
- •
- Rights to receive additional shares. In the case of a distribution of
rights to subscribe for additional shares or other rights, if we timely provide evidence satisfactory to the depositary that it may lawfully distribute such rights, the depositary will distribute
warrants or other instruments in the discretion of the depositary representing such rights. However, if we do not timely furnish such evidence, the depositary may:
- (i)
- sell such rights if practicable and distribute the net proceeds in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto; or
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- (ii)
- if
it is not practicable to sell such rights by reason of the non-transferability of the rights, limited markets therefor, their short duration or otherwise, do
nothing and allow such rights to lapse, in which case ADR holders will receive nothing and the rights may lapse. We have no obligation to file a registration statement under the Securities Act
in order to make any rights available to ADR holders.
- •
- Other Distributions. In the case of a distribution of securities or
property other than those described above, the depositary may either (i) distribute such securities or property in any manner it deems equitable and practicable or (ii) to the extent the
depositary deems distribution of such securities or property not to be equitable and practicable, sell such securities or property and distribute any net proceeds in the same way it distributes cash.
- •
- Elective Distributions. In the case of a dividend payable at the election of our shareholders in cash or in additional shares, we will notify the depositary at least 30 days prior to the proposed distribution stating whether or not we wish such elective distribution to be made available to ADR holders. The depositary shall make such elective distribution available to ADR holders only if (i) we shall have timely requested that the elective distribution is available to ADR holders, (ii) the depositary shall have determined that such distribution is reasonably practicable and (iii) the depositary shall have received satisfactory documentation within the terms of the deposit agreement including any legal opinions of counsel that the depositary in its reasonable discretion may request. If the above conditions are not satisfied, the depositary shall, to the extent permitted by law, distribute to the ADR holders, on the basis of the same determination as is made in the local market in respect of the shares for which no election is made, either (x) cash or (y) additional ADSs representing such additional shares. If the above conditions are satisfied, the depositary shall establish procedures to enable ADR holders to elect the receipt of the proposed dividend in cash or in additional ADSs. There can be no assurance that ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs generally, or any ADR holder or beneficial owner in particular, will be given the opportunity to receive elective distributions on the same terms and conditions as the holders of shares.
If the depositary determines in its discretion that any distribution described above is not practicable with respect to any specific registered ADR holder, the depositary may choose any method of distribution that it deems practicable for such ADR holder, including the distribution of foreign currency, securities or property, or it may retain such items, without paying interest on or investing them, on behalf of the ADR holder as deposited securities, in which case the ADSs will also represent the retained items.
Any U.S. dollars will be distributed by checks drawn on a bank in the United States for whole dollars and cents. Fractional cents will be withheld without liability and dealt with by the depositary in accordance with its then current practices.
The depositary is not responsible if it fails to determine that any distribution or action is lawful or reasonably practicable.
There can be no assurance that the depositary will be able to convert any currency at a specified exchange rate or sell any property, rights, shares or other securities at a specified price, nor that any of such transactions can be completed within a specified time period. All purchases and sales of securities will be handled by the depositary in accordance with its then current policies, which are currently set forth in the "Depositary Receipt Sale and Purchase of Security" section of https://www.adr.com/Investors/FindOutAboutDRs, the location and contents of which the depositary shall be solely responsible for.
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Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation
How does the depositary issue ADSs?
The depositary will issue ADSs if you or your broker deposit shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian and pay the fees and expenses owing to the depositary in connection with such issuance. In the case of the ADSs to be issued under this prospectus, we will arrange with the underwriters named herein to deposit such shares.
Shares deposited in the future with the custodian must be accompanied by certain delivery documentation and shall, at the time of such deposit, be registered in the name of JPMorgan, as depositary for the benefit of holders of ADRs or in such other name as the depositary shall direct.
The custodian will hold all deposited shares (including those being deposited by or on our behalf in connection with the offering to which this prospectus relates) for the account and to the order of the depositary for the benefit of registered holders of ADRs, to the extent not prohibited by law. ADR holders thus have no direct ownership interest in the shares and only have such rights as are contained in the deposit agreement. The custodian will also hold any additional securities, property and cash received on or in substitution for the deposited shares. The deposited shares and any such additional items are referred to as "deposited securities".
Upon each deposit of shares, receipt of related delivery documentation and compliance with the other provisions of the deposit agreement, including the payment of the fees and charges of the depositary and any taxes or other fees or charges owing, the depositary will issue an ADR or ADRs in the name or upon the order of the person entitled thereto evidencing the number of ADSs to which such person is entitled. All of the ADSs issued will, unless specifically requested to the contrary, be part of the depositary's direct registration system, and a registered holder will receive periodic statements from the depositary which will show the number of ADSs registered in such holder's name. An ADR holder can request that the ADSs not be held through the depositary's direct registration system and that a certificated ADR be issued.
How do ADR holders cancel an ADS and obtain deposited securities?
When you turn in your ADR certificate at the depositary's office, or when you provide proper instructions and documentation in the case of direct registration ADSs, the depositary will, upon payment of certain applicable fees, charges and taxes, deliver the underlying shares to you or upon your written order. Delivery of deposited securities in certificated form will be made at the custodian's office. At your risk, expense and request, the depositary may deliver deposited securities at such other place as you may request.
The depositary may only restrict the withdrawal of deposited securities in connection with:
- •
- temporary delays caused by closing our transfer books or those of the depositary or the deposit of shares in connection with voting at a
shareholders' meeting, or the payment of dividends;
- •
- the payment of fees, taxes and similar charges; or
- •
- compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the ADRs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities.
This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.
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Record Dates
The depositary may, after consultation with us if practicable, fix record dates (which, to the extent applicable, shall be as near as practicable to any corresponding record dates set by us) for the determination of the registered ADR holders who will be entitled (or obligated, as the case may be):
- •
- to receive any distribution on or in respect of deposited securities,
- •
- to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights,
- •
- to pay the fee assessed by the depositary for administration of the ADR program and for any expenses as provided for in the ADR, or
- •
- to receive any notice or to act or be obligated in respect of other matters,
all subject to the provisions of the deposit agreement.
Voting Rights
How do I vote?
If you are an ADR holder and the depositary asks you to provide it with voting instructions, you may instruct the depositary how to exercise the voting rights for the shares which underlie your ADSs. As soon as practicable after receiving notice from us of any meeting at which the holders of shares are entitled to vote, or of our solicitation of consents or proxies from holders of shares, the depositary shall fix the ADS record date in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement, provided that if the depositary receives a written request from us in a timely manner and at least 30 days prior to the date of such vote or meeting, the depositary shall, at our expense, distribute to the registered ADR holders a notice stating (i) final information particular to such vote and meeting and any solicitation materials, (ii) that each ADR holder on the record date set by the depositary will, subject to any applicable provisions of Cayman Island law, be entitled to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the shares underlying such holder's ADSs and (iii) the manner in which such instructions may be given, including instructions to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us. Each ADR holder is solely responsible for the forwarding of such notices to the beneficial owners of ADSs registered in such holder's name. Following actual receipt by the ADR department responsible for proxies and voting of ADR holders' instructions (including, without limitation, instructions of any entity or entities acting on behalf of the nominee for DTC), the depositary shall, in the manner and on or before the time established by the depositary for such purpose, endeavor to vote or cause to be voted the shares represented by the ADSs evidenced by such ADR holders' ADRs in accordance with such instructions insofar as practicable and permitted under the provisions of or governing our shares.
Holders are strongly encouraged to forward their voting instructions to the depositary as soon as possible. For instructions to be valid, the ADR department of the depositary that is responsible for proxies and voting must receive them in the manner and on or before the time specified, notwithstanding that such instructions may have been physically received by the depositary prior to such time. The depositary will not itself exercise any voting discretion. Furthermore, neither the depositary nor its agents are responsible for any failure to carry out any voting instructions, for the manner in which any vote is cast or for the effect of any vote. Notwithstanding anything contained in the deposit agreement or any ADR, the depositary may, to the extent not prohibited by any law, rule or regulation, or by the rules and/or requirements of the stock exchange on which the ADSs are listed, in lieu of distribution of the materials provided to the depositary in connection with any meeting of, or solicitation of consents or proxies from, holders of deposited securities, distribute to the registered holders of ADRs a notice that provides such holders with, or otherwise publicizes to such holders,
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instructions on how to retrieve such materials or receive such materials upon request (i.e., by reference to a website containing the materials for retrieval or a contact for requesting copies of the materials).
There is no guarantee that ADR holders and beneficial owners generally, or any ADR holder or beneficial owner in particular, will receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote.
We have advised the depositary that under the Cayman Islands law and our constituent documents, each as in effect as of the date of the deposit agreement, voting at any meeting of shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the results of the show of hands) demanded. In the event that voting on any resolution or matter is conducted on a show of hands basis in accordance with our constituent documents, the depositary will refrain from voting and the voting instructions received by the depositary from holders shall lapse. The depositary will not demand a poll or join in demanding a poll, whether or not requested to do so by holders of ADSs.
Reports and Other Communications
Will ADR holders be able to view our reports?
The depositary will make available for inspection by ADR holders at the offices of the depositary and the custodian the deposit agreement, the provisions of or governing deposited securities, and any written communications from us which are both received by the custodian or its nominee as a holder of deposited securities and made generally available to the holders of deposited securities.
Additionally, if we make any written communications generally available to holders of our shares, and we furnish copies thereof (or English translations or summaries) to the depositary, it will distribute the same to registered ADR holders.
Fees and Expenses
What fees and expenses will I be responsible for paying?
The depositary may charge each person to whom ADSs are issued, including, without limitation, issuances against deposits of shares, issuances in respect of share distributions, rights and other distributions, issuances pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by us or issuances pursuant to a merger, exchange of securities or any other transaction or event affecting the ADSs or deposited securities, and each person surrendering ADSs for withdrawal of deposited securities or whose ADSs are cancelled or reduced for any other reason, $5.00 for each 100 ADSs (or any portion thereof) issued, delivered, reduced, cancelled or surrendered, as the case may be. The depositary may sell (by public or private sale) sufficient securities and property received in respect of a share distribution, rights and/or other distribution prior to such deposit to pay such charge.
The following additional charges shall be incurred by the ADR holders and beneficial owners of ADSs, by any party depositing or withdrawing shares or by any party surrendering ADSs and/or to whom ADSs are issued (including, without limitation, issuance pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by us or an exchange of stock regarding the ADSs or the deposited securities or a distribution of ADSs), whichever is applicable:
- •
- a fee of U.S.$1.50 per ADR or ADRs for transfers of certificated or direct registration ADRs;
- •
- a fee of up to U.S.$0.05 per ADS held upon which any cash distribution made pursuant to the deposit agreement;
- •
- an aggregate fee of up to U.S.$0.05 per ADS per calendar year (or portion thereof) for services performed by the depositary in administering the ADRs (which fee may be charged on a
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- •
- a fee for the reimbursement of such fees, charges and expenses as are incurred by the depositary and/or any of its agents (including, without
limitation, the custodian and expenses incurred on behalf of holders in connection with compliance with foreign exchange control regulations or any law, rule or regulation relating to foreign
investment) in connection with the servicing of the shares or other deposited securities, the sale of securities (including, without limitation, deposited securities), the delivery of deposited
securities or otherwise in connection with the depositary's or its custodian's compliance with applicable law, rule or regulation (which fees and charges shall be assessed on a proportionate basis
against holders as of the record date or dates set by the depositary and shall be payable at the sole discretion of the depositary by billing such holders or by deducting such charge from one or more
cash dividends or other cash distributions);
- •
- a fee for the distribution of securities (or the sale of securities in connection with a distribution), such fee being in an amount equal to
the $0.05 per ADS issuance fee for the execution and delivery of ADSs which would have been charged as a result of the deposit of such securities (treating all such securities as if they were shares)
but which securities or the net cash proceeds from the sale thereof are instead distributed by the depositary to those holders entitled thereto;
- •
- stock transfer or other taxes and other governmental charges;
- •
- SWIFT, cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery charges incurred at your request in connection with the deposit or delivery of
shares, ADRs or deposited securities;
- •
- transfer or registration fees for the registration of transfer of deposited securities on any applicable register in connection with the
deposit or withdrawal of deposited securities;
- •
- in connection with the conversion of foreign currency into U.S. dollars, JPMorgan shall deduct out of such foreign currency the fees, expenses
and other charges charged by it and/or its agent (which may be a division, branch or affiliate) so appointed in connection with such conversion; and
- •
- fees of any division, branch or affiliate of the depositary utilized by the depositary to direct, manage and/or execute any public and/or private sale of securities under the deposit agreement.
periodic basis during each calendar year and shall be assessed against holders of ADRs as of the record date or record dates set by the depositary during each calendar year and shall be payable in the manner described in the next succeeding provision);
JPMorgan and/or its agent may act as principal for such conversion of foreign currency. For further details see https://www.adr.com.
We will pay all other charges and expenses of the depositary and any agent of the depositary (except the custodian) pursuant to agreements from time to time between us and the depositary.
The fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary. Registered holders of ADRs will receive prior notice of the increase in any such fees and charges. The right of the depositary to receive payment of fees, charges and expenses as provided above shall survive the termination of the deposit agreement.
The depositary may make available to us a set amount or a portion of the depositary fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary may agree from time to time. The depositary collects its fees for issuance and cancellation of ADSs directly from investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deduction from cash
24
distributions, or by directly billing investors, or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary will generally set off the amounts owing from distributions made to holders of ADSs. If, however, no distribution exists and payment owing is not timely received by the depositary, the depositary may refuse to provide any further services to holders that have not paid those fees and expenses owing until such fees and expenses have been paid. At the discretion of the depositary, all fees and charges owing under the deposit agreement are due in advance and/or when declared owing by the depositary.
Payment of Taxes
ADR holders must pay any tax or other governmental charge payable by the custodian or the depositary on any ADS or ADR, deposited security or distribution. If any taxes or other governmental charges (including any penalties and/or interest) shall become payable by or on behalf of the custodian or the depositary with respect to any ADR, any deposited securities represented by the ADSs evidenced thereby or any distribution thereon, including, without limitation, any Chinese Enterprise Income Tax owing if the Circular Guoshuifa [2009] No. 82 issued by the Chinese State Administration of Taxation (SAT) or any other circular, edict, order or ruling, as issued and as from time to time amended, is applied or otherwise, such tax or other governmental charge shall be paid by the holder thereof to the depositary and by holding or having held an ADR or any ADSs, the holder and all beneficial owners of such ADRs and ADSs, and all prior holders and beneficial owners thereof, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify, defend and save harmless each of the depositary and its agents in respect of such tax or governmental charge. Each ADR holder and beneficial owner of ADSs, and each prior holder and beneficial owner thereof, by holding or having held an ADR or an interest in ADSs, acknowledges and agrees that the depositary shall have the right to seek payment of any taxes or governmental charges owing with respect to the relevant ADRs from any one or more such current or prior holder or beneficial owner, as determined by the depositary in its sole discretion, without any obligation to seek payment from any other current or prior holder or beneficial owner. If an ADR holder owes any tax or other governmental charge, the depositary may (i) deduct the amount thereof from any cash distributions, or (ii) sell deposited securities (by public or private sale) and deduct the amount owing from the net proceeds of such sale. In either case the ADR holder remains liable for any shortfall. If any tax or governmental charge is unpaid, the depositary may also refuse to effect any registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of deposited securities or withdrawal of deposited securities until such payment is made. If any tax or governmental charge is required to be withheld on any cash distribution, the depositary may deduct the amount required to be withheld from any cash distribution or, in the case of a non-cash distribution, sell the distributed property or securities (by public or private sale) in such amounts and in such manner as the depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay such taxes and distribute any remaining net proceeds or the balance of any such property after deduction of such taxes to the ADR holders entitled thereto.
By holding an ADR or an interest therein, you will be agreeing to indemnify us, the depositary, its custodian and any of our or their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and affiliates against, and hold each of them harmless from, any claims by any governmental authority with respect to taxes, additions to tax, penalties or interest arising out of any refund of taxes, reduced rate of withholding at source or other tax benefit obtained.
Reclassifications, Recapitalizations and Mergers
If we take certain actions that affect the deposited securities, including (i) any change in par value, split-up, consolidation, cancellation or other reclassification of deposited securities or (ii) any distributions of shares or other property not made to holders of ADRs or (iii) any recapitalization,
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reorganization, merger, consolidation, liquidation, receivership, bankruptcy or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, then the depositary may choose to, and shall if reasonably requested by us:
- •
- amend the form of ADR;
- •
- distribute additional or amended ADRs;
- •
- distribute cash, securities or other property it has received in connection with such actions;
- •
- sell any securities or property received and distribute the proceeds as cash; or
- •
- none of the above.
If the depositary does not choose any of the above options, any of the cash, securities or other property it receives will constitute part of the deposited securities and each ADS will then represent a proportionate interest in such property.
Amendment and Termination
How may the deposit agreement be amended?
We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADSs without your consent for any reason. ADR holders must be given at least 30 days' notice of any amendment that imposes or increases any fees or charges (other than stock transfer or other taxes and other governmental charges, transfer or registration fees, SWIFT, cable, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or otherwise prejudices any substantial existing right of ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs. Such notice need not describe in detail the specific amendments effectuated thereby, but must identify to ADR holders a means to access the text of such amendment. If an ADR holder continues to hold an ADR or ADRs after being so notified, such ADR holder and the beneficial owner of the corresponding ADSs are deemed to agree to such amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement as so amended. Any amendments or supplements which (i) are reasonably necessary (as agreed by us and the depositary) in order for (a) the ADSs to be registered on Form F-6 under the Securities Act of 1933 or (b) the ADSs or shares to be traded solely in electronic book-entry form and (ii) do not in either such case impose or increase any fees or charges to be borne by ADR holders, shall be deemed not to prejudice any substantial rights of ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any governmental body or regulatory body should adopt new laws, rules or regulations which would require amendment or supplement of the deposit agreement or the form of ADR to ensure compliance therewith, we and the depositary may amend or supplement the deposit agreement and the form of ADR (and all outstanding ADRs) at any time in accordance with such changed laws, rules or regulations, which amendment or supplement may take effect before a notice is given or within any other period of time as required for compliance. No amendment, however, will impair your right to surrender your ADSs and receive the underlying securities, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law.
How may the deposit agreement be terminated?
The depositary may, and shall at our written direction, terminate the deposit agreement and the ADRs by mailing notice of such termination to the ADR holders at least 30 days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination; provided, however, if the depositary shall have (i) resigned as depositary under the deposit agreement, notice of such termination by the depositary shall not be provided to registered holders unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement within 60 days of the date of such resignation, and (ii) been removed as depositary under the deposit agreement, notice of such termination by the depositary shall not be provided to registered holders of ADRs unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement on the 60th day after our notice of removal was first provided to the depositary. Notwithstanding anything
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to the contrary herein, the depositary may terminate the deposit agreement without notifying us, but subject to giving 30 days' notice to the Holders, under the following circumstances: (i) in the event of our bankruptcy or insolvency, (ii) if the Shares cease to be listed on an internationally recognized stock exchange, (iii) if we effect (or will effect) a redemption of all or substantially all of the deposited securities, or a cash or share distribution representing a return of all or substantially all of the value of the deposited securities, or (iv) there occurs a merger, consolidation, sale of assets or other transaction as a result of which securities or other property are delivered in exchange for or in lieu of deposited securities. After the date so fixed for termination, (a) all direct registration ADRs shall cease to be eligible for the direct registration system and shall be considered ADRs issued on the ADR register maintained by the depositary and (b) the depositary shall use its reasonable efforts to ensure that the ADSs cease to be DTC eligible so that neither DTC nor any of its nominees shall thereafter be a registered holder of ADRs. At such time as the ADSs cease to be DTC eligible and/or neither DTC nor any of its nominees is an ADR holder, the depositary shall (a) instruct its custodian to deliver all shares to us along with a general stock power that refers to the names set forth on the ADR register maintained by the depositary and (b) provide us with a copy of the ADR register maintained by the depositary. Upon receipt of such shares and the ADR register maintained by the depositary, we have agreed to use our best efforts to issue to each registered holder a share certificate representing the shares represented by the ADSs reflected on the ADR register maintained by the depositary in such registered holder's name and to deliver such share certificate to the registered holder at the address set forth on the ADR register maintained by the depositary. After providing such instruction to the custodian and delivering a copy of the ADR register to us, the depositary and its agents will perform no further acts under the deposit agreement or the ADRs and shall cease to have any obligations under the deposit agreement and/or the ADRs.
Limitations on Obligations and Liability to ADR holders
Limits on our obligations and the obligations of the depositary; limits on liability to ADR holders and beneficial owners of ADSs
Prior to the issue, registration, registration of transfer, split-up, combination, or cancellation of any ADRs, or the delivery of any distribution in respect thereof, and from time to time in the case of the production of proofs as described below, we or the depositary or its custodian may require:
- •
- payment with respect thereto of (i) any stock transfer or other tax or other governmental charge, (ii) any stock transfer or
registration fees in effect for the registration of transfers of shares or other deposited securities upon any applicable register and (iii) any applicable fees and expenses described in the
deposit agreement;
- •
- the production of proof satisfactory to it of (i) the identity of any signatory and genuineness of any signature and (ii) such
other information, including without limitation, information as to citizenship, residence, exchange control approval, beneficial or other ownership of any securities, compliance with applicable law,
regulations, provisions of or governing deposited securities and terms of the deposit agreement and the ADRs, as it may deem necessary or proper; and
- •
- compliance with such regulations as the depositary may establish consistent with the deposit agreement.
The issuance of ADRs, the acceptance of deposits of shares, the registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of ADRs or the withdrawal of shares, may be suspended, generally or in particular instances, when the ADR register or any register for deposited securities is closed or when any such action is deemed advisable by the depositary; provided that the ability to withdraw shares may only be limited under the following circumstances: (i) temporary delays caused by closing transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books or the deposit of shares in connection with voting at a shareholders' meeting, or the payment of dividends, (ii) the payment of fees, taxes, and similar charges,
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and (iii) compliance with any laws or governmental regulations relating to ADRs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities.
The deposit agreement expressly limits the obligations and liability of the depositary, ourselves and each of our and the depositary's respective agents, provided, however, that no provision of the deposit agreement is intended to constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs may have under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to the extent applicable. In the deposit agreement it provides that neither we nor the depositary nor any such agent will be liable to ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs if:
- •
- any present or future law, rule, regulation, fiat, order or decree of the United States, the Cayman Islands, the People's Republic of China
(including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the People's Republic of China) or any other country or jurisdiction, or of any governmental or regulatory authority or securities exchange or
market or automated quotation system, the provisions of or governing any deposited securities, any present or future provision of our charter, any act of God, war, terrorism, nationalization,
expropriation, currency restrictions, work stoppage, strike, civil unrest, revolutions, rebellions, explosions, computer failure or circumstance beyond our, the depositary's or our respective agents'
direct and immediate control shall prevent or delay, or shall cause any of them to be subject to any civil or criminal penalty in connection with, any act which the deposit agreement or the ADRs
provide shall be done or performed by us, the depositary or our respective agents (including, without limitation, voting);
- •
- it exercises or fails to exercise discretion under the deposit agreement or the ADRs including, without limitation, any failure to determine
that any distribution or action may be lawful or reasonably practicable;
- •
- it performs its obligations under the deposit agreement and ADRs without gross negligence or willful misconduct;
- •
- it takes any action or refrains from taking any action in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any
person presenting shares for deposit, any registered holder of ADRs, or any other person believed by it to be competent to give such advice or information, or in the case of the depositary only, our
company; or
- •
- it relies upon any written notice, request, direction, instruction or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, presented or given by the proper party or parties.
The Depositary shall not be a fiduciary or have any fiduciary duty to ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs. Neither the depositary nor its agents have any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities, the ADSs or the ADRs. We and our agents shall only be obligated to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities or the ADRs, which in our opinion may involve us in expense or liability, if indemnity satisfactory to us against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability is furnished as often as may be required. The depositary and its agents may fully respond to any and all demands or requests for information maintained by or on its behalf in connection with the deposit agreement, any registered holder or holders of ADRs, any ADRs or otherwise related to the deposit agreement or ADRs to the extent such information is requested or required by or pursuant to any lawful authority, including without limitation laws, rules, regulations, administrative or judicial process, banking, securities or other regulators. The depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions made by, or the insolvency of, any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system. Furthermore, the depositary shall not be responsible for, and shall incur no liability in connection with or arising from, the insolvency of any custodian that is not a branch or affiliate of JPMorgan. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the deposit agreement or
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any ADRs, the depositary shall not be responsible for, and shall incur no liability in connection with or arising from, any act or omission to act on the part of the custodian except to the extent that any ADR holder has incurred liability directly as a result of the custodian having (i) committed fraud or willful misconduct in the provision of custodial services to the depositary or (ii) failed to use reasonable care in the provision of custodial services to the depositary as determined in accordance with the standards prevailing in the jurisdiction in which the custodian is located. The depositary and the custodian(s) may use third party delivery services and providers of information regarding matters such as pricing, proxy voting, corporate actions, class action litigation and other services in connection with the ADRs and the deposit agreement, and use local agents to provide extraordinary services such as attendance at annual meetings of issuers of securities. Although the depositary and the custodian will use reasonable care (and cause their agents to use reasonable care) in the selection and retention of such third party providers and local agents, they will not be responsible for any errors or omissions made by them in providing the relevant information or services. The depositary shall not have any liability for the price received in connection with any sale of securities, the timing thereof or any delay in action or omission to act nor shall it be responsible for any error or delay in action, omission to act, default or negligence on the part of the party so retained in connection with any such sale or proposed sale.
The depositary has no obligation to inform ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs about the requirements of any laws, rules or regulations or any changes therein or thereto.
Additionally, none of us, the depositary or the custodian shall be liable for the failure by any registered holder of ADRs or beneficial owner thereof to obtain the benefits of credits or refunds of non-U.S. tax paid against such holder's or beneficial owner's income tax liability. The depositary is under no obligation to provide ADR holders and beneficial owners of ADSs, or any of them, with any information about the tax status of our company. Neither we nor the depositary shall incur any liability for any tax or tax consequences that may be incurred by registered holders or beneficial owners on account of their ownership or disposition of the ADRs or ADSs.
Neither the depositary nor its agents will be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the deposited securities, for the manner in which any such vote is cast, including without limitation any vote cast by a person to whom the depositary is required to grant a discretionary proxy pursuant to the deposit agreement, or for the effect of any such vote. The depositary may rely upon instructions from us or our counsel in respect of any approval or license required for any currency conversion, transfer or distribution. The depositary shall not incur any liability for the content of any information submitted to it by us or on our behalf for distribution to ADR holders or for any inaccuracy of any translation thereof, for any investment risk associated with acquiring an interest in the deposited securities, for the validity or worth of the deposited securities, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse upon the terms of the deposit agreement or for the failure or timeliness of any notice from us. The depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the depositary. Neither the depositary nor any of its agents shall be liable to registered ADR holders or beneficial owners of ADSs for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses) or lost profits, in each case of any form incurred by any person or entity (including, without limitation, holders and beneficial owners), whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the type of action in which such a claim may be brought.
The depositary and its agents may own and deal in any class of securities of our company and our affiliates and in ADSs.
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Disclosure of Interest in ADSs
To the extent that the provisions of or governing any deposited securities may require disclosure of or impose limits on beneficial or other ownership of deposited securities, other shares and other securities and may provide for blocking transfer, voting or other rights to enforce such disclosure or limits, ADR holders and beneficial owners of ADSs agree to comply with all such disclosure requirements and ownership limitations and to comply with any reasonable instructions we may provide in respect thereof. We reserve the right to instruct ADR holders (and through any such holder, the beneficial owners of ADSs evidenced by the ADRs registered in such holder's name) to deliver their ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of the deposited securities so as to permit us to deal directly with the holder and/or beneficial owner thereof as a holder of shares and, by holding an ADS or an interest therein, holders and beneficial owners will be agreeing to comply with such instructions.
Books of Depositary
The depositary or its agent will maintain a register for the registration, registration of transfer, combination and split-up of ADRs, which register shall include the depositary's direct registration system. Registered holders of ADRs may inspect such records at the depositary's office at all reasonable times, but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of the business of our company or a matter relating to the deposit agreement. Such register may be closed at any time or from time to time, when deemed expedient by the depositary.
The depositary will maintain facilities for the delivery and receipt of ADRs.
Appointment
In the deposit agreement, each registered holder of ADRs and each beneficial owner or ADSs, upon acceptance of any ADSs (or any interest therein) issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of the deposit agreement will be deemed for all purposes to:
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- be a party to and bound by the terms of the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, and
- •
- appoint the depositary its attorney-in-fact, with full power to delegate, to act on its behalf and to take any and all actions contemplated in the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, to adopt any and all procedures necessary to comply with applicable laws and to take such action as the depositary in its sole discretion may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR and ADRs, the taking of such actions to be the conclusive determinant of the necessity and appropriateness thereof.
Each ADR holder and beneficial owner of ADSs is further deemed to acknowledge and agree that (i) nothing in the deposit agreement or any ADR shall give rise to a partnership or joint venture among the parties thereto nor establish a fiduciary or similar relationship among such parties, (ii) the depositary, its divisions, branches and affiliates, and their respective agents, may from time to time be in the possession of non-public information about our company, the ADR holders, the beneficial owners of ADSs and/or their respective affiliates, (iii) the depositary and its divisions, branches and affiliates may at any time have multiple banking relationships with us, ADR holders, beneficial owners of ADSs and/or the affiliates of any of them, (iv) the depositary and its divisions, branches and affiliates may, from time to time, be engaged in transactions in which parties adverse to us or the ADR holders or beneficial owners may have interests, (v) nothing contained in the deposit agreement or any ADR(s) shall (A) preclude the depositary or any of its divisions, branches or affiliates from engaging in such transactions or establishing or maintaining such relationships, or (B) obligate the depositary or any of its divisions, branches or affiliates to disclose such transactions or relationships or to account for any profit made or payment received in such transactions or relationships, and (vi) the depositary shall not
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be deemed to have knowledge of any information held by any branch, division or affiliate of the depositary.
Governing Law
The deposit agreement and the ADRs are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. In the deposit agreement, we have submitted to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York and appointed an agent for service of process on our behalf.
Subject to the depositary's rights described below to refer matters to arbitration, by holding an ADS or an interest therein, registered holders of ADRs and beneficial owners of ADSs each irrevocably agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving us or the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement, the ADSs or the transactions contemplated thereby, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, and each irrevocably waives any objection which it may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the depositary may, in its sole discretion, elect to institute any action, controversy, claim or dispute directly or indirectly based on, arising out of or relating to the deposit agreement or the ADRs or the transactions contemplated thereby, including without limitation any question regarding its or their existence, validity, interpretation, performance or termination, against any other party or parties to the deposit agreement (including, without limitation, against ADR holders and owners of interests in ADRs) in any competent court in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China and/or the United States, or, by having such disputes referred to and finally resolved by an arbitration either in New York, New York or in Hong Kong, subject to certain exceptions solely related to the aspects of such claims that are related to U.S. securities law, in which case the resolution of such aspects may, at the option of such registered holder of the ADSs, remain in state or federal court in New York, New York. Any such arbitration shall be conducted in the English language either in New York, New York in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association or in Hong Kong following the arbitration rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
Jury Trial Waiver
The deposit agreement provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each party thereto (including, for avoidance of doubt, each holder and beneficial owner and/or holder of interests in ADSs) irrevocably waives the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our shares or other deposited securities, the ADSs, the ADRs, the deposit agreement, or any transaction contemplated therein, or the breach thereof (whether based on contract, tort, common law or other theory), including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws. If we or the depositary were to oppose a jury trial demand based on such waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable in the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable state and federal law, including whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. The waiver to right to a jury trial of the deposit agreement is not intended to be deemed a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs of our or the depositary's compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to the extent applicable.
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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated and existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands to take advantage of certain benefits associated with being a Cayman Islands exempted company, such as:
- •
- political and economic stability;
- •
- an effective judicial system;
- •
- a favorable tax system;
- •
- the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions; and
- •
- the availability of professional and support services.
However, certain disadvantages accompany incorporation in the Cayman Islands. These disadvantages include:
- •
- the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides significantly less protection to
investors; and
- •
- Cayman Islands companies do not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.
Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, among us, our officers, directors and shareholders, be arbitrated.
Substantially all of our operations are conducted in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. Substantially all of our officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
We have appointed Cogency Global Inc., located at 10 East 40th Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10016, as our agent upon whom process may be served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United States.
Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our counsel as to Cayman Islands law, and Han Kun Law Offices, our counsel as to PRC law, have advised us, respectively, that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands and China, respectively, would:
- •
- recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability
provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or;
- •
- entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP has further advised us that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the Cayman Islands will, at common law, recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the liquidated sum for
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which such judgment has been given, provided such judgment (i) is final and conclusive, (ii) is not in respect of taxes, a fine, a penalty or similar charges; (iii) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands and is not impeachable on grounds of fraud. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law if such judgment is determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. A Cayman Islands court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
Han Kun Law Offices has further advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other agreements with the United States or the Cayman Islands that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States or the Cayman Islands.
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Material income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement(s) relating to the offering of those securities.
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We and the selling security holders may sell or distribute the securities offered by this prospectus, from time to time, in one or more offerings, as follows:
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- through agents;
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- to dealers or underwriters for resale;
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- directly to purchasers; or
- •
- through a combination of any of these methods of sale.
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders. In some cases, we or any selling security holder or any dealers acting for or on behalf of us or a selling security holder may also repurchase the securities and reoffer them to the public by one or more of the methods described above. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our securities distributed by any of these methods may be sold to the public, in one or more transactions, either:
- •
- at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;
- •
- at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
- •
- at prices related to prevailing market prices; or
- •
- at negotiated prices.
The prospectus supplement relating to any offering will identify or describe:
- •
- any underwriter, dealers or agents;
- •
- their compensation;
- •
- the net proceeds to us or any selling security holder;
- •
- the purchase price of the securities;
- •
- the initial public offering price of the securities; and
- •
- any exchange on which the securities will be listed.
Sale through Underwriters or Dealers
If underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account, including through underwriting, purchase, security lending or repurchase agreements. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. Underwriters may sell the securities in order to facilitate transactions in any of our other securities (described in this prospectus or otherwise), including other public or private transactions and short sales. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers. The prospectus supplement will include the names of the principal underwriters, the respective amount of securities underwritten, the nature of the obligation of the
35
underwriters to take the securities and the nature of any material relationship between an underwriter and us.
If dealers are used in the sale of the securities offered through this prospectus, we or any selling security holder will sell the securities to them as principals, unless we otherwise indicate in the prospectus supplement. The dealers may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The applicable prospectus supplement will include the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.
Direct Sales and Sales through Agents
We or any selling security holder may sell the securities offered through this prospectus directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. Such securities may also be sold through agents designated from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities and will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, any agent is acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We or any selling security holder may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. The terms of any such sales will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Delayed Delivery Contracts
If the prospectus supplement indicates, we or any selling security holder may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.
Market Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, each series of offered securities will be a new issue and will have no established trading market. We may elect to list any series of offered securities on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. Any underwriters that we use in the sale of offered securities may make a market in such securities, but may discontinue such market making at any time without notice. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the securities will have a liquid trading market.
Any underwriter may also engage in stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Rule 104 under the Exchange Act. Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase the underlying security in the open market for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions.
Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of the transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.
36
Derivative Transactions and Hedging
We, any selling security holders and the underwriters may engage in derivative transactions involving the securities. These derivatives may consist of short sale transactions and other hedging activities. The underwriters or agents may acquire a long or short position in the securities, hold or resell securities acquired and purchase options or futures on the securities and other derivative instruments with returns linked to or related to changes in the price of the securities. In order to facilitate these derivative transactions, we or any selling security holders may enter into security lending or repurchase agreements with the underwriters. The underwriters may effect the derivative transactions through sales of the securities to the public, including short sales, or by lending the securities in order to facilitate short sale transactions by others. The underwriters may also use the securities purchased or borrowed from us or others (or, in the case of derivatives, securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives) to directly or indirectly settle sales of the securities or close out any related open borrowings of the securities.
Loans of Securities
We may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third parties that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement.
General information
Agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification by us, against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Our agents, underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our affiliates, in the ordinary course of business for which they may receive customary compensation.
37
We are being represented by Fenwick & West LLP with respect to certain legal matters of United States federal securities and New York state law. Certain legal matters as to Cayman Islands law will be passed upon for us by Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP. Certain legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by Han Kun Law Offices. Fenwick & West LLP may rely upon Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP with respect to matters governed by Cayman Islands law, and upon Han Kun Law Offices with respect to matters governed by PRC law.
If legal matters in connection with offerings made pursuant to this prospectus are passed upon by counsel to underwriters, dealers or agents, such counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to any such offering.
38
Our consolidated financial statements and the related financial statement schedules incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our 2018 20-F and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018 have been audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated by reference herein (which report expresses an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and financial statement schedule and includes an explanatory paragraph referring to the translation of RMB amounts to U.S. dollar amounts for the convenience of readers in the United States of America and the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, using the full retrospective transition method). Such consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The office of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP is located at 30/F Bund Center, 222 East Yan An Road, Shanghai 200002, People's Republic of China.
39
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We are subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we will be required to file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F, and other information with the SEC. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules of the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements to shareholders, and Section 16 short swing profit reporting for our officers and directors and for holders of more than 10% of our ordinary shares. All information filed with the SEC can be obtained over the internet at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can request copies of these documents, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC website for further information on the operation of the public reference rooms.
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-3 relating to the securities covered by this prospectus. This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of the registration statement and do not contain all the information in the registration statement. You will find additional information about us in the registration statement. Any statement made in this prospectus concerning a contract or other document of ours is not necessarily complete, and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter. Each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., as well as through the SEC's website.
40
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 8. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company's articles of association may provide indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as providing indemnification against fraud, dishonesty or the consequences of committing a crime. The registrant's articles of association provide that each officer or director of the registrant shall be indemnified against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred by him or her other than by reason of his or her own dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of the registrant's business or affairs or in the execution or discharge of his or her duties, powers, authorities or discretions.
Under the indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our registration statement on Form F-1(file number 333-203477) on May 5, 2015, we agreed to indemnify our directors and executive officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being such a director or executive officer.
Any underwriting agreement entered into in connection with an offering of our securities may also provide for indemnification of the registrant and the registrant's officers and directors in certain cases.
See Exhibit Index beginning on page II-4 of this registration statement.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
- (1)
- To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
- (i)
- To
include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
- (ii)
- To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in
volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering
range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the
maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and
- (iii)
- To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant
II-1
- (2)
- That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
- (3)
- To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
- (4)
- To
file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A of Form 20-F at the
start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act need not be furnished,
provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary
to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing a post-effective amendment need not be filed to
include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act or Item 8.A of Form 20-F if such financial statements and information are contained
in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference
in this Form F-3.
- (5)
- That,
for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
- (i)
- Each
prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed
prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
- (ii)
- Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
II-2
- (6)
- That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:
- (i)
- Any
preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
- (ii)
- Any
free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
- (iii)
- The
portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities
provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
- (iv)
- Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-3
- *
- To be filed as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed or furnished under the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference.
II-4
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Shanghai, People's Republic of China, on April 4, 2019.
| Baozun Inc. | ||||||
By: |
/s/ Vincent Wenbin Qiu |
|||||
| Name: | Vincent Wenbin Qiu | |||||
| Title: | Director and Chief Executive Officer | |||||
II-5
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Vincent Wenbin Qiu and Robin Bin Lu as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to this registration statement on Form F-3 and any and all related registration statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as each such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or its substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities set forth below on April 4, 2019.
Name
|
Title
|
|
|---|---|---|
| /s/ Vincent Wenbin Qiu Name: Vincent Wenbin Qiu |
Director and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) | |
/s/ Robin Bin Lu Name: Robin Bin Lu |
Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) |
|
/s/ Junhua Wu Name: Junhua Wu |
Director |
|
/s/ Satoshi Okada Name: Satoshi Okada |
Director |
|
/s/ Jessica Xiuyun Liu Name: Jessica Xiuyun Liu |
Director |
|
/s/ Gang Yu Name: Gang Yu |
Director |
|
/s/ Yiu Pong Chan Name: Yiu Pong Chan |
Director |
II-6
Name
|
Title
|
|
|---|---|---|
| /s/ Bin Yu Name: Bin Yu |
Director | |
/s/ Steve Hsien-Chieng Hsia Name: Steve Hsien-Chieng Hsia |
Director |
|
/s/ Benjamin Changqing Ye Name: Benjamin Changqing Ye |
Director |
II-7
SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGISTRANT
Under the Securities Act, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Baozun Inc., has signed this registration statement or amendment thereto in New York, New York, on April 4, 2019.
| Authorized U.S. Representative Cogency Global Inc. |
||||||
By: |
/s/ Siu Fung Ming |
|||||
| Name: | Siu Fung Ming | |||||
| Title: | Assistant Secretary | |||||
II-8