Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 12, 2010

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Cayman Islands   3674   Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

666 Longdu Avenue

Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

(86-23) 6486-6666

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc.

400 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor

New York, New York 10017

(212) 750-6474

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Z. Julie Gao, Esq.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

c/o 42/F, Edinburgh Tower, The Landmark

15 Queen’s Road Central

Hong Kong

(852) 3740-4700

 

Leiming Chen, Esq.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

35th Floor, ICBC Tower

3 Garden Road

Central, Hong Kong

(852) 2514-7600

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:     As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

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.   ¨

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.   ¨

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 earliest effective registration statement for the same offering.   ¨

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) 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.   ¨

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of each class of securities to be registered    Amount to be
registered (1)(2)
   Proposed maximum
offering price
per share (1)
   Proposed maximum
aggregate offering
price (1)(2)
   Amount of
registration fee

Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 per share (3)

   44,850,000    $2.42    $108,387,500    $7,728.03

 

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the amount of registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act of 1933.

(2)

Includes ordinary shares 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 shares are first bona fide offered to the public, and also includes ordinary shares that may be purchased by the underwriters pursuant to an over-allotment option. These ordinary shares are not being registered for the purpose of sales outside the United States.

(3)

American depositary shares issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby will be registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (Registration No.333-             ). Each American depositary share represents six ordinary shares.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to such Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the Securities and Exchange Commission declares our registration statement effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated January 12, 2010

 

 

6,500,000 American Depositary Shares

 

   LOGO
DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.   

 

Representing 39,000,000 Ordinary Shares

  

 

$             per ADS

 

 

 

 

•   Daqo New Energy Corp. is offering American depository shares, or ADSs, each representing six of our ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

•   We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between $12.50 and $14.50 per ADS.

  

•   This is our initial public offering and no public market currently exists for our ADSs or our ordinary shares.

 

•   Trading symbol: New York Stock Exchange—DQ

 

 

 

 

This investment involves risk. See “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page 14.

 

 

 

 

     Per ADS        Total    

Public offering price

   $              $      

Underwriting discount

   $              $      

Proceeds, before expenses, to Daqo New Energy Corp.

   $              $      

 

 

 

The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to 975,000 additional ADSs from us to cover over-allotments, if any.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved of anyone’s investment in these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Piper Jaffray

 

Lazard Capital Markets   
   Needham & Company, LLC

The date of this prospectus is             , 2010


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

     Page

Prospectus Summary

   1

Risk Factors

   14

Forward-Looking Statements

   39

Use of Proceeds

   40

Dividend Policy

   41

Capitalization

   42

Dilution

   43

Exchange Rate Information

   45

Enforceability of Civil Liabilities

   46

Corporate History and Structure

   47

Selected Consolidated Financial and Operating Data

   49

Recent Developments

   52

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

   53

Industry

   76

Business

   81

Regulation

   95

Management

   99

Principal Shareholders

   107

Related Party Transactions

   110

Description of Share Capital

   113

Description of American Depositary Shares

   124

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

   134

Taxation

   136

Underwriting

   141

Legal Matters

   146

Experts

   147

Where You Can Find Additional Information

   148

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-1

 

 

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information. This prospectus is not an offer to sell, nor is it seeking an offer to buy, these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is complete and accurate as of the date on the front cover, but the information may have changed since that date.

 

i


Table of Contents

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

The following summary is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed information and financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to this summary, we urge you to read the entire prospectus carefully, especially the risks of investing in our ADSs discussed under “Risk Factors” before deciding whether to buy our ADSs.

Overview

We are a leading polysilicon manufacturer based in China. We manufacture and sell high-quality polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers, who further process our polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. With an installed annual production capacity of 3,300 metric tonnes, or MT, as of September 30, 2009, we believe we are one of the largest polysilicon manufacturers in China. We plan to increase our installed annual production capacity to 9,300 MT by March 2012. In addition to ramping up our capacity, we have consistently focused on producing high-quality polysilicon in a cost-efficient manner, which we believe has contributed to our market position and will benefit us and our customers.

Photovoltaics is one of the proven and most rapidly growing renewable energy sources in the world. As polysilicon represents the most significant portion of the production cost for photovoltaic product manufacturing and commercial production of polysilicon requires high start-up costs and a long ramp-up time, we believe that polysilicon manufacturers with sufficient economies of scale can generally achieve higher profit margins than downstream manufacturers in the photovoltaic industry. We currently dedicate substantially all of our management efforts and our financial, technical, research and human resources to the manufacturing and sale of polysilicon. As a market leader strategically positioned upstream on the manufacturing value chain of a fast growing industry, we have been able to benefit from the growth of downstream photovoltaic cell and module production since our inception. In order to diversify our product offerings and enhance awareness of our “Daqo” brand, we plan to strategically expand into the photovoltaic module manufacturing business and the solar power system integration and installation business.

We compete with international and domestic polysilicon manufacturers primarily in acquiring and retaining China-based customers. The global financial crisis and the significant decrease in global petroleum prices since their peak in mid-2008 have resulted in a substantial decline in the demand for photovoltaic products in recent quarters. To address the challenges presented to our business by international and domestic competitors and the current global oversupply of polysilicon and the corresponding downward pricing pressure, we are focusing on maintaining our competitive cost structure and pursuing further cost saving to improve our profitability.

We believe that we have a competitive cost structure in polysilicon manufacturing primarily due to our strategic location in China and our manufacturing process. As our operations are based in Chongqing, which is in the western area of China where the cost of doing business is generally lower than in the coastal areas in China, we have significant advantages in electricity, raw material and labor costs over our competitors that are based in developed countries or in the coastal areas of China. In addition, we utilize the chemical vapor deposition process, or the “modified Siemens process,” to produce polysilicon, as do the vast majority of polysilicon manufacturers in the world. We have fully implemented the closed loop system to produce high-quality polysilicon cost-effectively. The closed loop system is an advanced polysilicon manufacturing process widely used by leading international polysilicon manufacturers. We believe we are one of the few China-based polysilicon manufacturers that have fully implemented the closed loop system in the polysilicon manufacturing process. Our fully implemented closed loop system differentiates us from manufacturers that only implement the closed loop system in some, but not all, of

 

 

 

 

1


Table of Contents

 

 

their manufacturing lines, and from manufacturers that are in the process of converting their open loop system to the closed loop system. Compared to the open loop manufacturing system that most of our domestic competitors use, the closed loop manufacturing system uses raw materials more efficiently, requires less electricity and causes less pollution even though manufacturing facilities based on the open loop system can be built within a shorter period of time with less initial capital expenditures on equipment. We believe that there is a trend among Chinese domestic manufacturers to migrate to the closed loop system. However, implementing the closed loop system or converting an existing open loop system to a closed loop system is time-consuming and requires significant capital investment and industry expertise. Therefore, we believe that we will continue to enjoy competitive advantages over Chinese domestic polysilicon manufacturers that use the open loop system in the short and medium term.

We focus heavily on ensuring customer satisfaction and consistently delivering high-quality products to our customers. We impose rigorous quality control standards at various stages of our manufacturing process. We systematically test raw materials from our suppliers and test our inputs at each stage of our manufacturing process to ensure that they meet all technical specifications. With our strict quality control measures in our manufacturing and facility construction processes, we are able to produce high-quality polysilicon consistently at both our existing Chongqing Phase 1a facility and our newly constructed Phase 1b facility.

We are located in China and are closer to our customers than our international competitors. China has become an important global center for manufacturing photovoltaic products with a growing number of leading photovoltaic companies. However, polysilicon production capacity in China has lagged far behind the demand from manufacturers of downstream photovoltaic products in China. In addition, due to changing project economics and increasing governmental support, we expect that the domestic photovoltaic market will undergo significant growth in the next few years. Being close to leading global photovoltaic companies based in China, we are positioned to respond to our customers’ needs quickly, manage inventory more efficiently and achieve further cost savings.

We have achieved substantial growth since we commenced commercial production of polysilicon in July 2008. In 2008, we produced 291 MT of polysilicon and sold 237 MT. In the first nine months of 2009, we produced 995 MT of polysilicon and sold 901 MT. Shortly after we commenced commercial production, leading China-based photovoltaic companies, such as Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, or Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola Ltd., or ReneSola, and Suntech Power Holdings, or Suntech, through one of its affiliates, became our customers, and they have been our major customers since then. We generated revenues of $56.4 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $21.5 million in 2008, and we generated revenues of $79.5 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $20.9 million in the first nine months of 2009. The decline in our net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders from the year ended December 31, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was caused by the significant decrease in the average selling price of our polysilicon as a result of the global oversupply of polysilicon and the increasing pricing pressure during the same period.

Our Relationship with Daqo Group

Our existing shareholders hold equity interests in Daqo Group Co., Ltd., or Daqo Group. Since our inception, we have substantially benefited from the financial support of Daqo Group, one of the largest electrical equipment manufacturers in China. As of September 30, 2009, we had outstanding payable to Daqo Group in the amount of $0.2 million and Daqo Group guaranteed all of our outstanding bank borrowings. In addition, Daqo Group has granted us a permanent and royalty-free license to use the “Daqo” brand, which is a well recognized brand in the electrical industry in China. We have benefited from the strong brand recognition of “Daqo” in our business development efforts, as evidenced by our ability to secure major customers based in China within a short period after we commenced commercial

 

 

 

 

2


Table of Contents

 

 

production of polysilicon. If Daqo Group ceases to support us, our business, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We may not be able to continue to receive the same level of support from Daqo Group, which may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.”

Industry Background

Photovoltaics is one of the proven and most rapidly growing renewable power generation sources in the world. Solarbuzz, a solar energy research and consulting firm, reports that the global photovoltaic market reached 5,948 MW in 2008, an increase from 1,086 MW in 2004, representing a four-year compound annual growth rate of 53%. Despite the current global economic slowdown and turmoil in the global financial markets, it is expected that the photovoltaic market will continue to grow.

Although the costs of generating electricity from photovoltaics have decreased significantly in recent years, solar power generation is still more expensive than conventional power generation. The primary challenge for the photovoltaic industry is to reduce the price per watt of energy for end-users. In addition, the current growth of the solar power industry substantially relies on the availability and size of government subsidies and other economic incentives such as capital cost rebates, favorable feed-in-tariffs, tax credits and net metering. It remains a challenge for the solar power industry to reach a sufficient scale to be cost-effective in a non-subsidized marketplace.

The solar market in China is at an initial stage of development. According to Solarbuzz, the installed solar power generation capacity in China was 35 MW in 2008. However, according to Solarbuzz, the Chinese solar power market is expected to undergo a significant transformation “from a market dominated by off-grid rural and industrial projects, to one marked by a significant increase in large on-grid, ground mounted systems” as the result of changing project economics and increasing governmental support. The Chinese government acknowledges its role in global carbon emissions and has enacted a series of laws and policies emphasizing China’s objective to reduce emissions through the use of renewable energy sources.

Polysilicon is the primary raw material for the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. Historically, the semiconductor industry has been the dominant user of polysilicon. Due to the recent rapid growth of the photovoltaic industry, the polysilicon consumption by the photovoltaic industry has exceeded that by the semiconductor industry. In 2008, the photovoltaic industry consumed 69% of the global polysilicon production while the semiconductor industry consumed the remaining 31%, according to Solarbuzz. As a result of this rapid expansion, sales to the photovoltaic industry are now the key factor affecting the price, profitability and growth of the polysilicon market.

According to Solarbuzz, the total global polysilicon production capacity serving both the semiconductor and the photovoltaic industries at the end of 2008 was approximately 87,800 MT. The top five polysilicon manufacturers accounted for approximately 59% of the total polysilicon production capacity in 2008. Although there have been many new entrants in China, polysilicon production capacity in China currently still lags far behind photovoltaic cell production capacity, presenting significant opportunities in domestic demand for the China-based polysilicon manufacturers.

Costs of production and quality define the competitive landscape of the polysilicon market. While the raw material for polysilicon production is widely available, there exists significant barriers to entering the polysilicon manufacturing business. The operation of polysilicon plants involves highly complex processes and requires significant expertise. Plant system-type, high-quality equipment, input costs and industry expertise are key determinants of the polysilicon production costs.

 

 

 

 

3


Table of Contents

 

 

Historically, polysilicon supply and demand has shown significant cyclicality mainly due to significant capital investment requirements and the long lead time required for facility construction and production ramp-up. In addition, primarily as a result of the constrained financing markets, demand for photovoltaic products has declined in recent quarters. According to Solarbuzz, the growth in global polysilicon supply capability currently exceeds the growth in global polysilicon demand. As a result, the actual production has been adjusted in response to the reduced demand. Producers with low processing costs and strong balance sheets are better positioned to weather the downturn in demand and industry consolidation. Once financing becomes accessible to downstream players, polysilicon producers that have the ability to expand production quickly and effectively are well-positioned to capture a greater share of the expanding solar market.

Our Strengths

We believe that the following strengths enable us to compete effectively and to further increase our revenues and profitability:

 

   

Competitive cost structure;

 

   

Consistently high-quality products;

 

   

China-based manufacturing capacity with abundant growth opportunities;

 

   

Proven execution capabilities;

 

   

Strong focus on technologies and research and development; and

 

   

Experienced management with extensive industry contacts and strong track record of successful execution.

Our Strategies

Our goal is to become a leading global supplier of polysilicon for the solar power industry and an important player in the downstream photovoltaic market. We intend to achieve this goal by pursuing the following strategies:

 

   

Further reducing our production costs;

 

   

Significantly expanding polysilicon production capacity;

 

   

Deepening existing customer relationships and broadening customer base;

 

   

Complementing existing business through expansion into photovoltaic module manufacturing business; and

 

   

Leveraging our relationship with Daqo Group to enter the solar power system integration and installation business.

Our Risks and Challenges

The successful execution of our strategies is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including:

 

   

Our future growth and profitability depend on the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies;

 

   

Global supply for polysilicon has exceeded and may continue to exceed demand, which could cause polysilicon prices to continue to decline and materially and adversely affect our profitability;

 

   

Our limited operating history may not serve as an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations;

 

 

 

 

4


Table of Contents

 

 

   

Alternative technologies in cell manufacturing may replace the need to use polysilicon;

 

   

Further development in alternative polysilicon production technologies or other changes in the solar power industry could render our production process too costly or obsolete, which could reduce our market share and cause our sales and profits to decline;

 

   

Our future success depends substantially on our ability to significantly expand our polysilicon production capacity and output, which exposes us to a number of risks and uncertainties;

 

   

The global financial and economic crisis, particularly the slowdown in the Chinese economy, may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition;

 

   

The reduction in, or elimination of, government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications could cause demand for our products and our revenues to decline;

 

   

Existing regulations and changes to these regulations may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of photovoltaic products, which may significantly reduce demand for our products; and

 

   

We operate in an increasingly competitive market and we may not be able to compete successfully with competitors who have greater resources than us.

See “Risk Factors” and other information included in this prospectus for a more detailed discussion of these and other risks, uncertainties and challenges that we face.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 666 Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000, People’s Republic of China, and our telephone number at that location is (86-23) 6486-6666. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at International Corporation Services Ltd., P.O. Box 472, 2nd Floor Harbour Place, Grand Cayman KY1-1106, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc.

Our website will be www.dqsolar.com. Information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus.

Corporate History and Structure

Our company was incorporated in Caymans Islands as Mega Stand International Limited in November 2007. We changed our corporate name to Daqo New Energy Corp., or Daqo Cayman, in August 2009.

In January 2008, we established Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., or Chongqing Daqo, our wholly owned operating subsidiary in China. Through Chongqing Daqo, we focus primarily on the manufacture and sale of polysilicon. In addition to Chongqing Daqo, we established Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., or Nanjing Daqo, in December 2007 in China, through which we plan to expand to photovoltaic module manufacturing business. In January 2009, we established Daqo Solar Energy North America, or Daqo North America, in California as our wholly owned subsidiary to serve as our marketing office to promote our products in North America.

Daqo Group established Daqo New Material Co., Ltd., or Daqo New Material, on November 16, 2006 in China. Daqo Group is one of the largest electrical equipment manufacturers in China which does not have a history of operating in the solar industry. Although all of Daqo Group’s equity interest holders also beneficially own shares of Daqo Cayman, Daqo Group does not have any shareholding in our company. Immediately after the completion of this offering, holders of equity interests in Daqo Group in

 

 

 

 

5


Table of Contents

 

 

aggregate will beneficially own 59.27% of the outstanding ordinary shares of our company. Daqo New Material’s business activities included acquiring land use rights and constructing certain production infrastructure prior to the incorporation of our company and Chongqing Daqo. Subsequent to its establishment, Chongqing Daqo entered into a lease agreement with Daqo New Material to rent Daqo New Material’s land, production infrastructure, machinery and equipment for its polysilicon production. The initial lease agreement has a five-year term starting from July 1, 2008, with monthly lease payment at a fixed amount. The lease agreement was amended and restated in August 2009, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2009. Under the amended and restated lease agreement, the lease period is from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013, with monthly lease payment at a fixed amount. One month before the expiry of the lease period, Chongqing Daqo has the option to renew the lease on the same terms and conditions for additional five-year periods. Furthermore, the amended and restated lease agreement provides that Chongqing Daqo has the option to purchase, or to designate any person to purchase, the leased assets at the then fair value at any time during the lease period or within one year following the lease period, if permitted by the PRC laws and regulations. Under current PRC laws and regulations, Chongqing Daqo needs to obtain governmental approval in China to proceed with the purchase, and given the application requirements we do not think it is currently practical for us to obtain such approval. If Daqo New Material desires to transfer the ownership of the leased assets to a third party, Chongqing Daqo has the right of first refusal to acquire the leased assets under the same conditions, and if the leased assets are transferred to a third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner. Under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 810-10-15, “Variable Interest Entities,” we are deemed to be Daqo New Material’s primary beneficiary for accounting purposes and Daqo New Material is considered a “variable interest entity” of ours starting from July 1, 2008. Therefore, we have consolidated the financial results of Daqo New Material into our financial statements since July 1, 2008. As of September 30, 2009, Daqo Group’s equity interest in Daqo New Material amounted to $127.9 million, which was consolidated and reflected as a noncontrolling interest in the balance sheet of our company pursuant to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. Even though we do not directly or indirectly hold any equity interests in Daqo New Material, under U.S. GAAP, Daqo New Material has been deemed to be our predecessor business from November 16, 2006 through June 30, 2008.

On November 9, 2009, Chongqing Daqo signed a supplemental lease agreement with Daqo New Material to lease the production facilities of Phase 1b from November 9, 2009 until December 31, 2013 at a fixed amount. The other terms of the supplemental lease agreement are the same as those of the amended and restated lease agreement of Phase 1a.

Pursuant to a non-competition agreement with us, Daqo Group has agreed not to engage in the business of manufacturing, marketing or distributing polysilicon or any other solar power products anywhere in the world or compete in any manner with our businesses for an indefinite term. Under the agreement, Daqo Cayman and Chongqing Daqo are entitled to seek temporary restraining orders, injunctions or other equitable relief, in addition to monetary remedies specified in the agreement, if Daqo Group breaches its non-competition obligations.

In November 2009, Daqo Cayman issued and sold 29,714,103 shares of Series A convertible preferred shares in a private placement at a price of $1.851 per share to a group of investment funds. For details of the private placement, please see “Description of Share Capital—History of Securities Issuances.”

 

 

 

 

6


Table of Contents

 

 

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure immediately upon the completion of this offering, assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters:

LOGO

 

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The holders of our Series A preferred shares consist of investment funds affiliated with Granite Global Ventures III L.P, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., investment funds affiliated with Siguler Guff Advisers, LLC and Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited. The Series A preferred shares will be automatically converted into our ordinary shares upon the completion of a qualified public offering.

(2)

Individual owners of Daqo Group beneficially hold equity interests in Daqo Cayman through seven personal holding companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, see “Principal Shareholders.”

(3)

Indicates the respective shareholding percentage of the shareholders in Daqo Cayman.

(4)

Indicates companies within the listing group.

(5)

Indicates jurisdiction of incorporation.

(6)

Daqo Group’s major shareholders include Messrs. Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge, Dafeng Shi, Bin Cai, Jianrong Tang and Wanlin Gao.

(7)

Represents a variable interest entity.

 

 

 

 

7


Table of Contents

 

 

Conventions Which Apply to This Prospectus

Except where the context otherwise requires and for purposes of this prospectus only:

 

   

“we,” “us,” “our company,” “our” and “Daqo Cayman” refer to Daqo New Energy Corp., its subsidiaries and its variable interest entity;

 

   

“ADSs” refers to our American depositary shares, each of which represents six ordinary shares;

 

   

“China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this prospectus only, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau;

 

   

“shares” or “ordinary shares” refers to our ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share and “Series A preferred shares” refers to our Series A convertible redeemable preferred shares, par value $0.0001 per share; and

 

   

“RMB” or “Renminbi” refers to the legal currency of China; “$,” “dollars” or “U.S. dollars” refers to the legal currency of the United States; and “Euro” refers to the legal currency of the European Union.

Unless otherwise mentioned, information is presented in this prospectus:

 

   

assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional ADSs to cover over-allotments; and

 

   

for all share and per share data, giving effect to the 10,000-for-1 share split that became effective on August 5, 2009.

This prospectus contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at the rate of RMB6.8262 to $1.00, the noon buying rate in effect as of September 30, 2009 in New York City for cable transfers of Renminbi as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this prospectus could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. On January 8, 2010, the noon buying rate was RMB6.8274 to $1.00.

 

 

 

 

8


Table of Contents

 

 

THE OFFERING

 

Offering price

We currently expect that the initial public offering price will be between $12.50 and $14.50 per ADS.

 

ADSs offered by us

6,500,000 ADSs

 

ADSs outstanding immediately after this offering

6,500,000 ADSs (7,475,000 ADSs if the over-allotment option is fully exercised).

 

Ordinary shares outstanding immediately after this offering

168,714,103 ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (174,564,103 ordinary shares if the over-allotment option is fully exercised).

 

The ADSs

Each ADS represents six of our ordinary shares.

The depositary will hold the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. You will have rights as provided in the deposit agreement.

If we declare dividends on our ordinary shares, the depositary will pay you the cash dividends and other distributions it receives on our ordinary shares, after deducting its fees and expenses.

You may turn in your ADSs to the depositary in exchange for ordinary shares. The depositary will charge you fees for any exchange.

We may amend or terminate the deposit agreement without your consent. If you continue to hold your ADSs, you agree to be bound by the deposit agreement as amended.

To better understand the terms of the ADSs, you should carefully read the “Description of American Depositary Shares” section of this prospectus. You should also read the deposit agreement, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

 

Over-allotment option

We have granted to the underwriters an option, which is exercisable within 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to an aggregate of 975,000 additional ADSs at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

Use of proceeds

Our net proceeds from this offering are expected to be approximately $78.2 million (assuming an initial public offering price of $13.50 per ADS, the mid-point of the estimated range of the initial public offering price shown on the front cover of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us). We

 

 

 

 

9


Table of Contents

 

 

 

plan to use approximately $65.0 million of these net proceeds to expand our polysilicon manufacturing facilities and the remaining amount for working capital purposes. See “Business—Manufacturing Capacity” for additional information about our production capacity expansion plan.

 

Lock-up

We have agreed for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus not to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of our ordinary shares, ADSs or similar securities. Furthermore, each of our directors, executive officers, shareholders and option holders has agreed to a similar 180-day lock-up. See “Underwriting.”

 

Listing

We have been approved to list our ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DQ.” Our ADSs and ordinary shares will not be listed on any other stock exchange or traded on any automated quotation system.

 

Risk factors

See “Risk Factors” and other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of risks you should carefully consider before investing in our ADSs.

 

Depositary

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

The number of ordinary shares that will be outstanding immediately after this offering:

 

   

assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional ADSs;

 

   

reflects the conversion of all outstanding Series A preferred shares into 29,714,103 ordinary shares immediately upon the completion of this offering;

 

   

excludes 5,350,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options issued under our 2009 share incentive plan that are outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, at an exercise price of $1.38 per ordinary share; and

 

   

excludes ordinary shares reserved for future grants under our 2009 share incentive plan.

 

 

 

 

10


Table of Contents

 

 

SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA

You should read the following information concerning us and our predecessor business, Daqo New Material, in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and predecessor business financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.

The following summary consolidated statements of operations for our company for the period from November 22, 2007, the date of our inception, to December 31, 2007, for the year ended December 31, 2008 and for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the summary consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. We have consolidated Daqo New Material’s financial statements in ours since July 1, 2008 because under FASB Accounting Standards Codification 810-10-15, “Variable Interest Entities,” we are deemed to be Daqo New Material’s primary beneficiary for accounting purposes and Daqo New Material is considered our “variable interest entity” starting from July 1, 2008.

The following summary consolidated statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 have been derived from our unaudited condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and have been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial data. The unaudited condensed financial information includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments, that we consider necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and operating results for the periods presented.

The summary consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected in any future period.

 

 

 

 

11


Table of Contents

 

 

The following tables also present the summary consolidated statements of operations for Daqo New Material (our predecessor business) for the period from November 16, 2006, the date of its inception, to December 31, 2006, for the year ended December 31, 2007 and for the period from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008, and the summary consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, and June 30, 2008, which are derived from Daqo New Material’s audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our predecessor business’s financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

     Predecessor Business     Daqo Cayman  
     Period from
November 16,
2006 to
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    Period from
January 1,
2008 to
June 30,
    Period from
November 22,
2007
(Inception) to
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
     2006     2007     2008     2007     2008     2008     2009  
    

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

              

Revenues

   $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ 56,368      $ 19,715      $ 79,477   

Cost of revenues

     —          —          —          —          (19,392     (9,130     (45,617

Gross profit

     —          —          —          —          36,976        10,585        33,860   

Income (loss) from operations

     (490     (1,053     (1,902     (48     27,212        3,726        27,817   

Income (loss) before income taxes

     (486     (978     (1,717     (48     23,454        1,814        23,269   

Income tax benefit (expense)

     160        207        428        —          (1,602     (208     (3,393

Net income (loss)

     —          —          —          (48     21,852        1,606        19,876   

Less: income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest

           —          327        10        (990

Net income (loss) attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. ordinary shareholders

   $ (326   $ (771   $ (1,289   $ (48   $ 21,525      $ 1,595      $ 20,866   

Earnings per share, basic and diluted

     —          —          —          (0.00   $ 0.22      $ 0.02      $ 0.21   

 

     Predecessor Business   Daqo Cayman  
     Period from
November 16,
2006 to
December 31,
  Year Ended
December 31,
  Period from
January 1,
2008 to
June 30,
  Period from
November 22,
2007
(Inception) to
December 31,
  Year Ended
December 31,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
     2006   2007   2008   2007   2008     2008   2009  
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Other Financial and Operating Data:

              

Gross profit margin ( 1 )

   —     —     —     —     65.6   53.7%   42.6

Operating profit
margin ( 2 )

   —     —     —     —     48.3   18.9%   35.0

Net profit margin ( 3 )

   —     —     —     —     38.2   8.1%   26.3

Sales volume (in MT)

   —     —     —     —     237      69   901 (4)  

footnotes on following page

 

 

 

 

12


Table of Contents

 

 

 

Notes:

 

(1)

Gross profit margin equals gross profit divided by revenues.

(2)

Operating profit margin equals income from operations divided by revenues.

(3)

Net profit margin equals net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. ordinary shareholders divided by revenues.

(4)

In addition, we used approximately 16 MT polysilicon to process cells through our tolling arrangements with third party cell manufacturers in the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

 

     Predecessor Business    Daqo Cayman
     As of December 31,    As of June 30,    As of December 31,    As of
September 30,
     2006    2007    2008    2007     2008    2009
     (in thousands)

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 7,902    $ 3,842    $ 4,112    $     —        $ 3,304    $ 9,894

Restricted cash

     —        15,562      16,908      —          20,430      38,022

Total current assets

     7,902      23,596      31,306      —          33,948      72,641

Property, plant and equipment, net

     333      76,179      111,681      —          314,507      400,766

Total assets

     9,120      101,005      158,452      —          350,105      476,257

Advances from customers

     —        13,690      —        —          59,266      31,871

Payables for purchases of property, plant and equipment

     —        1,975      20,970      —          71,146      85,100

Total current liabilities

     —        16,041      21,378      48        154,324      163,159

Total liabilities

     472      54,232      109,968      48        279,052      305,368

Total Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders’ equity (deficit)

     8,647      46,773      48,485      (48     22,042      42,970

Noncontrolling interest

     —        —        —        —          49,011      127,918

Total equity

   $ 8,647    $ 46,773    $ 48,485    $ (48   $ 71,053    $ 170,889

 

 

 

 

13


Table of Contents

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our ADSs involves significant risks. You should carefully consider all of the information in this prospectus, including the risks and uncertainties described below, before making an investment in our ADSs. The following is a description of what we consider our material risks. Any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In any such case, the market price of our ADSs could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business

Our future growth and profitability depend on the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies.

The solar industry is at a relatively early stage of development, and the extent of acceptance of photovoltaic products is uncertain. The solar power industry does not have data as far back as the semiconductor industry or other more established industries, for which trends can be assessed more reliably from data gathered over a longer period of time. Demand for photovoltaic products may not develop or may develop to a lesser extent than we anticipate. Many factors may affect the viability of widespread adoption of photovoltaic technology and demand for photovoltaic products, including:

 

   

decreases in government subsidies and incentives to support the development of the solar power industry;

 

   

relative cost-effectiveness, performance and reliability of photovoltaic products compared to conventional and other renewable energy sources and products;

 

   

success of other alternative energy sources, such as wind power, hydroelectric power and biofuel;

 

   

fluctuations in economic and market conditions that affect the viability of conventional and other renewable energy sources, such as increases or decreases in the prices of oil and other fossil fuels;

 

   

capital expenditures by end users of photovoltaic products, which tend to decrease when the economy slows down; and

 

   

deregulation or other regulatory actions affecting the electric power industry and the broader energy industry.

In the event that demand for solar products does not expand as we expect or photovoltaic technologies do not develop in a manner that increases the demand for polysilicon, our future growth and profitability will be materially and adversely affected.

Global supply for polysilicon has exceeded and may continue to exceed demand, which could cause polysilicon prices to continue to decline and materially and adversely affect our profitability.

Our polysilicon sales prices are affected by a variety of factors, including global supply and demand conditions. Over the years, many polysilicon manufacturers have significantly increased their capacity to meet customer demand. However, the current global economic slowdown, the crisis in the global financial markets and the significant decrease in global petroleum prices since their peak in mid-2008 have reduced or delayed the general demand for photovoltaic products. In late 2008 and 2009, newly available polysilicon supply and slowed global photovoltaic market growth resulted in an excess supply of polysilicon, which led to a significant decline in polysilicon prices. According to Solarbuzz, spot prices for solar grade polysilicon decreased rapidly from $400 to $450 per kilogram in mid-2008 to $150 to $300 per kilogram since the fourth quarter of 2008. The declining polysilicon prices had a negative

 

14


Table of Contents

impact on our revenues in 2008 and in the nine months ended September 30, 2009. As the result of the significant decline in demand and the market price for polysilicon, we had to significantly lower the selling price of our polysilicon in the fourth quarter of 2008. We cannot assure you that the price of polysilicon will not continue to decline in the future. If we experience further decline in demand, or if the price continues to decrease and we are unable to lower our costs in line with the price decline, our operating margins will be reduced and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Our limited operating history may not serve as an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations.

We have a limited operating history. We commenced polysilicon manufacturing in July 2008. Several of our senior management and key employees have worked together at our company for only a relatively short period of time. Our future success will depend on our ability to expand our manufacturing capacity significantly beyond its current level and further expand our customer base. To address these risks, we must, among other things, continue to respond to competition and volatile market developments, attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, implement and successfully execute expansion plans and improve our technologies. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in addressing such risks. Although we were profitable in 2008 and the first nine months in 2009, we cannot assure you that our results of operations will not be adversely affected in 2010 or any future period. Our limited operating history makes the prediction of future results of operations difficult, and therefore, past results of operations achieved by us should not be taken as indicative of the rate of growth, if any, that can be expected in the future. Our business model, technology and ability to achieve satisfactory manufacturing yields for polysilicon at higher volumes are unproven. As a result, you should consider our future prospectus in light of the risks and uncertainties experienced by early stage companies in a rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive market in China.

Alternative technologies in cell manufacturing may replace the need to use polysilicon.

The vast majority of silicon-based photovoltaic cell manufacturers use chunk or granular polysilicon. However, alternative technologies have been commercialized. One such technology, thin-film cell production, uses little to no silicon in the production of solar cells. Thin-film solar cells are currently less costly to produce than silicon-based solar cells. Significant expansion of thin-film solar cell production has been announced which may put pressure on the entire value chain of silicon-based solar cell production. This expansion may in turn restrict the market for silicon-based solar cells, which would reduce the demand for our polysilicon. If the demand for polysilicon is adversely affected by increased demand for, and improvements to, alternative technologies, our revenues and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Further development in alternative polysilicon production technologies or other changes in the solar power industry could render our production process too costly or obsolete, which could reduce our market share and cause our sales and profits to decline.

Although the vast majority of the polysilicon produced in the world utilizes the chemical vapor deposition process, or the “modified Siemens process,” several alternative production processes have been developed that may have significantly lower production costs. Compared with other polysilicon production processes, a clear disadvantage of the modified Siemens process is the large volume of electricity required. For example, MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., or MEMC, Renewable Energy Corporation ASA, or REC, and Wacker Chemie AG, or Wacker, three of our competitors, currently operate or are constructing facilities that use the “fluidized bed reactor” method for producing polysilicon. Tokuyama Corporation, or Tokuyama, has developed a polysilicon technology called the “vapor-to-liquid deposition” process. Other polysilicon manufacturers are establishing facilities using upgraded metallurgical grade silicon process to produce solar-grade polysilicon.

 

15


Table of Contents

Further developments in competing polysilicon production technologies may result in lower manufacturing costs or higher product performance than those achieved from the modified Siemens process, including the one we employ. We will need to invest significant financial resources in research and development to expand our market position, keep pace with technological advances in polysilicon production and effectively compete in the future. Failure to further refine our technology could make our production process too costly or obsolete, which could reduce our margins and market share, cause our revenues to decline and materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our future success depends substantially on our ability to significantly expand our polysilicon production capacity and output, which exposes us to a number of risks and uncertainties.

Our future success depends on our ability to significantly increase both polysilicon production capacity and output. If we fail to do so, we may not be able to benefit from economies of scale to reduce our costs per kilogram of polysilicon, to meet our obligations under supply agreements, to maintain our competitive position or to improve our profitability. Our ability to establish additional production capacity and increase output is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including:

 

   

the need to raise significant additional funds to purchase additional production equipment or to build additional manufacturing facilities, which we may not be able to obtain on commercially viable terms or at all;

 

   

cost overruns and delays as a result of a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, such as increases in the price of electricity or problems with equipment delivery;

 

   

delays or denial of required approvals by relevant government authorities;

 

   

failure to obtain production inputs in sufficient quantities or at acceptable cost;

 

   

significant diversion of management’s attention and other resources; and

 

   

failure to execute our expansion plan effectively.

The global financial and economic crisis, particularly the slowdown in the Chinese economy, may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The global financial markets have experienced significant disruptions recently, and most of the world’s major economies entered into recession. The Chinese economy has also slowed down significantly since the second half of 2008 and this trend may continue in 2010 and beyond. Since we currently derive substantially all of our revenues from customers in China, any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition in a number of ways. For example, our customers may decrease or delay spending with us, while we may have difficulty expanding our customer base fast enough, or at all, to offset the impact of decreased spending by our existing customers. In addition, to the extent we offer credit to any customer and such customer experiences financial difficulties due to the economic slowdown, we could have difficulty collecting payment from such customer.

The reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications could cause demand for our products and our revenues to decline.

When upfront system costs are factored into cost per kilowatt hour, the current cost of solar power substantially exceeds the cost of traditional forms of energy in many locations. As a result, national and local governmental authorities in many countries, including China, have provided subsidies and economic incentives in the form of feed-in tariffs, rebates, tax credits and other incentives to distributors, system integrators and manufacturers of photovoltaic products to promote the use of solar energy and to reduce dependency on other forms of energy. We believe that the near-term growth of the market for solar energy applications depends in large part on the availability and size of government subsidies and

 

16


Table of Contents

economic incentives. The reduction or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives may hinder the growth of this market or result in increased price competition for solar energy products, which could cause our revenues to decline. These government subsidies and economic incentives could be reduced or eliminated altogether. For example, in September 2008, Spain set a cap of 500 megawatts for feed-in tariffs for solar power in 2009, which is expected to significantly reduce installations of new solar energy projects in the country. In addition, government financial support of photovoltaic products has been, and may continue to be, challenged as being unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful in certain other countries. Reductions in, or elimination of, government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications before the solar power industry reaches the economies of scale necessary for solar power to become cost-effective in a non-subsidized market place could result in decreased demand for solar generation products and, as a result, for polysilicon, which could cause our revenues to decline.

Existing regulations and changes to these regulations may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of photovoltaic products, which may significantly reduce demand for our products.

Photovoltaic products are subject to national and local regulations relating to building codes, safety, environmental protection, utility interconnection and metering and other aspects of the electric utility industry. In a number of countries, including China, these regulations are being modified and may continue to be modified. The purchases of, or further investment in the research and development of, alternative energy sources, including photovoltaic technology, could be deterred by unfavorable regulations, which could result in a significant reduction in the potential demand for our products. For example, without a regulatory mandated exception for solar power systems, electric utility companies are often charged interconnection or standby fees for putting distributed power generation on the electric utility grid. These fees could increase the cost to end users of using the photovoltaic products and make them less desirable, thereby harming our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

We operate in an increasingly competitive market and we may not be able to compete successfully with competitors who have greater resources than us.

The polysilicon market is expected to become increasingly competitive. Our competitors include international polysilicon manufacturers, such as Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, or Hemlock, MEMC, REC and Wacker, and Chinese domestic polysilicon manufacturers, such as Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon Technology Development Co., Ltd., China Silicon Corporation Ltd. and Sichuan Xinguang Silicon Science and Technology Co., Ltd. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, manufacturing and other resources than we do. Our competitors’ greater size and longer operating history provide them with a competitive advantage with respect to manufacturing costs because of their economies of scale and their ability to purchase raw materials at lower prices. In addition, our competitors may have stronger relationships or may enter into exclusive relationships with some of our key customers. As a result, they may be able to respond more quickly to changing customer demands or to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sales of polysilicon than we can. In addition, many solar cell and module manufacturers have established or have announced the intention of establishing polysilicon production or affiliate relationships with manufacturers of polysilicon, including some of our existing and potential customers. We compete with these in-house capabilities, which could limit our ability to expand our sales or even reduce our sales to our existing customers. Failure to adapt to changing market conditions and to compete successfully with existing or new competitors may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on a limited number of customers and sales contracts for a significant portion of our revenues and the loss of any customer or cancellation of any contract may cause significant fluctuations or declines in our revenues.

We sell a substantial portion of our polysilicon to a limited number of customers. In 2008 and in the nine months ended September 30, 2009, our top three customers in aggregate accounted for approximately

 

17


Table of Contents

89% and 61% of our total revenues during the respective periods. We anticipate that our dependence on a limited number of customers will continue for the foreseeable future. Consequently, any one of the following events may cause material fluctuations or declines in our revenues:

 

   

reduction, delay or cancellation of orders from one or more of our significant customers, thus having a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition;

 

   

failure to reach an agreement with our customers on the pricing terms or sales volumes under our framework agreements during periodic renegotiations;

 

   

loss of one or more of our significant customers and failure to identify additional or replacement customers; and

 

   

failure of any of our significant customers to make timely payment for our products.

If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, our business and financial results may be adversely affected.

We have experienced a period of rapid growth and expansion that has placed, and continues to place, significant strain on our management and resources. To accommodate our growth, we anticipate that we will need to implement a variety of new and upgraded operational and financial systems, procedures and controls, including the improvement of our accounting and other internal management systems, all of which require substantial management efforts. We also will need to continue to expand, train, manage and motivate our workforce and manage our customer relationships. All of these endeavors will require substantial management efforts and skills and require significant additional expenditures. We cannot assure you that we will be able to manage our growth effectively, and any failure to do so may have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Moreover, even if we do expand our manufacturing capacity as planned, we may be unable to generate sufficient customer demand for our polysilicon to support our increased production levels, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We expect to experience increased costs as a result our planned construction of our Phase 2 facility by adding 6,000 MT production capacity in 2010 and 2011. See “Business—Manufacturing Capacity.” Before our production facilities become fully operational, we will need to make substantial payments for the installation of machinery and equipment, the training of personnel and other related expenses. A significant portion of these payments will be made prior to any revenues being realized from the expansion project. If we cannot increase production yields in our Phase 2 facility in accordance with our plan, we may not be able to achieve lower costs per unit of production, which would decrease our margins and lower our profitability.

If we are unable to manage our expansion effectively, our business and financial results may be adversely affected.

We plan to expand into the photovoltaic module manufacturing business by establishing tolling arrangements with ingot, wafer and cell manufacturers and purchasing equipment to conduct photovoltaic module production on leased premises in Nanjing, China. If we are presented with appropriate opportunities, we may take other steps to acquire or invest in technologies, businesses or assets that are strategically important to our business or form alliances with key players in the photovoltaic industry to further expand our business. Such acquisitions and investments could expose us to potential risks, including risks associated with the assimilation of new operations, technologies and personnel, unforeseen or hidden liabilities, the inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset the costs and expenses of acquisitions, and potential loss of, or harm to, our relationships with employees, customers and suppliers as a result of integration of new businesses. Investments in new businesses may also divert our cash flow from servicing our debts and making necessary capital expenditures. In

 

18


Table of Contents

addition, we may incur impairment losses on our acquisitions and investments in equity securities. The diversion of our management’s attention and any difficulties encountered with respect to the acquisitions, investments or alliances or in the process of integration could have an adverse effect on our ability to manage our business. Any failure to integrate any acquired businesses or joint ventures into our operations successfully and any material liabilities or potential liabilities of any acquired businesses or joint ventures that are not identified by us during our due diligence process for such acquisitions or investments could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Polysilicon production is energy-intensive and if our energy costs rise or if our electricity and other utility supplies are disrupted, our results of operations will be materially and adversely affected.

The polysilicon production process, particularly the modified Siemens process that we use, is highly dependent on a constant supply of electricity and other utilities, such as steam, natural gas and water, to maintain the optimal conditions for polysilicon production. If electricity or other utility supplies are not maintained at the desired level, we may experience significant delays in the production of polysilicon. In the past, there were shortages in electricity supply in various regions across China, especially during peak seasons, such as in the summer. In addition, the recent uncommon cold weather in China has resulted in a surging natural gas demand, which in turn has caused severe gas shortage in many regions, including Chongqing, where substantially all our manufacturing facilities are located. The local governmental authorities in the worst-hit areas have taken measures to reduce or restrict the amount of natural gas supplied to non-residential users. We primarily use natural gas for our in-house steam production and steam is critical for our manufacturing process. Although the recent natural gas shortage has not directly affected our operations, if the shortage becomes more severe in the future, our natural gas supply may be reduced or suspended, which would significantly disrupt our manufacturing process. We are working with the local public utility company and the local government to secure our nature gas supply. In addition, we used and continue to use a local steam supplier that does not utilize natural gas to produce steam for part of our steam supply. In the event that electricity or other utility supplies to our manufacturing facilities are disrupted, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition to shortages, we are subject to potential risks of interruptions in energy supply due to equipment failure, weather conditions or other causes.

Even if we have access to sufficient sources of electricity and other utilities, any significant increase in the costs of utilities could adversely affect our profitability, as we consume substantial amounts of electricity and other utilities in our manufacturing process. If electricity and other utility costs were to rise, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We need a significant amount of cash to fund our future capital expenditure requirements and working capital needs; if we cannot obtain additional sources of liquidity when needed, our growth prospects and future profitability may be materially and adversely affected.

We need a significant amount of cash to fund our operations. In particular, we will need substantial additional funding to finance our expansion of polysilicon production capacity and our working capital requirements. We will also need cash resources to fund our research and development activities in order to remain competitive on cost and technology. In the past, we relied in part on long-term bank borrowings and advance payments from customers to finance our working capital requirements. However, we expect that we may not be able to obtain a substantial amount of, or any, advance payments from customers in the future as the polysilicon market becomes increasingly competitive. We will need additional debt or equity financing to finance our planned polysilicon production capacity expansion and working capital requirements. In addition, future acquisitions, expansions, market changes or other developments may cause us to require additional financing. Our ability to obtain external financing in the future is subject to a number of uncertainties, including:

 

   

our future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;

 

   

general market conditions for financing activities by companies in our industry;

 

19


Table of Contents
   

economic, political and other conditions in China and elsewhere; and

 

   

development and duration of the current global economic slowdown and financial market crisis.

If we are unable to obtain funding in a timely manner or on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, our growth prospects and future profitability may be materially and adversely affected.

Our current indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently have a significant amount of debt. As of September 30, 2009, we had outstanding bank borrowings of $166.6 million with a weighted average floating interest rate of 6.87%. We borrowed substantially all of these bank loans from China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch with guarantees from Daqo Group, an affiliated company of ours. In December 2009, Chongqing Daqo obtained a total of the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of approximately $19.4 million in bank borrowings from Huaxia Bank and China CITIC Bank and Daqo Group also provided guarantee for these two loans. We cannot assure you that we will be able to renew these borrowings when they become due or to obtain other loans or credits from other banks or other lenders on the terms satisfactory to us or at all to satisfy the substantial capital expenditure requirements associated with our planned capacity expansion, whether on our own or with the continuing support from Daqo Group. In addition, this level of indebtedness could have an adverse effect on our future operations, including, among other things: (1) reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund our working capital, capital expenditures or other general corporate purposes as a result of interest or principal payments; (2) subjecting us to the risk of interest rate increases on our indebtedness which bears floating interest rates; and (3) placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt or are otherwise less leveraged. Any of these factors could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We will face risks associated with the marketing, distribution and sale of our polysilicon internationally, and if we are unable to effectively manage these risks, they could impair our ability to expand our business and operate profitably.

With our increased production, we intend to sell a portion of our polysilicon outside of China. The marketing, distribution and sale of our polysilicon in the international market would expose us to a number of risks, including:

 

   

fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

 

   

increased costs associated with maintaining marketing efforts in various countries;

 

   

difficulty and costs relating to compliance with the different commercial and legal requirements of the overseas markets in which we offer our products; and

 

   

trade barriers such as export requirements, tariffs, taxes and other restrictions and expenses, which could increase the prices of our products and make us less competitive in some countries.

If we are unable to effectively manage these risks, we may not be able to successfully expand our business abroad, operate profitably, fully utilize our existing and expanded capacity and grow our business as we have planned.

The production of polysilicon presents operational difficulties and dangers; if we are unable to operate effectively or natural disasters or operational disruptions occur, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Production of polysilicon requires the use of volatile materials and chemical reactions sensitive to temperature and pressure and requires the use of external controls to maintain safety. For example, in

 

20


Table of Contents

the production of polysilicon, we use trichlorosilane, or TCS, which is a highly combustible substance if brought into contact with moisture in the air and is therefore potentially destructive and extremely dangerous if mishandled or used in uncontrolled circumstances. The occurrence of a catastrophic event involving TCS as a result of a natural disaster or human error at one of our polysilicon production facilities could threaten, disrupt or destroy a significant portion or all of our polysilicon production capacity at such facility for a significant period of time. Additionally, the smooth operation of our polysilicon production facilities depends significantly on our ability to maintain temperatures and pressure at appropriate levels, the supply of steam at a consistent pressure level, the availability of adequate electricity and our ability to control the application of such electricity. Accordingly, mistakes in operating our equipment or an interruption in the supply of electricity or steam at our production facilities could result in the production of substandard polysilicon or substantial shortfalls in production and could reduce our production capacity for a significant period of time. In addition, we voluntarily shut down our manufacturing facilities from time to time on an as-needed basis for maintenance and quality check purposes. For example, we shut down our Phase 1b facilities in November 2009 for quality check purposes. The occurrence of any such events or disruptions could result in loss of revenues and could also damage our reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

We may not be successful in our efforts to continue to manufacture polysilicon in a cost-effective manner.

The technology used to manufacture polysilicon is complex, requires costly equipment and is continuously being modified in an effort to improve yields and product performance. We may face significant challenges relating to polysilicon production in the future. Microscopic impurities such as dust and other contaminants, difficulties in the manufacturing process, disruptions in the supply of utilities or defects in the key materials or tools used to manufacture polysilicon could interrupt manufacturing, reduce yields or cause a portion of the polysilicon to be rejected by our customers, which would materially and adversely affect our profitability.

Our effective capacity and ability to produce high volumes of polysilicon depend on the cycle time for each batch of polysilicon. We may encounter problems in our manufacturing process or facilities as a result of, among other things, production failures, construction delays, human error, equipment malfunction or process contamination, all of which could seriously harm our operations. We may experience production delays if any modifications we make in the manufacturing process to shorten production cycles are unsuccessful. Moreover, failure to achieve acceptable manufacturing levels may make our polysilicon costs uncompetitive, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We obtain certain production equipment from a limited number of suppliers, and if such equipment is not delivered on time, is damaged in shipment or is otherwise unavailable, our ability to deliver polysilicon on time will suffer, which in turn could result in cancellation of orders and loss of revenues.

Our operations and expansion plans depend on our ability to obtain a sufficient amount of equipment that meets our specifications on a timely basis. Some of our equipment used in polysilicon production is not readily available from alternative vendors and would be difficult to repair or replace if it were to become damaged or cease working. If any of these suppliers were to experience financial difficulties or go out of business, or if there were any damage to or a breakdown of our production equipment, our business would suffer. In addition, a supplier’s failure to supply our ordered equipment in a timely manner, with adequate quality and on terms acceptable to us, could delay the capacity expansion of our manufacturing facilities and otherwise disrupt our production schedule or increase our costs of production. We have experienced significant delays in the delivery of our key equipment in the past. Failure to obtain equipment meeting our specifications could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, demand for polysilicon production

 

21


Table of Contents

equipment may result in significant increases in prices of such equipment or shortages in related components for our intended expansion. Any unexpected price increases could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We have sourced and will continue to source some of our production equipment from Chinese manufacturers, and we cannot assure you that the domestically sourced equipment will perform at the same level as our imported equipment or will meet our quality requirements.

We have purchased key equipment from domestic and international suppliers. Compared to major international suppliers, our domestic suppliers generally have shorter operating histories and less experience in providing equipment for the polysilicon industry. We cannot assure you that the locally made equipment will perform at similar levels of quality and reliability as our imported equipment. In the event the domestic equipment does not perform as well as the imported equipment or does not perform at all, we may encounter disruption in our manufacture or deterioration of product quality, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Product defects could result in increased costs, decreased sales, and damage to our customer relationships and our reputation.

Our polysilicon may contain defects that are not detected until after it is shipped or processed by our customers. In the event our products are returned to us due to product defects, we would be required to replace the defective products promptly. If we deliver products with defects, or if there is a perception that our products are of substandard quality, we may incur substantially increased costs associated with termination of contracts and replacement of shipped products, and our credibility, market reputation and relationship with customers will be harmed and sales of our products may be materially and adversely affected.

Most of our production, storage, administrative, and research and development facilities are located in close proximity to one another in Chongqing, China. Any damage or disruption at these facilities would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Substantially all of our production, storage, administrative, and research and development facilities are currently located in close proximity to one another in Chongqing, China. A natural disaster, such as fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, snow storms, or other unanticipated catastrophic events, including power interruption, telecommunications failures, equipment failures, explosions, break-ins, terrorist acts or war, could significantly disrupt our ability to manufacture our products and operate our business. If any of our production facilities or material equipment were to experience any significant damage or downtime, we would not be able to meet our production targets and our business would suffer. Any damage or disruption at these facilities would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

On May 12, 2008, an earthquake of a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale hit the Sichuan Province, which is located adjacent to Chongqing. Businesses and production operations in the affected areas of Sichuan Province were shut down temporarily due to safety concerns. Although there were no material impacts on our operations as a result of such earthquake, there can be no assurance that we may not be directly or indirectly affected by similar natural disasters in the future.

We rely on third party intellectual property for certain key aspects of our operations, which subjects us to the payment of license fees and potential disruption or delays in the production of our products.

While we continue to develop and pursue patent protection for our own technologies, we expect to continue to rely on third party license arrangements for certain key aspects of our operations. For instance, Poly Engineering S.r.l., or Poly Engineering, granted a license to our company for the exclusive

 

22


Table of Contents

rights in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau to utilize its modified Siemens process to produce polysilicon in our facilities. See “Business—Intellectual Property” for details of the contractual arrangements. The fees associated with such licenses could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. If for any reason we are unable to license necessary technology on acceptable terms or at all, it may become necessary for us to develop alternative technology internally, which could be costly and delay or disrupt our production and therefore have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

Failure to protect our intellectual property rights may undermine our competitive position, and litigation to protect our intellectual property rights may be costly.

We rely primarily on trade secrets and other contractual restrictions to protect our intellectual property. Contractual arrangements, such as the confidentiality and non-competition agreements and terms between us and our research and development personnel, afford only limited protection and the actions we may take to protect our trade secrets and other intellectual property may not be adequate. In addition, we currently have five pending patent applications in China covering various aspects of the polysilicon manufacturing process. However, we cannot assure you that our patent applications will be eventually issued with sufficiently broad coverage to protect our technology and products. Failure to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights may undermine our competitive position. Third parties may infringe or misappropriate our proprietary technologies or other intellectual property and proprietary rights and use them to compete against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

Policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology can be difficult and expensive. In particular, the laws and enforcement procedures of China and certain other countries are uncertain or do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws and enforcement procedures of the United States do. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protection available to you and us.” We may need to resort to court proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights in the future. Litigation relating to our intellectual property might result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention away from our business. An adverse determination in any such litigation will impair our intellectual property and proprietary rights and may harm our business, prospects and reputation.

We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if determined adversely to us, could cause us to pay significant damage awards.

Although we are currently strengthening our research and development capability, to date, substantially all of the intellectual property used in our polysilicon production process was developed by third parties. Our success will be jeopardized if we cannot use and develop our technology and know-how without infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties. The validity and scope of claims relating to photovoltaic technology patents involve complex scientific, legal and factual questions and analysis and, therefore, may be highly uncertain. We may be subject to litigation involving claims of patent infringement or violation of other intellectual property rights of third parties. The defense and prosecution of intellectual property suits, patent opposition proceedings, and related legal and administrative proceedings can be both costly and time-consuming and may significantly divert the efforts and resources of our technical and management personnel. An adverse determination in any such litigation or proceedings to which we may become a party could subject us to significant liability to third parties, require us to seek licenses from third parties, to pay ongoing royalties, or to redesign our manufacturing process or our products or subject us to injunctions prohibiting the manufacture and sale of our products or the use of our technologies. Protracted litigation could also result in our customers or potential customers deferring or limiting their purchase or use of our products until resolution of such litigation.

 

23


Table of Contents

We may not be able to continue to receive the same level of support from Daqo Group, which may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Since our inception, we have substantially benefited from financial support from Daqo Group, one of the largest electrical equipment manufacturers in China. As of September 30, 2009, we had outstanding payable to Daqo Group in the amount of $0.2 million and Daqo Group guaranteed all of our outstanding bank borrowings. In addition, Daqo Group has granted us a permanent and royalty-free license to use the “Daqo” brand, which is a well recognized brand in the electrical industry in China. We have benefited from the strong brand recognition of “Daqo” in our business development efforts, as evidenced by our ability to secure major customers based in China within a short period after we commenced commercial production of polysilicon. Daqo Group has agreed in writing not to engage in the business of manufacturing, marketing or distributing polysilicon or any other solar power products anywhere in the world or compete in any manner with our businesses for an indefinite term. However, we cannot assure you that we will continue to receive the same level of support, or any support at all, from Daqo Group in the future. If Daqo Group ceases to support us, our business, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any negative publicity associated with Daqo Group will likely have an adverse impact on our reputation, which could materially and adversely affect our business. In the event of any disagreements with Daqo Group, we may have to resort to legal proceedings in China to enforce our rights, which could be costly, time consuming and involve uncertain outcome.

Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our executive officers and key employees, and our business may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.

Our future success depends substantially on the continued services of our executive officers and key employees, especially Mr. Guangfu Xu, our chairman, and Mr. Gongda Yao, our chief executive officer. If one or more of our executive officers or key employees were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we might not be able to replace them easily, in a timely manner, or at all. Our business may be severely disrupted, our financial conditions and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain personnel. If any of our executive officers or key employees join a competitor or form a competing company, we may lose customers, suppliers, know-how and key professionals and staff members. Each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement with us, which contains non-competition provisions. However, if any dispute arises between our executive officers and us, these agreements may not be enforceable in China, where these executive officers reside, in light of uncertainties with China’s legal system. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protection available to you and us.”

Our existing shareholders have substantial influence over our company and their interests may not be aligned with the interests of our other shareholders.

Currently, four of our directors, Messrs. Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge and Dafeng Shi, beneficially own an aggregate of 57.56% of our outstanding share capital on an as-converted, fully diluted basis. Upon the completion of this offering, these four shareholders will beneficially own an aggregate of 44.24% of our outstanding share capital assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters. These four shareholders are also directors of Daqo Group or Daqo Group’s material subsidiaries. As a result of their high level of shareholding, these shareholders have substantial influence over our business, including decisions regarding mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. These shareholders may take actions that are not in the best interest of us or our other shareholders. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and might reduce the price of our ADSs. These actions may be taken even if they are

 

24


Table of Contents

opposed by our other shareholders, including those who purchase ADSs in this offering. Our existing shareholders’ interests as beneficial owners of Daqo Group and Daqo New Material may not always be aligned with their interests as our shareholders. Should any conflict of interest arise, our existing shareholders may take actions not in the best interest of us and the investors who purchase ADSs in this offering.

If we are unable to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Our future success depends, to a significant extent, on our ability to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, particularly technical personnel with expertise in the solar power industry. Since our industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain qualified technical staff or other highly skilled employees that we will need to achieve our strategic objectives. As we are still a relatively young company and our business has grown rapidly, our ability to train and integrate new employees into our operations may not meet the growing demands of our business. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified personnel, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Compliance with environmental regulations can be expensive, and non-compliance with these regulations may result in adverse publicity and potentially significant monetary damages and fines.

As our manufacturing processes generate waste water and gas and other industrial wastes, we are required to comply with all applicable regulations regarding protection of the environment. We are in compliance with present environmental protection requirements and have all the necessary environmental permits to conduct our business in all material respects. However, if more stringent regulations are adopted in the future, the cost of compliance with these new regulations could be substantial. If we fail to comply with present or future environmental regulations, we may be required to pay substantial fines, suspend production or cease operations, which in turn would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The discontinuation of any of the preferential tax treatments or the financial incentives currently available to us in China could adversely affect our overall results of operations.

The Chinese government has provided various tax incentives to our subsidiaries in China. These incentives include income tax exemption or reduced enterprise income tax rates. For example, under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, the statutory enterprise income tax rate is 25%. However, our Chinese subsidiary Chongqing Daqo, as a foreign-invested enterprise established in the central and western regions of in China, is entitled to a preferential income tax rate of 15% through 2010. In December 2009, Chongqing Daqo was qualified as a “Chongqing Municipality High and New Technology Enterprise,” subject to the government’s grant of a formal certificate. This will entitle it to a preferential income tax rate of 15% for three years from the grant date of the certificate and can be renewed for additional three-year terms upon Chongqing Daqo’s application and the government’s approval. In addition, Chongqing Daqo received government grants in the amount of $1.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009. Any increase in the enterprise income tax rate applicable to our Chinese subsidiaries or discontinuation or reduction of any of the preferential tax treatments or financial incentives currently enjoyed by our subsidiaries in China could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

The dividends we receive from our Chinese subsidiaries and our global income may be subject to Chinese tax under the EIT Law, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations; our foreign ADS holders will be subject to a Chinese withholding tax upon the dividends payable by us, if we are classified as a Chinese “resident enterprise.”

Under the Chinese enterprise income tax laws and regulations, dividends, interests, rent, royalties and gains on transfers of property payable by a foreign-invested enterprise in China to its foreign investor

 

25


Table of Contents

who is a non-resident enterprise will be subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless such non-resident enterprise’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax. The Cayman Islands, where Daqo Cayman is incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China.

Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside China with its “de facto management body” within China is considered a “resident enterprise” in China and will be subject to the Chinese enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. In April 2009, the Chinese State Administration of Taxation issued a new circular to clarify criteria for determining the “resident enterprise” status of foreign companies which are controlled by enterprises incorporated in China. Pursuant to the circular, to determine whether a company formed outside of mainland China and controlled by an enterprise incorporated in China should be treated as a Chinese resident enterprise, the tax authority will review factors such as the routine operation of the organizational body that effectively manages the enterprise’s production and business operations, locations of personnel holding decision-making power, location of finance and accounting functions and properties of the enterprise, and more than half of the directors or senior management personnel residing in China. Substantially all of our management members are based in China. However, it remains unclear how PRC tax authority will treat an overseas company controlled by PRC natural persons rather than PRC enterprises like our case. If the Chinese tax authorities subsequently determine that Daqo Cayman should be classified as a resident enterprise, then our worldwide income will be subject to Chinese income tax, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Notwithstanding the foregoing provision, the EIT Law also provides that, if a resident enterprise directly invests in another resident enterprise, the dividends received by the investing resident enterprise from the invested enterprise are exempted from income tax, subject to certain conditions. Therefore, if Daqo Cayman is classified as resident enterprise under the EIT Law, the dividends received from our Chinese subsidiaries may be exempted from withholding tax.

Moreover, under the EIT Law, foreign ADS holders will be subject to a 10% withholding tax upon dividends payable by us if Daqo Cayman is classified as resident enterprise under the EIT Law. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in our ADSs.

We rely on a lease agreement with Daqo New Material for material property, plant and equipment necessary for our production, and if Daqo New Material fails to perform, or terminates the lease agreement for any reason, our business could be disrupted.

Chongqing Daqo leases certain property, plant and equipment from Daqo New Material for its polysilicon production under a lease agreement effective from July 1, 2008, which was subsequently amended. When the initial term expires, Chongqing Daqo has an option to renew the lease agreement on the same conditions for additional terms. If Daqo New Material fails to perform or terminates the lease agreement for any reason, including, for example, due to its breach of the agreement or the unavailability of any required governmental approvals, or if it refuses to extend or renew the lease agreement when the agreement expires, and we cannot find an immediately available alternative source for leasing similar property, plant and equipment, then our ability to carry on our operations will be impaired. If Daqo New Material fails to perform its obligations, we may need to initiate legal procedures in courts to enforce the agreement. Such procedures can be lengthy and the result may not be favorable to us.

We have limited insurance coverage. In particular, we do not have any product liability insurance or business interruption insurance.

As the insurance industry in China is still in an early stage of development, the product liability insurance and business interruption insurance available in China offer limited coverage compared to that offered in many other countries. We do not have any product liability insurance or business interruption insurance. Any business disruption or natural disaster could result in substantial costs and a diversion of resources, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

26


Table of Contents

As with other photovoltaic product manufacturers, we are exposed to risks associated with product liability claims if the use of our photovoltaic products results in injury. Since our polysilicon products are made into electricity generating devices, it is possible that users could be injured or killed by devices that use our products as a result of product malfunctions, defects, improper installation or other causes. We only began commercial shipment of our photovoltaic products in July 2008 and, because of our limited operating history, we cannot predict whether product liability claims will be brought against us in the future or the effect of any resulting negative publicity on our business. The successful assertion of product liability claims against us could result in potentially significant monetary damages and require us to make significant payments.

In the course of auditing our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2008, we and our independent auditors noted one material weakness and one significant deficiency in our internal control over financial reporting. We may incur extra costs in implementing measures to address such weakness and deficiency. If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations or prevent fraud, and investor confidence and the market price of our ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

Prior to this offering, we were a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. However, in connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2008, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified one “material weakness” and one “significant deficiency” in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States. The material weakness identified related to our lack of sufficient accounting resources and expertise necessary to comply with U.S. GAAP and the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, reporting and compliance requirements. The significant deficiency identified related to our lack of sufficient and formally documented procedures for the financial closing and reporting process. To address the weakness and the deficiency that have been identified, we have hired Mr. Jimmy Lai, who has over twenty years of experience with, and extensive knowledge of, U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements to serve as our chief financial officer. We are also in the process of implementing a number of other measures, including: (1) hiring an outside consulting firm to review our internal control processes, policies and procedures in order to assist us in identifying any weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, (2) providing further training to our financial and accounting staff to enhance their knowledge of U.S. GAAP, and (3) adopting and implementing additional policies and procedures, including an enterprise resource planning system, to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting. We are working to implement these measures during 2010, although we cannot assure you that we will complete such implementation in a timely manner.

Upon the completion of this offering, we will become a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, will require that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm must report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, after we become a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future.

 

27


Table of Contents

During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify other deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could harm our operating results and lead to a decline in the trading price of our ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions.

We have granted, and may continue to grant, stock options and other share-based compensation in the future, which may materially impact our future results of operations.

We adopted our 2009 share incentive plan in August 2009 that permits the grant of stock options, restricted shares and restricted share units to employees, directors and consultants of our company. Under the 2009 share incentive plan, we may issue options to purchase up to 15,000,000 ordinary shares. As of the date of this prospectus, options to purchase 5,350,000 ordinary shares have been granted under this plan. As a result of these option grants and potential future grants under the plan, we expect to incur significant share-based compensation expenses in future periods. The amount of these expenses will be based on the fair value of the share-based awards. We have adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123(R) (revised 2004) for the accounting treatment of our share incentive plan. As a result, we will have to account for compensation costs for all stock options using a fair-value based method and recognize expenses in our consolidated statement of income in accordance with the relevant rules under U.S. GAAP, which may have a material adverse effect on our net income. Moreover, the additional expenses associated with share-based compensation may reduce the attractiveness of such incentive plan to us. However, if we limit the scope of our share incentive plan, we may not be able to attract or retain key personnel who are expected to be compensated by incentive shares or options.

Implementation of the new labor laws in China may adversely affect our business operations.

On June 29, 2007, the Chinese government promulgated a new labor contract law which became effective on January 1, 2008. Subsequent to this, the Chinese government promulgated the implementation rules of the new labor contract law. Pursuant to the new labor contract law, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees’ probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. These newly enacted labor laws and regulations impose greater liabilities on employers and may significantly increase the costs to an employer if it decides to reduce its workforce. In the event we decide to significantly change or cut down our workforce, the new labor contract law could adversely affect our ability to make such changes in a manner that is most favorable to our business or in a timely and cost effective manner, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Doing Business in China

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

Substantially all of our assets are located in and all of our revenues are currently sourced from China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.

 

28


Table of Contents

The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures since the late 1970s emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the Chinese government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over the Chinese economic growth through the allocation of resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

While the Chinese economy has experienced a significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may also have a negative effect on us. For example, our operating results and financial condition may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations that are applicable to us, and by government policies or guidance aimed at curtailing the perceived over-capacity of certain industry sectors, such as steel, concrete, polysilicon and wind power equipment. See “Regulation—Renewable Energy Law and Other Government Directives.” The Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, which could in turn reduce the demand for our services and materially and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protection available to you and us.

The Chinese legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal decisions have limited value as precedents. In the late 1970s, the Chinese government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly increased the protections afforded to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China. Our Chinese operating subsidiaries, Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo, are foreign-invested enterprises and are subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign-invested enterprises as well as various Chinese laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. Our business is also subject to various industry policy, safety and environmental laws and regulations that affect our operations and production facility expansion plans, including those related to investment, project construction, building, zoning, fire prevention and work safety. These laws and regulations are still evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve uncertainties. In addition, due to the inconsistent nature of regulatory enforcements in China, local Chinese governmental authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing rules and regulations, and there is no assurance that the central government authorities will always agree with the interpretations and implementations of the local governmental authorities. Currently, all governmental approvals relating to our operations and production capacity expansion plans have been issued by the relevant competent local government authorities. However, if a central government agency requires us to obtain its approval and if we fail to obtain such approval in a timely manner, or at all, we may be subject to the imposition of fines against us, or the suspension or cessation of our production capacity expansion plans. In addition, under the measures jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, and nine other governmental agencies in September 2009, we will need to seek pre-approval from NDRC if we plan to further expand our production capacity beyond Phase 2. As the detailed guidelines for approval criteria or timeline under these measures have yet to be promulgated, we cannot assure you that we will obtain the required NDRC approval in time or at all if we plan to further expand our production capacity beyond Phase 2.

 

29


Table of Contents

See “Regulation—Renewable Energy Law and Other Government Directives.” It may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of any regulatory or legal proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to continue our operations or planned capacity expansions, which, as a result, could materially and adversely affect our business and operations.

The approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, may be required in connection with this offering; any requirement to obtain prior CSRC approval could delay this offering and failure to obtain this approval, if required, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and reputation as well as the trading price of our ADSs, and could also create uncertainties for this offering.

On August 8, 2006, six Chinese regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce, or MOFCOM, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the State Administration for Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or the SAIC, the CSRC and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006. The M&A Rules, among other things, include provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle formed for the purpose of an overseas listing of interest in a Chinese company obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its official website procedures regarding its approval of overseas listings by special purpose vehicles. The CSRC approval procedures require the filing of an application and supporting documents with the CSRC.

The application of the M&A Rules with respect to this offering remains unclear. Our Chinese counsel, Jun He Law Offices, has advised us that, as Daqo Cayman set up Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo as newly established wholly foreign owned subsidiaries in China, Daqo Cayman is not a special purpose vehicle formed for the purpose of acquiring a Chinese domestic company, and therefore we are not required to apply to the CSRC for approval for this offering. However, the CSRC may disagree with this conclusion and if prior CSRC approval is required but not obtained, we may face regulatory actions or other sanctions from the CSRC or other Chinese regulatory agencies. In such event, these regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into China, or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ADSs. The CSRC or other Chinese regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us to postpone or cancel this offering before settlement and delivery of the ADSs offered by this prospectus.

Chinese regulations relating to offshore investment activities by Chinese residents may increase the administrative burden we face and may subject our Chinese resident beneficial owners or employees to personal liabilities, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to increase its registered capital or distribute profits to us, limit our ability to inject capital into our Chinese subsidiaries, or may otherwise expose us to liability under Chinese law.

SAFE has promulgated regulations that require Chinese residents and Chinese corporate entities to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. These regulations may apply to our shareholders who are Chinese residents and may apply to any offshore acquisitions that we make in the future.

In October 2005, SAFE issued a regulation entitled “Circular on Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Regulation of Corporate Financing and Roundtrip Investments by Chinese Residents through Offshore Special Purpose Companies,” or SAFE Circular No. 75. SAFE Circular No. 75 requires Chinese residents

 

30


Table of Contents

to register with the local SAFE branch before establishing or controlling any company outside of China for the purpose of capital financing with assets or equities of Chinese companies, referred to in the notice as an “offshore special purpose company.” In addition, any Chinese resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an offshore company is required to update his registration with the relevant SAFE branches, with respect to that offshore company, any material change involving increase or decrease of capital, transfer or swap of shares, merger, division, equity or debt investment or creation of any security interest. Moreover, the Chinese subsidiaries of that offshore company are required to coordinate and supervise the filing of SAFE registrations by the offshore company’s shareholders who are Chinese residents in a timely manner. If a Chinese shareholder with a direct or indirect stake in an offshore parent company fails to make the required SAFE registration, the Chinese subsidiaries of such offshore parent company may be prohibited from making distributions of profit to the offshore parent and from paying the offshore parent proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation in respect of the Chinese subsidiaries, and the offshore parent company may also be prohibited from injecting additional capital into its Chinese subsidiaries. Furthermore, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above may result in liability for the Chinese shareholders and the Chinese subsidiaries under Chinese law for foreign exchange registration evasion.

We have, up to the present, completed the SAFE Circular No. 75 registration for all current beneficial shareholders of our company who are Chinese residents. However, we may not be fully informed of the identities of the beneficial owners of our company in the future and we cannot assure you that all of our Chinese resident beneficial owners will comply with the SAFE regulations. The failure of our beneficial owners who are Chinese residents to make any required registrations may subject us to fines and legal sanctions, and prevent us from being able to make distributions or pay dividends, as a result of which our business operations and our ability to distribute profits to you could be materially and adversely affected.

On March 28, 2007, SAFE issued the Operating Procedures on Administration of Foreign Exchange Regarding Chinese Individuals’ Participation in Employee Share Ownership Plans and Employee Stock Option Plans of Overseas Listed Companies, or the Stock Option Rule. Under the Stock Option Rule, Chinese citizens who are granted stock options by an overseas publicly listed company are required, through a Chinese agent or Chinese subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed company, to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. We and our Chinese employees who have been granted stock options will be subject to the Stock Option Rule when our company becomes an overseas publicly listed company. If we or our Chinese employees fail to comply with such regulation, we or our employees may be subject to fines and legal sanctions.

Chinese regulation of direct investment and loans by offshore holding companies to Chinese entities may delay or limit us from using the proceeds of this offering to make additional capital contributions or loans to our Chinese subsidiaries.

Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our Chinese subsidiaries, including from the proceeds of this offering, are subject to Chinese regulations. For example, for each of our Chinese subsidiary, the aggregate amount of our loans to the Chinese subsidiary cannot exceed the difference between the amount of its total investment and its registered capital as approved by the foreign investment regulatory authorities under relevant Chinese laws, and the loans must be registered with the local branch of the SAFE. For each foreign invested enterprise, such as Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo, when the Chinese foreign investment regulatory authorities approve the establishment of such foreign invested enterprise, the authorities approve the amounts of such enterprise’s registered capital, which represent the investors’ capital commitment in equity, and the amounts of its total investment, which represent the sum of its registered capital plus the amounts of its permitted loans. After the establishment of the foreign invested enterprise, the investors can seek regulatory approval to increase its registered capital and the total investment amounts, and upon approval, there will be increases in both amounts. There is a specific statutory guideline relating to the ratio of a foreign invested enterprise’s

 

31


Table of Contents

registered capital amount over total investment amount, and all foreign investment regulatory authorities in China must follow the ratio guideline when exercising their approval authority. However, there is no uniform statutory guideline applicable to all regulatory authorities regarding whether to approve the establishment of a new foreign invested enterprise or to approve any increase in the registered capital and total investment of an existing foreign invested enterprise. In practice, authorities consider factors such as overall governmental policies relating to the specific industry and demands in a particular industry and the approval usually takes one to three months depending on the locations of the foreign invested enterprises. The amounts of the approved total investments of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo are $188.0 million and $48.9 million, respectively. The amount of the registered capital Chongqing Daqo is $63.0 million, $17.5 million of which is to be contributed by Daqo Cayman as the sole investor. The amount of the registered capital of Nanjing Daqo is $20.0 million, $19.1 million of which is to be contributed by Daqo Cayman as the sole investor. As of September 30, 2009, the amount of loans that Chongqing Daqo was permitted to borrow from Daqo Cayman cannot exceed $125.0 million and that for Nanjing Daqo cannot exceed $28.9 million. We may not make loans to Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo in excess of the maximum amounts permissible unless we obtain government approval to increase their total investment amounts. In addition, any increases of our capital contributions to our Chinese subsidiaries beyond the previously authorized amount must be approved by the MOFCOM and the National Development and Reform Commission or their respective local counterparts. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain these approvals on a timely basis, or at all. If we fail to obtain such approvals, our ability to make equity contributions or provide loans to our Chinese subsidiaries or to fund their operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our Chinese subsidiaries’ liquidity and their ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments.

We rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our wholly owned operating subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our operating subsidiaries to pay dividends to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to borrow money or pay dividends.

As a holding company, we rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our Chinese subsidiaries for our cash requirements, including funds necessary to service any debt we may incur. If our Chinese subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Furthermore, relevant Chinese laws and regulations permit payments of dividends by Chinese subsidiaries only out of their retained earnings, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. Under Chinese laws and regulations, each of our Chinese subsidiaries is required to set aside a portion of its net income each year to fund a statutory surplus reserve. This reserve is not distributable as dividends until the accumulated amount of such reserve has exceeded 50% of its registered capital. As a result, our Chinese subsidiaries are restricted in their ability to transfer a portion of their net assets to us in the form of dividends, loans or advances. Limitation on the ability of our Chinese subsidiaries to pay dividends to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to borrow money outside of China or pay dividends to holders of our ADSs. Also see “—Risks Relating to Our Business—The dividends we receive from our Chinese subsidiaries and our global income may be subject to Chinese tax under the EIT Law, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations; our foreign ADS holders will be subject to a Chinese withholding tax upon the dividends payable by us, if we are classified as a Chinese ‘resident enterprise.’”

Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in foreign currency exchange losses.

The change in value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. From 1995 until July 2005, the People’s Bank of China intervened in the foreign exchange market to maintain an exchange rate of approximately RMB8.3 per U.S. dollar. On July 21, 2005, the Chinese government changed this policy and began allowing modest

 

32


Table of Contents

appreciation of the Renminbi versus the U.S. dollar. Under the new policy, the Renminbi was permitted to fluctuate within a narrow and managed band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. This change in policy caused the Renminbi to appreciate approximately 21.5% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Since July 2008, however, the Renminbi has traded within a narrow band against the U.S. dollar, remaining within 1% of its July 2008 high. As a consequence, the Renminbi has fluctuated sharply since July 2008 against other freely traded currencies, in tandem with the U.S. dollar. For example, the Renminbi appreciated approximately 27% against the Euro between July 2008 and November 2008. It is difficult to predict how long the current situation may last and when and how it may change again. There remains significant international pressure on the Chinese government to adopt a substantial liberalization of its currency policy, which could result in a further and more significant appreciation in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar. Significant revaluation of the Renminbi may have a material adverse effect on your investment. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from this initial public offering into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.

Restrictions on currency exchange under Chinese laws may limit our ability to convert cash derived from our operating activities into foreign currencies and may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

Substantially all of our revenues and operating expenses are denominated in Renminbi. Under the relevant foreign exchange restrictions in China, conversion of the Renminbi is permitted, without the need for SAFE approval, for “current account” transactions, which includes dividends, trade, and service-related foreign exchange transactions. Conversion of the Renminbi for “capital account” transactions, which includes foreign direct investment and loans, is still subject to significant limitations and requires approvals from and registration with SAFE and other Chinese regulatory authorities. We cannot assure you that SAFE or other Chinese governmental authorities will not further limit, or eliminate, our ability to purchase foreign currencies in the future. Any existing and future restrictions on currency exchange in China may limit our ability to convert cash derived from our operating activities into foreign currencies to fund expenditures denominated in foreign currencies. If the foreign exchange restrictions in China prevent us from obtaining U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies as required, we may not be able to pay dividends in U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs. Furthermore, foreign exchange control in respect of the capital account transactions could affect our Chinese subsidiaries’ ability to obtain foreign exchange or conversion into RMB through debt or equity financing, including by means of loans or capital contributions from us.

We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of swine flu, avian flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS or other epidemics or outbreaks. China reported a number of cases of SARS in April 2004. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, there have been reports on the occurrences of avian flu in various parts of China, including a few confirmed human cases and deaths. In April 2009, an outbreak of swine flu occurred in Mexico and the United States and human cases of swine flu were discovered in China and Hong Kong. Any prolonged occurrence or recurrence of swine flu, avian flu, SARS or other adverse public health developments in China or any of the major markets in which we do business may have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. These could include our ability to deliver our products within or outside of China, as well as temporary closure of our manufacturing facilities, or our customers’ facilities, leading to delayed or cancelled orders. Any severe travel or shipment restrictions and closures would severely disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

33


Table of Contents

Risks Relating to Our ADSs and This Offering

An active trading market for our ordinary shares or our ADSs may not develop and the trading price for our ADSs may fluctuate significantly.

We have been approved to list our ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange. Prior to the completion of this offering, there has been no public market for our ADSs or our ordinary shares underlying the ADSs, and we cannot assure you that a liquid public market for our ADSs will develop. If an active public market for our ADSs does not develop following the completion of this offering, the market price and liquidity of our ADSs may be materially and adversely affected. The initial public offering price for our ADSs will be determined by negotiation between us and the underwriters based upon several factors, and we can provide no assurance that the trading price of our ADSs after this offering will not decline below the initial public offering price. As a result, investors in our securities may experience a significant decrease in the value of their ADSs.

The trading prices of our ADSs are likely to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

The trading prices of our ADSs are likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. A number of China-based companies, including many solar energy companies, have listed or are in the process of listing their securities on U.S. stock market. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility, including price declines in connection with their initial public offerings. The trading performances of these Chinese companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States in general and consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance.

In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

 

   

variations in our revenues, earnings and cash flow;

 

   

announcements of our new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, or joint ventures;

 

   

announcements of new services and expansions by us or our competitors;

 

   

changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;

 

   

additions or departures of key personnel;

 

   

release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities;

 

   

potential litigation or regulatory investigations; and

 

   

fluctuations in market prices of our products.

Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our ADSs will trade. We cannot assure you that these factors will not occur in the future.

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our ADSs could adversely affect their market price.

Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market after the completion of this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs and

 

34


Table of Contents

could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The ADSs sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. There will be 6,500,000 ADSs (representing 39,000,000 ordinary shares) outstanding immediately after this offering, or 7,475,000 ADSs (representing 44,850,000 ordinary shares) if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full. In connection with this offering, we and all of our officers, directors and shareholders have agreed not to sell any ordinary shares or ADSs for 180 days after the date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of the underwriters. However, the underwriters may release these securities from these restrictions at any time, subject to applicable regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our ADSs. See “Underwriting” and “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a more detailed description of the restrictions on selling our securities after this offering.

Because the initial public offering price is substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per share, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

If you purchase ADSs in this offering, you will pay more for each ADS than the corresponding amount paid by existing shareholders for their ordinary shares. As a result, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution of approximately $7.24 per ADS (assuming that no outstanding options to acquire ordinary shares are exercised). This number represents the difference between our pro forma net tangible book value per ADS of $6.26 as of September 30, 2009, after giving effect to this offering and the assumed initial public offering price of $13.50 per ADS, the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment in our ADSs will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.

Our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

We will adopt a third amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or the Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Article of Association, that will become effective immediately upon completion of this offering. Our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association contain provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended from time to time, the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands (2009 Revision) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take actions against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under

 

35


Table of Contents

Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.

The Cayman Islands courts are also unlikely:

 

   

to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; and

 

   

to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature.

There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits.

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States. For a discussion of significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands (2009 Revision) and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see “Description of Share Capital—Differences in Corporate Law.”

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

We are a Cayman Islands company and all of our assets are located outside of the United States. Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in the China. In addition, a majority of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the United States federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. For more information regarding the relevant laws of the Cayman Islands and China, see “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities.”

We have not determined a specific use for a portion of the net proceeds from this offering, and we may use these proceeds in ways with which you may not agree.

We have not determined a specific use for a portion of the net proceeds of this offering, and our management will have considerable discretion in deciding how to apply these proceeds. You will not have the opportunity to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately before you make your investment decision. You must rely on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds of this offering. We cannot assure you that the net proceeds will be used in a manner that would improve our results of operations or increase our ADS price, nor that these net proceeds will be placed only in investments that generate income or appreciate in value.

The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to vote your ordinary shares.

As a holder of our ADSs, you will only be able to exercise the voting rights with respect to the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you must vote by giving voting instructions to the depositary. Upon receipt of your voting

 

36


Table of Contents

instructions, the depositary will vote the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with these instructions. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying shares unless you withdraw the shares. Under our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the minimum notice period required for convening a general meeting is seven days. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice to withdraw the shares underlying your ADSs to allow you to vote with respect to any specific matter. If we ask for your instructions, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and you may have no legal remedy if the shares underlying your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

The depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our ordinary shares underlying your ADSs if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, except in limited circumstances, which could adversely affect your interests.

Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not vote, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings unless:

 

   

we have failed to timely provide the depositary with notice of meeting and related voting materials;

 

   

we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;

 

   

we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;

 

   

a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or

 

   

the voting at the meeting is to be made by a show of hands.

The effect of this discretionary proxy is that if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, you cannot prevent our ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them, if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares underlying our ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs.

 

37


Table of Contents

You may not be able to participate in rights offerings and may experience dilution of your holdings.

We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs, or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. The depositary may, but is not required to, attempt to sell these undistributed rights to third parities, and may allow the rights to lapse. We may be unable to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company.

Upon completion of this offering, we will become a public company and expect to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the New York Stock Exchange, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we will need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

38


Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. The forward looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Recent Developments,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business.” Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. 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 statements relating to:

 

   

our business and operating strategies;

 

   

our expansion and capital expenditure plans;

 

   

our operations and business prospects;

 

   

our planned use of proceeds;

 

   

our financial condition and results of operations;

 

   

the industry regulatory environment as well as the industry outlook generally; and

 

   

future developments in the polysilicon manufacturing and photovoltaic and semiconductor industries.

This prospectus also contains estimates, projections and statistical data related to the polysilicon markets and solar power industry in several countries, including China. This market data, including data from Solarbuzz, speaks as of the date it was published and includes projections that are based on a number of assumptions and are not representations of fact. If any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market data proves 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 made in this prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this prospectus. Except as required by U.S. federal securities law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

 

39


Table of Contents

USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $78.2 million, or approximately $90.4 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full, after deducting the underwriting discounts and offering expenses payable by us in this offering. These estimates are based upon an assumed initial offering price of $13.50 per ADS, the midpoint of the range shown on the cover page of this prospectus. A $1.00 change in the initial public offering price would, in the case of an increase, increase, and, in the case of a decrease, decrease the net proceeds of this offering by $6.0 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We plan to use these net proceeds for the following purposes:

 

   

approximately $65.0 million to expand our polysilicon manufacturing facilities; and

 

   

the remaining amount for working capital purposes.

The foregoing represents our current intentions to use and allocate the net proceeds of this offering based upon our present plans and business conditions. For additional information about our production capacity expansion plan in 2010 and 2011, see “Business—Manufacturing Capacity.” Our management, however, will have significant flexibility and discretion to apply the net proceeds of this offering. If an unforeseen event occurs or business conditions change, we may use the proceeds of this offering differently than as described in this prospectus.

To the extent that the net proceeds of this offering are not immediately applied for the above purposes, we intend to deposit the proceeds into interest bearing bank accounts withdrawable on demand or to invest in short-term investment grade debt securities.

Since we are an offshore holding company, we will need to make capital contributions and loans to our PRC subsidiaries such that the net proceeds of the offering can be used in the manner described above. Such capital contributions and loans are subject to a number of limitations and approval processes under Chinese laws and regulations. We cannot assure you that we can obtain the approvals from the relevant governmental authorities, or complete the registration and filing procedures required to use our net proceeds as described above, in each case on a timely basis, or at all. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Chinese regulation of direct investment and loans by offshore holding companies to Chinese entities may delay or limit us from using the proceeds of this offering to make additional capital contributions or loans to our Chinese subsidiaries.”

 

40


Table of Contents

DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid any dividends on our ordinary shares. We have no present plan to declare and pay any dividends on our shares or ADSs in the near future. We currently intend to retain our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business.

We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. We rely on dividends from our subsidiaries in China for our cash needs. Current PRC regulations restrict the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends to us. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—We rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our wholly owned operating subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our operating subsidiaries to pay dividends to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to borrow money or pay dividends.”

Subject to our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association and the applicable laws, our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to recommend a distribution of dividends to shareholders, and any distribution is further subject to the approval of our shareholders. Even if our board of directors decides to recommend dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. If we pay dividends, we will pay our ADS holders to the same extent as holders of our ordinary shares, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. See “Description of American Depositary Shares.” Cash dividends on our ADSs and ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.

 

41


Table of Contents

CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of September 30, 2009:

 

   

on an actual basis;

 

   

on a pro forma basis to reflect the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding Series A preferred shares into 29,714,103 ordinary shares immediately upon the completion of this offering; and

 

   

on a pro forma as adjusted basis to reflect (1) the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding Series A preferred shares into 29,714,103 ordinary shares immediately upon the completion of this offering, and (2) the issuance and sale of 6,500,000 ADSs we are offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $13.50 per ADS, the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

You should read this table in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

     As of September 30, 2009
     Actual    Pro Forma    Pro
Forma As
Adjusted
     (in thousands of $)

Long-term liabilities

   142,209    142,209    142,209

Shareholders’ equity

        

Ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 460,000,000 shares authorized, 100,000,000 shares issued and outstanding (1)

   10    13    17

Series A preferred shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 40,000,000 shares authorized, 29,714,103 shares issued and outstanding (1)

   —      —      —  

Additional paid-in capital (2)

   —      54,897    133,062

Accumulated other comprehensive income

   617    617    617

Retained earnings (3)

   42,343    42,343    42,343
              

Total shareholders’ equity (2)

   42,970    97,870    176,039
              

Total capitalization (2)

               185,179    240,079    318,248
              

 

Note:

 

(1)

The presentation of the outstanding numbers of ordinary shares and Series A preferred shares assumes that the Series A financing took place as of September 30, 2009.

(2)

A $1.00 change in the assumed initial public offering price of $13.50 per ADS would, in the case of an increase, increase and, in the case of a decrease, decrease each of additional paid-in capital, total shareholders’ equity and total capitalization by $6.0 million.

(3)

Including $2.3 million in statutory reserves that are not available for distribution pursuant to PRC law.

You should read this table together with “Selected Consolidated Financial and Operating Data,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

42


Table of Contents

DILUTION

If you invest in our ADSs, your interest will be diluted for each ADS you purchase to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per ADS and our net tangible book value per ADS immediately after this offering. Dilution results from the fact that the initial public offering price per ordinary share is substantially in excess of the net tangible book value per share attributable to the existing shareholders for our presently outstanding ordinary shares.

Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2009 was approximately $43.0 million, or $0.43 per ordinary share and $2.58 per ADS as of that date. Net tangible book value represents the amount of our total assets, minus the amount of our total liabilities, intangible assets and noncontrolling interest. Dilution is determined by subtracting net tangible book value per ordinary share, after giving effect to the proceeds we will receive from this offering after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, assuming an initial public offering price per ordinary share represented by the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, from such assumed initial public offering price per ordinary share.

Without taking into account any other changes in net tangible book value after September 30, 2009, other than giving effect to (1) the conversion of all of our outstanding Series A preferred shares into 29,714,103 ordinary shares, and (2) our sale of the ADSs offered in this offering at the initial public offering price of $13.50 per ADS, the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus after deduction of the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma net tangible book value as of September 30, 2009 would have been $176.1 million, or $1.04 per ordinary share and $6.26 per ADS. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.61 per ordinary share and $3.69 per ADS, to the existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $1.21 per ordinary share and $7.24 per ADS, to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering. The following table illustrates such dilution:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per ADS

   $ 13.50

Net tangible book value per ordinary share as of September 30, 2009

   $ 0.43

Net tangible book value per ADS as of September 30, 2009

   $ 2.58

Pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share after giving effect to this offering

   $ 1.04

Pro forma net tangible book value per ADS after giving effect to this offering

   $ 6.26

Amount of dilution in net tangible book value per ordinary share to new investors in the offering

   $ 1.21

Amount of dilution in net tangible book value per ADS to new investors in the offering

   $ 7.24

The following table summarizes, on a pro forma basis as of September 30, 2009, the differences between existing shareholders and the new investors with respect to the number of ordinary shares (in the form of ADSs or shares) purchased from us, the total consideration paid and the average price per ordinary share/ADS paid before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. The total number of ordinary shares does not include ordinary shares underlying the ADSs issuable upon the exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters.

 

     Ordinary Shares
Purchased
    Total Consideration     Average
Price Per
Ordinary
Share
   Average
Price Per
ADS
     Number    Percent     Amount    Percent       
     (in thousands, except per share and per ADS data and percentages)

Existing shareholders

   129,714.1    76.88   $ 54,910.0    38.49   $ 0.42    $ 2.54

New investors

   39,000.0    23.12      $ 87,750.0    61.51      $ 2.25    $ 13.50
                             

Total

   168,714.1    100.00   $ 142,660.0    100.00     
                             

 

43


Table of Contents

A $1.00 change in the assumed public offering price of $13.50 per ADS would, in the case of an increase, increase and, in the case of a decrease, decrease our pro forma net tangible book value after giving effect to the offering by $6.0 million, the pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share and per ADS after giving effect to this offering by $0.04 per ordinary share and $0.21 per ADS and the dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share and per ADS to new investors in this offering by $0.13 per ordinary share and $0.79 per ADS, assuming no charge to the number of ADSs offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.

The pro forma information discussed above is illustrative only. Our net tangible book value following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the actual initial public offering price of our ADSs and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

The discussion and tables above also assume no exercise of any outstanding share options. As of the date of this prospectus, there were 5,350,000 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding share options at an exercise price of $1.38 per share, and there were 9,650,000 ordinary shares available for future issuance upon the exercise of future grants under our 2009 share incentive plan. To the extent that any of these options are exercised, there will be further dilution to new investors.

 

44


Table of Contents

EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION

Our business is primarily conducted in China and all of our revenues are denominated in Renminbi. This prospectus contains translations of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at specific rates solely for the convenience of the reader. The conversion of RMB into U.S. dollars in this prospectus is based on the noon buying rate in The City of New York for cable transfers of RMB as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to RMB in this prospectus were made at a rate of RMB6.8262 to $1.00, the noon buying rate in effect as of September 30, 2009. We make no representation that any RMB or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate, the rates stated below, or at all. The Chinese government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of RMB into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. On January 8, 2010, the noon buying rate was RMB6.8274 to $1.00.

The following table sets forth information concerning exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar for the periods indicated. These rates are provided solely for your convenience and are not necessarily the exchange rates that we used in this prospectus or will use in the preparation of our periodic reports or any other information to be provided to you.

 

     Noon Buying Rate

Period

   Period End    Average (1)    Low    High
     (RMB Per $1.00)

2004

   8.2765    8.2768    8.2764    8.2774

2005

   8.0702    8.1826    8.0702    8.2765

2006

   7.8041    7.9579    8.0702    7.8041

2007

   7.2946    7.5806    7.8127    7.2946

2008

   6.8225    6.9193    7.2946    6.7800

2009

           

Nine months ended September 30

   6.8262    6.8319    6.8470    6.8176

July

   6.8319    6.8317    6.8342    6.8300

August

   6.8299    6.8323    6.8358    6.8299

September

   6.8262    6.8277    6.8303    6.8247

October

   6.8264    6.8267    6.8292    6.8248

November

   6.8265    6.8271    6.8300    6.8255

December

   6.8259    6.8275    6.8299    6.8244

2010

           

January (through January 8)

   6.8274    6.8271    6.8280    6.8258

 

Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release

 

(1)

Annual averages were calculated by using the average of the exchange rates on the last day of each month during the relevant year. Monthly averages are calculated by using the average of the daily rates during the relevant month.

 

45


Table of Contents

ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

We were incorporated in the Cayman Islands in order to enjoy certain benefits, 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, such as a less-developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, significantly less legal protection for investors as compared to the United States, and the potential lack of standing by Cayman Islands companies to sue before the federal courts of the United States.

Our organizational documents do not contain provisions requiring arbitration of disputes between us and our officers, directors and shareholders, including disputes arising under the securities laws of the United States.

Substantially all of our operations are conducted in China, and substantially all of our assets are located there. In addition, a majority 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 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 Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc. as our agent upon whom process may be served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United States.

Thorp Alberga, our counsel as to Cayman Islands law, and Jun He Law Offices, our counsel as to PRC law, have advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands and China 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.

Thorp Alberga has further advised us that a final and conclusive judgment in the federal or state courts of the United States under which a sum of money is payable, other than a sum payable in respect of taxes, fines, penalties or similar fiscal or revenue obligations and which was neither obtained in a manner nor is of a kind enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands, will be subject to enforcement proceedings as a debt in the courts of the Cayman Islands under the common law.

Jun He Law Offices has further advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other agreements that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments with the United States. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in China 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. Therefore, at present, a judgment rendered by a court in the United States is not likely to be enforced by a PRC court.

 

46


Table of Contents

CORPORATE HISTORY AND STRUCTURE

Our company was incorporated in Caymans Islands as Mega Stand International Limited in November 2007. We changed our corporate name to Daqo New Energy Corp., or Daqo Cayman, in August 2009.

In January 2008, we established Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., or Chongqing Daqo, our wholly owned operating subsidiary in China. Through Chongqing Daqo, we focus primarily on the manufacture and sale of polysilicon. In addition to Chongqing Daqo, we established Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., or Nanjing Daqo, in December 2007 in China, through which we plan to expand to photovoltaic module manufacturing business. In January 2009, we established Daqo Solar Energy North America, or Daqo North America, in California as our wholly own subsidiary to serve as our marketing office to promote our products in North America.

Daqo Group Co. established Daqo New Material on November 16, 2006 in China. Daqo Group is one of the largest electrical equipment manufacturers in China which does not have a history of operating in the solar industry. Although all of Daqo Group’s equity interest holders also beneficially own shares of Daqo Cayman, Daqo Group does not have any shareholding in our company. Immediately after the completion of this offering, holders of equity interests in Daqo Group in aggregate will beneficially own 59.27% of the outstanding ordinary shares of our company, assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters. Daqo New Material’s activities included acquiring land use rights and constructing certain production infrastructure prior to the incorporation of our company and Chongqing Daqo. Subsequent to the establishment of Chongqing Daqo, Chongqing Daqo entered into a lease agreement with Daqo New Material to rent Daqo New Material’s land, production infrastructure, machinery and equipment for its polysilicon production. The initial lease agreement has a five-year term starting from July 1, 2008, with monthly lease payment at a fixed amount. The lease agreement was amended and restated in August 2009, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2009. Under the amended and restated lease agreement, the lease period is from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013, with monthly lease payment at a fixed amount. One month before the expiry of the lease period, Chongqing Daqo has the option to renew the lease on the same terms and conditions for additional five-year periods. Furthermore, the amended and restated lease agreement provides that Chongqing Daqo has the option to purchase, or to designate any person to purchase, the leased assets at the then fair value at any time during the lease period or within one year following the lease period, if permitted by the PRC laws and regulations. Under current PRC laws and regulations, Chongqing Daqo needs to obtain governmental approval in China to proceed with the purchase, and given the application requirements we do not think it is currently practical for us to obtain such approval. If Daqo New Material desires to transfer the ownership of the leased assets to a third party, Chongqing Daqo has the right of first refusal to acquire the leased assets under the same conditions, and if the leased assets are transferred to a third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner until its expiry. Under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 810-10-15, “Variable Interest Entities,” we are deemed to be Daqo New Material’s primary beneficiary for accounting purposes and Daqo New Material is considered a “variable interest entity” of ours starting from July 1, 2008. Therefore, we have consolidated the financial results of Daqo New Material into our financial statements since July 1, 2008. As of September 30, 2009, Daqo Group’s equity interest in Daqo New Material amounted to $127.9 million, which was consolidated and reflected as a noncontrolling interest in the balance sheet of our company pursuant to U.S. GAAP. Even though we do not directly or indirectly hold any equity interests in Daqo New Material, under U.S. GAAP, Daqo New Material has been deemed to be our predecessor business from November 16, 2006 through June 30, 2008.

On November 9, 2009, Chongqing Daqo signed a supplemental lease agreement with Daqo New Material to lease the production facilities of Phase 1b from November 9, 2009 until December 31, 2013 at a fixed amount. The other terms of the supplemental lease agreement are the same as those of the amended and restated lease agreement of Phase 1a.

 

47


Table of Contents

Pursuant to a non-competition agreement with us, Daqo Group has agreed not to engage in the business of manufacturing, marketing or distributing polysilicon or any other solar power products anywhere in the world or compete in any manner with our businesses for an indefinite term. Under the agreement, Daqo Cayman and Chongqing Daqo are entitled to seek temporary restraining orders, injunctions or other equitable relief, in addition to monetary remedies specified in the agreement, if Daqo Group breaches its non-competition obligations.

In November 2009, Daqo Cayman issued and sold 29,714,103 shares of Series A convertible preferred shares in a private placement at a price of $1.851 per share to a group of investment funds. For details of the private placement, please see “Description of Share Capital—History of Securities Issuances.”

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure immediately upon the completion of this offering, assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters:

LOGO

 

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The holders of our Series A preferred shares consist of investment funds affiliated with Granite Global Ventures III L.P, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., investment funds affiliated with Siguler Guff Advisers, LLC and Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited. The Series A preferred shares will be automatically converted into our ordinary shares upon the completion of a qualified public offering.

(2)

Individual owners of Daqo Group beneficially hold equity interests in Daqo Cayman through seven personal holding companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, see “Principal Shareholders.”

(3)

Indicates the respective shareholding percentage of the shareholders in Daqo Cayman.

(4)

Indicates companies within the listing group.

(5)

Indicates jurisdiction of incorporation.

(6)

Daqo Group’s major shareholders include Messrs. Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge, Dafeng Shi, Bin Cai, Jianrong Tang and Wanlin Gao.

(7)

Represents a variable interest entity.

 

48


Table of Contents

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA

You should read the following information concerning us and our predecessor business, Daqo New Material, in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and predecessor business financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.

The following selected consolidated statements of operations for our company for the period from November 22, 2007, the date of our inception, to December 31, 2007 and for the year ended December 31, 2008 and for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and the selected consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2007 and 2008, and September 30, 2009 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. We have consolidated Daqo New Material’s financial statements in ours since July 1, 2008 because under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 810-10-15, “Variable Interest Entities,” we are deemed to be Daqo New Material’s primary beneficiary for accounting purposes and Daqo New Material is considered our “variable interest entity” starting from July 1, 2008.

The following selected consolidated statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 have been derived from our unaudited condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and have been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial data. The unaudited condensed financial information includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments, that we consider necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and operating results for the periods presented.

The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected in any future period.

 

49


Table of Contents

The following tables also present the selected consolidated statements of operations for Daqo New Material (our predecessor business) for the period from November 16, 2006, the date of its inception, to December 31, 2006, for the year ended December 31, 2007 and for the period from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, and June 30, 2008, which are derived from Daqo New Material’s audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our predecessor business’s financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

     Predecessor Business     Daqo Cayman  
     Period from
November 16,

2006 to
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    Period from
January 1, 2008 to
June 30,
    Period from
November 22,
2007
(Inception) to
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
     2006     2007     2008     2007     2008     2008     2009  
    

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

              

Revenues

   $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ 56,368      $ 19,715      $ 79,477   

Cost of revenues

     —          —          —          —          (19,392     (9,130     (45,617

Gross profit

     —          —          —          —          36,976        10,585        33,860   

Income (loss) from operations

     (490     (1,053     (1,902     (48     27,212        3,726        27,817   

Income (loss) before income taxes

     (486     (978     (1,717     (48     23,454        1,814        23,269   

Income tax benefit (expense)

     160        207        428        —          (1,602     (208     (3,393

Net income (loss)

     —          —          —          (48     21,852        1,606        19,876   

Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest

           —          327        10        (990

Net income (loss) attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. ordinary shareholders

   $ (326   $ (771   $ (1,289   $ (48   $ 21,525      $ 1,595      $ 20,866   

Earnings per share, basic and diluted

     —          —          —          (0.00   $ 0.22      $ 0.02      $ 0.21   

 

     Predecessor Business   Daqo Cayman  
     Period from
November 16,

2006 to
December 31,
  Year Ended
December 31,
  Period from
January 1, 2008
to June 30,
  Period from
November 22,
2007
(Inception) to
December 31,
  Year Ended
December 31,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
     2006   2007   2008   2007   2008     2008     2009  

Other Financial and Operating Data :

              

Gross profit margin ( 1 )

   —     —     —     —     65.6   53.7   42.6

Operating profit
margin ( 2 )

   —     —     —     —     48.3   18.9   35.0

Net profit margin ( 3 )

   —     —     —     —     38.2   8.1   26.3

Sales volume (MT)

   —     —     —     —     237      69
  
  901 (4)  

footnotes on following page

 

50


Table of Contents

 

Notes:

 

(1)

Gross profit margin equals gross profit divided by revenues.

(2)

Operating profit margin equals income from operations divided by revenues.

(3)

Net profit margin equals net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. ordinary shareholders divided by revenues.

(4)

In addition, we used approximately 16 MT polysilicon to process cells through our tolling arrangements with third party cell manufacturers in the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

 

     Predecessor Business    Daqo Cayman
     As of December 31,    As of June 30,    As of December 31,    As of
September 30,
     2006    2007    2008    2007     2008    2009
     (in thousands)

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 7,902    $ 3,842    $ 4,112    $  —        $ 3,304    $ 9,894

Restricted cash

     —        15,562      16,908      —          20,430      38,022

Total current assets

     7,902      23,596      31,306      —          33,948      72,641

Property, plant and equipment, net

     333      76,179      111,681      —          314,507      400,766

Total assets

     9,120      101,005      158,452      —          350,105      476,257

Advances from customers

     —        13,690      —        —          59,266      31,871

Payables for purchases of property, plant and equipment

     —        1,975      20,970      48        71,146      85,100

Total current liabilities

     —        16,041      21,378      48        154,324      163,159

Total liabilities

     473      54,232      109,967      48        279,052      305,368

Total Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders’ equity (deficit)

     8,647      46,773      48,485      (48     22,042      42,970

Noncontrolling interest

     —        —        —        —          49,011      127,918

Total equity (deficit)

   $ 8,647    $ 46,773    $ 48,485    $ (48   $ 71,053    $ 170,889

 

51


Table of Contents

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

The following is an estimate of our selected preliminary unaudited financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2009. These results are subject to completion of our normal quarter-end closing procedures and may change. For additional information regarding the various risks and uncertainties inherent in estimates of this type, see “Forward-looking Statements.” In addition, our results for the three months ended December 31, 2009 may not be indicative of our results for future periods. Please refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus for information regarding trends and other factors that may affect our results of operations.

We estimate that our revenues for the three months ended December 31, 2009 ranged from approximately $30.0 million to $31.5 million. We also estimate that the sales volume of our polysilicon in the three months ended December 31, 2009 ranged from approximately 570 MT to 590 MT.

In December 2009, we entered into a supplemental contract with an existing customer, Yingli Green Energy, whereby we agreed to sell and they agreed to purchase from us an additional 400 MT to 600 MT of polysilicon in 2010. In addition, in December 2009 and January 2010, we entered into contracts with two new customers, China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing) Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd., an affiliate of China Sunergy Co., Ltd., and Lightway Green New Energy Co., Ltd., whereby we agreed to sell and they agreed to purchase from us an aggregate of up to 1,176 MT of polysilicon in 2010. The prices under these two contracts are subject to renegotiation based on changes in the market price of polysilicon.

 

52


Table of Contents

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the section entitled “Selected Consolidated Financial and Operating Data” and the historical consolidated financial statements of our company for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2008 and 2009 and the historical predecessor financial statements of Daqo New Material for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the period from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008, including the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

Overview

We manufacture and sell high-quality polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers, who further process our polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for sustainable solar power solutions.

Substantially all of our production, storage, administrative, and research and development facilities are located in Chongqing, China. As of September 30, 2009, we had an installed annual polysilicon production capacity of 3,300 MT. We ramped up our Chongqing Phase 1a production facility to its full annual capacity of 1,500 MT in early 2009. We commenced trial production at our Chongqing Phase 1b production facility in July 2009 and commenced commercial production at our Phase 1b facility in December 2009. We plan to ramp up production at the Phase 1b facility to its full capacity in January 2010. We also plan to commence the construction of our Phase 2 production facility in 2010 and expect to increase our total installed production capacity to 9,300 MT by March 2012.

We sell our polysilicon to direct users, which are primarily photovoltaic product manufacturers. Since our inception, we have established business relationships with some of the leading photovoltaic companies in China, including Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola and Suntech, through its affiliate. A substantial portion of our sales, particularly our sales to our major customers, is made under long-term framework contracts.

We have experienced substantial growth since we commenced commercial production of polysilicon in July 2008. In 2008, we produced 291 MT of polysilicon and sold 237 MT. In the first nine months of 2009, we produced 995 MT of polysilicon, sold 901 MT to our customers and used approximately 16 MT to process cells through our tolling arrangement with cell manufacturers. We generated revenues of $56.4 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $21.5 million in 2008, and we generated revenues of $79.5 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $20.9 million in the first nine months of 2009. The decline in our net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders from the year ended December 31, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was caused by the significant decrease in our average selling prices as a result of the global oversupply and the increasing downward pricing pressure during the same period of time. In addition, our limited operating history may not be sufficient to serve as a basis to evaluate our business. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—Our limited operating history may not serve as an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations” for the risks and challenges that we face.

Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

The following are key factors that affect our financial condition and results of operations and are important for understanding our business:

 

   

demand for photovoltaic products, including government incentives to promote the usage of solar energy;

 

53


Table of Contents
   

prices of polysilicon;

 

   

our production costs; and

 

   

our production capacity and utilization.

Demand for photovoltaic products

Our business and revenue growth are, in part, dependent on the demand for photovoltaic products. The photovoltaic industry remains at a relatively early stage of development and it is uncertain whether solar energy will be widely adopted. Although demand for photovoltaic products has grown significantly over the past decade, the current global economic slowdown and turmoil in the global financial markets, coupled with rapid declines in petroleum and natural gas prices, have made solar energy less cost competitive and less attractive as an alternative source of energy. In addition, the tight credit markets have made it difficult for photovoltaic cell and module companies to raise working capital and for end users to fund solar projects, which in turn has slowed down photovoltaic production and may reduce demand for polysilicon.

Demand for photovoltaic products is driven, in part, by government incentives that make the economic cost of solar power competitive with the cost of traditional forms of energy. We believe that the near-term growth of the market for solar energy applications depends in large part on the availability and size of government subsidies and economic incentives. Reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives may hinder the growth of this market or result in lower sales prices for solar energy products, which could cause our revenues to decline.

Prices of polysilicon

Polysilicon sales prices are affected by a variety of factors, including the prevailing global market polysilicon prices and supply and demand conditions. During the recent years, many polysilicon manufacturers have significantly increased their capacity to meet customer demand and some photovoltaic product manufacturers have established or increased their in-house polysilicon production capacity. Accordingly, in late 2008 and 2009, newly available polysilicon supply and slower global photovoltaic market growth have resulted in an excess supply of polysilicon, which has led to a significant decline in the price of polysilicon. The decline in polysilicon price had resulted in an approximately 65.2% decrease in our average selling price of polysilicon from the year ended December 31, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009. As a result, our revenues from sales of polysilicon increased moderately from $56.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2008 to $74.5 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2009 despite the significant growth in sales volume to customers from 237 MT for the year ended December 31, 2008 to 901 MT for the nine months ended September 30, 2009. Our gross profit declined accordingly from $37.0 million in the six months ended December 31, 2008 to $33.9 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2009. We do not expect that the average selling price of polysilicon will experience any further significant decrease in the near term due to the stable demand for polysilicon resulting from the solar power industry, the improving economic environment and the long lead time required for building additional capacity for polysilicon production.

Our production costs

Our production costs consist primarily of the costs of electricity and other utilities, raw materials and direct labor. With the completion of construction and the gradual ramp-up of our polysilicon production facilities, we will seek to implement additional measures to reduce our polysilicon production costs. We have so far been able to reduce our production costs through in-house production of TCS and through effective heat and water conservation in our production system. We plan to devote substantial resources to enhancing the efficiency of our production process and in particular to reducing our polysilicon

 

54


Table of Contents

production cycle time, electricity consumption and use of raw materials. To implement this plan, we will continue to improve the high pressure techniques used in our manufacturing process as well as to refine the design of our furnaces and reactors in order to increase their production yields.

Effective cost-reduction measures in our polysilicon production are critical to our financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to continue to reduce our production costs, our profitability and competitiveness will be adversely affected.

Our production capacity and utilization

We plan to significantly increase our production capacity and utilization to meet the long-term growth in demand for polysilicon and to improve our economies of scale. We ramped up our Chongqing Phase 1a production facility to its full annual capacity of 1,500 MT in early 2009. We commenced trial production at our Chongqing Phase 1b production facility in July 2009 and commenced commercial production at our Phase 1b facility in December 2009. We plan to ramp up production at the Phase 1b facility to its full annual capacity of 1,800 MT in January 2010. We also plan to commence the construction of our Phase 2 production facility in 2010 and expect to increase our total installed production capacity to 9,300 MT by March 2012. We believe that our planned expansion will help us improve economies of scale in production by reducing material procurement costs, equipment costs, as well as selling, general and administrative expenses.

However, our capacity expansion may increase our depreciation expenses in absolute terms significantly. As we depreciate our property, plant and equipment on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets, our depreciation expenses may also increase as a percentage of total revenues in the ramp-up stage of our new facilities. Furthermore, the current global economic slowdown and turmoil in the global financial markets have significantly slowed down the development of the photovoltaic industry. If global economic conditions continue to worsen on an extended basis and we fail to successfully utilize our existing or expanded production capacity, we will be unable to generate profits and cash flow for our substantial capital expenditures, and our financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

Components of Results of Operations

Revenues

Substantially all of our revenues are derived from the sale of polysilicon. In the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we also generated revenues from sales of photovoltaic cells processed from our polysilicon through tolling arrangements with cell manufacturers. We commenced production in July 2008 and therefore did not have any revenues for the period from our inception in 2006 to June 2008. In 2008, we produced 291 MT and sold 237 MT of polysilicon. In the first nine months of 2009, we produced 995 MT of polysilicon, sold 901 MT to our customers and used approximately 16 MT to process cells through our tolling arrangement with cell manufacturers. Our polysilicon selling prices are directly affected by global supply and demand conditions. Due to the recent global oversupply of polysilicon in late 2008 and 2009 and the resulting pricing pressure, the average selling price of our polysilicon decreased by 65.2% in the nine months ended September 30, 2009 as compared to that in the year ended December 31, 2008, which in turn adversely affected our revenues in 2008 and in the first nine months of 2009. We generated revenues of $56.4 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $21.5 million in 2008 and we generated revenues of $79.5 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $20.9 million in the first nine months of 2009. Our revenues in the first nine months of 2009 include $74.5 million generated from sales of polysilicon and $5.0 million from sales of photovoltaic cells processed from our polysilicon through tolling arrangements with cell manufacturers.

We have entered into framework agreements with our major customers, including Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola and an affiliate of Suntech. These contracts typically contain binding terms related to the prices

 

55


Table of Contents

and sales volumes of our polysilicon for the first quarter or the first year after the contract effective date. The pricing terms, and sometimes the sales volumes, for subsequent periods are typically not binding and are subject to periodic renegotiation. Our major customers generally renegotiate with us after the initial binding term expires and from time to time enter into sales orders or sales agreements for individual sales with us. Such frequent renegotiations over price and other terms have caused, and are expected to continue to cause, fluctuations in our revenues and results of operations. In addition, these contracts generally require our customers to make advance payments prior to product delivery. We also sold a small portion of polysilicon at spot market prices, which are subject to greater price volatility than prices under negotiated agreements.

In 2008, each of our top three customers, Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola and an affiliate of Suntech, accounted for 35%, 33% and 21% of our total revenues, respectively, and the three customers in aggregate accounted for more than 89% of our total revenues. In the nine months ended September 30, 2009, a subsidiary of Sumec Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd. purchased photovoltaic cells from us which were processed from our polysilicon through tolling arrangements with third party cell manufacturers. As a result, it replaced Suntech’s affiliate as one of our top three customers. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, these top three customers accounted for 28%, 18% and 14% of our total revenues, respectively and the three customers in aggregate accounted for more than 61% of our total revenues.

Cost of revenues

Currently, our cost of revenues primarily consists of:

 

   

depreciation of property, plant and equipment;

 

   

electricity and other utilities, such as steam, water and natural gas;

 

   

raw materials, including metallurgical grade silicon, liquid chlorine, nitrogen, calcium oxide and hydrogen;

 

   

direct labor, including salaries and benefits for personnel directly involved in production activities; and

 

   

processing fees paid to cell manufacturers pursuant to tolling arrangements.

Due to our capacity expansion, depreciation in absolute terms has increased significantly and we expect this trend to continue as we further expand our production capacity. We also expect that our total cost of revenues will increase as we increase our sales volume. However, we expect the cost of revenues as a percentage of total revenues will decrease as we achieve greater economies of scale.

Operating expenses/income

Our operating expenses include selling, general and administrative expenses and research and development expenses, which are partially offset by other operating income as described below.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and benefits for our administrative, finance and sales personnel, packaging and shipping costs, sales-related travel and entertainment expenses, other travel and corporate expenses, and depreciation of equipment used for administrative purposes. All costs in connection with start-up activities, including costs incurred prior to commencement of production and corporate formation costs of Daqo Cayman, were expensed as incurred. We expect that the amount of our selling, general and administrative expenses will increase as we expand our production capacity, increase our sales efforts, hire additional personnel, and incur professional expenses to support our operations as a listed company in the United States.

 

56


Table of Contents

Research and development expenses

Our research and development expenses consist primarily of costs of raw materials used in research and development activities, salaries and employee benefits for research and development personnel, and equipment costs relating to the design, development, testing and enhancement of our production process. We expect our research and development expenses to increase significantly in the future as we continue to hire additional research and development personnel and focus on improvement of process technologies for our products.

Other operating income

Our other operating income reflects government subsidies that we receive from time to time. We record government subsidies as other operating income when we receive them. The amount and timing of subsidies cannot be predicted with certainty.

Share-based compensation expenses

On October 31, 2009, our board of directors granted options to purchase a total of 5,350,000 ordinary shares to our officers, directors, employees and consultants pursuant to our 2009 share incentive plan. The exercise price of all of the options is $1.38 per share. Twenty-five percent of the ordinary shares subject to the options will vest one year following the vesting commencement date, and the remaining seventy-five percent of the ordinary shares subject to the option will vest in 36 equal monthly installments over the next three years. We did not grant any options or other equity incentives to any officer, director, employee or consultant before October 2009.

We will determine share-based compensation expenses based on the fair value of the options as of the date of grant and recognize such expenses over the vesting period of the options. The change of share-based compensation expenses will affect our operating expenses, net income and earnings per share.

We have engaged an independent appraiser to assist us in assessing the fair value of our options and ordinary shares underlying the options. Determining the fair value of options and ordinary shares requires making complex and subjective judgments regarding projected financial and operating results, our unique business risks, the liquidity of our shares and our operating history and prospects at the time of grant.

In assessing the fair value of our ordinary shares, the following principal factors were considered:

 

   

the nature of our business and the contracts and agreements relating to our business;

 

   

our financial conditions;

 

   

the economic outlook in general and the specific economic and competitive elements affecting our business;

 

   

the growth of our operations; and

 

   

our financial and business risks.

We used the income approach to estimate the fair value of the ordinary shares on October 31, 2009 and the market approach as a cross check and determined that the fair value of our ordinary shares was $1.80 per share on October 31, 2009.

The income approach involved applying appropriate discount rates to discount cash flows that were based on our earnings forecasts. The major assumptions used in deriving the fair value of our ordinary shares were consistent with our business plan and outlook as of October 31, 2009. Other major

 

57


Table of Contents

assumptions used in determining the fair value of our ordinary share as of October 31, 2009 included the following:

 

   

Weighted average costs of capital, or WACC. WACC of 18.8% as at October 31, 2009 was used. This was developed based on capital-asset pricing model, with a consideration of the risk-free rate and the industry beta.

 

   

Comparable companies. In deriving discount rate, certain publicly traded companies in polysilicon industry were selected for reference as our comparable companies.

 

   

Discount for lack of marketability, or DLOM. DLOM of 6% was used in the valuations.

We also used other general assumptions, including the following: no material changes in the existing political, legal, fiscal and economic conditions and polysilicon industry in China; our ability to retain competent management and key personnel to support our ongoing operations; and no material deviation in market conditions from economic forecasts.

We estimated the fair value of the options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the assistance of the appraiser. As we did not have historical share option exercise experience, the expected term was estimated as the average between the vesting term of the options and the original contractual term. The volatility of the underlying ordinary shares during the life of the options was estimated based on the historical stock price volatility of listed comparable companies over a period comparable to the expected term of the options. The risk-free interest rate was estimated based on the yield to maturity of China international government bonds with a maturity period close to the expected term of the options. The dividend yield was estimated based on the expected dividend policy over the expected term of the options.

For the options to purchase 5,350,000 ordinary shares that we granted to officers, directors, employees and consultants on October 31, 2009, we estimated that the total unrecognized compensation costs were approximately $6.2 million based on the assessment of the fair value of the awarded options. The compensation expenses are to be recognized as a charge to expense over the vesting period of four years from the grant date.

We believe that the increase in the fair value of our ordinary shares from $1.80 per share on October 31, 2009 to $2.25 per share, the midpoint of the estimated range of the initial public offering price, is attributable to the following significant factors and events since October 31, 2009:

 

   

In November 2009, Daqo Cayman issued and sold 29,714,103 shares of Series A convertible preferred shares in a private placement for a total consideration of $55.0 million. The investors in the private placement include investment funds affiliated with Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., both of which are reputable investment funds. The per share purchase price of the Series A convertible preferred shares is approximately $1.85, which resulted from the arms length negotiations between us and the investors, all of which were unrelated third parties.

 

   

In December 2009, we entered into a supplemental contract with an existing customer, Yingli Green Energy, whereby we agreed to sell and they agreed to purchase from us an additional 400 MT to 600 MT of polysilicon in 2010. In addition, in December 2009 and January 2010, we entered into contracts with two new customers, China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing) Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd., an affiliate of China Sunergy Co., Ltd., and Lightway Green New Energy Co., Ltd., whereby we agreed to sell and they agreed to purchase from us an aggregate of up to 1,176 MT of polysilicon in 2010.

 

58


Table of Contents
   

In November and December 2009, we tested our Phase 1b production facility and successfully commenced commercial production at this facility in December 2009.

 

   

In early January 2010, we and the underwriters agreed to a plan to launch the road show around mid-January in connection with this offering. The offering is expected to increase the value of our ordinary shares as a result of the increased liquidity and marketability of our ordinary shares.

Interest income and expenses

Our interest income represents interest on our cash balances. Our interest expenses relate primarily to our short-term and long-term borrowings from banks, less capitalized interest expenses to the extent they relate to our capital expenditures.

Taxation

Cayman Islands tax

We are a tax exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and are not subject to tax in this jurisdiction.

Chinese tax

Our Chinese subsidiaries are foreign invested enterprises in China. Under the EIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, the Chinese enterprise income tax rate applicable to manufacturing entities is 25%.

Chongqing Daqo, our wholly owned Chinese subsidiary and a foreign-invested enterprise established in the central and western region in China, is entitled to a preferential income tax rate of 15% from the date of its establishment to December 31, 2010. In December 2009, Chongqing Daqo was qualified as a “Chongqing Municipality High and New Technology Enterprise,” subject to the government’s grant of a formal certificate. This will entitle it to a preferential income tax rate of 15% for three years from the grant date of the certificate and can be renewed for additional three-year terms upon Chongqing Daqo’s application and the government’s approval.

Daqo New Material, our variable interest entity and a domestic Chinese enterprise, was subject to an income tax rate of 33% for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2007 and 25% for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Nanjing Daqo, our wholly owned Chinese subsidiary and a foreign invested enterprise, is subject to an income tax rate of 25%.

Under the EIT Law and implementation regulations issued by the State Council of China, a dividend payment by a foreign-invested entity to its foreign shareholders is subject to a 10% withholding tax. We intend to reinvest all of Chongqing Daqo’s undistributed earnings into our capacity expansion and do not plan to distribute any of the earnings as dividends in the foreseeable future and, accordingly, we have not set aside provision for Chinese dividend withholding tax. If we do distribute these earnings in the form of dividends, we will be subject to the withholding tax at a rate of 10%.

Pursuant to the Interim Regulations on Value Added Tax and their implementation rules, all entities and individuals that are engaged in the sale of goods, the provision of repairs and replacement services or the importation of goods in China are generally required to pay value-added tax, or VAT, at a rate of 17% of the gross sales proceeds received, less any deductible VAT already paid or borne by the taxpayer. Furthermore, when exporting goods, the exporter is entitled to VAT refund, which amount will be a portion of or all of the VAT that it has already paid or borne. For our sale of polysilicon products to domestic purchasers, we are subject to the 17% VAT without any VAT refunds for such sales.

 

59


Table of Contents

Critical Accounting Policies

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect (1) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, (2) disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the end of each reporting period, and (3) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on historical experience, knowledge and assessment of current business and other conditions, and expectations regarding the future based on available information and reasonable assumptions, which together form a basis for making judgments about matters not readily apparent from other sources. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from those estimates. Some of our accounting policies require higher degrees of judgment than others in their application. When reviewing our financial statements, you should consider (1) our selection of critical accounting policies, (2) the judgment and other uncertainties affecting the application of such policies, and (3) the sensitivity of reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions. We consider the policies discussed below to be critical to an understanding of our financial statements as their application places the most significant demands on the judgment of our management.

Revenue recognition

We generate revenues primarily from the sale of polysilicon and recognize revenues when all of the following conditions are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the sales price is fixed and determinable, delivery of the products has occurred, title and risk of loss have transferred to customers and collectability of receivable is reasonably assured. Our sales agreements with our customers typically do not contain product warranties except for return and replacement of defective products within a period ranging from 15 to 30 days from delivery. In addition, our agreements do not contain post-shipment obligations or any other return or credit provisions.

A majority of our sales contracts provide that title and risk of loss related to the products are transferred to our customers upon shipment. Therefore, we recognize revenues when our products are shipped if other revenue recognition criteria are met. We require and receive cash on delivery for a majority of our sales transactions. We may extend credit terms to our customers after assessing a number of factors to determine their credit worthiness.

Allowance for doubtful accounts

We conduct credit reviews for customers to whom we extend credit terms. We estimate the amount of accounts receivable that may not be collected based on the aging of our accounts receivable and specific evidence relating to the financial condition of our customers that may affect their ability to pay their balances.

Depreciation

Our long-lived assets mainly include property, plant and equipment. We depreciate our property, plant and equipment on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets, taking into account the assets’ estimated residual values. We estimate the useful lives and residual values at the time we acquire the assets based on our management’s knowledge on the useful lives of similar assets and replacement costs of similar assets having been used for the same useful lives in the market, and taking into account anticipated technological or other changes. On this basis, we have estimated the useful lives of our buildings and plants to be 20 years, our machinery and equipment to be 10 years, our furniture and office equipment to be 3 to 5 years and our motor vehicles to be 6 years. We review the estimated useful life and residual value for each of our long-lived assets on a regular basis. If technological changes occur more rapidly than anticipated, we may shorten the useful lives or lower the residual value assigned to these assets, which will result in the recognition of increased depreciation and amortization expense in future periods.

 

60


Table of Contents

Impairment of long-lived assets

We evaluate our long-lived assets and finite-lived intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. When these events occur, we measure impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the asset group to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, we would recognize an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. For the periods presented, we recorded no impairment of our long-lived assets.

Consolidation of variable interest entity

In addition to the financial statements of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo, our wholly owned subsidiaries in China, we also consolidated the financial statements of Daqo New Material as a variable interest entity of Chongqing Daqo starting from July 1, 2008.

We were incorporated in November 2007 in the Cayman Islands. Our principal operating subsidiary, Chongqing Daqo, was established in China in January 2008. Daqo New Material was established by Daqo Group, an affiliated company controlled by our current shareholders, on November 16, 2006. Daqo New Material’s activities included acquiring land use rights for our polysilicon manufacturing and constructing certain production infrastructure prior to the incorporation of our company and Chongqing Daqo.

After its establishment, Chongqing Daqo entered into a lease agreement with Daqo New Material dated June 30, 2008 to rent all of Daqo New Material’s land, production infrastructure and machinery and equipment for our polysilicon production. The initial lease agreement has a five-year term starting July 1, 2008, with monthly lease payments at a fixed amount of RMB9.95 million ($1.4 million). The rental amount under the initial lease agreement was determined based on factors, such as Daqo New Material’s operating expenses, interest expenses and the return on investment required by Daqo New Material’s owners. The initial lease agreement also provided that if Daqo New Material transferred the ownership of the leased assets to any third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner until its expiry. One month before the expiry of the initial lease term, the lease agreement could be renewed for an additional five- year term upon mutual consent. Chongqing Daqo had the right of first refusal to rent the leased assets under the initial lease agreement.

The lease agreement was amended and restated in August 2009, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2009. After one year of operations, Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo concluded that the lease payments under the original lease agreement would result in excessive return on investment to Daqo New Material in the foreseeable future. The amount of the monthly lease payment was thus reduced to RMB6.1 million ($0.9 million) in the amended and restated lease agreement. Under the amended and restated lease agreement, the lease period is from January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2013. One month before the expiry of the lease period, Chongqing Daqo has the option to renew the lease on the same terms and conditions for additional five-year periods. Furthermore, the amended and restated lease agreement provides that Chongqing Daqo has the option to purchase, or to designate any person to purchase, the leased assets at the then fair value at any time during the lease period or within one year following the lease period, if permitted by the PRC laws and regulations. If Daqo New Material desires to transfer the ownership of the leased assets to a third party, Chongqing Daqo has the right of first refusal to acquire the leased assets under the same conditions, and if the leased assets are transferred to a third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner.

On November 9, 2009, Chongqing Daqo entered into a supplemental lease agreement with Daqo New Material to lease the production facilities for Phase 1b from November 9, 2009 until December 31, 2013 at a fixed amount. The other terms of the supplemental lease agreement are the same as those of the amended and restated lease agreement of Phase 1a.

 

61


Table of Contents

As the aggregate value of the monthly rental payments that Chongqing Daqo is contractually obligated to make to Daqo New Material represents the majority of the value of Daqo New Material’s assets, Daqo Group has less investment risk in Daqo New Material, its wholly owned subsidiary, than does Chongqing Daqo. Under U.S. GAAP, these contractual obligations represent an implicit guarantee between related parties, and Daqo New Material is considered to be our “variable interest entity.” Furthermore, the operating activities of Daqo New Material are most closely associated with Chongqing Daqo, the entity to which Daqo New Material leases all of its assets. Based on these quantitative and qualitative factors, Chongqing Daqo is considered the “primary beneficiary” of Daqo New Material. As a result, we have consolidated Daqo New Material’s financial results into our own since July 1, 2008. Even though we do not directly or indirectly hold any equity interests in Daqo New Material, Daqo New Material has been deemed to be our predecessor business from November 16, 2006 through June 30, 2008 under U.S. GAAP.

The assets and liabilities of Daqo New Material are consolidated at historical cost. Daqo Group’s total equity interests in Daqo New Material are presented as a noncontrolling interest on our financial statements. The amount of net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest is equivalent to the rental income that Daqo New Material receives from Chongqing Daqo minus depreciation and interests costs during each reporting period. Please refer to note 13 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for details of Daqo New Material’s total assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2009 and its net revenues, operating costs and expenses, net income for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

Income taxes

As required by Accounting Standards Codification 740, “Income Taxes,” we periodically evaluate the likelihood of the realization of deferred tax assets, and reduce the carrying amount of these deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance to the extent we believe a portion will not be realized. We consider many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of our deferred tax assets, including our recent cumulative earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, expectations of future taxable income, the carry-forward periods available to us for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors. Deferred income taxes are recognized for (1) temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, or (2) net operating loss carry forwards and credits by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the laws of the relevant taxing authorities. The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on the characteristics of the underlying assets and liabilities, or the expected timing of their use when they do not relate to a specific asset or liability.

Valuation of inventories

Our inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The valuation of inventory involves our management’s determination of the value of excess and slow moving inventory, which is based upon assumptions of future demands and market conditions. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, inventory write-downs may be required. We routinely evaluate quantities and value of our inventories in light of current market conditions and market trends, and record write-downs against the cost of inventories for a decline in net realizable value. Inventory write-down charges establish a new cost basis for inventory. In estimating obsolescence, we utilize our backlog information and project future demand. Market conditions are subject to change and actual consumption of inventories could differ from forecasted demand. Furthermore, the price of polysilicon is subject to fluctuations based on global supply and demand. If actual market conditions are less favorable or other factors arise that are significantly different than those anticipated by our management, additional inventory write-downs or increases in obsolescence reserves may be required. Our management

 

62


Table of Contents

continually monitors the spot price of polysilicon to ensure that inventory is recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value.

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Prior to this offering, we were a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. However, in connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2008, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified one “material weakness” and one “significant deficiency” in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States. The material weakness identified related to our lack of sufficient accounting resources and expertise necessary to comply with U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting and compliance requirements. The significant deficiency identified related to our lack of sufficient and formally documented procedures for the financial closing and reporting process.

To address the weakness and the deficiency that have been identified, we have hired Mr. Jimmy Lai, who has over twenty years of experience with, and extensive knowledge of, U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements to serve as our chief financial officer. We are also in the process of implementing a number of other measures, including: (1) hiring an outside consulting firm to review our internal control processes, policies and procedures in order to assist us in identifying any weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, (2) providing further training to our financial and accounting staff to enhance their knowledge of U.S. GAAP, and (3) adopting and implementing additional policies and procedures, including an enterprise resource planning system, to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting. We are working to implement these measures during 2010, although we cannot assure you that we will complete such implementation in a timely manner.

Selected Quarterly Results of Operations

The following table presents our unaudited condensed consolidated quarterly results of operations for the seven quarterly periods ended September 30, 2009. You should read the following table in conjunction with our audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. We have prepared the unaudited condensed consolidated quarterly financial information on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements. This unaudited condensed consolidated financial information includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments, that we consider necessary for a fair representation of our financial position and operating results for the quarters presented. Because our business is relatively new, our operating results for any particular quarter are not necessarily indicative of our future results.

 

63


Table of Contents

We commenced commercial production of polysilicon of phase 1a in July 2008 and therefore did not have any revenues for the quarters ended March 31, 2008 and June 30, 2008. We sold 69 MT, 168 MT, 179 MT, 280 MT and 442 MT of polysilicon in the quarters ended September 30, 2008, December 31, 2008, March 31, 2009, June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2009, respectively. In addition, in the quarter ended June 30, 2009, we used approximately 16 MT polysilicon to process cells through our tolling arrangements with downstream cell manufacturers. However, our revenues and net income declined from the three months ended December 31, 2008 to June 30, 2009 caused by the significant decrease in our average selling prices as a result of the global oversupply of polysilicon and increasing downward pricing pressure during the same period of time.

 

     Quarter Ended  
     March 31,
2008
    June 30,
2008
    September 30,
2008
    December 31,
2008
    March 31,
2009
    June 30,
2009
    September 30,
2009
 
     (in thousands of $)  

Revenues

       19,715      36,653      26,605      22,548      30,324   

Cost of revenues

       (9,130   (10,262   (8,164   (16,708   (20,745
                                  

Gross profit

   —        —        10,585      26,391      18,441      5,840      9,579   

Selling, general and administrative expenses

   (224   (2,479   (1,230   (1,050   (1,248   (2,079   (2,228

Research and development expenses

   —        (1,007   (1,918   (1,940   (1,164   (1,093   (108

Other operating income

   —        —        —        84      —        1,029      848   
                                          

Total operating expenses

   (224   (3,486   (3,148   (2,906   (2,412   (2,143   (1,488
                                          

(Loss) income from operations

   (224   (3,486   7,437      23,485      16,029      3,697      8,091   

Interest expense

   (28   (152   (1,810   (1,883   (1,711   (1,537   (1,487

Interest income

   2      20      57      36      108      59      20   
                                          

(Loss) income before income taxes

   (250   (3,618   5,684      21,638      14,426      2,219      6,624   

Income tax benefit (expense)

   33      581      (823   (1,393   (2,096   (379   (918
                                          

Net (loss) income

   (217   (3,037   4,861      20,245      12,330      1,840      5,706   

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest

   —        —        10      317      (759   (178   (53
                                          

Net (loss) income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp.’s ordinary shareholders

  

(217

  (3,037   4,851      19,928      13,089     

2,018

  

 

5,759

  

                                          

Results of Operations

Results of Operations of Daqo Cayman

We have only been in existence for a limited period of time and only began to generate revenues in the year ended December 31, 2008, all of which were generated in the second half of the year. Due to our short history as a consolidated entity, we have no comparable annual results for a year-to-year comparison. We have set forth below a discussion of our results of operations comparing the nine months ended September 30, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and a discussion of our results of operations for other periods covered by our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

64


Table of Contents

The following table sets forth a summary of our statement of operations for the periods indicated and as a percentage of our revenues for the periods indicated. Our historical results presented below are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period.

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007 (Inception)
to December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
     2007     2008     (% of
revenues)
    2008     2009     (% of
revenues)
 
                       (unaudited)              

Revenues

   $ —        $ 56,367,625      100.0   $ 19,714,937      $ 79,476,871      100

Cost of revenues

     —          (19,391,613   (34.4     (9,130,405     (45,616,973   57.4   
                                            

Gross profit

     —          36,976,012      65.6        10,584,532        33,859,898      42.6   

Operating expenses/income:

            

Selling, general and administrative expenses

     (47,542     (4,982,366   (8.8     (3,933,739     (5,554,907   (7.0

Research and development expenses

     —          (4,865,165   (8.6     (2,924,979     (2,365,191   (3.0

Other operating income

       83,740      0.1        —          1,877,289      2.4   
                                            

Total operating expenses

     (47,542     (9,763,791   (17.3     (6,858,718     (6,042,809)      (7.6
                                            

Income from operations

     (47,542     27,212,221      48.3        3,725,814        27,817,089      35.0   

Interest expense

     —          (3,873,451   (6.9     (1,990,717     (4,734,262   (6.0

Interest income

     —          115,083      0.2        79,345        186,505      0.2   
                                            

Income before income taxes

     (47,542     23,453,853      41.6        1,814,442        23,269,332      29.3   

Income tax expense

     —          (1,601,959   (2.8     (208,515     (3,393,316   (4.3
                                            

Net (loss) income

     (47,542     21,851,894      38.8        1,605,927        19,876,016      25.0   

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest

     —          326,867      0.6        10,465        (989,717   (1.2
                                            

Net income (loss) attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp.’s ordinary shareholders

   $         (47,542   $ 21,525,027      38.2   $ 1,595,462      $ 20,865,733      26.3
                                            

Nine Months ended September 30, 2008 and 2009

Revenues, cost of revenues and gross profit.     In the nine months ended September 30, 2008, we had revenues of $19.7 million. We sold 69 MT polysilicon, which was all of the polysilicon we manufactured from July to the end of September in 2008. For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, our cost of revenues was $9.1 million and our gross profit was $10.6 million. In the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we had revenues of $79.5 million, including $74.5 million generated from sales of polysilicon and $5.0 million from sales of photovoltaic cells processed from our polysilicon through tolling arrangements with third party cell manufacturers. We sold 901 MT polysilicon and used approximately 16 MT polysilicon to process cells in the nine months ended September 30, 2009, which was substantially all of the 995 MT of polysilicon we manufactured during this period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, our cost of revenues was $45.6 million and our gross profit was $33.9 million.

Operating expenses.     Our operating expenses consisted of selling, general and administrative expenses and research and development expenses. Our total operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 were $6.9 million, consisting of selling, general and administrative expenses of $3.9 million and research and development expenses of $2.9 million. Our total operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 decreased by $0.9 million to $6.0 million, consisting of selling, general and administrative expenses of $5.6 million and research and development expenses of $2.4

 

65


Table of Contents

million, partially offset by other operating income of $1.9 million as a result of cash subsidies that we received from the local government.

Interest expense and income.     Our interest expenses increased by $2.7 million, from $2.0 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2008 to $4.7 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2009. Our interest expenses increased due to interest payments in connection with the short-term and long-term borrowings to finance our equipment purchases and the working capital requirements of our business operations and the cessation of interest capitalization of the long-term borrowings used in our Chongqing Phase 1a production facility construction since July 1, 2008 when Chongqing Phase 1a production facility was ready for use. Our interest income increased from $0.1 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2008 to $0.2 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2009, primarily due to interest accrued on increased deposits of our restricted cash with Chinese banks.

Income tax expense.     We recognized an income tax expense of $3.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, compared to an income tax expense of $0.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008, primarily due to the increase in our income before taxes.

Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest.     The net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $1.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 represented Daqo Group’s share of the loss in Daqo New Material, which resulted from the various costs and expenses incurred during the period, partially offset by the rental income that Daqo New Material received from Chongqing Daqo. The net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 was insignificant.

Net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders.     As a result of the factors described above, we had net income of $20.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, compared to net income of $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008.

Year ended December 31, 2008

Revenues, cost of revenues and gross profit.     We had revenues of $56.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2008, all of which were generated in the second half of the year. We sold 237 MT of polysilicon we manufactured in 2008. Our cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008, which related entirely to the second half of the year, was $19.4 million. As this period reflected initial ramping up of production, we do not believe our gross profit of $37.0 million and revenues of $56.4 million from the sale of 237 MT of polysilicon are necessarily representative of results to be expected in future periods.

Operating expenses/income.     Our operating expenses consisted of selling, general and administrative expenses and research and development expenses in the year ended December 31, 2008. Total operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2008 were $9.8 million, consisting of selling, general and administrative expenses of $5.0 million and research and development expenses of $4.9 million, which were partially offset by other operating income of approximately $0.1 million as a result of financial subsidies that we received from the local government.

Interest income and expense.     Our interest expense was $3.9 million, primarily as a result of short-term and long-term borrowings to finance our equipment purchases and the working capital requirements of our business operations. Our interest income was $0.1 million, primarily due to the interest on our bank deposits.

Income tax expense.     We recognized an income tax expense of $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, resulted from Chongqing Daqo’s taxable income of $23.5 million in this period, which was subject to a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15.0%, and additional tax deductions of $2.5 million as approved by local tax authorities.

 

66


Table of Contents

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest.     The net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $0.3 million represents Daqo Group’s share of the net income of Daqo New Material, which equals the rental income that Daqo New Material received from Chongqing Daqo minus various costs and expenses incurred during the period.

Net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders.     As a cumulative result of the factors described above, we had net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $21.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007

We had no revenues for the period from November 22, 2007, the date of our incorporation, to December 31, 2007 as we did not conduct any business operations during this period of time. We incurred a small amount of corporate formation expenses related to the incorporation of Daqo Cayman in this period.

Results of Operations of Daqo New Material

Our predecessor business and variable interest entity, Daqo New Material, was established in China in November 2006. Daqo New Material was a development stage company. We have consolidated Daqo New Material’s financial statements into ours since July 1, 2008. For the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material incurred expenses related to its start-up activities and had no revenues. We do not believe it is material or meaningful to provide a period-to-period comparison of the results of operations of Daqo New Material from its inception to June 30, 2008.

The following table sets forth a summary of the statement of operations for Daqo New Material for the periods indicated:

 

     Period from
November 16,
2006
(Inception) to
December 31,
2006
    Year Ended
December 31,
2007
    Six Months
Ended June 30,
2008
    Accumulated
from
November 16,
2006
(Inception) to
June 30, 2008
 

Operating expenses:

        

General and administrative expenses

   $ (489,748   $ (1,052,794   $ (2,059,789   $ (3,602,331

Other operating income

     —          —          157,417        157,417   
                                

Total operating expenses

     (489,748     (1,052,794     (1,902,372     (3,444,914
                                

Loss from operations

     (489,748     (1,052,794     (1,902,372     (3,444,914

Interest income

     3,882        74,491        185,258        263,631   
                                

Loss before income taxes

     (485,866     (978,303     (1,717,114     (3,181,283

Income tax benefit

     160,336        207,067        427,813        795,216   
                                

Net loss

   $ (325,530   $ (771,236   $ (1,289,301   $ (2,386,067
                                

Revenues.     As Daqo New Material was a development stage company during the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008, it had no revenues during the period.

Operating expenses.     Daqo New Material incurred $3.4 million operating expenses for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008. These expenses reflected $3.6 million general and administrative expenses related to the initial business start-up costs to fund the construction of production capacities, partially offset by other operating income of $0.2 million as a result of cash subsidies that we received from the Chongqing government.

 

67


Table of Contents

Interest income.     Daqo New Material had $0.3 million of interest income attributable to interest on its bank deposits for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008.

Income tax benefit.     Daqo New Material recognized an income tax benefit of $0.8 million for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008, resulted from deferred tax benefits derived from its net loss of $3.2 million carryforwards for this period.

Net loss.     As a cumulative result of the factors described above, Daqo New Material had a net loss of $2.4 million for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008.

Capital Expenditures and Plan of Operations

We made capital expenditures of $212.0 million and $97.6 million for construction of our polysilicon production facilities and purchase of polysilicon production equipment in the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009, respectively. These capital expenditures mainly related to the construction of our Chongqing Phase 1a and 1b production facilities. We anticipate that our Phase 1b production facility will cost approximately $2.7 million before its full ramp-up. We have also entered into agreements for future purchases of property, plant and equipment. These commitments as of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009 amounted to approximately $96.6 million and $2.7 million in total, respectively. We expect that purchases of equipment for our polysilicon capacity expansion will continue to constitute a significant portion of our capital expenditures. Our capital expenditures will increase in the future as we expand our polysilicon manufacturing capacity and expand into downstream businesses.

We plan to significantly increase our production capacity to meet the long-term growth in demand that we expect for polysilicon and to improve our economies of scale. We commenced trial production at our Chongqing Phase 1b production facility in July 2009 and began commercial production at this facility in December 2009. We plan to ramp up production at the Phase 1b facility to its full annual capacity of 1,800 MT in January 2010.

We anticipate that our expenditures in 2010 will be used for a number of purposes, including the following:

 

   

acquisition of additional production equipment;

 

   

building of additional facilities;

 

   

purchasing equipment for photovoltaic module production in Nanjing;

 

   

research and development to improve our manufacturing processes;

 

   

employment of additional staff in various departments, including research and development, manufacturing, finance and accounting, selling, general administrative departments; and

 

   

establishment of sales and support offices in our targeted markets.

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flow from our operations, proceeds from additional bank borrowings and this offering will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs, including our cash needs for working capital and capital expenditures, for at least the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash due to changing business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or expansions we may decide to pursue. If we do not have sufficient cash to meet our requirements, we may seek to issue additional equity securities or debt securities or to borrow from lending institutions.

For additional information relating to our plan of operations in 2010, see “Use of Proceeds,” “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Business—Manufacturing Capacity” in this prospectus.

 

68


Table of Contents

Liquidity and Capital Resources of Daqo Cayman

Cash Flows and Working Capital

Polysilicon production requires intensive capital investment. Due to our relatively short operating history, our financing is primarily through advances from customers and financing from Daqo Group, in addition to cash flow from sales of polysilicon and from bank borrowings. Furthermore, a substantial portion of our outstanding indebtedness is guaranteed by Daqo Group. In the future, we may rely upon Daqo Group to provide additional guarantees for our indebtedness if our cash on hand and cashflow from our operations are insufficient for our future capital needs.

The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
    Nine Months Ended September 30,  
     2008     2008     2009  
           (unaudited)        

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   $ 102,654,797      $ 142,851,435      $ (10,549,968

Net cash used in investing activities

     (138,301,421     (126,746,451     (103,467,116

Net cash provided by financing activities

     38,930,643        18,170,018        120,605,519   

Effect of exchange rate changes

     20,048        13,555        1,444   
                        

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

     3,304,067        34,288,557        6,589,879   

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year/period

     —          —          3,304,067   

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the
year/period

     3,304,067        34,288,557        9,893,946   
                        
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:       

Interest paid

   $ 3,312,611      $ 1,869,846      $ 7,015,668   

Income taxes paid

     —          —        $ 1,763,248   
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing activities:       

Purchases of property, plant and equipment included in payable

   $ 50,175,630      $ 15,890,571      $ 13,953,631   

As of September 30, 2009, we had $38.0 million in restricted cash and $9.9 million in cash and cash equivalents. Approximately $46.0 million and $0.1 million of our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were held by Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material, respectively, in RMB. Restricted cash was primarily comprised of cash that we placed in our bank accounts as guarantee deposits for the banks’ issuance of short-term letters of credit and notes in support of our purchases of property, plant and equipment. Cash and cash equivalents consisted of cash on hand and demand deposits, which were unrestricted as to withdrawal and use and had maturities of three months or less.

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was $10.5 million, compared to cash provided by operating activities of $142.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008. Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 primarily resulted from $57.2 million of cash we received from the sale of polysilicon, our payments for raw materials of $47.5 million, taxes paid of $8.3 million, employee salaries and welfare payment of $4.7 million, and interest expenses paid of $4.1 million. Net cash provided by operating activities for the

 

69


Table of Contents

nine months ended September 30, 2008 primarily resulted from $106.1 million advance payments that we received from our customers and $23.0 million of cash we received from the sale of polysilicon.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $102.7 million, primarily resulting from $63.5 million of cash we received from the sale of polysilicon and $59.3 million advance payments that we received from our customers, which was partially offset by our payments for raw materials and employee salaries and welfare.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was $103.5 million, compared to net cash used in investing activities of $126.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008. Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 primarily resulted from payments for the purchase of property, plant and equipment in a total amount of $86.0 million and an increase in restricted cash of $17.6 million that we placed in our bank accounts as guarantee deposits for the banks’ issuance of short term letters of credit and notes in support of our purchases of property, plant and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 primarily resulted from payments for the purchase of property, plant and equipment in a total amount of $133.0 million, partially offset by an decrease in restricted cash of $2.1 million and a $4.1 million increase in cash as a result of our consolidation of Daqo New Material as a variable interest entity.

Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $138.3 million, primarily resulting from payments for the purchase of property, plant and equipment in a total amount of $138.9 million, and an increase in restricted cash of $3.5 million that we placed in our bank accounts as guarantee deposits for the banks’ issuance of short term letters of credit in support of our purchases of property, plant and equipment. The cash outflow was partially offset by a $4.1 million increase in cash as a result of our consolidation of Daqo New Material as a variable interest entity.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was $120.6 million, compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $18.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008. Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 primarily resulted from the net proceeds of our bank borrowings of $72.9 million, advances from Daqo Group in the amount of $41.5 million and the proceeds of other long-term borrowings from a third party in the amount of $6.2 million.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $38.9 million, resulting from the proceeds of our bank borrowings of $16.5 million and cash at the amount of $21.5 million financed by Daqo Group to settle the outstanding accounts payable for property, plant and equipment that we purchased.

In January 2009 and July 2009, we obtained RMB denominated loans in the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of $58.6 and $14.6 million, respectively, from China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch with a floating interest rate. In September 2009, we obtained another RMB denominated loan in the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of $5.5 million from China Merchants Bank with a floating interest rate. These loans are guaranteed by Daqo Group and the floating interest rate will be adjusted annually by the lenders based on the updated benchmark interest rates published by the People’s Bank of China. We repaid a short-term loan at the amount of $6.0 million to ABN Amro in March 2009.

In December 2009, we obtained an RMB-denominated loan in the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of approximately $9.2 million from China CITIC Bank, Chongqing Branch with a fixed annual interest rate

 

70


Table of Contents

of 5.31% and an RMB-denominated loan in the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of approximately $10.3 million from Huaxia Bank, Wanzhou Branch with a floating interest rate, which is subject to adjustments based on the updated benchmark interest rates published by the People’s Bank of China. Daqo Group provided guarantees for these two loans. As of the date of this prospectus, the prevailing annual interest rate of this loan is 5.40%.

Liquidity and Capital Resources of Daqo New Material

During the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material financed its operations primarily through bank loans, shareholder loans from Daqo Group and capital contributions from Daqo Group.

The following table sets forth a summary of Daqo New Material’s cash flows for the period indicated:

 

     Accumulated from
November 16,
2006 to
June 30, 2008
 

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

   $ (11,365,682

Net cash used in investing activities

     (118,109,592

Net cash provided by financing activities

     132,872,611   

Effect of exchange rate changes

     714,338   
        

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     4,111,675   

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

     —     
        

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

   $ 4,111,675   
        

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

  

Interest paid

   $ 2,680,673   

Income taxes paid

   $ —     

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing activities:

  

Purchases of property, plant and equipment included in accounts payable

   $ 20,970,318   

As of June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material had $16.9 million in restricted cash and $4.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. Restricted cash primarily consisted of cash that Daqo New Material placed in bank accounts as guarantee deposits for the banks’ issuance of short-term letters of credit in support of its purchases of property, plant and equipment. Cash and cash equivalents consisted of cash on hand and demand deposits, which were unrestricted as to withdrawal and use and had maturities of three months or less.

Operating Activities.     Net cash used in operating activities for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008 was $11.4 million, primarily resulting from the increase in prepaid expense and other current assets in a total amount of $8.3 million and payments made to suppliers of $2.0 million.

Investing Activities.     Net cash used in investing activities for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008 was $118.1 million, primarily resulting from payments for the purchase of property, plant and equipment in a total amount of $87.4 million and advances to Chongqing Daqo of $13.8 million in support of Chongqing Daqo’s purchase of property, plant and equipment and an increase in restricted cash of $16.9 million.

Financing Activities.     Net cash provided by financing activities for the period from November 16, 2006 to June 30, 2008 was $132.9 million, resulting from the proceeds of bank borrowings of $77.3 million, advances from Daqo Group in the amount of $9.7 million and capital contributions from Daqo Group in the amount of $45.9 million.

 

71


Table of Contents

Contractual Commitments

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

The following table sets forth our contractual obligations and commercial commitments as of September 30, 2009:

 

     Payments Due by Period
     Total    Less Than
1 Year
   1-3 Years    3-5 Years    More Than
5 Years
     (in thousands)
Contractual obligations:               

Short-term debt (1)(3)

   $ 5,493    $ 5,493    $ —      $ —      $ —  

Long-term debt (2)(3)

     161,141      26,281      78,754      51,052      5,054

Capital commitments (4)

     2,688      2,688      —        —        —  

Other long-term borrowings

     7,130      —        900      6,230      —  

Operating lease obligations (5)

     8,628      4,906      3,722      —        —  
                                  

Total obligations

   $ 185,080    $ 39,368    $ 83,376    $ 57,282    $ 5,054
                                  

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The weighted average interest rate on the short-term bank borrowings as of September 30, 2009 was 5.31%.

(2)

Includes floating rate interest payments. Our floating rate debts are all RMB-denominated and the interest rates will be adjusted annually by the lenders based on the updated benchmark interest rates published by the People’s Bank of China. Our weighted average floating interest rate as of September 30, 2009 was 6.87%, which was used for the calculation of the total amount of our long-term debts.

(3)

As of September 30, 2009 bank loans in the amount of $166.6 million were guaranteed by Daqo Group.

(4)

Represents commitments relating to our purchase of property, plant and equipment for our production capacity expansion, including payment commitments to our project contractors.

(5)

Represents Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo’s obligation to settle their land use right fees with the local Chinese government pursuant to a land use right agreement. Pursuant to the agreement, Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo obtained a 50-year land use right and were required to settle land use right fees within one year after the production commencement date of facilities on the relevant parcels of land.

Off Balance Sheet Commitments and Arrangements

We have not entered into any financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of third parties. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support to us or that engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with us.

Inflation

In recent years, China has not experienced significant inflation, and thus inflation has not had a material impact on our results of operations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the increase in China’s Consumer Price Index was 1.5%, 4.8% and 5.9% in the years of 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. China has begun to experience deflation recently, and China’s Consumer Price Index has fallen by 1.1% from September 2008 to September 2009.

Market Risks

Foreign Exchange Risk

Substantially all of our revenues and most of our expenses are denominated in RMB. Our exposure to foreign exchange risk primarily relates to (1) the U.S. dollar or Euro income that we may generate in the future for sale of our polysilicon in the international market, (2) the U.S. dollar proceeds of this offering, most or substantially all of which we expect to convert into RMB over time for the uses discussed under

 

72


Table of Contents

“Use of Proceeds,” and (3) the U.S. dollar and Euro denominated equipment purchase prices that we need to pay from time to time. We believe the impact of foreign currency risk is not material and we have not used any forward contracts, currency borrowings or derivative instruments to hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. Although in general our exposure to foreign exchange risks should be limited, the value of your investment in our ADSs will be affected by the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollars and RMB because the value of our business is effectively denominated in RMB, while we use the U.S. dollar as our functional and reporting currency and the ADSs will be traded in U.S. dollars. The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions and China’s foreign exchange policies.

On July 21, 2005, the Chinese government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the U.S. dollar. However, the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rates and achieve policy goals. Following the removal of the U.S. dollar peg, the RMB appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Since July 2008, however, the RMB has traded within a narrow range against the U.S. dollar, remaining within 1% of its July 2008 high. As a consequence, the RMB has fluctuated significantly since July 2008 against other freely traded currencies, in tandem with the U.S. dollar. It is difficult to predict how long the current situation may last and when and how RMB exchange rates may change again.

To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from this offering into RMB for our operations, acquisitions or other uses within China, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we receive from the conversion. To the extent that we seek to convert RMB into U.S. dollars, depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the U.S. dollar amount we receive from the conversion.

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to interest rate risk primarily relates to interest expenses incurred by our short-term and long-term borrowings and interest income generated by excess cash which is mostly held in interest-bearing bank deposits. We have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest rate risk exposure. As of September 30, 2009, we had outstanding short-term bank borrowings of $5.5 million and outstanding long-term bank borrowings of $161.1 million, with a weighted average floating interest rate of 6.87%. We are currently not engaged in any interest rate hedging activities.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued ASC 105, “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” (“ASC 105”) (previously Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 168, “ The FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles—A Replacement of FASB Statement No. 162 ”) . ASC 105 establishes the Codification as the single source of authoritative U.S. GAAP recognized by the FASB for non-governmental entities. Rules and interpretive releases of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under authority of federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative U.S. GAAP for SEC registrants. The Codification is effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. We adopted ASC 105 effective with our September 30, 2009 consolidated financial statements. The adoption of this provision did not change the application of existing U.S. GAAP, and as a result, did not have any impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Beginning with our consolidated financial statements included in this report, accounting references will be made to the Codification references and certain historical references to accounting standards will also be included during this initial transition.

ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures” (previously SFAS No. 157, “ Fair Value Measurements ”). This accounting standard defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair

 

73


Table of Contents

value in U.S. GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The FASB issued an amendment to this accounting standard which delayed its effective date for nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). The adoption of the provisions of this amended accounting standard on January 1, 2009 and did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

ASC 805, “Business Combinations” (previously SFAS No. 141R, “ Business Combinations ”). This accounting standard requires an acquiring entity in a business combination to recognize all and only the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction, establishes the acquisition-date fair value as the measurement objective for all assets acquired and liabilities assumed, and requires the acquirer to disclose to investors and other users all of the information they need to evaluate and understand the nature and financial effect of the business combination. This accounting standard applies prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 had no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

ASC 810-10-65, “Consolidations—Overall—Transition and Open Effective Date Information” (previously SFAS No. 160, “ Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements ”). This accounting standard requires all entities to report noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries as equity in the consolidated financial statements. This accounting standard eliminates the diversity that existed in accounting for transactions between an entity and noncontrolling interests by requiring that they be treated as equity transactions. We adopted the presentation and disclosure provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009.

When adopting the presentation and disclosure items, retrospective application to conform previously reported financial statements to the new presentation requirements is required. Changes to reflect the new measurement guidance for increases or decreases in ownership and other changes must be done prospectively. The new requirements for noncontrolling interests, results of operations and comprehensive income of subsidiaries change the presentation of operating results, related per-share information and equity. This accounting standard requires net income and comprehensive income to be displayed for both the controlling and the noncontrolling interests. Additional required disclosures and reconciliations include a separate schedule that shows the effects of any transactions with the noncontrolling interests on the equity attributable to the controlling interest.

ASC 323-10-35, “Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures—Subsequent Measure” (previously Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) 08-06, “ Equity Method Accounting Considerations ”). This standard addresses certain aspects of accounting for business combinations and noncontrolling interests on an entity’s accounting for equity-method investments. The consensus indicates, among other things, that transaction costs for an investment should be included in the cost of the equity-method investment (and not expensed) and shares subsequently issued by the equity-method investee that reduce the investor’s ownership percentage should be accounted for as if the investor had sold a proportionate share of its investment, with gains or losses recorded through earnings. These amendments were effective for transactions occurring after December 31, 2008. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

ASC 815-10, “Derivatives and Hedging—Overall” (previously SFAS No. 161, “ Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities—an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 ”). This accounting standard expands the disclosure requirements related to derivative instruments and hedging activities with the intent to provide users of financial statements an enhanced understanding of how and why derivative instruments are used, how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for and how they affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. We adopted the disclosure requirements of this accounting standard effective January 1, 2009.

 

74


Table of Contents

ASC 275-10, “Risks and Uncertainties—Overall” and ASC 350-30, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—General Intangible Other than Goodwill” (previously FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) No. FAS 142-3, “ Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets ”). These accounting standards amend the factors that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 had no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

ASC 808-10, “Collaborative Arrangements—Overall” (previously EITF 07-01, “ Accounting for Collaborative Arrangements ”). This accounting standard defines collaborative arrangements and establishes reporting requirements for transactions between participants in a collaborative arrangement and between participants in the arrangement and third parties. A collaborative arrangement is a contractual arrangement that involves a joint operating activity. These arrangements involve two (or more) parties who are both (a) active participants in the activity and (b) exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of the activity. An entity should report the effects of applying this accounting standard as a change in accounting principle through retrospective application to all prior periods presented for all arrangements existing as of the effective date. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 had no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

ASC 260-10, “Earnings per Share—Overall” (previously EITF 03-6-1, “ Determining Whether Instruments Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions are Participating Securities ”). This accounting standard addresses whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities prior to vesting and, therefore, need to be included in the earnings allocation in computing earnings per share under the two-class method. The adoption of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 did not have a material effect on our computation of earnings per share.

ASC 855-10, “Subsequent Events—Overall” (previously SFAS No. 165, “ Subsequent Events ”). This accounting standard establishes general standards for the accounting for and disclosure of events that occur subsequent to the balance sheet date but before the financial statements of an entity are issued or are available to be issued. We adopted the provisions of this accounting standard effective June 30, 2009. The adoption of this accounting standard did not have any impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

ASC 810-10, “Consolidation—Overall” (previously SFAS No. 167, “Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R)”). In June 2009, the FASB issued this accounting standard to address (1) the effects on certain consolidation provisions as a result of the elimination of the concept of qualifying special-purpose entities and (2) constituent concerns about the application of certain consolidation provisions including those in which the accounting and disclosures do not always provide timely and useful information about an enterprise’s involvement in a variable interest entity. We adopted this standard on January 1, 2010 and are assessing the impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2009-13 (“ASU 2009-13”) (previously EITF 08-1, “Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables”). In October 2009, the EITF issued this accounting standard to address the accounting for multiple-deliverable arrangements to enable vendors to account for products or services (deliverables) separately rather than as a combined unit. In accordance with ASU 2009-13, when vendor specific objective evidence or third party evidence for deliverables in an arrangement cannot be determined, a best estimate of the selling price is required to separate deliverables and allocate arrangement consideration using the relative selling price method. This standard includes new disclosure requirements on how the application of the relative selling price method affects the timing and amount of revenue recognition. We believe that the adoption of this new standard will have a material effect on its financial position and results of operations.

 

75


Table of Contents

INDUSTRY

Solar Power Market

Photovoltaics is one of the proven and most rapidly growing renewable power generation sources in the world. Energy from the sun is converted into electricity primarily through the photovoltaic effect and, to a lesser extent, through concentrated solar thermal technologies. Solarbuzz reports that the global photovoltaic market reached 5,948 MW in 2008, an increase from 1,068 MW in 2004, representing a four-year compound annual growth rate of 53%. At the end of 2008, cumulative global photovoltaic installations were 15,700 MW.

Solar power systems use solar cells based on two main technologies: crystalline-silicon, or C-Si, and thin-film. According to Solarbuzz, C-Si based solar cells dominate the photovoltaic market, accounting for 87% of the total solar cell production in 2008 due to their high energy conversion efficiency and reliability. The following diagram illustrates the photovoltaic cell production growth for C-Si cells and thin-film cells:

LOGO

 

 

Source: Solarbuzz, 2009

Despite the current global economic slowdown and turmoil in the global financial markets, it is expected that the photovoltaic market will continue to grow starting from 2010. The following diagram illustrates the forecast of the world’s photovoltaic demand from 2009 to 2013 under Solarbuzz’s green world energy scenario.

LOGO

 

Source: Solarbuzz, 2009

* Solarbuzz lays out three scenarios: balanced energy, green world and production led scenarios. The balanced energy scenario assumes that the photovoltaic market’s growth is limited by restrictions on incentives and policies and projects the world’s photovoltaic market to reach 8.3 GW in 2013. The green world energy scenario assumes a higher level of installation resulting from growth led by new and growing market incentive programs for grid-connected photovoltaics. The production led scenario assumes the most aggressive photovoltaic market growth led by pricing decline and strong growth in the U.S. market and projects the world’s photovoltaic market to reach 21.0 GW in 2013. We believe that among the three scenarios, the green world scenario provides the most convincing and moderate projection of market growth and therefore we have presented the green world scenario instead of the other two scenarios.

 

76


Table of Contents

Key Drivers of Solar Power Demand

Climate Change Policy.     Greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change continue to be a global concern. Solar power systems emit no greenhouse gases, making them a ready solution to replace current power production that is dependent on fossil fuels.

Energy Independence.     Global commodity markets have exhibited volatile pricing and constrained supplies of the fuel sources required to generate electricity. As solar power systems do not require fuel, solar power is an optimal renewable energy source, reducing the need for a country to access the global commodity markets and allowing it to rely on its own solar resources for power supply.

Need for Distributed Generation.     Currently, most electricity is generated in centralized plants that rely on transmission systems to transport the electricity to the demand centers. Transmission is constrained in many locales and new transmission systems are costly and/or uneconomic to build. Solar power systems can be modular and installed close to the demand centers in many instances, lessening the need to invest capital in new transmission systems and electricity grids.

Need to Meet Peak Demand.     The demand for electricity is typically higher during the day when residential, commercial and industrial customers all have a need for power. Solar power systems have additional value in that they generate electricity when the sun is available, overlapping with the higher demand for electricity that is typical during the daytime.

Government Incentives.     Many governments worldwide have implemented programs that encourage the use of renewable energy sources, including solar power, such as Germany, Spain, the United States and China. As policy objectives, including increasing energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, are met through the use of solar power, we expect government incentives to remain in place and even increase to encourage investment in solar power systems.

Variable Cost.     In addition to requiring no fuel supply, solar power systems also have limited operational and maintenance variable costs. After payment of the fixed installation cost, solar power becomes one of the lowest variable cost sources of energy.

Key Challenges for the Solar Power Industry

Need to Improve Cost Competitiveness Against Other Energy Sources.     Although the costs of generating electricity from photovoltaics have decreased significantly in recent years, solar power generation is still more expensive than conventional power generation. The primary challenge for the photovoltaic industry is to reduce the price per watt of energy for end-users. In addition, the current growth of the solar power industry substantially relies on the availability and size of government subsidies and other economic incentives such as capital cost rebates, favorable feed-in-tariffs, tax credits and net metering. It remains a challenge for the solar power industry to reach a sufficient scale to be cost-effective in a non-subsidized marketplace.

Possible Reduction or Elimination of Government Subsidies and Incentives.     The current growth of the solar power industry substantially relies on the availability and size of government subsidies and economic incentives, such as capital cost rebates, favorable feed-in-tariff, tax credits, net metering and other incentives. Governments may eventually decide to reduce or eliminate these subsidies and economic incentives. It remains a challenge for the solar power industry to reach a sufficient scale to be cost-effective in a non-subsidized marketplace.

Recent Development of the Solar Market in China

The solar market in China is at an initial stage of development. According to Solarbuzz, the installed solar power generation capacity in China was 35 MW in 2008. However, according to Solarbuzz, the Chinese solar power market is expected to undergo a significant transformation “from a market

 

77


Table of Contents

dominated by off-grid rural and industrial projects, to one marked by a significant increase in large on-grid, ground mounted systems” as the result of changing project economics and increasing governmental support. China’s energy policy is shaped by the Chinese government’s central planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, along with the National Energy Administration, or the NEA, which focuses on regulation of energy supply and production. The Chinese government acknowledges its role in global carbon emissions and has enacted a series of laws and policies emphasizing China’s objective to reduce emissions through the use of renewable energy sources. These laws and policies include the Renewable Energies Law enacted in February 2005 (as amended in December 2009) and the Medium and Long- Term Development Plan for the Renewable Energy Industry put forth in August 2007, which, among other things, set forth the goals for renewable energy to comprise 10% of total energy consumption by 2010 (with 300 MW from solar energy) and 15% by 2020 (with 1,800 MW from solar energy).

Central Government Incentives.     On July 21, 2009, the Ministry of Science and Technology and NEA announced the “Golden Sun” program, which will support a minimum of 500 MW of installations (with a cap of 20 MW per province) over the next two to three years with a 50% subsidy of the total investments for on-grid and a 70% subsidy of the total investments for off-grid applications.

Provincial Level Incentives.     Jiangsu Province, where Nanjing Daqo is located, has recently announced a solar feed-in-tariff program to support 400 MW of solar installations from 2009 to 2011. The target feed-in-tariff rates for the year 2009 under this program were RMB2.15 per kWh inclusive of VAT for ground mounted systems, RMB3.70 per kWh inclusive of VAT for rooftop systems, and will be lower for the years 2010 and 2011.

Restrictions on Import of Recoverable Silicon Materials.     The recently tightened regulation on the import of recoverable silicon materials may result in an increased reliance by photovoltaic product manufacturers on virgin polysilicon produced in China, which will in turn benefit China-based polysilicon manufacturers such as us. So far, photovoltaic product manufacturers in China have imported virgin polysilicon and recoverable silicon raw materials, including polysilicon scraps, from overseas suppliers to meet a substantial portion of their polysilicon requirements. The Chinese government recently revised its waste materials import catalogues. According to the new catalogues which became effective on August 1, 2009, recoverable silicon materials with a purity rate below 99.99% are deemed as waste materials that are prohibited from import and recoverable silicon materials with a purity rate at or above 99.99% are added to the “restricted” category, the import of which has become subject to more strict examination and approval requirements. The implementation of the new catalogues will raise the barriers for Chinese photovoltaic product manufacturers to import recoverable silicon materials and encourage them to rely more on polysilicon produced in China, which provides new market opportunities for China-based polysilicon manufacturers such as us.

Photovoltaic Product Value Chain

The following diagram illustrates the value chain for the manufacture of C-Si based photovoltaic products:

LOGO

C-Si based modules are manufactured from solar-grade polysilicon, which is produced by a series of complex steps of refining metallurgical-grade silicon, or MG-Si. To produce multicrystalline wafers, polysilicon is cast into ingots, squared into bricks and then sliced into wafers. Monocrystalline wafers are produced from a seed crystal dipped in molten polysilicon and pulled into a cylindrical ingot, which is then cut into wafers.

 

78


Table of Contents

Wafers are manufactured into photovoltaic cells through a process that involves etching, doping, coating and applying electrical contacts.

Photovoltaic cells are interconnected to produce a cell string, which is laminated between toughened glass on the top and a polymeric backing sheet on the rear to form photovoltaic modules. The installers or end users then install modules and other system components onto on-grid or off-grid systems.

According to Solarbuzz, the production of polysilicon currently represents the highest gross margin throughout the whole photovoltaic production value chain.

Polysilicon Market

Overview

Polysilicon is the primary raw material for the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. Historically, the semiconductor industry has been the dominant user of polysilicon. Due to the recent rapid growth of the photovoltaic industry, the polysilicon consumption by the photovoltaic industry has exceeded that by the semiconductor industry. In 2008, the photovoltaic industry consumed 69% of the polysilicon production while the semiconductor industry consumed the remaining 31%, according to Solarbuzz. As a result of this rapid expansion, sales to the photovoltaic industry are now the key factor affecting the price, profit and growth of the polysilicon market.

LOGO

 

Source: Solarbuzz, 2009

Polysilicon production entails the highly technical and energy-intensive refining of MG-Si. MG-Si is widely available, but has an average purity level of only 95% to 99%. The photovoltaic industry requires silicon feedstock at a purity level of 99.9999% (often referred to as “six nines” or 6N pure), while the semiconductor industry requires silicon feedstock at a purity level of 99.9999999% (often referred to as “nine nines” or 9N pure) or above.

Three main technologies are used in polysilicon production: the Siemens process, the fluidized bed reactor process and the newly developed upgraded metallurgical grade silicon process. In addition to the three main technologies, Tokuyama has developed a polysilicon manufacturing technology called the “vapor-to-liquid deposition” process. The Siemens process has been the dominant technology among the three processes as it allows production of polysilicon with a wide spectrum of quality, ranging from the highest purity of semiconductor grade to high quality solar grade. According to Solarbuzz, the Siemens process is an existing and well proven process technology predominantly used in high purity silicon feedstock production in the solar industry, and thus entails less risk in capacity expansion for existing plants or new plant construction. The other three new technologies, the fluidized bed reactor process, the upgrading metallurgical grade silicon process and the vapor-to-liquid deposition, have the potential for lower cost production but are relatively new or less proven and therefore have not been widely adopted by global polysilicon manufacturers.

 

79


Table of Contents

The recent growth of the photovoltaic industry has increased the demand for polysilicon. According to Solarbuzz, total global polysilicon manufacturing capacity grew by 48% to approximately 87,800 MT per annum by the end of 2008. The rapid capacity expansion was driven by an increase in capacity of the established polysilicon manufacturers and new entrants to the market.

Competitive Landscape

Costs of production and quality define the competitive landscape of the polysilicon market. While the raw material for polysilicon production is widely available, there exist significant barriers to entering the polysilicon manufacturing business. The operation of polysilicon plants involves highly complex processes and requires significant expertise. Plant system-type, high-quality equipment, costs of raw materials and industry expertise are key determinants of polysilicon production costs. A plant with a fully-integrated, “closed loop” process is more cost-effective than one with an “open loop” production process as the closed loop process reduces the raw materials needed for production by recycling TCS, a key production input, and consumes less energy. This recycling process also lowers the exposure to operational disruption. Lower input costs and efficient use of inputs, such as electricity and steam, also contribute to a producer’s competitiveness. The expertise to achieve continuously stable production allows for greater efficiency and is an additional factor in lowering production costs. Alongside advanced equipment and plant system-type, the capabilities of the analytical laboratory and product tracking system are fundamental to ensuring high-quality product. In addition, annual output of at least 3,000-5,000 MT is required to achieve economies of scale. The long lead time and significant financial resources required to scale up polysilicon production have limited the number of profitable polysilicon producers globally.

According to Solarbuzz, the total global polysilicon production capacity serving both the semiconductor and the photovoltaic industries at the end of 2008 was approximately 87,800 MT. The top five polysilicon manufacturers, namely Hemlock, Wacker, MEMC, REC, and Tokuyama, accounted for approximately 59% of the total polysilicon production capacity in 2008. Although there have been many new entrants in China, polysilicon production capacity in China currently still lags far behind photovoltaic cell production capacity, presenting significant opportunities in domestic demand for the China-based polysilicon producers. The following table indicates the market shares of China and the rest of the world in polysilicon and photovoltaic cell production in 2008:

 

     Polysilicon (1)   Cell

China (2)

   15%   44%

Rest of World

   85%   56%

Total production

   71,730 MT   5,961 MW

 

Source: Solarbuzz, 2009

(1)

Includes semiconductor requirement.

(2)

Includes Taiwan.

Historically, polysilicon supply and demand has shown significant cyclicality mainly due to significant capital investment requirements and the long lead time required for facility construction and production ramp-up. In addition, primarily as a result of the constrained financing markets, demand for photovoltaic products has declined in recent quarters. According to Solarbuzz, the growth in global polysilicon supply capability currently exceeds the growth in global polysilicon demand. As a result, the actual production has been adjusted in response to the reduced demand. Producers with low processing costs and strong balance sheets are better positioned to weather the downturn in demand and industry consolidation. Once financing becomes accessible to downstream players, polysilicon producers who have the ability to expand production quickly and effectively are well-positioned to capture a greater share of the expanding solar market.

 

80


Table of Contents

BUSINESS

Overview

We are a leading polysilicon manufacturer based in China. We manufacture and sell high-quality polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers, who further process our polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. With an installed annual production capacity of 3,300 MT as of September 30, 2009, we believe we are one of the largest polysilicon manufacturers in China. We plan to increase our installed annual production capacity to 9,300 MT by March 2012. In addition to ramping up our capacity, we have consistently focused on producing high-quality polysilicon in a cost-efficient manner, which we believe has contributed to our market position and will benefit us and our customers.

Photovoltaics is one of the proven and most rapidly growing renewable energy sources in the world. As polysilicon represents the most significant portion of the production cost for photovoltaic product manufacturing and commercial production of polysilicon requires high start-up costs and a long ramp-up time, we believe that polysilicon manufacturers with sufficient economies of scale can generally achieve higher profit margins than downstream manufacturers in the photovoltaic industry. We currently dedicate substantially all of our management efforts and our financial, technical, research and human resources to the manufacturing and sale of polysilicon. As a market leader strategically positioned upstream on the manufacturing value chain of a fast growing industry, we have been able to benefit from the growth of downstream photovoltaic cell and module production since our inception. In order to diversify our product offerings and enhance awareness of our “Daqo” brand, we plan to strategically expand into the photovoltaic module manufacturing business and the photovoltaic system integration and installation business.

We compete with international and domestic polysilicon manufacturers primarily in acquiring and retaining China-based customers. The global financial crisis and the significant decrease in global petroleum prices since their peak in mid-2008 resulted in a substantial decline in the demand for photovoltaic products in recent quarters. To address the challenges presented to our business by international and domestic competitors and the current global oversupply of polysilicon and the corresponding downward pricing pressure, we are focusing on maintaining our competitive cost structure and pursuing further cost saving to improve our profitability.

We believe that we have a competitive cost structure in polysilicon manufacturing primarily due to our strategic location in China and our manufacturing process. As our operations are based in Chongqing, which is in the western area of China where the cost of doing business is generally lower than in the coastal areas in China, we have significant advantages in electricity, raw material and labor costs over our competitors that are based in developed countries or in the coastal areas of China. In addition, we utilize the modified Siemens process to produce polysilicon, as do the vast majority of polysilicon manufacturers in the world. We have implemented the closed loop system to produce high-quality polysilicon cost-effectively. The closed loop system is an advanced polysilicon manufacturing process widely used by leading international polysilicon manufacturers. We believe we are one of the few China-based polysilicon manufacturers that have fully implemented the closed loop system in the polysilicon manufacturing process. Our fully implemented closed loop system differentiates us from manufacturers that only implement the closed loop system in some, but not all, of their manufacturing lines, and manufacturers that are in the process of converting it to the closed loop system. Compared to the open loop manufacturing system, the closed loop manufacturing system uses raw materials more efficiently, requires less electricity and causes less pollution even though manufacturing facilities based on the open loop system can be built within a shorter period time with less initial capital expenditures on equipment. We believe that there is a trend among Chinese domestic manufacturers to migrate to the closed loop system. However, implementing the closed loop system or converting an existing open loop system to a closed loop system is time-consuming and requires significant capital investment and industry expertise.

 

81


Table of Contents

Therefore, we believe that we will continue to enjoy competitive advantages over Chinese domestic polysilicon manufacturers that use the open loop system in the short and medium term.

We focus heavily on ensuring customer satisfaction and consistently delivering high-quality products to our customers. We impose rigorous quality control standards at various stages of our manufacturing process. We systematically test raw materials from our suppliers and test our inputs at each stage of our manufacturing process to ensure that they meet all technical specifications. With our strict quality control measures in our manufacturing and facility construction processes, we are able to produce high-quality polysilicon consistently at both our existing Chongqing Phase 1a facility and our newly constructed Phase 1b facility.

We are located in China and are closer to our customers than our international competitors. China has become an important global center for manufacturing photovoltaic products with a growing number of leading photovoltaic companies. Polysilicon production capacity in China has lagged far behind the demand from manufacturers of downstream photovoltaic products in China. In addition, due to changing project economics and increasing governmental support, we expect that the Chinese domestic photovoltaic market will undergo significant growth in the next few years. Being close to leading global photovoltaic companies based in China, we are positioned to respond to our customers’ needs quickly, manage inventory more efficiently and achieve further cost savings.

We have achieved substantial growth since we commenced commercial production of polysilicon in July 2008. In 2008, we produced 291 MT of polysilicon and sold 237 MT. In the first nine months of 2009, we produced 995 MT of polysilicon and sold 901 MT. Shortly after we commenced commercial production, leading China-based photovoltaic companies, such as Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola and Suntech, through one of its affiliates, became our customers, and they have been our major customers since then. As a result, we generated revenues of $56.4 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $21.5 million in 2008 and we generated revenues of $79.5 million and achieved net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders of $20.9 million in the first nine months of 2009. The decline in our net income attributable to our ordinary shareholders from the year ended December 31, 2008 to the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was caused by the significant decrease in the average selling price of our polysilicon as a result of the global oversupply of polysilicon and the increasing downward pricing pressure during the same period.

Our existing shareholders hold equity interests in Daqo Group. Since our inception, we have substantially benefited from the financial support of Daqo Group, one of the largest electrical equipment manufacturers in China. As of September 30, 2009, we had outstanding payable to Daqo Group in the amount of $0.2 million and Daqo Group guaranteed all of our outstanding bank borrowings. In addition, Daqo Group has granted us a permanent and royalty-free license to use the “Daqo” brand, which is a well recognized brand in the electrical industry in China. We have benefited from the strong brand recognition of “Daqo” in our business development efforts, as evidenced by our ability to secure major customers based in China within a short period after we commenced commercial production of polysilicon. If Daqo Group ceases to support us, our business, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We may not be able to continue to receive the same level of support from Daqo Group, which may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.”

 

82


Table of Contents

Our Strengths

We believe that the following strengths enable us to compete effectively and to further increase our profitability:

Competitive cost structure

We believe that we have a competitive cost structure in polysilicon manufacturing as a result of the following factors:

Competitive electricity, raw material and labor costs and governmental support.     As our operations are based in Chongqing, which is in the western area of China where the cost of doing business is generally lower than the coastal areas in China, we have significant advantages in electricity, raw material and labor costs over our competitors that are based in developed countries or in the coastal areas of China. We can also source other raw materials such as liquid chlorine and hydrogen at low cost due to our proximity to a major salt mine and a chemical industry park. Furthermore, as one of the most populous cities in the world and one of the most developed cities in western China, Chongqing offers an abundant source of low-cost skilled workers. We also enjoy preferential tax treatment and fiscal and other supports provided by the Chinese government under the national policy of developing the western inland regions of China. In particular, Chongqing Daqo, recently qualified as a “Chongqing High and New Technology Enterprises”, enjoys a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15%, which is lower than the 25% uniform national tax rate.

Closed loop manufacturing system.     We have implemented the modified Siemens process to produce high-quality polysilicon cost-effectively in a completely closed loop system. The closed loop system is an advanced polysilicon manufacturing process widely used by leading international polysilicon manufacturers. We believe we are one of the few China-based polysilicon manufacturers that have fully implemented the closed loop system in the polysilicon production process. We generate TCS, the most costly input for polysilicon production in-house using liquid chlorine and metallurgical silicon powder, two readily available and relatively inexpensive industrial materials, whereas many of our domestic competitors lack the capacity to do so. Compared to the open loop manufacturing system that most of our domestic competitors use, the closed loop manufacturing system uses raw materials more efficiently, requires less electricity and causes less pollution. In addition, we have achieved effective heat and water conservation in our closed loop manufacturing system, thereby enhancing our production efficiency and reducing our operational costs.

Consistently high-quality products

We focus on ensuring customer satisfaction and consistently delivering high-quality products. Our closed loop modified Siemens manufacturing process, and in particular our capacity to produce TCS in-house and to control its quality, enables us to produce high-quality polysilicon efficiently. In 2008 and the first nine months of 2009, 95% of our polysilicon reached a purity level of 99.9999999% (9N pure). We impose rigorous quality control standards at various stages of our manufacturing process. We systematically test raw materials from our suppliers and test our inputs at each stage of our production process to ensure that they meet all technical specifications. With our strict quality control measures in our manufacturing and facility construction processes, we are able to produce high-quality polysilicon consistently at both our existing Chongqing Phase 1a facility and our newly constructed Phase 1b facility. Certain leading China-based photovoltaic companies such as Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola and Suntech, through its affiliate, are among our customers. As part of our initial efforts to tap into the international market, we sent our products to a leading U.S. solar power company for testing as part of a test sale and it confirmed that our products met its quality standards, which are regarded as among the highest ones in the solar industry.

 

83


Table of Contents

China-based manufacturing capacity with abundant growth opportunities

Our strategic location in China provides us with abundant growth opportunities. In recent years, China has become an important global center for manufacturing photovoltaic products with a growing number of leading photovoltaic companies. However, polysilicon production capacity in China has lagged far behind the demand from manufacturers of downstream photovoltaic products in China. Being close to leading global photovoltaic companies based in China, we are positioned to respond to our customers’ needs quickly. In addition, due to changing project economics and increasing governmental support, we expect that the Chinese domestic photovoltaic market will undergo a significant growth in the next few years. Our China-based manufacturing capacity offers us significant competitive advantages in terms of greater geographic proximity to customers, more efficient inventory management and cost savings.

Proven execution capabilities

We have proven our capability to construct and ramp up polysilicon production capacity and acquire customers quickly. We completed construction of our Chongqing Phase 1a facility within 12 months and we shipped the first batch of polysilicon to a major photovoltaic wafer manufacturer within two months afterwards. We also completed construction of our Chongqing Phase 1b facility within 12 months. We produced 291 MT of polysilicon in the last six months of 2008 and 995 MT in the first nine months of 2009. Through the cost-control initiatives implemented in our Phase 1b facility construction process, we managed to reduce the construction costs by 20% as compared with construction costs in Phase 1a. We believe that our management’s execution and coordination capability and their industry knowledge and experience enabled us to overcome the substantial difficulties accompanying the design, installation and operation of polysilicon production facilities and to acquire major customers within a short period of time. We have a dedicated and experienced in-house construction and engineering team with significant experience gained from the construction of our Phase 1 facilities to supervise the general contractors on our current and future expansion projects. We believe that we can apply our technological know-how and our experience in ramping up production capacity quickly to successfully execute our future expansion plans.

Strong focus on technologies and research and development

We are highly focused on the development, introduction and implementation of advanced technologies and intellectual property. We have adopted a systematic approach to our research and development activities to achieve both near-term improvements in manufacturing process efficiency and long-term technological breakthroughs. This approach includes:

Acquisition and implementation of existing advanced technologies from business partners to lay a solid technology foundation.     We worked closely with an industry recognized polysilicon production technology consulting firm to implement a modified Siemens process to produce polysilicon in our Chongqing facilities.

Use of in-house research and development resources to improve our technology foundation.     We believe that we have one of the strongest research and development teams among polysilicon manufacturers in China. Our team consists of 22 experienced researchers and engineers, including 6 experts who enjoy industry-wide recognition in China and internationally and 4 full-time technical consultants with extensive industry experience. We have applied high pressure throughout the manufacturing process to reduce our production cycle time and produce polysilicon more quickly. Utilizing the know-how our research and development team has developed, we are able to fine-tune the process parameters and technical recipes for our key equipment to further improve our production efficiency.

Experienced management with extensive industry contacts and strong track record of successful execution

Our board of directors and management team consist of an experienced and diversified group of entrepreneurs and professionals who have positioned our company to take advantage of the rapidly

 

84


Table of Contents

growing photovoltaic market. Our directors and senior management have significant industry and managerial experience and contacts throughout the electricity generation industry, which is evidenced by their records of founding and managing successful enterprises. For example, Mr. Guangfu Xu, our chairman, is a pioneer in the electrical equipment industry in China and has over 40 years’ experience in founding and managing businesses. Mr. Xu has been chairman of Daqo Group, a well-known large scale electrical equipment company in China, since its inception. We believe Mr. Xu’s experience and expertise provide a solid foundation in formulating the vision for our long-term development. Mr. Gongda Yao, our chief executive officer, has over a decade’s experience as a key management team member of Applied Materials, a leading U.S. supplier of semiconductor manufacturing systems. The experience and vision of our directors and senior management provide us with valuable industry insight and management expertise in our business operations. We believe that their industry expertise have enabled us to commence polysilicon production and achieve profitability within a short period of time.

Our Strategies

Our goal is to become a leading global supplier of polysilicon for the solar power industry and an important player in the downstream photovoltaic market. We intend to achieve this by pursuing the following strategies:

Further reducing our production costs

We seek to become one of the most cost-effective polysilicon manufacturers in the world. We intend to achieve economies of scale and operational and capital efficiency by investing in technological advances and applying prudent manufacturing principles and efficient construction techniques. We have so far been able to reduce our production costs by in-house production of TCS from TET and effective heat and water conservation. In addition, we have established a dedicated construction team which has gained extensive execution experience in our Phase 1 facility construction processes to scale up our manufacturing model in a cost-efficient manner. We plan to devote substantial resources to enhancing the efficiency of our production processes, in particular to reducing our polysilicon production cycle time, electricity consumption and use of raw materials. To implement this plan, we will continue to improve the high pressure techniques used in our manufacturing process as well as to refine the design of our furnaces and reactors in order to increase their production yields.

Significantly expanding polysilicon production capacity

We plan to significantly increase our production capacity to meet the long-term growth we expect in demand for polysilicon and to improve our economies of scale. We ramped up our Chongqing Phase 1a production facility to its full capacity of 1,500 MT per year in early 2009. We commenced trial production at our Chongqing Phase 1b production facility in July 2009 and began commercial production at this facility in December 2009. We plan to ramp up production at the Phase 1b facility to its full capacity of 1,800 MT per year in January 2010. We also plan to commence the construction of our Phase 2 production facility in 2010 and expect to increase our total installed production capacity to 9,300 MT by March 2012. We believe that our planned expansion will help us enhance economies of scale in production and reduce materials procurement costs as well as rationalize our equipment costs and general and administrative expenses.

Deepening existing customer relationships and broadening customer base

We plan to deepen our existing customer relationships and broaden our customer base to capitalize on new market opportunities and to reduce our reliance on any particular geographic region or on a small number of customers.

Domestic market.     We will continue to focus on the China market, where many leading photovoltaic companies are located. We believe that China’s photovoltaic market will grow rapidly with the adoption of more solar energy incentive policies by the Chinese government. We intend to strengthen our existing

 

85


Table of Contents

relationships with leading photovoltaic cell and module manufacturers by providing them with consistently high-quality polysilicon in order to become one of their preferred polysilicon suppliers. Furthermore, we intend to leverage our reputation as a high-quality polysilicon manufacturer among our customers to attract and to establish long-term business relationships with other leading photovoltaic product manufacturers.

Overseas markets.     We established our footprint in the U.S. solar power market through supply of polysilicon to a leading U.S. solar power company for testing in February 2009. This company confirmed that our products met its quality standards, which are regarded as among the highest in the solar industry. We are currently in negotiation with this company for polysilicon sales contracts. Encouraged by the positive response we obtained in the test sale and increasing interest in our products, we established a marketing office in California in January 2009 to coordinate our marketing efforts. In the future, we also plan to launch marketing initiatives in the European market to broaden our geographical presence to capture opportunities in those markets.

Complementing existing business through expansion into photovoltaic module manufacturing business

Our product development strategy is to capture the growing opportunities at both ends of the photovoltaic manufacturing value chain while limiting our involvement in the middle. In addition to expanding our polysilicon production, we plan to expand into the photovoltaic module manufacturing business. We expect this downstream market to grow rapidly in light of the huge market potential as well as the Chinese government’s financial and policy support of the solar market. Building on the excellent relationships we have with the ingot, wafer, and cell manufacturers who are the customers for our polysilicon manufacturing business, we have already entered into strategic cooperation agreements with some of these manufacturers to establish tolling arrangements, under which we would supply polysilicon to them in exchange for cells for module manufacturing. We also plan to purchase equipment to conduct photovoltaic module production on leased premises in Nanjing, China. By entering into the photovoltaic module manufacturing market, we expect to gain direct contact with solar power end users to obtain real-time information on market demand and to diversify our product offerings and to enhance awareness of our “Daqo” brand. We believe that an integrated solar company with both an upstream polysilicon production business and a downstream photovoltaic module manufacturing business will enable us to achieve optimal cumulative profit growth while increasing our ability to weather any future industry downturn or volatility. In addition, through the two businesses, we believe we can achieve synergies by sharing our industry expertise and management know-how in the solar power industry and collaborating our purchasing, manufacturing, marketing, warehousing and distributing functions.

Leveraging our relationship with Daqo Group to enter the solar power system integration and installation business

We plan to leverage our relationship with Daqo Group and our management’s experience and relationships in the electrical equipment industries to enter into the solar power system integration and installation business. Our founders are also founders and principal shareholders of Daqo Group, one of the largest electrical equipment manufacturers in China. We believe that Daqo Group’s strong reputation, sales and marketing network and extensive experience in the electrical equipment industry will help us secure solar power system integration and installation contracts. Currently, we have identified a number of potential projects and submitted applications to the relevant local Chinese government authorities for approval with a view to providing integration and installation services for those projects.

Our Products and Services

We manufacture and sell high-purity polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufactures, who further process the polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. We offer ready-to-use polysilicon, packaged to meet crucible stacking, pulling, and solidification needs.

 

86


Table of Contents

We have entered into strategic cooperation agreements with some downstream manufacturers to establish tolling arrangements, under which we supply polysilicon to them in exchange for cells for module manufacturing. In addition, we plan to begin to provide solar power system integration and installation services by targeting high-profile projects.

Manufacturing Process

Modified Siemens Process

Three main technologies are used in polysilicon production: the Siemens process, the fluidized bed reactor process and the newly developed upgraded metallurgical grade silicon process. In addition to the three main technologies, Tokuyama has developed a manufacturing polysilicon technology called the “vapor-to-liquid deposition” process. The Siemens process is an existing and well proven process technology predominantly used in high purity silicon feedstock production in the solar industry. The other three new technologies, the fluidized bed reactor process, the upgrading metallurgical grade silicon process and the vapor-to-liquid deposition, have the potential for lower cost production but are relatively new and less proven.

We use the modified Siemens process to produce polysilicon. We have been licensed by Poly Engineering, an industry recognized polysilicon production technology consulting firm based in Europe, with the exclusive rights in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau to utilize a modified Siemens process to produce polysilicon in our facilities. We further developed our manufacturing process by applying the modified Siemens process licensed from Poly Engineering.

The modified Siemens process includes three distinct steps: (1) TCS production; (2) distillation; and (3) deposition. In addition, we recover and recycle exhaust gas throughout the process in our closed loop manufacturing system. The diagram below describes our general manufacturing process:

LOGO

 

87


Table of Contents

TCS production.     The first step of the manufacturing process is to produce TCS from two widely available industrial raw materials: MG-Si and liquid chlorine. Whereas many of our domestic competitors lack the capacity to produce TCS, the most costly production input for polysilicon production, we generate TCS in-house through our integrated manufacturing process. TCS production includes two steps: hydrogen chloride synthesis, or HCl synthesis, and TCS synthesis. At the HCl synthesis step, liquid chlorine from a chlorine tank is vaporized to chlorine gas and sent to the HCl synthesis furnace, where it reacts with hydrogen to generate HCl. At the TCS synthesis step that follows, MG-Si powder is then sent to a TCS furnace and reacted with HCl gas. The temperature in the TCS synthesis furnace is maintained at 280~320ºC to facilitate the TCS reaction.

Distillation.     Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in their boiling points. Raw TCS is purified through distillation to produce high purity TCS feedstock. The difference in boiling points of TCS and impurities such as boron, phosphorous, and metal halides allow for purification of TCS. It is critical to remove these impurities in this process to eliminate the possible causes of low performance in solar cells. The unused HCl and TET, a by-product, are also separated from TCS through distillation and condensation. The HCl is recycled to produce TCS and TET is recycled to produce TCS through hydrogenation.

Deposition.     The purified TCS from the distillation process is vaporized, mixed with hydrogen gas, and then fed into the deposition reactor. The mixed gas passes over heated silicon slim rods inside the deposition reactor. In the reactor, multiple pair slim rods are heated up to approximately 1,100°C and high purity silicon is deposited on the rods surface. The constant feeding of TCS and hydrogen gas allows for continuous silicon deposition until 150~200mm in diameter is achieved. At this point the deposition cycle is completed and the ultra pure silicon is harvested.

Closed loop manufacturing system

We have implemented the modified Siemens process in a completely closed loop system. The closed loop system is an advanced polysilicon manufacturing process widely used by leading international polysilicon manufacturers. We believe we are one of the few China-based polysilicon manufacturers that have fully implemented the closed loop system in the polysilicon production process. Compared to the open loop manufacturing system, the closed loop manufacturing system uses raw materials more efficiently, requires less electricity and produces less pollution. Manufacturing polysilicon generates an exhaust gas primarily consisting of hydrogen, HCl, and chlorosilanes. Using the vent gas recovery system, which combines condensers, distillation towers, adsorption beds and compressors, we are able to recycle the exhaust stream from our manufacturing process into components that can be reused. For instance, a by-product of the deposition step is TET, which is a toxic chemical. Through a separate hydrogenation process, we convert TET to TCS, so that we eliminate the costs related to TET disposal and reduce operational risks of TET treatment. Mixed chlorosilanes are recovered as a liquid stream suitable for separation where we can directly reuse TCS. Anhydrous HCl is recovered with high purity, suitable for use in TCS production. Recovered hydrogen typically contains contaminants of fewer than 10 parts per million and is recycled to the deposition reactors. Recycling significantly reduces costs related to waste disposal and the amount of raw materials we need to purchase for production.

Although the closed loop system has lower manufacturing costs than the open loop system, manufacturing facilities based on the open loop system can be built within a shorter period time with less initial capital investment for equipment. Most of polysilicon manufacturing facilities in China were traditionally built based on the open loop system. However, as the polysilicon market is facing downward pricing pressure, we believe that an increasing number of domestic manufacturers are converting their open loop system to the closed loop system.

To achieve high efficiency in our manufacturing process, we have also installed a distribution control system and a thermal energy recycling mechanism. The distribution control system enables tight quality

 

88


Table of Contents

control, reduces process related variations, and improves productivity. Our thermal energy recycling system allocates heat generated from our deposition reactors and hydrogenation reactors to many other production areas, such as distillation facilities for TCS purification and our refrigeration station to support a large number of condensers.

Manufacturing Capacity

The following table sets forth our major installed annual production capacity objectives as of the dates indicated and includes the expected date of initial commercial operation and fully ramped-up production of each expansion phase:

 

    

Construction Period

  

Commercial
Production
Commencement

   Fully Ramped-up
Production

Phase 1a—1,500 MT facility

   June 2007—May 2008    July 2008    March 2009

Phase 1b—1,800 MT facility

   May 2008—May 2009    December 2009    January 2010

Phase 2a—3,000 MT facility

   June 2010—May 2011 (1)    June 2011 (1)    December 2011 (1)

Phase 2b—3,000 MT facility

   March 2011—February 2012 (1)    March 2012 (1)    September 2012 (1)

 

Note:

 

(1)

Time schedules are estimated based on our current plans.

As a result of these capacity expansions, we expect to have fully ramped-up annual polysilicon production capacity of 3,300 MT by January 2010, 6,300 MT by December 2011 and 9,300 MT by September 2012. We have recently installed five additional deposition reactors to further improve our operational efficiency and to increase our output. In addition, we plan to increase the hydrogenation conversion rate to 17% and 22% for our Phase 1a and 1b manufacturing facilities, respectively. We believe these improvements may lead to an increase of our maximum fully ramped-up annual production capacity of our Phase 1 manufacturing facilities by approximately 15%.

Our capacity expansion plan is preliminary and subject to risks and uncertainties that may be out of our control. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—Our future success depends substantially on our ability to significantly expand our polysilicon production capacity and output, which exposes us to a number of risks and uncertainties.”

Materials and Inputs Used in Polysilicon Production

Metallurgical grade silicon

MG-Si, which is silicon of 95% to 99% purity, is one of the primary raw materials used in the production of TCS. In 2008, our major MG-Si supplier is Zhejiang Kaihua Yuantong Silicon Co. The price of MG-Si has been generally stable, with a slight decline since its peak in mid-2008. We do not have hedging arrangements against the potential rise in the price of MG-Si.

Liquid chlorine

Liquid chlorine is another primary raw material used in the production of TCS. We purchase our liquid chlorine from San Yang Chemical Co. in 2008. Liquid chlorine is widely available as an industrial raw material in China. The price of liquid chlorine has been generally stable, with slight decline since its peak in mid-2008. We do not have hedging arrangements against the potential rise in the price of liquid chlorine.

Electricity and other utilities

The costs of electricity are significant in the production of polysilicon. The electricity costs in Chongqing are much lower than those in coastal areas in China and those in the developed countries due to Chongqing’s abundant hydroelectric resources.

 

89


Table of Contents

We also use other utilities, such as steam, water and natural gas, for our manufacturing process. Steam supply is important to the production of polysilicon. We historically relied upon a local supplier as the sole source of steam for our production, and since June 2009, we started producing steam in-house to partially satisfy our needs for steam. Our steam cost per ton in 2009 was approximately 20% lower than that in the coastal areas in China.

Others

The other significant inputs for the production of polysilicon include argon gas, caustic soda and graphite parts.

Equipment

The major polysilicon production equipment includes hydroelectrolysis devices, hydrochlorination synthesis furnaces, TCS synthesis furnaces, distillation towers, polysilicon deposition reactors, hydrogenation reactors, exhaust gas recovery units and distribution control systems.

We have close relationships with several of the world’s leading equipment manufacturers and work closely with selected equipment manufacturers to develop and build our production lines. In addition, we developed technical specifications for the design of our power supply systems and reactors and have engaged manufacturers to construct the equipment in accordance with our specifications. Our engineers work closely with our equipment suppliers to design our production facilities. Furthermore, to lower costs, we have purchased and will continue to purchase equipment that can be appropriately designed and manufactured by domestic suppliers. Our technical team is responsible for overseeing the installation of our manufacturing lines to optimize the interaction between the various individual components of the entire production process. They work together with our equipment suppliers’ technical teams on site at the time of installation.

Quality Assurance

We apply our quality control system at each stage of our manufacturing process, from raw materials procurement to production and delivery, in order to ensure a consistent quality of our products. Specifically, we systematically inspect raw materials from our suppliers, ranging from MG-Si, liquid chlorine to various consumables. We also test our inputs in each stage of our production process to ensure the inputs meet all technical specifications. We take samples from each lot of polysilicon harvested form the deposition reactors and keep the samples for product quality tracking purpose. We also set up a product tracking system to trace back all shipped products to the samples we keep and to our database which contains detailed information of each shipment. We received the ISO 9001:2000 certification for our quality assurance system for production of polysilicon, which we believe demonstrates our technological capabilities and inspires customer confidence. In addition, in 2009, Chongqing Science and Technology Commission issued a three-year certificate to recognize our polysilicon as a high and new technology product and included our polysilicon in its 2009 list of key new products.

In order to facilitate our production of polysilicon and ensure the quality of the finished product, we have set up a laboratory for the analysis of raw materials, in-process quality control and finished products and the supervision of environmental pollution and safety.

Customers and Sales

We currently sell our polysilicon to direct users, primarily to photovoltaic wafer manufacturers. Our top customers include subsidiaries of leading China-based photovoltaic companies, such as Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola through Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd., ReneSola’s principal operating subsidiary in China, and an affiliate of Suntech. We derived substantially all of our revenues from sales of polysilicon to customers in China in 2008 and 2009. We sell a substantial portion of our polysilicon

 

90


Table of Contents

to a limited number of customers. In 2008, each of our top three customers, Yingli Green Energy, ReneSola and an affiliate of Suntech, accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues and the three customers in aggregate accounted for 89% of our total revenues. In the first nine months of 2009, a subsidiary of Sumec Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd. purchased photovoltaic cells from us which were processed from our polysilicon through tolling arrangements with downstream manufacturers. As a result, it replaced Suntech’s affiliate as one of our top three customers. During the first nine months of 2009, our top three customers in aggregate accounted for 61% of our total revenues.

A substantial portion of our sales, particularly our sales to major customers, are made under long-term framework contracts. The framework contracts typically provide binding terms for the sales volumes and price of our polysilicon for the first quarter or the first year. The pricing terms, and sometimes the sales volumes, for subsequent period are subject to periodical renegotiation. We also sell polysilicon to various domestic customers on a spot basis.

We have established nationwide marketing capability through our sales team in China. Each member of our sales team is dedicated to a particular region. Our sales team attends domestic and international industrial conferences and trade fairs and organizes advertising and public relations events. Our sales and marketing team works closely with both our research and development team and our production team to coordinate our ongoing supply and demand planning.

Research and Development

We believe that the continual development of our technology will be vital to maintaining our long-term competitiveness. Therefore, we intend to significantly increase our investment of management and financial resources in research and development.

We believe that we have one of the strongest research and development teams among polysilicon manufacturers in China. Our research and development team consists of 20 experienced researchers and engineers, including six experts who enjoy industry-wide recognition in China and internationally and four full-time technical consultants with extensive industry experience. Our senior management team spearheads our research and development efforts and sets strategic directions for the advancement of our products and production processes, focusing on efforts to improve product quality, reduce manufacturing costs and broaden our product markets.

We intend to dedicate a portion of our revenues to research and development activities. We are strengthening our in-house research and development resources to improve our technology foundation. We are considering several projects including additional research and development centers in China and the pursuit of other technologies that can assist us in addressing the future trends of the solar markets.

Intellectual Property

Our intellectual property is an essential element of our business. We rely on patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property laws, as well as non-competition and confidentiality agreements with our employees, business partners and others, to protect our intellectual property rights.

As of the date of this prospectus, we have five pending patent applications covering different aspects of the polysilicon manufacturing process. We also rely heavily on a combination of proprietary process engineering, trade secrets and employee contractual protections to establish and protect our intellectual property, as we believe that many crucial elements of our production processes involve proprietary know-how, technology or data that are not covered by patents or patent applications, including technical processes, equipment designs, algorithms and procedures. We have taken security measures to protect these elements. All of our research and development personnel have entered into confidentiality and

 

91


Table of Contents

proprietary information agreements with us. These agreements address intellectual property protection issues and require our employees to assign to us all of the inventions, designs and technologies that they develop when primarily utilizing our resources or when performing their duties during their employment.

While we continue to develop and pursue patent protection for our own technologies, we expect to continue to rely on third party license arrangements on certain key aspects of our operation. Pursuant to a technology license and engineering service agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Poly Engineering dated June 15, 2008, Poly Engineering granted a license to Chongqing Daqo with the exclusive rights to utilize certain know-how related to a modified Siemens process to produce polysilicon in Chongqing Daqo’s facilities. The license is perpetual and irrevocable. The license is exclusive within China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau until December 31, 2011. Poly Engineering and its affiliates are prohibited from directly or indirectly soliciting, entertaining offers from or negotiating with any other parties related to the licensed know-how in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau during the exclusive period. Pursuant to the agreement, Chongqing Daqo agreed to pay Poly Engineering a fixed amount of fee in 2008 and the amount equal to a percentage its polysilicon revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for the exclusive right and services fees. All amounts due to Poly Engineering by the end of 2009 have been fully paid. We are currently re-negotiating the pricing terms with Poly Engineering; however, as of the date of this prospectus, there is no binding or written agreement on the amended pricing terms. Chongqing Daqo and Poly Engineering also entered into a technical services contract dated June 30, 2008, pursuant to which Poly Engineering agreed to provide certain technical supports to Chongqing Daqo. See also “Related Party Transaction—Transactions with Daqo Group—Transactions relating to Poly Engineering” for historical agreements among Daqo Group, Daqo New Material and Poly Engineering. For the risks associated with our reliance on certain third-party technologies, see “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We rely on third party intellectual property for certain key aspects of our operation, which subjects us to the payment of license fees and potential disruption or delays in the production of our products.”

Most of our equipment supply contracts with international suppliers include an indemnification provision under which the supplier undertakes to indemnify us against actions, claims, demands, costs, charges, and expenses arising from or incurred by reason of any infringement or alleged infringement of patent, copyright, trade mark or trade name by the use of the equipment provided by the supplier. However, it is unclear whether we will be entitled to such indemnification in the event that we use the equipment supplied by such supplier in conjunction with other equipment not supplied by such supplier. In addition, many of our equipment supply contracts with domestic suppliers do not provide any intellectual property indemnification provisions. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if determined adversely to us, could cause us to pay significant damage awards.”

Competition

We face competition in China and in the international market in which we may operate. The polysilicon market is dominated by a few major manufacturers with a large number of small manufacturers competing for the remaining small portion of the market. We face competition mainly from top manufacturers who have succeeded in establishing a strong brand name with solar companies. Our major international competitors include Hemlock, MEMC, REC, Wacker, and our domestic competitors include Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon Technology Development Co., Ltd., China Silicon Corporation Ltd. and Sichuan Xinguang Silicon Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

In addition, many solar cell and module manufacturers have or have announced the intention of establishing polysilicon production or affiliate relationships with manufacturers of polysilicon, including some of our customers and potential customers. We compete with these in-house capabilities, which could limit our ability to expand our sales.

 

92


Table of Contents

Furthermore, the demand for our polysilicon may be adversely affected by alternative technologies in cell manufacturing. The vast majority of silicon-based photovoltaic cell manufacturers currently use chunk or granular polysilicon. However, alternative technologies are being developed in cell manufacturing. For example, one such technology, thin-film cell production, uses little to no silicon in the production of solar cells. We believe that the solar cells made using thin-film technologies tend to have lower energy conversion efficiency than silicon-based solar cells, even though the cost to manufacture thin-film solar cells is lower than that to manufacture silicon-based cells. Based on our management’s industry knowledge, we do not believe that the energy conversion efficiency rates of thin-film cells are likely to reach those of silicon-based cells in the near future. However, if it does happen, thin-film solar cell development and production may expand significantly, which may restrict the market for silicon-based solar cells and decrease the demand for our polysilicon.

We believe that the key competitive factors in the market for polysilicon include:

 

   

product quality;

 

   

price and cost competitiveness;

 

   

manufacturing technologies and efficiency;

 

   

strength of customer relationships;

 

   

economies of scale; and

 

   

reputation.

We believe we differentiate ourselves from our competitors and capture market share in the polysilicon markets through our product quality, price and cost competitiveness, and manufacturing technologies and efficiency.

Facilities

We are headquartered in Wanzhou, Chongqing, China, where we own multiple buildings with an aggregate of approximately 82,000 square meters of office and manufacturing space. We have been granted land use rights to approximately 378,800 square meters of land on which our plants or offices are situated, and such land use rights are usually valid for a period of fifty years starting from the date of grant from the local government. In addition, we lease approximately 130 square meters of office space in California.

In addition, we have secured the land use rights to approximately 512,000 square meters of land in Wanzhou for our production facility expansion and we are in the process of obtaining certificates of land use rights for the forgoing lands.

We believe that our existing facilities, together with our facilities under construction, are adequate for our current and foreseeable requirements.

Environmental and Safety Matters

Our manufacturing processes generate noise, waste water, gaseous wastes and other industrial wastes. We believe we are in compliance with all present national and local environmental protection requirements in all material respects and have all the necessary environmental permits to conduct our business in China. We process all our waste water and waste gas through various treatments so that they meet the respective national discharge standard. In addition, most of our solid waste can be reused and does not contain poisonous materials. We have established a pollution control system and installed various types of anti-pollution equipment in our facilities to reduce, treat, and where feasible, recycle the wastes generated in our manufacturing process.

 

93


Table of Contents

We are required to undergo the acceptance inspections of environmental protection and work safety and obtain approval with relevant governmental authorities before our manufacturing lines commence full production. Our production facilities are subject to various pollution control regulations with respect to noise and air pollution and the disposal of waste and other hazardous materials. We have obtained a pollutant discharge permit, a work safety permit for storage and use of hazardous chemicals and permit for the registration of use of atmospheric pressure containers for the pressure containers we have installed.

Employees

As of September 30, 2009, we employed 714 employees, including 453 in manufacturing, 122 in equipment maintenance, 36 in quality assurance, 10 in purchasing, 20 in research and development, 8 in sales and marketing, and 65 in general and administrative. In addition, we engaged four independent contractors in our research and development department. Substantially all of these employees and independent contractors are located at our facilities in Wanzhou, China, but a small number of employees are based in Nanjing, China and the United States.

As required by regulations in China, we participate in various employee social security plans that are administered by municipal and provincial governments, including housing, pension, medical insurance and unemployment insurance. We are required under Chinese law to make contributions to the employee benefit plans at specified percentages of the salaries, bonuses and certain allowance of our employees, up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time.

We typically enter into a standard confidentiality and employment agreement with our research and development personnel. These contracts involve a covenant that prohibits them from engaging in any activities that compete with our business within certain agreed period after the termination of their employment with us, and during such non-competition period.

We believe we maintain a good working relationship with our employees, and we have not experienced any labor disputes or any difficulty in recruiting staff for our operations.

Insurance

We maintain various insurance policies to safeguard against risks and unexpected events. We purchased property insurance and project construction insurance policies covering our inventory, equipment, vehicles, facilities, buildings and buildings under construction. These insurance policies cover losses due to fire, explosion and a wide range of human accidents. We also provide social security insurance including pension insurance, unemployment insurance, work related injury insurance and medical insurance for our employees. We do not maintain business interruption insurance or general third-party liability insurance. We also do not have product liability insurance or key-man life insurance. We consider our insurance coverage to be in line with that of other manufacturing companies of similar size in China.

Legal Proceedings

We are currently not a party to any material legal or administrative proceedings and we are not aware of any material legal or administrative proceedings threatened against us. We may from time to time be subject to various legal or administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.

 

94


Table of Contents

REGULATION

This section sets forth a summary of the most significant regulations or requirements that affect our business activities in China and our shareholders’ right to receive dividends and other distributions from us.

Renewable Energy Law and Other Government Directives

China enacted the Renewable Energy Law in February 2005 and amended the law in December 2009. The amended Renewable Energy Law sets forth the national policy to encourage and support the development and use of solar and other renewable energy and its use for on-grid generation. The law also sets forth the national policy to encourage the installation and use of solar technologies in water-heating systems, heating and cooling systems, power generation systems and other energy utilization systems. In addition, the law provides financial incentives, such as national funding, preferential loans and tax preferences for the development of renewable energy projects.

In January 2006, the National Development and Reform Commission issued two implementing rules relating to the Renewable Energy Law that, among other things, provide general policies regarding the pricing of on-grid power generated by solar and other renewable energy.

In May 2006, the Ministry of Finance issued measures providing that the Chinese government shall provide certain government subsidies and financial incentives to support the development of the renewable energy industry, including the solar energy industry.

In August 2006, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance also issued guidelines which sought to expand the use of solar energy in residential buildings.

In July 2009, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Energy Bureau jointly issued measures that provide for government subsidies to support the solar power industry.

In September 2009, the NDRC and nine other governmental agencies jointly issued measures aimed at curtailing the perceived over-capacity in certain industry sectors, such as steel, concrete, polysilicon and wind power equipment. Pending the promulgation of more specific regulations, the measures require new projects after the date of the new measures in any of the deemed “over-capacity industries” to obtain approval from NDRC. The measures also provide that the Chinese government shall support polysilicon manufacturers with large manufacturing capacities and advanced technologies. As a result, any entity which plans to establish a polysilicon manufacturing facility or to expand its current manufacturing facility in China after the measures were issued must seek pre-approval from NDRC. However, as detailed implementation rules under the measures have yet to be promulgated, it is unclear what requirements must be met and how long it will take NDRC to approve a new or expansion polysilicon manufacturing project.

Environmental and Safety Regulations

We use, generate and discharge toxic, volatile or otherwise hazardous chemicals and wastes in our research and development and manufacturing activities. China enacted the Environmental Protection Law effective December 1989. In addition to the Environmental Protection Law, we are subject to a variety of specific laws and regulations in China related to the storage, use and disposal of hazardous materials, including laws and regulations governing water pollution, air pollution, solid waste pollution, noise pollution, hazardous chemicals, pollutant discharge fees and environmental impact appraisals. We are also subject to laws and regulations governing worker safety, work safety permits and occupational disease prevention. Our operation is subject to regulation and periodic monitoring by local environmental protection and work safety authorities.

 

95


Table of Contents

Status of Our Business in Foreign Investment Industrial Guidance Catalogues

The principal regulation governing foreign ownership of businesses in the solar power industry in China is the Foreign Investment Industrial Guidance Catalogue, which is revised from time to time and was last revised effective as of December 1, 2007. The polysilicon manufacturing business falls into the category of encouraged foreign investment industry under the regulation. Foreign invested companies categorized as “encouraged” are entitled to preferential treatment by the Chinese government, including exemption from tariffs on equipment imported for its own use.

Tax

Chinese Enterprise Income Tax

Under the EIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, enterprises in China are generally subject to a uniform income tax rate of 25%. However, qualified enterprises located in central or western China may enjoy preferential tax rate under a series of national policies adopted to encourage investment in central and western China. Chongqing Daqo qualifies for a special reduced rate of 15% through 2010 pursuant to the policies. Accordingly, Chongqing Daqo is subject to the preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15% in lieu of the 25% uniform national tax rate through 2010. In December 2009, Chongqing Daqo was qualified as a “Chongqing Municipality High and New Technology Enterprise,” subject to the government’s grant of a formal certificate. This will entitle it to a preferential income tax rate of 15% for three years from the grant date of the certificate and can be renewed for additional three-year terms upon Chongqing Daqo’s application and the government’s approval.

Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with its “de facto management bodies” within China may be considered a resident enterprise for Chinese tax purposes and be subject to the enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on its global income. The implementation rules of the EIT Law provide that the term “de facto management bodies” refers to management bodies which have material management and control over all aspects of the business, including production, operations, personnel, finance, and assets. It is unclear whether Chinese tax authorities would determine that, notwithstanding our status as the Cayman Islands holding company of our operating business in China, we should be classified as a resident enterprise. Currently, substantially all of our income is already China-source income subject to Chinese taxes. However, to the extent that the net proceeds of this offering are not immediately applied to the purposes described in “Use of Proceeds,” we expect to generate income from depositing the proceeds into interest bearing bank accounts or investing them in short-term investment grade debt securities outside of China.

Under the implementation rules for the EIT Law, dividends, interests, rent, royalties and gains on transfers of property payable by a foreign-invested enterprise in China to its foreign investor who is a non-resident enterprise will be subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless such non-resident enterprise’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax. The Cayman Islands, where Daqo Cayman is incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China.

Chinese Value Added Tax

Pursuant to the Provisional Regulation of China on VAT, and its implementing rules, all entities and individuals that are engaged in the sale of goods, the provision of repairs and replacement services and the importation of goods in China are generally required to pay value-added tax of 17% of the gross sales proceeds received, less any deductible VAT already paid or borne by the taxpayer. Furthermore, when exporting goods, the exporter is entitled VAT refund, which amount will be a portion of or all of the VAT it has already paid or borne.

 

96


Table of Contents

Foreign Currency Exchange

Foreign currency exchange in China is primarily governed by two sets of regulations issued in 1996.

Under the Foreign Exchange Administration Rules, the Renminbi is freely convertible for routine current account items, including distribution of dividends, payment of interest, and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions. However, conversion of Renminbi for most capital account items, such as direct investment, overseas loan, securities investment and repatriation of investment, is still subject to the approval of SAFE.

Under the Regulations of Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange, foreign invested enterprises may only buy, sell and remit foreign currencies at authorized banks and must comply with certain procedural requirements, such as providing valid commercial documents and, in the case of capital account item transactions, obtaining approval from the SAFE. Foreign invested enterprises are also subject to limitations on capital investments outside of China, which include requirements to obtain approvals from the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and SAFE.

SAFE Circular No. 75

SAFE Circular No. 75, which became effective as of November 1, 2005, requires Chinese residents, including both legal persons and natural persons, to register with their local SAFE branch before establishing or acquiring control of any company outside of China with assets or equity interests in Chinese companies for the purpose of capital financing. Such a company outside of China is referred to as an “offshore special purpose company.” Chinese residents must also file amendments to their registrations if their offshore companies experience capital variation, such as changes in share capital, share transfers, mergers and acquisitions, long-term equity or debt investments or creation of any security interest over any assets located in China or any other material change in share capital. Failure to comply with the registration procedures may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant Chinese entity. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Chinese regulations relating to offshore investment activities by Chinese residents may increase the administrative burden we face and may subject our Chinese resident beneficial owners or employees to personal liabilities, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to increase its registered capital or distribute profits to us, limit our ability to inject capital into our Chinese subsidiaries, or may otherwise expose us to liability under Chinese law.”

Regulations of Overseas Investments and Listings

The M&A Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006, include provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle formed for purposes of overseas listing of equity interests in Chinese companies and controlled directly or indirectly by Chinese companies or resident individuals obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of securities of such special purpose vehicles on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its website procedures for approval of overseas listings by special purpose vehicles. However, the application of the M&A Rules remains unclear, with no consensus currently existing among the leading Chinese law firms regarding the scope of the applicability of the CSRC approval requirement.

Our Chinese counsel, Jun He Law Offices, has advised us that, based on their understanding of the current Chinese laws, regulations and rules and the procedures announced by the CSRC:

 

   

the CSRC has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether offerings like ours under this prospectus are subject to the CSRC approval procedures;

 

97


Table of Contents
   

as Daqo Cayman set up Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo as newly established, wholly foreign owned subsidiaries in China, Daqo Cayman is not a special purpose vehicle formed for the purpose of acquiring a Chinese domestic company, and therefore we are not required to apply to the CSRC for approval; and

 

   

the issuance and sale of the ADSs and the listing and trading of the ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange do not conflict with or violate the M&A Rules.

See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—The approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, may be required in connection with this offering; any requirement to obtain prior CSRC approval could delay this offering and failure to obtain this approval, if required, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and reputation as well as the trading price of our ADSs, and could also create uncertainties for this offering.”

 

98


Table of Contents

MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information regarding our directors and executive officers as of the date of this prospectus.

 

Name

   Age   

Position/ Title

Guangfu Xu

   66    Chairman of the board of directors

Xiang Xu

   38    Director

Fei Ge

   44    Director

Dafeng Shi

   37    Director

Fumin Zhuo

   57    Director

Greg W. Ye

   40    Director

Gongda Yao

   50    Director and chief executive officer

Daqing Qi*

   46    Independent Director Appointee

Rongling Chen*

   67    Independent Director Appointee

Jimmy Y. Lai

   53    Chief financial officer

Tracy Tianqun Zhou

   48    Chief technology officer

Jian Zhu

   36    Senior vice president

Liqiang Jin

   46    Senior vice president

 

*

Appointment effective immediately upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form F-1, of which this prospectus is a part.

Mr. Guangfu Xu is the chairman of our board of directors. Mr. Xu is principally responsible for formulating our strategic development objectives. Mr. Xu has been the chairman and general manager of Daqo Group since January 1984 and currently holds directorship positions with 19 subsidiaries of Daqo Group . Mr. Xu joined Xinba General Company, the predecessor entity of Daqo Group, in 1966 and has been instrumental in building Daqo Group from a small township and village enterprise to a leading manufacturer of electrical systems in China. Mr. Xu is a member of the Ninth People’s Congress of Jiangsu Province and the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Ninth Yangzhong City People’s Congress. Mr. Xu was named a National Township and Village Entrepreneur by the Ministry of Agriculture of China in 2001 and 2002. Mr. Xu graduated from secondary school in 1960.

Mr. Xiang Xu is our director. Mr. Xu is also the vice chairman of the board and president of Daqo Group and currently holds directorship positions with 25 subsidiaries of Daqo Group. Mr. Xu served as the general manager of Jiangsu Changjiang Electric Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Daqo Group, from January 2000 through May 2006. Mr. Xu received his EMBA degree from Nanjing University in 2004. Mr. Xiang Xu is the son of Mr. Guangfu Xu.

Mr. Fei Ge is our director. Mr. Ge is also the executive president of Daqo Group and currently holds directorship positions with 22 subsidiaries of Daqo Group. Mr. Ge served as the general manager of Zhenjiang Klockner-Moeller Electrical Systems Co., Ltd., or KM Electrical, a subsidiary of Daqo Group that specializes in electrical research and manufacturing, from October 1993 to May 2006. Mr. Ge received his MBA degree from Nanjing University in 2004.

Mr. Dafeng Shi is our director. Mr. Shi has also been the vice president for finance of Daqo Group since January 2006 and currently holds directorship positions with two subsidiaries of Daqo Group. Prior to joining Daqo Group, Mr. Shi served as the vice president of Yangzhong Tianyuan Accounting Firm from 2000 to 2001. Mr. Shi received his bachelor’s degree in economic management from the Correspondence Institute of the Central Party School in 1997 and his associate degree in accounting from Nanjing University of Finance & Economics in 1992. Mr. Shi is a Certified Public Accountant in China.

 

99


Table of Contents

Mr. Fumin Zhuo is our director. Mr. Zhuo has served as our director since November 2009. Mr. Zhuo has also served as an independent director to Focus Media, a NASDAQ listed company and Shenyin Wanguo (H.K.) Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Mr. Zhuo has over two decades experience in investment and corporate management. Mr. Zhuo is currently a managing partner of Granite Global Ventures III L.L.C., a general partner of SIG Capital Limited and Chairman of Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited. Prior to joining SIG Capital Limited in July 2005, Mr. Zhuo served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Vertex China Investment Company, a company concentrating in investments in the Greater China region since July 2002. From 1995 to July 2002, Mr. Zhuo was the chief executive officer of Shanghai Industrial Holding Ltd. and the chairman of SIIC Medical Science & Technology (Group). Prior to that starting in 1987, Mr. Zhuo served as chief assistant officer of the Shanghai Economic System Reform Committee. Mr. Zhuo has extensive experience in venture capital fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, and investment management. Mr. Zhuo received his master’s degree in economics from Fudan University and his bachelor’s degree in enterprise management from Shanghai Jiaotong University’s Electrical Engineering School.

Mr. Greg W. Ye is our director. Mr. Ye has served as our director since November 2009. Mr. Ye is currently a managing partner of NewMargin Ventures, an established China-focused private equity firm, and also serves as a director for a number of other NewMargin portfolio companies, all privately held. Prior to joining NewMargin in 2006, he was a group director of corporate strategy and business development for Cadence Design Systems, a world’s leading EDA technologies and engineering services company. Prior to that, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the United States, and last held the position of senior manager. Mr. Ye received his MBA from Harvard Business School, his Master of Accountancy from Northeast Missouri State University and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University. Mr. Ye is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant.

Mr. Gongda Yao is our director and chief executive officer. Mr. Yao has extensive experience in the electronic development and manufacturing industry. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Yao served as the vice president and China general manager for Applied Materials from October 2006 to July 2008. Mr. Yao was also the vice president and general manager of the Integrated Metal Business Unit of Novellus Systems from October 2005 to October 2006, and vice president of operations at Ciwest Semiconductor Company from April 2005 to October 2005. Before that, Mr. Yao worked for Applied Materials at various management positions for 11 years. Mr. Yao received his Ph.D. in materials science & engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1992, his master’s degree in materials science from Tongji University and the Chinese Academy of Science in 1984 and his bachelor’s degree in theoretical physics from Shanghai University of Science and Technology in 1982. Mr. Yao holds more than 10 U.S. patents and has authored or co-authored more than 40 technical articles and papers.

Mr. Daqing Qi will serve as our independent director upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form F-1, of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Qi has served as a director of Focus Media Holdings Limited, a NASDAQ-listed company, Sohu.com, a NASDAQ-listed company, Honghua Group Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, SinoMedia Holding Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, China Vanke Co., Ltd, a company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Focus Technology, a company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Mr. Qi is professor of accounting and associate dean of the Cheong Kong Graduate School of Business, where he has taught since 2002. From 1996 until 2002, Mr. Qi was an associate professor in the School of Accountancy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Mr. Qi received his bachelor’s degree in biophysics and bachelor’s degree in journalism from Fudan University, his MBA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a focus in accounting and finance and his Ph.D. in accounting from the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management of Michigan State University. He is a member of the American Accounting Association.

 

100


Table of Contents

Mr. Rongling Chen will serve as our independent director upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form F-1, of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Chen has served as an independent director to Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co., Ltd., a company listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Mr. Chen is a senior advisor and chairman of China advisory board to SEMI, a global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic industries. Mr. Chen worked for Applied Materials from 1984 until his retirement in 2007. While at Applied Materials, Mr. Chen served in various senior positions, including vice president, chairman of Applied Materials China and head of China marketing and corporate affairs. Mr. Chen received his bachelor’s degree in semiconductor devices and materials from Zhe Jiang University.

Mr. Jimmy Y. Lai is our chief financial officer. Prior to joining us in September 2009, Mr. Lai served as the chief financial officer of Linktone Ltd., a Nasdaq-listed corporation and leading provider of wireless interactive entertainment services to consumers in China, from April 2008 to May 2009. From July 2006 to April 2008, he was the chief financial officer of Palm Commerce Holdings, one of the leading information technology solution providers for the China lottery industry. Prior to that, he served as associate vice president of investor relations at Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, a Chinese company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, from February 2002 to June 2006, and as controller and director of financial planning at AMX Corporation from October 1997 to November 2001. Mr. Lai received his MBA in accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas and his bachelor’s degree in statistics from the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. Mr. Lai is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Texas.

Ms. Tracy Tianqun Zhou is our chief technology officer. Prior to joining us in January 2009, Ms. Zhou served as a product manager at Silicon Quest International in Santa Clara, California from January 2008. From 2004 to 2008, Ms. Zhou was the senior field applications engineer at MEMC Electronics Materials, Inc. in San Jose, California. Before that, she was the silicon business unit manager at West Coast Quartz from 2001 to 2004, operations director at Unisil Corp from 1998 to 2001 and senior process engineer at Mitsubishi Silicon America (now Sumco) from 1994 to 1998. Ms. Zhou received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from North Carolina State University in 1993 and a master’s degree from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics in 1986. Ms. Zhou received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1982.

Mr. Jian Zhu is our senior vice president and has been with us since our inception. Before joining us, Mr. Zhu served in various management positions including general manager, manager and senior engineer at KM Electrical from 1995 to 2006. Mr. Zhu received his master’s degree in electronics from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 1999 and his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University in 1991.

Mr. Liqiang Jin is our senior vice president and has been with us since our inception. Before joining us, Mr. Jin served as a senior project manager of DSM China Ltd., a life sciences and materials sciences company, and has been in charge of its China manufacturing support center since November 2005. Before that, Mr. Jin was a project manager at BASF-YPC Company Ltd., a joint-venture of BASF and Sinopec, from April 2002 to October 2005. Mr. Jin received his International MBA degree from the Maastricht School of Management in 2004. Mr. Jin graduated from Jinling Vocational University with a major in mechanics in 1985.

Composition of Board of Directors

Our board of directors consists of five directors. Two additional independent directors will join the board upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form F-1, of which this prospectus is a part. A director is not required to hold any shares in our company by way of qualification. A director may vote with respect to any contract or transaction in which he or she is materially interested provided the nature of the interest is disclosed prior to its consideration. Subject to our Third Amended and

 

101


Table of Contents

Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the directors may exercise all the powers of our company to borrow money, mortgage his or her undertaking, property and uncalled capital, and issue debentures or other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of our company or of any third party. We intend to have a majority of independent directors serving on our board of directors within one year of this offering.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Our code of business conduct and ethics, which will become effective immediately upon listing, provides that our directors and officers are expected to avoid any action, position or interest that conflicts with the interests of our company or gives the appearance of a conflict. Directors and officers have an obligation under our code of business conduct and ethics to advance our company’s interests when the opportunity to do so arises.

Duties of Directors

Under Cayman Islands law, our directors have a fiduciary duty to act honestly, in good faith and with a view to our best interests. Our directors also have a duty to exercise the skill they actually possess and such care and diligence that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. In fulfilling their duty of care to us, our directors must ensure compliance with our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time. A shareholder has the right to seek damages if a duty owed by our directors is breached.

The functions and powers of our board of directors include, among other things:

 

   

convening shareholders’ annual general meetings and reporting its work to shareholders at such meetings;

 

   

declaring dividends and distributions;

 

   

appointing officers and determining the term of office of officers;

 

   

subject to our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, exercising the borrowing powers of our company and mortgaging the property of our company; and

 

   

approving the transfer of shares of our company, including the registering of such shares in our share register.

Terms of Directors and Executive Officers

Our officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the board of directors. Our directors are not subject to a term of office and hold office until such time as they are removed from office in accordance with our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. A director will be removed from office automatically if, among other things, the director (1) becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; or (2) dies or becomes of unsound mind.

Appointment of Directors by Certain Shareholders

In connection with our issuance and sale of the Series A preferred shares, we and our major shareholders entered into an investor rights agreement with the purchasers of the Series A preferred shares in November 2009. Pursuant to the investor rights agreement, at any time prior to the first anniversary of this offering: (i) for so long as Granite Global Ventures III L.P., together with its affiliates, hold in aggregate at least five percent of our issued and outstanding share capital, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. has the right to designate one director; (ii) for so long as NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., together with its affiliates, hold in aggregate at least five percent of our issued and outstanding share capital, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. has the right to designate one director. During the period commencing on the first anniversary of this offering and terminating on the third anniversary of this offering, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and

 

102


Table of Contents

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. have the right to jointly designate one director on the board of directors of our company, for so long as these two entities, together with their respective affiliates, hold in aggregate at least five percent of our issued and outstanding share capital. Although all of our Series A preferred shares will be automatically converted into ordinary shares upon the closing of a qualified initial public offering, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., as holders of our ordinary shares, continue to be entitled to the rights described above.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Our board of directors will establish an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee immediately after the closing of this offering.

Audit Committee

Our audit committee will initially consist of Messrs. Daqing Qi, Rongling Chen and Greg W. Ye, and will be chaired by Mr. Qi. Mr. Qi and Mr. Chen satisfy the “independence” requirements of Section 303A of the Corporate Governance Rules of the New York Stock Exchange and meet the independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have determined that Mr. Qi qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.” The audit committee will oversee our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. The audit committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

   

selecting our independent auditors and pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by our independent auditors;

 

   

reviewing with our independent auditors any audit problems or difficulties and management’s response to such audit problems or difficulties;

 

   

reviewing and approving all proposed related party transactions, as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act;

 

   

discussing the annual audited financial statements with management and our independent auditors;

 

   

reviewing major issues as to the adequacy of our internal controls and any special audit steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies;

 

   

annually reviewing and reassessing the adequacy of our audit committee charter;

 

   

such other matters that are specifically delegated to our audit committee by our board of directors from time to time;

 

   

meeting separately and periodically with management and our internal and independent auditors; and

 

   

reporting regularly to the full board of directors.

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee will initially consist of Messrs. Fumin Zhuo, Daqing Qi and Rongling Chen, and will be chaired by Mr. Zhuo. Mr. Qi and Mr. Chen satisfy the “independence” requirements of Section 303A of the Corporate Governance Rules of the New York Stock Exchange. Our compensation committee assists the board in reviewing and approving the compensation structure of our directors and executive officers, including all forms of compensation to be provided to our directors and executive officers. Members of the compensation committee are not prohibited from direct involvement in determining their own compensation. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any committee meeting during which his compensation is deliberated. The compensation committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

   

approving and overseeing the compensation package for our executive officers;

 

103


Table of Contents
   

reviewing and making recommendations to the board with respect to the compensation of our directors;

 

   

reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our chief executive officer, evaluating the performance of our chief executive officer in light of those goals and objectives, and setting the compensation level of our chief executive officer based on this evaluation; and

 

   

reviewing periodically and making recommendations to the board regarding any long-term incentive compensation or equity plans, programs or similar arrangements, annual bonuses, employee pension and welfare benefit plans.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Our corporate governance and nominating committee will consist of Messrs. Xiang Xu, Daqing Qi and Rongling Chen, and will be chaired by Mr. Xu. Mr. Qi and Mr. Chen satisfy the “independence” requirements of Section 303A of the Corporate Governance Rules of the New York Stock Exchange. The corporate governance and nominating committee will assist the board of directors in identifying individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board and its committees. The corporate governance and nominating committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

   

identifying and recommending to the board nominees for election or re-election to the board, or for appointment to fill any vacancy;

 

   

reviewing annually with the board the current composition of the board in light of the characteristics of independence, age, skills, experience and availability of service to us;

 

   

identifying and recommending to the board the directors to serve as members of the board’s committees;

 

   

advising the board periodically with respect to significant developments in the law and practice of corporate governance as well as our compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and making recommendations to the board on all matters of corporate governance and on any corrective action to be taken; and

 

   

monitoring compliance with our code of business conduct and ethics, including reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our procedures to ensure proper compliance.

Interested Transactions

A director may vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he or she is interested, provided that the nature of the interest of any directors in such contract or transaction is disclosed by him or her at or prior to its consideration and any vote on that matter.

Remuneration and Borrowing

The directors may determine remuneration to be paid to the directors. The compensation committee will assist the directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure for the directors. Subject to our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the directors may exercise all the powers of our company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital, and to issue debentures or other securities whether outright or as security for any debt obligations of our company or of any third party.

Qualification

There is no shareholding qualification for directors.

 

104


Table of Contents

Employment Agreements

We have entered into an employment agreement with each of our executive officers. The terms of the employment agreements are substantially similar for each executive officer, except as noted below. We may terminate an executive officer’s employment for cause, at any time, without notice or remuneration, for certain acts of the officer including, but not limited to, a serious criminal act, willful misconduct to our detriment or a failure to perform agreed duties. We may terminate employment at any time without cause upon advance written notice to the executive. The executive may resign at any time if such resignation is approved by the board or an alternative arrangement with respect to the employment is agreed by the board.

Each executive officer has agreed to hold, both during and after the termination of his or her employment agreement, in strict confidence and not to use, except as required in the performance of his or her duties in connection with the employment or as compelled by law, any of our or our customers’ confidential information or trade secrets. Each executive officer also agrees to comply with all material applicable laws and regulations related to his or her responsibilities at our company as well as all material written corporate and business policies and procedures of our company.

Each executive officer has agreed to be bound by non-competition restrictions during the term of his or her employment and for two years following the termination of such employment agreement. Specifically, each executive officer has agreed not to (1) assume employment with or provide services as a director for any of our competitors who operate in a restricted area; (2) solicit or seek any business orders from our customers; or (3) seek directly or indirectly, to solicit the services of any of our employees.

Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers

In 2008, our aggregate payments of cash to directors or executive officers was approximately $10 thousand. On October 31, 2009, our directors and executive officers received options under our 2009 share incentive plan. See “—Share Incentive Plan.”

Share Incentive Plan

In August 2009, we adopted the 2009 share incentive plan to attract and retain the best available personnel, provide additional incentives to employees, directors and consultants, and promote the success of our business. Our board of directors has authorized the issuance of up to 15,000,000 ordinary shares upon the exercise of awards granted under our plan. As of the date of this prospectus, options to purchase a total of 5,350,000 of our ordinary shares have been granted and are outstanding. Twenty-five percent of the ordinary shares subject to the options will vest one year following the vesting commencement date, and the remaining seventy-five percent of the ordinary shares subject to the option will vest in 36 equal installments over the next three years.

The following paragraphs summarize the terms of our 2009 share incentive plan.

Plan Administration .    Our board of directors, or a committee designated by our board or directors, will administer the plan. The committee or the full board of directors, as appropriate, will determine the provisions and terms and conditions of each option grant.

Award Agreement .     Options and stock purchase rights granted under our plan are evidenced by a stock option agreement or a stock purchase right agreement, as applicable, that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations for each grant. In addition, the stock option agreement and the stock purchase right agreement also provide that securities granted are subject to the lock-up restrictions, if any, imposed by us or the underwriters for the our initial public offering in connection therewith.

 

105


Table of Contents

Exercise Price .     The exercise price subject to an option shall be determined by the plan administrator and set forth in the award agreement. The exercise price may be amended or adjusted in the absolute discretion of the plan administrator, the determination of which shall be final, binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or any exchange rule, a downward adjustment of the exercise prices of options shall be effective without the approval of the shareholders or the approval of the affected participants.

Eligibility .    We may grant awards to our employees, directors and consultants or those of any of our related entities, which include our subsidiaries or any entities in which we hold a substantial ownership interest.

Term of the Options .    The term of each option grant shall be stated in the stock option agreement, provided that the term shall not exceed 10 years from the date of the grant.

Vesting Schedule .    In general, the plan administrator determines, or the stock option agreement specifies, the vesting schedule.

Transfer Restrictions .    Options to purchase our ordinary shares may not be transferred in any manner by the optionee other than by will or the laws of succession and may be exercised during the lifetime of the optionee only by the optionee.

Termination of the Plan .    Unless terminated earlier, the plan will terminate automatically in 2019. Our board of directors has the authority to amend or terminate the plan subject to shareholder approval to the extent necessary to comply with applicable law. However, no such action may (i) impair the rights of any optionee unless agreed by the optionee and the plan administrator or (ii) affect the plan administrator’s ability to exercise the powers granted to it under our plan.

The following table summarizes, as of the date of this prospectus, the options granted to our senior executive officers, directors and to other individuals as a group, without giving effect to the options that were exercised or terminated, if any.

 

Name

   Ordinary Shares
Underlying
Options Awarded
   Exercise Price
($/Share)
   Date of Grant    Date of Expiration

Guangfu Xu

   900,000    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Xiang Xu

   600,000    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Fei Ge

   600,000    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Dafeng Shi

   600,000    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Gongda Yao

   *    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Jimmy Y. Lai

   *    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Tracy Tianqun Zhou

   *    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Jian Zhu

   *    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019

Other individuals as a group

   550,000    $ 1.38    October 31, 2009    October 30, 2019
             

Total

   5,350,000         
             

 

* Executive officers as a group, each owning less than 1% of our outstanding ordinary shares and together holding stock options exercisable for 2,100,000 ordinary shares.

 

106


Table of Contents

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares, as of the date of this prospectus, by:

 

   

each of our directors and executive officers; and

 

   

each person known to us to own beneficially more than 5.0% of our ordinary shares.

The calculations in the table below are based on 129,714,103 ordinary shares outstanding as of the date of this prospectus and 168,714,103 ordinary shares outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we have included shares that the person has the right to acquire within 60 days, including through the exercise of any option, warrant or other right or the conversion of any other security. These shares, however, are not included in the computation of the percentage ownership of any other person.

As of the date of this prospectus, none of our outstanding ordinary shares is held by record holders in the United States and 15,937,564 of our outstanding Series A preferred shares representing approximately 12.29% of our outstanding shares on an as-converted basis are held by seven record holders in the United States. None of our shareholders has informed us that it is a broker-dealer or an affiliate of a broker-dealer.

 

     Ordinary Shares
Beneficially Owned

Prior to This Offering
   Ordinary Shares
Beneficially Owned
After This Offering
 
     Number    %    Number    %  

Directors and Executive Officers:

           

Guangfu Xu (1)

   39,000,000    30.07%    39,000,000    23.12

Xiang Xu (2)

   14,820,000    11.43%    14,820,000    8.78

Fei Ge (3)

   10,890,000    8.40%    10,890,000    6.45

Dafeng Shi (4)

   9,930,000    7.66%    9,930,000    5.89

Fumin Zhuo (5)

   14,046,667    10.83%    14,046,667    8.32

Greg W. Ye (6)

   11,615,513    8.95%    11,615,513    6.88

Gongda Yao

   —      —      —      —     

Jimmy Y. Lai

   —      —      —      —     

Tracy Tianqun Zhou

   —      —      —      —     

Jian Zhu

   —      —      —      —     

Liqiang Jin

   —      —      —      —     

All directors and executive officers as a group

   100,302,180    77.33%    100,302,180    59.45

Principal Shareholders:

           

Gold Intellect Limited (7)

   39,000,000    30.07%    39,000,000    23.12

Plenty China Limited (8)

   14,820,000    11.43%    14,820,000    8.78

Granite Global Ventures III L.P. (9)

   11,885,641    9.16%    11,885,641    7.04

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. (10)

   11,615,513    8.95%    11,615,513    6.88

Ruian International Limited (11)

   10,890,000    8.40%    10,890,000    6.45

Instantup Investments Limited (12)

   9,930,000    7.66%    9,930,000    5.89

Ace Pro Holdings Limited (13)

   9,220,000    7.11%    9,220,000    5.46

Best Mount International Limited (14)

   8,760,000    6.75%    8,760,000    5.19

Million Fortune International Limited (15)

   7,380,000    5.69%    7,380,000    4.37

footnotes on following page

 

107


Table of Contents

 

Notes:

 

(1)

Consists of 39,000,000 shares held by Gold Intellect Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned and controlled by Mr. Guangfu Xu. Mr. Guangfu Xu’s business address is c/o No. 66, Xinzhong Road, Xinba, Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China. Mr. Guangfu Xu is the chairman of the board of directors of our company and he is the father of Mr. Xiang Xu.

(2)

Consists of 14,820,000 shares held by Plenty China Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned and controlled by Mr. Xiang Xu. Mr. Xiang Xu’s business address is c/o No. 66, Xinzhong Road, Xinba, Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China. Mr. Xiang Xu is a director of our company and he is the son of Mr. Guangfu Xu.

(3)

Consists of 10,890,000 shares held by Ruian International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned and controlled by Mr. Fei Ge. Mr. Fei Ge’s business address is c/o No. 66, Xinzhong Road, Xinba, Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China. Mr. Fei Ge is a director of our company.

(4)

Consists of 9,930,000 shares held by Instantup Investments Limited, a British Virgin Islands company. Mr. Dafeng Shi holds 54.88% ownership interests in, and is the sole director of, Instantup Investments Limited. Mr. Dafeng Shi disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Mr. Dafeng Shi’s business address is c/o No. 66, Xinzhong Road, Xinba, Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China. Mr. Dafeng Shi is a director of our company.

(5)

Consists of 11,885,641 ordinary shares issuable upon the conversion of (1) 11,695,471 Series A preferred shares held by Granite Global Ventures III L.P., (2) 190,170 Series A preferred shares held by GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. and (3) 2,161,026 Series A preferred shares held by Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited. Mr. Zhuo is a managing director of Granite Global Ventures III L.L.C., which is the sole general partner of Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. Mr. Zhuo is also the Chairman of Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited. Mr. Zhuo disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially owned by Granite Global Ventures III L.P., GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. and Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited except to the extent of his pecuniary interests therein. Mr. Zhuo’s business address is c/o Granite Global Ventures III L.P., 2494 Sand Hill Road, Suite 100, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States.

(6)

Consists of 11,615,513 ordinary shares issuable upon the conversion of the Series A preferred shares held by NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. NewMargin Growth Ventures LLC is the sole general partner of NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. Mr. Greg W. Ye is a member of the investment committee of NewMargin Growth Ventures LLC and shares voting and dispositive power over all such shares held by NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. Mr. Ye disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially owned by NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. except to the extent of his pecuniary interests therein. Mr. Ye’s business address is c/o NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., Radisson Plaza (Xing Guo) Hotel, 8 Xing Guo Road, Villa 3, Shanghai, China 200052.

(7)

Gold Intellect Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands wholly owned by Mr. Guangfu Xu. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Mr. Guangfu Xu has the sole voting and dispositive power over the shares of our company held by Gold Intellect Limited.

(8)

Plenty China Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands wholly owned by Mr. Xiang Xu. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Mr. Xiang Xu has the sole voting and dispositive power over the shares of our company held by Plenty China Limited.

(9)

Consists of 11,885,641 ordinary shares issuable upon the conversion of (1) the 11,695,471 Series A preferred shares held by Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and (2) the 190,170 Series A preferred shares held by GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. Granite Global Ventures L.L.C. is the sole general partner of Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. Scott Bonham, Hany Nada, Glenn Soloman, Thomas Ng, Jixun Foo, Jenny Lee, Jessie Jin and Fumin Zhuo are managing directors of Granite Global Ventures L.L.C. and share voting and dispositive power over all such shares held by Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. These individuals disclaim beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially owned by the above entities except to the extent of their pecuniary interests therein. The business address of Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. is 2494 Sand Hill Road, Suite 100, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States.

(10)

Consists of 11,615,513 ordinary shares issuable upon the conversion of the Series A preferred shares held by NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. NewMargin Growth Ventures LLC is the sole general partner of NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. Messrs. Tao Feng, Greg W. Ye, Shuiwen Zhou, Cary Zhou and Hans Xu are members of the investment committee of NewMargin Growth Ventures LLC and share voting and dispositive power over all such shares held by NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. These individuals disclaim beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially owned by the above entities except to the extent of their pecuniary interests therein. NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.’s business address is Radisson Plaza (Xing Guo) Hotel, 8 Xing Guo Road, Villa 3, Shanghai, China 200052.

(11)

Ruian International Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands wholly owned by Mr. Fei Ge. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Mr. Fei Ge has the sole voting and dispositive power over the shares of our company held by Ruian International Limited.

(12)

Instantup Investments Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Instantup Investments Limited’s shareholders are Dafeng Shi, Daoli Guo and Heping Chen and these shareholders share voting and dispositive power over all the shares held by Instantup Investments Limited.

footnotes continued on following page

 

108


Table of Contents
(13)

Ace Pro Holdings Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Ace Pro Holdings Limited’s shareholders are Bin Cai, Weidong Chen, Jinhong Cai, Jinrong Xiao and Defu Ji and these shareholders share voting and dispositive power over all the shares held by Ace Pro Holdings Limited.

(14)

Best Mount International Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Best Mount International Limited’s shareholders are Yueping Liu, Shaoxian Ge, Sheng Xue, Xiaorong Hou, Benjiang Chang, Yuhua Jing, Jilin Ye, Jianrong Tang and Chaohui Chen and these shareholders share voting and dispositive power over all the shares held by Best Mount International Limited.

(15)

Million Fortune International Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. Its registered office is at P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Million Fortune International Limited’s shareholders are Jun Li, Sheng Xu, Wanlin Gao, Jun Pei, Jun Fan, Jun Tian, Xiang Guo, Qiaogen Guo, Benxiang Chang, Henglin Zhang, Honggui Kong, Zhaosheng Lu, Dashun Zhang, Jianping Ju, Entuan Wang, Songqing Wei, Xiangrong Su and Chunrong He and these shareholders share voting and dispositive power over all the shares held by Million Fortune International Limited.

 

109


Table of Contents

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Transactions with Daqo Group

Any transactions we entered into with Daqo Group or its subsidiaries are treated as related party transactions, as summarized below:

Bank financing transactions involving Daqo Group

Since September 2007, Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo obtained several major RMB-denominated loans from China Construction Bank and China Merchants Bank. Daqo Group provided guarantee for the loans. As of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, the aggregate balance of these bank borrowings was in the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of $87.8 million and $166.6 million, respectively.

In December 2009, Chongqing Daqo obtained RMB-denominated loans in the U.S. dollar equivalent amount of approximately $19.4 million from Huaxia Bank and China CITIC Bank. Daqo Group also provided guarantee for these two loans.

In March 2008, Daqo Cayman borrowed a short-term loan from ABN Amro at the amount of $6.0 million. Daqo Group deposited the RMB equivalent of $6.6 million in a bank account with ABN Amro to secure the loan. Daqo Cayman repaid this loan in March 2009.

Amount payables to Daqo Group and its subsidiary

As of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, we had outstanding payable to Daqo Group in the amount of $38.6 million and $0.2 million, respectively, consisting primarily of payments made by Daqo Group on behalf of our company for technical consulting and engineering services, general and administrative expenses and the purchase of property, plant and equipment.

In 2008, we purchased electrical equipment for our Chongqing facilities from Daqo Group and Jiangsu Daqo Changjiang Electric Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Daqo Group, in the amount of $0.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively. We did not purchase any equipment from our related parties in the first nine months of 2009.

Transactions relating to Poly Engineering

Pursuant to a series of technology license agreements and technical services agreements entered into between Daqo Group or Daqo New Material on the one hand and Poly Engineering on the other hand between June 2006 and January 2008, Daqo Group and Daqo New Material acquired from Poly Engineering certain know-how related to the construction and operation of polysilicon facilities and Poly Engineering provided certain related construction services to Daqo New Material. In June 2008, Daqo Group and Daqo New Material terminated all of the agreements with Poly Engineering and Chongqing Daqo entered into new agreements with Poly Engineering. See “Business—Intellectual Property” for a discussion of these agreements. All payments that had been made by Daqo Group under the original agreements became our accounts payable to Daqo Group. As of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, the balance due to Daqo Group was $5.2 million and nil, respectively.

Transactions with Daqo New Material

Chongqing Daqo entered into a lease agreement with Daqo New Material dated June 30, 2008 to rent all of Daqo New Material’s land, production infrastructure and machinery and equipment for our polysilicon production. The initial lease agreement has a five-year term starting July 1, 2008, with monthly lease payments at a fixed amount of RMB9.95 million ($1.4 million). The rental amount under the initial lease agreement was determined based on factors, such as Daqo New Material’s operating

 

110


Table of Contents

expenses, interest expenses and the return on investment required by Daqo New Material’s owners. The initial lease agreement also provided that if Daqo New Material transferred the ownership of the leased assets to any third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner until its expiry. One month before the expiry of the initial lease term, the lease agreement could be renewed for an additional five-year term upon mutual consent. Chongqing Daqo had the right of first refusal to rent the leased assets under the initial lease agreement.

The lease agreement was amended and restated in August 2009, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2009. After one year of operations, Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo concluded that the lease payments under the original lease agreement would result in excessive return on investment to Daqo New Material in the foreseeable future. The amount of the monthly lease payment was thus reduced to RMB6.1 million ($0.9 million) in the amended and restated lease agreement. Under the amended and restated lease agreement, the lease period is from January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2013. One month before the expiry of the lease period, Chongqing Daqo has the option to renew the lease on the same terms and conditions for additional five-year periods. Furthermore, the amended and restated lease agreement provides that Chongqing Daqo has the option to purchase, or to designate any person to purchase, the leased assets at the then fair value at any time during the lease period or within one year following the lease period, if permitted by the PRC laws and regulations. Under current PRC laws and regulations, Chongqing Daqo needs to obtain governmental approval in China to proceed with the purchase, and given the application requirements we do not think it is currently practical for us to obtain such approval. If Daqo New Material desires to transfer the ownership of the leased assets to a third party, Chongqing Daqo has the right of first refusal to acquire the leased assets under the same conditions, and if the leased assets are transferred to a third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner until its expiry.

On November 9, 2009, Chongqing Daqo entered into a supplemental lease agreement with Daqo New Material to lease the production facilities for Phase 1b from November 9, 2009 until December 31, 2013 at a fixed monthly rental of RMB3.0 million ($0.4 million). The other terms of the supplemental lease agreement are the same as those of the amended and restated lease agreement for the Phase 1a facilities.

Private Placements

See “Description of Share Capital—History of Securities Issuances.”

Investor Rights Agreement

In connection with the issuance of our Series A preferred shares, we and our major shareholders entered into an investor rights agreement with the purchasers of the Series A preferred shares. Under this investor rights agreement, our board of directors prior to this offering shall comprise of no more than seven directors, including two directors designated by the major Series A preferred shareholders and five directors designated by the ordinary shareholders. Under this agreement, our Series A preferred shareholders are also entitled to certain registration rights. For a detailed description of these rights, see “Description of Share Capital—Registration Rights held by our Series A Investors.” Pursuant to this investor rights agreement, our Series A preferred shareholders agreed not to sell or otherwise transfer their shares prior to November 20, 2010 without our consent. The holders of the Series A preferred shares were granted certain preferential rights including liquidation preference, anti-dilution rights, veto rights on certain corporate matters, pre-emptive rights, right of first refusal and co-sale right in the event that any ordinary shareholder intends to transfer or dispose of any ordinary shares of our company. Except for the registration rights and certain rights to appoint directors held by Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. as described in “Management—Appointment of Directors by Certain Shareholders,” all Series A preferred shareholders’ rights under the investors rights agreement will automatically terminate upon the completion of this offering.

 

111


Table of Contents

Employment Agreements

See “Management—Employment Agreements.”

Share Incentives

See “Management—Share Incentive Plan” for a description of share options and stock purchase rights we have granted to our directors, officers and other individuals as a group.

Our audit committee, once established, shall review and approve all related party transactions on an ongoing basis. See “Management—Committees of the Board of Directors—Audit committee.”

Our code of business conduct and ethics provides for mechanisms to avoid conflicts between the personal interests of our directors and officers and our company’s interests. See “Management—Code of business conduct and ethics” for more details.

 

112


Table of Contents

DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

We are a Cayman Islands company and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended from time to time, and the Companies Law (2009 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, which is referred to below as the Companies Law.

As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized share capital consists of 460,000,000 ordinary shares and 40,000,000 Series A preferred shares, with a par value of $0.0001 each. As of the date of this prospectus, there are 100,000,000 ordinary shares and 29,714,103 Series A preferred shares issued and outstanding. All of our outstanding ordinary shares and preferred shares are fully paid and non-assessable.

Upon completion of this offering, we will adopt the Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, which will replace the current memorandum and articles of association in their entirety.

The following are summaries of material provisions of our proposed Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Companies Law insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares that we expect will become effective upon completion of this offering.

Ordinary Shares

General

All of our outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Certificates representing the ordinary shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.

Dividend Rights

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.

Voting Rights

Each ordinary share is entitled to one vote on all matters upon which the ordinary shares are entitled to vote. Voting at any meeting of shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by the chairman of our board of directors or any other shareholder holding at least ten percent of the shares given a right to vote at the meeting, present in person or by proxy.

A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of at least shareholders holding not less than an aggregate of one-third of all voting share capital of our company in issue present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote. Shareholders’ meetings may be held annually and may be convened by our board of directors on its own initiative or upon a request to the directors by shareholders holding in aggregate not less than one third of our share capital as at that date carries the right of voting at general meeting of our company. Advance notice of at least seven 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 cast attaching to the ordinary shares. 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 alter the amount of our authorized share capital, consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing share capital, and cancel any shares.

 

113


Table of Contents

Transfer of Shares

Subject to the restrictions of our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, 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 common form or any other form approved by our board.

Our board of directors may, in its absolute 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 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 shares conceded are free of any lien in favor of us; or (c) a fee of such maximum sum as the New York Stock Exchange 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.

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 14 days’ notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers or by electronic means, be suspended and the register closed 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.

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.

Redemption 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 as may be determined by special resolution.

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 three-fourths 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. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

History of Securities Issuances

The following is a summary of our securities issuances since the incorporation of Daqo Cayman on November 22, 2007.

On November 12, 2007, one subscriber share with the par value of $1.00 of Daqo Cayman was allotted and issued to Offshore Incorporations (Cayman) Limited as the initial subscriber, which was

 

114


Table of Contents

subsequently transferred to Ace Pro Holdings Limited on the same day. In addition, on November 22, 2007, Daqo Cayman allotted and issued 3,900, 1,482, 1,089, 993, 921, 876, and 738 ordinary shares of $1.00 to Gold Intellect Limited, Plenty China Limited, Ruian International Limited, Instantup Investments Limited, Ace Pro Holdings Limited, Best Mount International Limited and Million Fortune International Limited, respectively. The total subscription consideration of $10,000 was paid to us in August 2009.

In August 2009, Daqo Cayman executed a 10,000-for-1 share split of its ordinary shares.

In November 2009, Daqo Cayman issued and sold 29,714,103 shares of Series A convertible preferred shares in a private placement at a price of $1.851 per share to a group of investment funds. The investors in the Series A preferred share private placement consisted of investment funds affiliated with Granite Global Ventures III L.P, which purchased 11,885,641 shares, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., which purchased 11,615,513 shares, investment funds affiliated with Siguler Guff Advisers, LLC, which purchased 4,051,923 shares and Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited, which purchased 2,161,026 shares. Each Series A preferred share will be automatically converted into one ordinary share upon the closing of a qualified initial public offering. A qualified public offering means, among other things, a public offering that with gross proceeds to us of at least $80 million and that reflects a pre-money market valuation of our Company of at least $275 million or as otherwise approved by the board.

If a qualified public offering were not to occur by November 20, 2011 or if we materially breach any representation, warranty or covenant in any of the transaction documents we entered into with the Series A investors, each Series A investor may require that we redeem the Series A preferred shares held by such Series A investors at a premium of 8% per annum to the original sales price, calculated from the date of the sale of the Series A preferred shares.

Investor Rights Agreement

In connection with the issuance of our Series A preferred shares, we and our major shareholders entered into an investor rights agreement with the purchasers of the Series A preferred shares. Under this investor rights agreement, our board of directors prior to this offering shall comprise of no more than seven directors, including two directors designated by the major Series A preferred shareholders and five directors designated by the ordinary shareholders. Under this agreement, our Series A preferred shareholders are also entitled to certain registration rights. Pursuant to this investor rights agreement, our Series A preferred shareholders agreed not to sell or otherwise transfer their shares prior to November 20, 2010 without our consent. The holders of the Series A preferred shares were granted certain preferential rights, including liquidation preference, anti-dilution rights, veto rights on certain corporate matters, pre-emptive rights, right of first refusal and co-sale right in the event that any ordinary shareholder intends to transfer or dispose of any ordinary shares of our company. Except for the registration rights and certain rights to appoint directors held by Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. as described in “Management—Appointment of Directors by Certain Shareholders,” all Series A preferred shareholders’ rights under the investors rights agreement will automatically terminate upon the completion of this offering.

Registration Rights held by our Series A Investors

Pursuant to the investor rights agreement dated November 20, 2009, we have granted certain registration rights to our Series A investors. Set forth below is a summary of the registration rights granted under the agreement.

Demand Registration Rights and Form F-3 Registration Rights

At any time commencing the earlier of November 20, 2011 or six months following an initial public offering, holders of at least 10% of our outstanding registrable securities, which include our ordinary

 

115


Table of Contents

shares issued or issuable upon conversion of the Series A preferred shares, have the right to demand that we file a registration statement covering the offer and sale of their securities. We are not obligated to effect more than three registration statements pursuant to the foregoing demand registration rights.

When we are eligible for registration on Form F-3, holders of at least 10% of our outstanding registrable securities have the right to request that we file registration statements under Form F-3 covering the offer and sale of their securities.

We, however, are not obligated to effect a demand registration or a Form F-3 registration if, among other things, (1) we notify the requesting holder of the registrable securities of our intention to make a public offering within 180 days, (2) the dollar amount of securities to be sold is of an aggregate price to the public of less than $5,000,000, or (3) we provide the requesting holders a certificate signed by our chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the board of directors the filing of such a registration statement will be materially detrimental to us and our shareholders. In the case of (3), we cannot exercise the deferral right more than once in any 12-month period.

Piggyback Registration Rights

If we propose to file a registration statement for a public offering of our securities other than relating to a stock option plan or a corporate reorganization, then we must offer holders of registrable securities an opportunity to include in the registration all or any part of their registrable securities. The underwriters of any underwritten offering will have the right to limit the number of shares with registration rights to be included in the registration statement.

Expenses of Registration

We will pay all expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, relating to any demand, piggyback or Form F-3 registrations.

For more detailed information relating to the registration rights, see the investor rights agreement filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

Differences in Corporate Law

The Companies Law of the Cayman Islands is modeled after that of the United Kingdom but does not follow recent United Kingdom statutory enactments. 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 United States and their shareholders.

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 either (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company voting together as one class if the shares to be issued to each shareholder in the consolidated or surviving company will have the same rights and economic value as the shares held in the relevant constituent company or (b) a shareholder resolution of each constituent company passed by a majority in number representing 75% in value of the shareholders voting together

 

116


Table of Contents

as one class. The plan 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 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 which is 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 majority vote have been met;

 

   

the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question;

 

   

the arrangement is such that a businessman would reasonably approve; 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 within four months, the offerer may, within a two month 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 unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.

If the 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 United States corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.

Protection of minorities and shareholders’ suits

It can be expected that the Cayman Islands courts will ordinarily follow English case law precedents (particularly the rule in the case of Foss v. Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) which permit a minority member to commence a representative action against or derivative actions in the name of a company to challenge:

 

   

an act which is ultra vires of the company or illegal;

 

   

an act which constitutes a fraud against the minority and the wrongdoers are themselves in control of the company; and

 

   

an irregularity in the passing of a resolution the passage of which requires a qualified (or special) majority which has not been obtained.

Where a company (not being a bank) is one which has a share capital divided into shares, the court may, on the application of members thereof holding not less than one-fifth of the shares of the company in issue, appoint an inspector to examine the affairs of the company and, at the direction of the court, to report thereon.

 

117


Table of Contents

Moreover, any member of a company may petition the court which may make a winding up order if the court is of the opinion that it is just and equitable that the company should be wound up.

In general, claims against a company by its members must be based on the general laws of contract or tort applicable in the Cayman Islands or be based on potential violation of their individual rights as members as established by a company’s memorandum and articles of association.

Pre-emption Rights

There are no pre-emption rights applicable to the issue of new ordinary shares under Cayman Islands law.

Procedures on liquidation

A resolution that our company be wound up by the court or be wound up voluntarily is a special resolution.

Subject to any special rights, privileges or restrictions as to the distribution of available surplus assets on liquidation for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares:

 

   

if we are wound up and the assets available for distribution amongst our shareholders are more than sufficient to repay the whole of the capital paid up at the commencement of the winding up, then the excess will be distributed pari passu amongst such members in proportion to the amount paid up on the shares held by them; and

 

   

if we are wound up and the assets available for distribution among the shareholders as such are insufficient to repay the whole of the paid-up capital, such assets will be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the members in proportion to the capital paid up, on the shares held by them.

In the event that we are wound up (whether the liquidation is voluntary or compelled by the court) the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution and any other sanction required by the Cayman Companies Law divide among the members in specie or kind the whole or any part of our assets whether the assets shall consist of property of one kind or shall consist of properties of different kinds and the liquidator may, for such purpose, set such value as he deems fair upon any one or more class or classes of property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the members or different classes of members and the members within each class. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of members as the liquidator shall think fit, but so that no member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other property upon which there is a liability.

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. Our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association permit indemnification of officers and directors for losses, damages, charges and expenses incurred in their capacities as such unless such losses or damages arise from willful neglect or 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.

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 as a matter of United States law.

 

118


Table of Contents

Anti-takeover Provisions in the Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

Subject to the Companies Law, our company can adopt a wide range of defensive measures, such as staggered boards, blank check preferred shares, removal of directors only for cause and provisions that restrict the rights of shareholders to call meetings, act by written consent and submit shareholder proposals. Our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of incorporation provide for, among others, blank check preferred stock.

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 reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his 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.

Under Cayman Islands law, at common law, members of a board of directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company to act in good faith in their dealings with or on behalf of the company and exercise their powers and fulfill the duties of their office honestly. This duty has four essential elements:

 

   

a duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the company;

 

   

a duty not to personally profit from opportunities that arise from the office of director;

 

   

a duty to avoid conflicts of interest; and

 

   

a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended.

In general, the Companies Law imposes various duties on officers of a company with respect to certain matters of management and administration of the company. The Companies Law contains provisions, which impose default fines on persons who fail to satisfy those requirements. However, in many circumstances, an individual is only liable if he knowingly is guilty of the default or knowingly and willfully authorizes or permits the default.

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. The Companies Law allows a special resolution to be passed in writing if signed by all the shareholders and authorized by the articles of association, which ours do.

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 any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.

 

119


Table of Contents

The Companies Law does not provide shareholders any right to bring business before a meeting or requisition a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in articles of association. Our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association allow our shareholders holding not less than one-third of our paid-up voting share capital to requisition a shareholder’s meeting. As an exempted Cayman Islands company, we are not obliged by law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings.

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. While there is nothing under the Companies Law which specifically prohibits or restricts the creation of cumulative voting rights for the election of directors of a corporation, our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association do not provide for cumulative voting.

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 Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, directors may be removed, by way of ordinary resolution of the shareholders.

Transactions with Interested Shareholders

The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware public 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 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 public corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.

A Cayman company may enter into some business transactions with significant shareholders, including asset sales, in which a significant shareholder receives, or could receive, a financial benefit that is greater than that received, or to be received, by other shareholders with prior approval from the board of directors but without prior approval from the shareholders.

Sale of Assets

Contrary to the general practice in most corporations incorporated in the United States, the Companies Law does not require that shareholders approve sales of all or substantially all of a company’s assets. However pursuant to our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, inter alia, prior consent from holders of preferred shares is required for any sale of whole or substantial part of the assets of the Company.

 

120


Table of Contents

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. If the dissolution is approved by the board of directors, it must be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares; or if so provided in its certificate of incorporation, a supermajority of shareholders. Under the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands and our Third Amended and Restated Articles of association, our company may be dissolved, liquidated or wound up by, inter alia, prior written approval of the holders of the preferred shares.

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. As permitted by Cayman Islands law, our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may vary the rights attached to any class only with the vote at a class meeting of holders of the shares of such 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. As permitted by the Companies Law, our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association may only be amended with, inter alia, a special resolution of the Company.

Rights of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders

There are no limitations imposed by our Third 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 Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.

Modification of Rights

Except with respect to share capital (as described below) and the location of the registered office, alterations to our memorandum and articles of association may only be made by special resolution.

Subject to the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands, all or any of the special rights attached to shares or any class (unless otherwise provided for by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may be varied, modified or abrogated either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than three-fourths in nominal value of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. The provisions of our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis to every such separate general meeting, but so that the quorum for the purposes of any such separate general meeting other than an adjourned meeting shall be a person or persons together holding (or represented by proxy) on the date of the relevant meeting not less than one-third of the issued shares of that class, every holder of shares of the class shall be entitled on a poll to one vote for every such share held by such holder and that any holder of shares of that class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.

The special rights conferred upon the holders of any class of shares shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided in the rights attaching to or the terms of issue of such shares, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith.

 

121


Table of Contents

Alteration of Capital

We may from time to time by ordinary resolution:

 

   

increase our capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such amounts, as the resolution shall prescribe;

 

   

consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing shares;

 

   

cancel any shares which 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 its share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled subject to the provisions of the Companies Law; and

 

   

sub-divide our shares or any of them into shares of smaller amount than is fixed by our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, subject nevertheless to the Companies Law.

We may, by special resolution, subject to any confirmation or consent required by the Companies Law, reduce our share capital, share premium account or any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorized by law.

Transfer of Shares

Subject to the restrictions of our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association as may be applicable, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her shares by an instrument of transfer in the form prescribed by our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Our directors may decline to register any transfer of any share unless the instrument of transfer is lodged with us accompanied by the certificate for the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer.

Share Repurchase

We are empowered by the Companies Law and our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association to purchase our own shares if the manner of purchase has first been authorized by the shareholders of our company in a general meeting. The shares may be repurchased out of profits of our company, out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for that purpose or out of capital, provided that we have the ability to pay our debts as they come due in the ordinary course of business. Our directors may only exercise this power on our behalf, subject to the Companies Law, our memorandum and articles of association and to any applicable requirements imposed from time to time by the New York Stock Exchange, the SEC, or by any other recognized stock exchange.

Dividends

Subject to the Companies Law and our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, in a general meeting of the shareholders of our Company we may declare dividends but no dividends shall exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Dividends may be declared and paid out of our profits, realized or unrealized, or from any reserve set aside from profits which our directors determine is no longer needed. With the sanction of an ordinary resolution, dividends may also be declared out of the share premium account or any other fund or account which can be authorized for this purpose in accordance with the Companies Law.

Our directors may also pay any dividend which is payable on any shares half-yearly or on any other dates, whenever our profits, in the opinion of the directors, justifies such payment.

Our directors may deduct from any dividend or distributions payable to any shareholder all sums of money (if any) presently payable by him to us on account of calls, installments or otherwise.

 

122


Table of Contents

No dividend or other monies payable by us on or in respect of any share shall bear interest against us.

Subject to our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, with the sanction of an ordinary resolution (or, with regarding to a dividend payable in respect of a class of shares, an ordinary resolution passed at a class meeting) the directors may determine that (i) the persons entitled to participate in the dividend shall have a right of election to accept shares of our company credited as fully paid up in satisfaction of all or (if the directors so specify or permit) part of their dividend entitlement or (ii) a dividend shall be satisfied in whole or specified part by an issue of shares of our company credited as fully paid up, subject to a right of election on the part of persons entitled to participate in the dividend to receive their dividend entitlement wholly or (if the directors so permit) partly in cash. In either event, the directors may determine all questions concerning the right of election, notification thereof to shareholders, the basis and terms of issue of shares of our company and otherwise.

Any dividend interest or other sum payable in cash to the holder of shares may be paid by check or draft sent by mail addressed to the holder at his address, or addressed to such person and at such addresses as the holder may direct. Every such check or warrant shall, unless the holder or joint holders otherwise direct, be made payable to the order of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the order of the holder whose name stands first on the register in respect of such shares, and shall be sent at his or their risk and payment of the check or warrant by the bank on which it is drawn shall constitute a good discharge to us.

Any dividend unclaimed after a period of six years from the date of declaration of such dividend may be forfeited by our board of directors and, if so forfeited, shall revert to us.

Subject to our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, with the sanction of an ordinary resolution, the directors may determine that a dividend shall be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets (which may consist of the shares or securities of any other company) and may settle all questions concerning such distribution. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the directors may fix the value of such specific assets, may determine that cash payment shall be made to some shareholders in lieu of specific assets and may vest any such specific assets in trustees on such terms as the directors think fit.

Board of Directors

We are managed by a board of directors which shall consist of no less than five members. Our board of directors currently consists of five members and another two members will be appointed to the board of directors upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form F-1, of which this prospectus is a part. An appointment of a director may be in terms that the director shall automatically retire at the next or a subsequent annual general meeting.

Meetings of the board of directors may be convened at any time deemed necessary by any members of the board of directors in accordance with our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.

A meeting of the board of directors shall be competent to make lawful and binding decisions if a quorum is present. Under our Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of our board of directors may be fixed by the board of directors and unless so fixed shall be a majority of the directors then in office. At any meeting of the directors, each director, be it by his presence or by his alternate, is entitled to one vote.

Questions arising at a meeting of the board of directors are required to be decided by simple majority votes of the members of the board of directors present or represented at the meeting. In the case of a tie vote, the resolution shall fail. Our board of directors may also pass resolutions without a meeting by unanimous written consent.

 

123


Table of Contents

DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary will issue the ADSs which you will be entitled to receive in this offering. Each ADS will represent an ownership interest in shares which we will deposit with the custodian, as agent of the depositary, under the deposit agreement among ourselves, the depositary and registered holders of ADSs on the books of the depositary. 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. Each ADS represents six ordinary shares of our company. Unless 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 4 New York Plaza, New York, NY 10004.

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 hold the ADSs through your broker or financial institution nominee, you 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.

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 from time to time of ADSs issued under the deposit agreement. The obligations of 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 ADRs are governed by New York law.

The following is a summary of the material terms of the deposit agreement. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit 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, after converting any cash received into U.S. dollars and, in all cases, making any necessary deductions provided for in the deposit agreement. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of underlying securities that your ADSs represent.

 

124


Table of Contents

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 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 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 furnish such evidence, the depositary may:

 

   

sell such rights if practicable and distribute the net proceeds in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto; or

 

   

if it is not practicable to sell such rights, do nothing and allow such rights to lapse, in which case ADR holders will receive nothing.

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.

If the depositary determines 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.

 

125


Table of Contents

The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADR holders.

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.

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, including instruments showing that such shares have been properly transferred or endorsed to the person on whose behalf the deposit is being made.

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 of the depositary. 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. 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.

 

126


Table of Contents

This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.

Record Dates

The depositary may, after consultation with us if practicable, fix record dates 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 shares,

 

   

to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at a meeting of holders of shares,

 

   

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 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 of any meeting or solicitation of consents or proxies from us, the depositary will distribute to the registered ADR holders a notice stating such information as is contained in the voting materials received by the depositary and describing how you may instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights for the shares which underlie your ADSs, including instructions for giving a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us. For instructions to be valid, the depositary must receive them in the manner and on or before the date specified. The depositary will try, as far as is practical, subject to the provisions of and governing the underlying shares, to vote or to have its agents vote the shares as you instruct. The depositary will only vote or attempt to vote as you instruct. 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.

There is no guarantee that you 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.

In order to give you a reasonable opportunity to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of voting rights relating to deposited securities, if we request the depositary to act, we will give the depositary notice of any such meeting and details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least 30 days in advance of the meeting date.

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.

 

127


Table of Contents

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 ADRs 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, by any party depositing or withdrawing shares or by any party surrendering ADSs 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 ADRs or the deposited securities or a distribution of ADSs), whichever is applicable:

 

   

a fee of $1.50 per ADR or ADRs for transfers of certificated or direct registration ADRs;

 

   

a fee of up to $0.02 per ADS for any cash distribution made pursuant to the deposit agreement;

 

   

a fee of up to $0.02 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 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);

 

   

reimbursement of such fees, charges and expenses as are incurred by the depositary and/or any of the depositary’s 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 or regulation relating to foreign investment) in connection with the servicing of the shares, 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 charge 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 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;

 

   

cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery charges incurred at your request in connection with the deposit or delivery of shares;

 

   

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; and

 

   

expenses of the depositary in connection with the conversion of foreign currency into U.S. dollars.

 

128


Table of Contents

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 charges described above may be amended from time to time by agreement between us and the depositary.

Our depositary has agreed to reimburse us for certain expenses we incur that are related to establishment and maintenance of the ADR program, including investor relations expenses and exchange application and listing fees. Neither the depositary nor we can determine the exact amount to be made available to us because (i) the number of ADSs that will be issued and outstanding, (ii) the level of fees to be charged to holders of ADSs and (iii) our reimbursable expenses related to the ADR program are not known at this 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 distributions, or by directly billing investors, or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may generally refuse to provide services to any holder until the fees and expenses owing by such holder for those services or otherwise are paid.

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 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. Additionally, 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) to pay such taxes and distribute any remaining net proceeds 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 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 not made to holders of ADSs or (iii) any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, liquidation, receivership, bankruptcy or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, then the depositary may choose to:

(1) amend the form of ADR;

(2) distribute additional or amended ADRs;

(3) distribute cash, securities or other property it has received in connection with such actions;

(4) sell any securities or property received and distribute the proceeds as cash; or

(5) none of the above.

 

129


Table of Contents

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, cable, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or otherwise prejudices any substantial existing right of ADR holders. Such notice need not describe in detail the specific amendments effectuated thereby, but must give ADR holders a means to access the text of such amendment. We will file such amendment with the Securities and Exchange Commission through its electronic filing system, which provides ADR holders with free access to the text of any such amendment and we will bear any expenses that may be incurred for such filing. If an ADR holder continues to hold an ADR or ADRs after being so notified, such ADR holder is deemed to agree to such amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement as so amended. 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 ADR 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 registered holders of ADSs 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 45 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 ADSs unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement on the 90 th day after our notice of removal was first provided to the depositary. After termination, the depositary’s only responsibility will be (i) to deliver deposited securities to ADR holders who surrender their ADRs, and (ii) to hold or sell distributions received on deposited securities. As soon as practicable after the expiration of six months from the termination date, the depositary will sell the deposited securities which remain and hold the net proceeds of such sales (as long as it may lawfully do so), without liability for interest, in trust for the ADR holders who have not yet surrendered their ADRs. After making such sale, the depositary shall have no obligations except to account for such proceeds and other cash.

 

130


Table of Contents

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 holders 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, 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 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 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 ADSs, the acceptance of deposits of shares, the registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of ADSs or the withdrawal of shares, may be suspended, generally or in particular instances, when the ADS 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 withdrawal 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, and (iii) compliance with any laws or governmental regulations relating to ADSs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities.

The deposit agreement expressly limits the obligations and liability of the depositary, ourselves and our respective agents. Neither we nor the depositary nor any such agent will be liable 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 or any other country, 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 or other circumstance beyond our, the depositary’s or our respective agents’ 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 ADR;

 

   

it performs its obligations under the deposit agreement and ADRs without gross negligence or bad faith;

 

   

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 ADSs, or any other person believed by it to be competent to give such advice or information; or

 

   

it relies upon any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

 

131


Table of Contents

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 or the ADSs. 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 ADSs, 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 ADSs, 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 any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of deposited securities or otherwise. 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 Chase Bank, N.A.

Additionally, none of us, the depositary or the custodian shall be liable for the failure by any registered holder of ADSs or beneficial owner therein to obtain the benefits of credits on the basis of non-U.S. tax paid against such holder’s or beneficial owner’s income tax liability. Neither we nor the depositary shall incur any liability for any tax consequences that may be incurred by holders or beneficial owners on account of their ownership of 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 or for the effect of any such vote. Neither the depositary nor any of its agents shall be liable to registered holders of ADSs or beneficial owners of interests in ADSs for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (including, without limitation, lost profits) of any form incurred by any person or entity, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the type of action in which such a claim may be brought.

The depositary may own and deal in any class of our securities and in ADSs.

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, you 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 you to deliver your ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of the deposited securities so as to permit us to deal with you directly as a holder of shares and, by holding an ADS or an interest therein, you 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 ADSs, which register shall include the depositary’s direct registration system. Registered holders of ADSs 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 from time to time, when deemed expedient by the depositary.

The depositary will maintain facilities for the delivery and receipt of ADRs.

 

132


Table of Contents

Pre-release of ADSs

In its capacity as depositary, the depositary shall not lend shares or ADSs; provided, however, that the depositary may (i) issue ADSs prior to the receipt of shares and (ii) deliver shares prior to the receipt of ADSs for withdrawal of deposited securities, including ADSs which were issued under (i) above but for which shares may not have been received (each such transaction a “pre-release”). The depositary may receive ADSs in lieu of shares under (i) above (which ADSs will promptly be canceled by the depositary upon receipt by the depositary) and receive shares in lieu of ADSs under (ii) above. Each such pre-release will be subject to a written agreement whereby the person or entity (the “applicant”) to whom ADSs or shares are to be delivered (a) represents that at the time of the pre-release the applicant or its customer owns the shares or ADSs that are to be delivered by the applicant under such pre-release, (b) agrees to indicate the depositary as owner of such shares or ADSs in its records and to hold such shares or ADSs in trust for the depositary until such shares or ADSs are delivered to the depositary or the custodian, (c) unconditionally guarantees to deliver to the depositary or the custodian, as applicable, such shares or ADSs, and (d) agrees to any additional restrictions or requirements that the depositary deems appropriate. Each such pre-release will be at all times fully collateralized with cash, U.S. government securities or such other collateral as the depositary deems appropriate, terminable by the depositary on not more than five (5) business days’ notice and subject to such further indemnities and credit regulations as the depositary deems appropriate. The depositary will normally limit the number of ADSs and shares involved in such pre-release at any one time to thirty percent (30%) of the ADSs outstanding (without giving effect to ADSs outstanding under (i) above), provided, however, that the depositary reserves the right to change or disregard such limit from time to time as it deems appropriate. The depositary may also set limits with respect to the number of ADSs and shares involved in pre-release with any one person on a case-by-case basis as it deems appropriate. The depositary may retain for its own account any compensation received by it in conjunction with the foregoing. Collateral provided pursuant to (b) above, but not the earnings thereon, shall be held for the benefit of the registered holders of ADSs (other than the applicant).

Appointment

In the deposit agreement, each registered holder of ADSs and each person holding an interest in 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:

 

   

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.

Governing Law

The deposit agreement and the ADRs shall be 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.

 

133


Table of Contents

SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Upon completion of this offering, we will have 6,500,000 outstanding ADSs representing approximately 23.12% of our ordinary shares issued and outstanding, assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters. All of the ADSs sold in this offering will be freely transferable by persons other than our “affiliates” without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our ADSs. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our ordinary shares or the ADSs, and while we have obtained approval for our ADSs to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, we cannot assure you that a regular trading market will develop in the ADSs. We do not expect that a trading market will develop for our ordinary shares not represented by the ADSs. The ordinary shares into which our outstanding Series A preferred shares will convert upon the completion of this offering are not registered under the Securities Act.

Lock-Up Agreements

Our directors, executive officers, existing shareholders and option holders have agreed, subject to some exceptions, not to transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for our ordinary shares or ADSs, for a period of 180 days after the date this prospectus becomes effective. An aggregate of 129,714,103 outstanding ordinary shares are subject to the lock-up agreements. In addition, pursuant to the investor rights agreement we entered into with our then Series A preferred holders and other parties, our Series A preferred shareholders agreed not to sell or otherwise transfer their shares prior to November 20, 2010 without our consent. After the expiration of the 180-day period and the applicable lock-up restrictions provided in the investor rights agreement, the ordinary shares or ADSs held by our directors, executive officers and our existing shareholders may be sold subject to the restrictions under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or by means of registered public offerings.

Rule 144

Under Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not one of our affiliates at the time of, or has not been one of our affiliates at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. A non-affiliate person who has beneficially owned “restricted securities” for at least one year from the later of the date these shares were acquired from us or from our affiliate would be entitled to freely sell those shares.

Persons who have beneficially owned “restricted securities” for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within the proceeding three months only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:

 

   

1% of the total number of ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 1,687,141 shares immediately after this offering (or 1,745,641 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option); or

 

   

the average weekly trading volume of the ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.

Sales under Rule 144 by persons who are deemed to be our affiliates are also subject to manner-of-sale provisions, notice requirements and the availability of current public information about us. In addition, in each case, these shares would remain subject to lock-up arrangements and would only become eligible for sale when the lock-up period expires.

 

134


Table of Contents

We estimate that after the 180-day lock-up period expires, an aggregate of 31,572,949 ordinary shares held by non-affiliates can be freely sold under Rule 144. An aggregate of 98,141,154 shares held by our affiliates can be sold according to the volume and other restrictions set forth in Rule 144 after the lock-up period expires.

Rule 701

Beginning 90 days after the date of this prospectus, persons other than affiliates who purchased ordinary shares under a written compensatory plan or contract may be entitled to sell such shares in the United States in reliance on Rule 701. Rule 701 permits affiliates to sell their Rule 701 shares under Rule 144 without complying with the holding period requirements of Rule 144. Rule 701 further provides that non-affiliates may sell these shares in reliance on Rule 144 subject only to its manner-of-sale requirements. However, the Rule 701 shares would remain subject to lock-up arrangements and would only become eligible for sale when the lock-up period expires.

Share Incentive Plan

In August 2009, we adopted the 2009 share incentive plan to attract and retain the best available personnel, provide additional incentives to employees, directors and consultants, and promote the success of our business. Our board of directors has authorized the issuance of up to 15,000,000 ordinary shares upon the exercise of awards granted under our plan. See “Management—Share Incentive Plan” for a description of share options we have granted to our directors, officers and other individuals as a group.

Registration Rights

Upon the completion of this offering, certain holders of our ordinary shares or their transferees will be entitled to request that we register their shares under the Securities Act, following the expiration of the lock-up described above. See “Description of Share Capital—Registration Rights held by our Series A Investors.”

 

135


Table of Contents

TAXATION

The following summary of the material Cayman Islands, PRC and United States federal tax consequences of an investment in the ordinary shares or ADSs is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in the shares or ADSs, such as the tax consequences under U.S. state, local and other tax laws. To the extent that the discussion relates to matters of Cayman Islands tax law, it represents the opinion of Thorp Alberga, our Cayman Islands counsel, and to the extent that the discussion relates to matters of PRC tax law, it represents the opinion of Jun He Law Offices, our PRC counsel. To the extent that the discussion relates to matters of current U.S. federal income tax law as to the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ADSs or ordinary shares, and subject to the qualifications herein (including with respect PFIC matters as described below), it represents the opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, our special U.S. counsel.

Cayman Islands Taxation

The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.

Chinese Taxation

Under the PRC tax laws effective prior to January 1, 2008, dividends paid to foreign investors by foreign-invested enterprises, such as dividends paid to us by our PRC subsidiaries, were exempt from PRC withholding tax. Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules effective on January 1, 2008, all domestic and foreign-invested companies in China are subject to a uniform enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% and dividends from a PRC subsidiary to its foreign parent company are subject to a withholding tax at the rate of 10%, unless such foreign parent company’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax, or the tax is otherwise exempted or reduced pursuant to the PRC tax laws.

Under the EIT Law, enterprises organized under the laws of jurisdictions outside China with their “de facto management bodies” located within China are considered PRC resident enterprises and therefore be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on their worldwide income. Under the implementation rules of the EIT Law, “de facto management bodies” is defined as the bodies that have material and overall management and control over the business operations, personnel and human resources, finances and treasury, and acquisition and disposition of properties and other assets of an enterprise. In addition, a recent circular issued by the State Administration of Taxation on April 22, 2009 provides that a “foreign enterprise controlled by a PRC company or a PRC company group” will be classified as a “resident enterprise” with its “de facto management bodies” located within China if the following requirements are satisfied: (i) the senior management and core management departments in charge of its daily operations function mainly in the PRC; (ii) its financial and human resources decisions are subject to determination or approval by persons or bodies in the PRC; (iii) its major assets, accounting books, company seals, and minutes and files of its board and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in the PRC; and (iv) more than half of the enterprise’s directors or senior management with voting rights reside in the PRC. However, it remains unclear how PRC tax authority will treat an overseas company controlled by PRC natural persons rather than PRC enterprises like Daqo Cayman. The criteria set forth above do not apply to Daqo Cayman directly because Daqo Cayman is currently beneficially owned by Chinese individuals and is not a “foreign enterprise controlled by a PRC company

 

136


Table of Contents

or a PRC company group.” In addition, if new rules and interpretations are issued in the future specifying the criteria for determining whether a foreign entity beneficially owned by individual Chinese citizens is a resident enterprise under the EIT Law, we cannot assure you that Daqo Cayman will not be deemed a PRC resident enterprise.

If Daqo Cayman is classified as resident enterprise under the EIT Law, ADS holders who are not Chinese residents will be subject to a 10% withholding tax upon dividends payable by Daqo Cayman. However, the EIT law and regulations also provide that, if a resident enterprise directly invests in another resident enterprise, the dividends received by the investing resident enterprise from the invested resident enterprise are exempted from income tax, subject to certain conditions. Therefore, if Daqo Cayman is classified as resident enterprise under the EIT Law, the dividends received from our Chinese subsidiaries will be exempted from withholding tax.

Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following is a summary of the material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of our ADSs or ordinary shares by U.S. Holders (as defined below) that will hold ADSs or ordinary shares as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the United States Internal Revenue Code. This summary is based upon applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, Treasury regulations (proposed, temporary and final) promulgated thereunder, pertinent judicial decisions, interpretive rulings of the Internal Revenue Service and such other authorities as we have considered relevant, which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary does not discuss all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their individual investment circumstances, including investors subject to special tax rules (for example, financial institutions, insurance companies, broker-dealers, partnerships and their partners, and tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations)), holders who are not U.S. Holders, holders who own (directly, indirectly, or constructively) 10% or more of our voting stock, investors that will hold their ADSs or ordinary shares as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, constructive sale, or other integrated transaction for United States federal income tax purposes, investors that are traders in securities that have elected the mark-to-market method of accounting, or investors that have a functional currency other than the United States dollar, all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized below. In addition, this summary does not discuss any non-United States, state, or local tax considerations. Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisors regarding the United States federal, state, local, and non-United States income and other tax considerations of an investment in ADSs or ordinary shares.

General

For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our ADSs or ordinary shares that is, for United States federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, created in, or organized under the law of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has otherwise validly elected to be treated as a United States person under the United States Internal Revenue Code.

If a partnership is a beneficial owner of our ADSs or ordinary shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If a U.S. Holder is a partner of a partnership holding our ADSs or ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisors regarding an investment in our ADSs or ordinary shares.

 

137


Table of Contents

For United States federal income tax purposes, a U.S. Holder of ADSs will be treated as the beneficial owners of the underlying shares represented by the ADSs.

Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations

A non-United States corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a “passive foreign investment company” (or a “PFIC”), for United States federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, if either (i) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income or (ii) 50% or more of the value of its assets (determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year produce or are held for the production of passive income. For this purpose, cash is categorized as a passive asset and the company’s unbooked intangibles are taken into account. We will be treated as owning our proportionate share of the assets and earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, more than 25% (by value) of the stock.

Based on our current income and assets, we presently do not expect to be classified as a PFIC for the current taxable year and we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC in future taxable years, although there can be no assurance in this regard. Because PFIC status is a fact-intensive determination made on a prospective annual basis, our special United States counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status and also expresses no opinion with respect to our expectations regarding our PFIC status. If we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or ordinary shares, the PFIC tax rules discussed below under “Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” generally will apply for such taxable year and will apply in future years even if we cease to be a PFIC in subsequent years. The discussion below under “Dividends” and “Sale or Other Disposition of Shares” is written on the basis that we will not be classified as a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes.

Dividends

Any cash distributions (including the amount of any PRC tax withheld) paid on ADSs or ordinary shares out of our earnings and profits, as determined under United States federal income tax principles, will generally be includible in the gross income of a U.S. Holder as dividend income. Because we do not intend to determine our earnings and profits on the basis of United States federal income tax principles, any distribution paid will generally be treated as a “dividend” for United States federal income tax purposes. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, a non-corporate recipient of dividend income generally will be subject to tax on dividend income from a “qualified foreign corporation” at a maximum United States federal tax rate of 15% rather than the marginal tax rates generally applicable to ordinary income provided that certain holding period requirements are met. A non-United States corporation (other than a corporation that is classified as a PFIC for the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year) generally will be considered to be a qualified foreign corporation (i) if it is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States which the Secretary of Treasury of the United States determines is satisfactory for purposes of this provision and which includes an exchange of information program, or (ii) with respect to any dividend it pays on stock (or ADSs in respect of such stock) which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. We have obtained approval to list the ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange. Provided the listing is approved, we should be a qualified foreign corporation for United States federal income tax purposes because the ADSs are expected to be readily tradable on the New York Stock Exchange, which is an established securities market in the United States. In the event that we are deemed to be a PRC resident enterprise under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be eligible for the benefits of the United States-PRC income tax treaty. See “—People’s Republic of China Taxation.” If we are eligible for such benefits, dividends we pay on our ordinary shares, regardless of whether such shares are represented by the ADSs, would be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation. In the event that we are deemed to be a PRC “resident enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, a U.S. Holder may be subject to PRC withholding taxes on dividends paid on our ADSs. Dividends received on our ADSs or ordinary shares will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations.

 

138


Table of Contents

Dividends generally will be treated as income from foreign sources for United States foreign tax credit purposes. A U.S. Holder may be eligible, subject to a number of complex limitations, to claim a foreign tax credit in respect of any foreign withholding taxes imposed on dividends received on ADSs or ordinary shares. A U.S. Holder who does not elect to claim a foreign tax credit for foreign tax withheld, may instead claim a deduction, for United States federal income tax purposes, in respect of such withholdings, but only for a year in which such holder elects to do so for all creditable foreign income taxes.

Sale or Other Disposition of ADSs or Ordinary Shares

A U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized upon the disposition and the holder’s adjusted tax basis in such ADSs or ordinary shares. Any capital gain or loss will be long-term if the ADSs or ordinary shares have been held for more than one year and will generally be United States source gain or loss for United States foreign tax credit purposes. In the event that gain from the disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares is subject to tax in the PRC, a U.S. Holder that is eligible for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC may elect to treat the gain as PRC source income. See “—People’s Republic of China Taxation.” The deductibility of a capital loss may be subject to limitations.

Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules

If we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or ordinary shares, and unless the U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election with respect to ADSs (as described below), the U.S. Holder will generally be subject to special tax rules that have a penalizing effect, regardless of whether we remain a PFIC, on (i) any excess distribution that we make to the U.S. Holder (which generally means any distribution paid during a taxable year that is greater than 125 percent of the average annual distributions paid in the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ADSs or ordinary share), and (ii) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition, including a pledge, of ADSs or ordinary shares. Under these PFIC rules the:

 

   

excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares;

 

   

amount allocated to the current taxable year and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we are classified as a PFIC (a “pre-PFIC year”) will be taxable as ordinary income;

 

   

amount allocated to each prior taxable year, other than the current taxable year or a pre-PFIC year, will be subject to tax at the highest tax rate in effect applicable to you for that year; and

 

   

interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the tax attributable to each prior taxable year, other than the current taxable year or a pre-PFIC year.

As an alternative to the foregoing rules, a U.S. Holder of “marketable stock” in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election, provided that the ADSs are actively traded. We anticipate that the ADSs should qualify as being actively traded, but no assurances may be given in this regard. If a U.S. Holder makes this election, the U.S. Holder will generally (i) include as income for each taxable year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of ADSs held at the end of the taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of such ADSs and (ii) deduct as a loss the excess, if any, of the adjusted tax basis of such ADSs over the fair market value of such ADSs held at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. The U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the ADSs would be adjusted to reflect any income or loss resulting from the mark-to-market

 

139


Table of Contents

election. If a U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election in respect of a corporation classified as a PFIC and such corporation ceases to be classified as a PFIC, the U.S. Holder will not be required to take into account the gain or loss described above during any period that such corporation is not classified as a PFIC.

The “QEF Election,” which serves as a further alternative to the foregoing rules, is not available.

If a U.S. Holder owns our ADSs or ordinary shares during any taxable year that we are a PFIC, such U.S. Holder must file an annual Internal Revenue Service Form 8621. In the case of a U.S. Holder who has held ADSs or ordinary shares during any taxable year in respect of which we were classified as a PFIC and continue to hold such ADSs or ordinary shares (or any portion thereof), and has not previously determined to make a mark-to-market election, and who is now considering making a mark-to-market election, special tax rules may apply relating to purging the PFIC taint of such ADS or ordinary shares. Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisor concerning the United States federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing ADSs or ordinary shares if we are or become classified as a PFIC, including the possibility of making a mark-to-market election.

 

140


Table of Contents

UNDERWRITING

Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, the underwriters named below, through their representative, Piper Jaffray & Co., have agreed to purchase from us the following respective numbers of ADSs at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:

 

Underwriters

   Number of ADSs

Piper Jaffray & Co.

  

Lazard Capital Markets LLC

  

Needham & Company, LLC

  
    

Total

  
    

The address of Piper Jaffray & Co. is 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN 55402.

All sales of ADSs in the United States will be made through U.S. registered broker-dealers. Lazard Frères & Co. LLC referred this transaction to Lazard Capital Markets LLC and will receive a referral fee from Lazard Capital Markets LLC in connection with the referral.

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters to purchase the ADSs offered hereby are subject to certain conditions precedent and that the underwriters will purchase all the ADSs in the offering if any are purchased, other than those ADSs covered by the over-allotment option described below. The underwriting agreement also provides that if an underwriter defaults on its purchase commitment, the purchase commitments of non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the offering may be terminated.

We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable in whole or in part at the discretion of the representative, at any time, from time to time, on or before 30 days after the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 975,000 additional ADSs from us at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. The option may be exercised only to cover any over-allotments of ADSs. We will be obligated, pursuant to the option, to sell these additional ADSs to the underwriters to the extent the option is exercised. To the extent that the underwriters exercise this option, each of the underwriters will become obligated, subject to conditions, to purchase approximately the same percentage of these additional ADSs as the number of ADSs to be purchased by it in the above table bears to the total number of ADSs offered by this prospectus. If any additional ADSs are purchased, the underwriters will offer the additional ADSs on the same terms as those on which the 6,500,000 ADSs are being offered.

We have been advised by the representative of the underwriters that the underwriters propose to offer the ADSs initially to the public at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $             per ADS. The underwriters may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a discount not exceeding $             per ADS on sales to other broker-dealers. After the initial public offering, the representative may change the public offering price and other selling terms.

The following table summarizes the compensation we will pay:

 

          Total
     Per ADS    Without
Over-
Allotment
   With
Over-
Allotment

Underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us

   $                 $                 $             

 

141


Table of Contents

Total expenses for this offering are estimated to be approximately $3.4 million, including SEC registration fees of $7,728, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, filing fees of $11,339, New York Stock Exchange listing fees of $150,000, printing expenses of approximately $140,000, legal fees of approximately $1.8 million, accounting fees of approximately $1.0 million, roadshow, travel and other out-of-pocket expenses of approximately $300,000. All amounts are estimated except for the fees relating to SEC registration, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority filing and New York Stock Exchange listing.

An employee of Piper Jaffray & Co. holds a direct interest in GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P., which is an investor in our private placement of Series A preferred shares closed in November 2009, and holds an indirect interest in Granite Global Ventures III L.P., a lead investor in such private placement transaction. Of the Series A preferred shares issued to GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P. and Granite Global Ventures III L.P., 5,368 are directly attributable to such employee and may be deemed by FINRA to be underwriting compensation within the meaning of the FINRA Rules.

We have agreed to pay all fees and expenses we incur in connection with this offering.

We and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that we and/or the underwriters may be required to make in that respect.

We have agreed that we will not offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act, relating to, any ADSs, ordinary shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or that represent the right to receive, our ADSs or ordinary shares, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our ADSs or ordinary shares, or publicly disclose that we will or may enter into any transaction described above, without the prior written consent of the representative of the underwriters for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, whether any transaction described above is to be settled by the delivery of ADSs, ordinary shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, except for issuances pursuant to (i) the sale of ADSs or ordinary shares to the underwriters, and (ii) grants of stock options pursuant to our share incentive plan existing on the date of this prospectus of which the underwriters have been advised in writing and is described in “Management—Share Incentive Plan” of this prospectus. However, in the event that either (1) during the last 17 days of the “lock-up” period, we release earnings results or material news or a material event relating to us occurs, or (2) prior to the expiration of the “lock-up” period, we announce that we will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the “lock-up” period, then in either case the expiration of the “lock-up” will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or event, as applicable, unless the representative of the underwriter waives, in writing, such an extension.

Each of our directors, executive officers, shareholders and option holders has agreed, pursuant to the contractual restrictions described under “Shares Eligible for Future Sale—Lock-up Agreements,” that they will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our ADSs, ordinary shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or that represents the right to receive, ADSs or ordinary shares, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our ADSs or ordinary shares, or publicly disclose that he, she or it will or may enter into any transaction described above, without the prior written consent of the representative of the underwriters for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, whether any transaction described above is to be settled by the delivery of ADSs, ordinary shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. However, in the event that either (1) during the last 17 days of the “lock-up” period, we

 

142


Table of Contents

release earnings results or material news or a material event relating to us occurs, or (2) prior to the expiration of the “lock-up” period, we announce that we will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the “lock-up” period, then in either case the expiration of the “lock-up” will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or event, as applicable, unless the representative of the underwriters waives, in writing, such an extension. The representative may release securities subject to the lock-ups at any time without public announcement. There are no agreements between the representative and any of our directors, executive officers and principal shareholders releasing them from these lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the “lock-up” period.

The representative has informed us that the underwriters do not expect sales by the underwriters to any accounts of their respective customers over which any underwriter exercises discretionary authority in respect of transactions to purchase or sell in excess of 5% of the ADSs being offered.

Our ADSs have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DQ.” To meet the New York Stock Exchange distribution standards for the offering, the underwriters have undertaken to distribute the ADSs in a manner so as to create a minimum of 400 round lots of ADSs, and offer a minimum public float of 1.1 million ADSs in the United States with an offering value in excess of $60 million.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our ADSs or ordinary shares. The initial public offering price of the ADSs will be determined by agreement between us and the representative. Among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of the ADSs, in addition to prevailing market conditions, will be our historical performance, estimates of our business potential and earnings prospects, an assessment of our management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of companies in related businesses.

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

   

Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

 

   

Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriters of ADSs in excess of the number of ADSs the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. In a covered short position, the number of ADSs over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of ADSs that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option or purchasing ADSs in the open market, or both.

 

   

Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the ADSs in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of ADSs to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of ADSs available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase ADSs through the over-allotment option.

 

   

“Naked” short sales are any sales in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing ADSs in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the ADSs in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

 

   

Penalty bids permit the representative to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the ADSs originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased by the

 

143


Table of Contents
 

stabilization manager or its agent in stabilizing or syndicate covering transactions to cover syndicate short positions.

These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our ADSs or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the ADSs. As a result, the price of our ADSs may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. The underwriters are not under any obligation to engage in these activities.

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the Internet web sites maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the web sites of, or any other web sites maintained by, any underwriter or a selling group member, if any, participating in this offering, is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which the prospectus forms a part. The representative may agree to allocate a number of ADSs to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make Internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.

No action has been taken in any jurisdiction by us or by any underwriter that would permit a public offering of the ADSs or the possession, circulation or distribution of this prospectus or any other material relating to us or the ADSs, in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Accordingly, the ADSs may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, and neither this prospectus nor any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the ADSs may be distributed or published, in or from any country or jurisdiction except in compliance with any applicable rules and regulations of any such country or jurisdiction. Persons who receive this prospectus are advised by us and the underwriters to inform themselves about, and to observe any restrictions as to, the offering and the ADSs and the distribution of this prospectus.

United Kingdom     No offer of ADSs has been made or will be made to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of Section 102B of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended, or FSMA, except to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities or otherwise in circumstances which do not require the publication by us of a prospectus pursuant to the Prospectus Rules of the Financial Services Authority, or FSA. The underwriters: (i) have only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of FSMA) to persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 or in circumstances in which Section 21 of FSMA does not apply to us; and (ii) have complied with, and will comply with all applicable provisions of FSMA with respect to anything done by them in relation to the ADSs in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

Hong Kong     The ADSs may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the ADSs may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which

 

144


Table of Contents

are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to ADSs which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Japan     The ADSs have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan, or the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law, and ADSs will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to any exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

Singapore     This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the ADSs may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the ADSs be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

European Economic Area     In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive, which we refer to as a Relevant Member State, with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State, which we refer to as the Relevant Implementation Date, no offer of ADSs has been made and or will be made to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the ADSs which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, an offer of ADSs may be made to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time: (a) to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities; (b) to any legal entity which has two or more of (i) an average of at least 250 employees during the last financial year; (ii) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 and (iii) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in its last annual or consolidated accounts; or (c) in any other circumstances which do not require the publication by us of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of ADSs to the public” in relation to any ADSs in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the ADSs to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the ADSs, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/ EC and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State.

 

145


Table of Contents

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the ADSs and certain other legal matters as to the United States federal and New York law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Certain legal matters as to the United States federal and New York law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. The validity of the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs offered in this offering and certain other legal matters as to Cayman Islands law will be passed upon for us by Thorp Alberga. Legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by Jun He Law Offices and for the underwriters by Haiwen & Partners. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP may rely upon Thorp Alberga with respect to matters governed by Cayman Islands law and Jun He Law Offices with respect to matters governed by PRC law. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP may rely upon Haiwen & Partners with respect to matters governed by PRC law.

 

146


Table of Contents

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Daqo New Energy Corp. (formerly named Mega Stand International Ltd.) as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009 and for the period from November 22, 2007 (inception) to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009, included in this prospectus and the related financial statement schedule as of December 31, 2007 and 2008, for the period from November 22, 2007 (inception) to December 31, 2007 and the year ended December 31, 2008, included elsewhere in the Registration Statement, have been audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd., an independent registered public accounting firm as stated in their report appearing herein and elsewhere in the Registration Statement, which report expresses an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph as to the change in Daqo New Energy Corp.’s method of accounting for noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements on January 1, 2009 and the retrospective application of the presentation requirements to all periods presented. Such consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule have been so included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

The financial statements of the predecessor businesses of Daqo New Energy Corp. (formerly named Mega Stand International Ltd.), Daqo New Material Co., Ltd., as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008 and for the period from November 16, 2006 (inception) to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007, the six months ended June 30, 2008 and the period from November 16, 2006 (inception) to June 30, 2008, included in this prospectus have been audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd., an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein and elsewhere in the registration statement, and are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

The offices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd. are located at 30th Floor, Bund Center, 222 Yan An Road East, Shanghai, China.

 

147


Table of Contents

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-1 under the Securities Act with respect to underlying ordinary shares represented by the ADSs. We have also filed with the SEC a related registration statement on F-6 to register the ADSs. This prospectus does not contain all of the information in the registration statements and their exhibits. We have omitted certain portions of these registration statements from this prospectus in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. You should read the registration statement on Form F-1 and its exhibits and schedules for further information with respect to us and our ADSs.

Upon completion of this offering, we will become subject to the periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act, applicable to a foreign private issuer. In accordance with these requirements, we will file annual reports on Form 20-F within six months of our fiscal year end and we will submit other reports and information under cover of Form 6-K with the SEC. These reports and other information can be inspected and copied at the public reference room at the SEC. These public reference facilities maintained by the SEC are located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can also obtain copies, upon payment of a prescribed fee, of such material from the public reference room and the regional offices, or by calling or writing to the SEC. You can call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for additional information, or visit their website at http://www.sec.gov. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements and annual reports to shareholders and requiring reporting of insider purchases and sales, as well as Section 16 short swing profit reporting for our officers and directors and for holders of more than 10% of our ordinary shares.

We intend to provide proxy statements and annual reports prepared in accordance with applicable laws to our shareholders. Our annual reports will contain audited consolidated financial statements following the end of each fiscal year, and we will make available semi-annual reports containing unaudited summary consolidated financial information.

 

148


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   F-2

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009

   F-3

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the Period from November 22, 2007 (Inception) to December 31, 2007, the Year Ended December 31, 2008 and the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (Unaudited)

   F-4

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the Period from November  22, 2007 (Inception) to December 31, 2007, the Year Ended December 31, 2008 and the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2009

   F-5

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Period from November  22, 2007 (Inception) to December 31, 2007, the Year Ended December 31, 2008 and the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (Unaudited)

   F-6

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-7 – F-27

Financial Statements Schedule I

   F-28 – F-32

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   F-33

Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008

   F-34

Statements of Operations for the Period from November  16, 2006 (Inception) to December 31, 2006, the Year Ended December 31, 2007 and the Six Months Ended June 30, 2008

   F-35

Statements of Owner’s Equity and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Period from November 16, 2006 (Inception) to December 31, 2006, the Year Ended December 31, 2007 and the Six Months Ended June 30, 2008

   F-36

Statements of Cash Flows for the Period from November  16, 2006 (Inception) to December 31, 2006, the Year Ended December 31, 2007 and the Six Months Ended June 30, 2008

   F-37

Notes to Predecessor Financial Statements

   F-38 – F-49

 

F-1


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Daqo New Energy Corp. (formerly named Mega Stand International Ltd.) and its subsidiaries and variable interest entity (referred to as the “Group”) as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity, and cash flows for the period from November 22, 2007 (inception) to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule as of December 31, 2007 and 2008, for the period from November 22, 2007 (inception) to December 31, 2007 and the year ended December 31, 2008, included as Schedule 1. These financial statements and the financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Group’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and the financial statement schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Group is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing the audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Group’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Daqo New Energy Corp. and its subsidiaries and variable interest entity as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the period from November 22, 2007 (inception) to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic 2007 and 2008 consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects the information set forth therein.

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Group changed its method of accounting for noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements on January 1, 2009 and retrospectively applied the presentation requirements to all periods presented.

/s/ DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU CPA LTD.

Shanghai, China

November 16, 2009 (January 12, 2010 as to the subsequent events described in Note 14)

 

F-2


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND 2008 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

     December 31,     September 30,
2009
     2007     2008    

ASSETS:

      

Current assets:

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ —        $ 3,304,067      $ 9,893,946

Restricted cash

     —          20,429,824        38,022,220

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $nil, $nil and $nil as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009

     —          2,440,675        11,025,131

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     —          1,589,442        3,166,489

Advances to suppliers

     —          1,375,524        3,932,782

Inventories

     —          4,808,827        6,600,591
                      

Total current assets

     —          33,948,359        72,641,159

Property, plant and equipment, net

     —          314,506,605        400,765,584

Prepaid land use rights

     —          761,041        1,587,525

Deferred tax assets

     —          889,223        1,262,761
                      

TOTAL ASSETS

   $ —        $ 350,105,228      $ 476,257,029
                      

LIABILITIES:

      

Current liabilities:

      

Short-term borrowings, including current portion of long-term borrowings

   $ —        $ 10,389,420      $ 31,774,115

Accounts payable

     —          3,160,780        5,111,342

Advances from customers

     —          59,266,459        31,870,802

Payables for purchases of property, plant and equipment

     —          71,145,948        85,099,579

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     47,542        8,687,588        5,627,048

Income tax payable

     —          1,674,149        3,676,342
                      

Total current liabilities

     47,542        154,324,344        163,159,228

Long-term borrowings

     —          84,298,980        141,990,535

Long-term payables for purchase of property, plant and equipment

     —          1,833,015        —  

Amount due to related party

     —          38,596,001        218,385
                      

Total liabilities

     47,542        279,052,340        305,368,148
                      

Commitments (Note 12)

      

EQUITY:

      

Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders’ (deficit) equity:

      

Ordinary shares;

      

$0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 100,000,000 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009, respectively

     10,000        10,000        10,000

Subscription receivable

     (10,000     (10,000     —  

(Accumulated deficit) retained earnings

     (47,542     21,477,485        42,343,218

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     —          564,147        617,238
                      

Total Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders’ (deficit) equity

     (47,542     22,041,632        42,970,456

Noncontrolling interest

     —          49,011,256        127,918,425
                      

Total (deficit) equity

     (47,542     71,052,888        170,888,881
                      

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

   $ —        $ 350,105,228      $ 476,257,029
                      

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

F-3


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007
(inception) to
December 31,
2007
    Year Ended
December 31,
2008
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
       2009     2008  
                       (unaudited)  

Revenues

   $ —        $ 56,367,625      $ 79,476,871      $ 19,714,937   

Cost of revenues

     —          (19,391,613     (45,616,973     (9,130,405
                                

Gross profit

     —          36,976,012        33,859,898        10,584,532   

Operating (expenses) income:

        

Selling, general and administrative expenses

     (47,542     (4,982,366     (5,554,907     (3,933,739

Research and development expenses

     —          (4,865,165     (2,365,191     (2,924,979

Other operating income

     —          83,740        1,877,289        —     
                                

Total operating expenses

     (47,542     (9,763,791     (6,042,809     (6,858,718
                                

(Loss) income from operations

     (47,542     27,212,221        27,817,089        3,725,814   

Interest expense

     —          (3,873,451     (4,734,262     (1,990,717

Interest income

     —          115,083        186,505        79,345   
                                

(Loss) income before income taxes

     (47,542     23,453,853        23,269,332        1,814,442   

Income tax expense

     —          (1,601,959     (3,393,316     (208,515
                                

Net (loss) income

     (47,542     21,851,894        19,876,016        1,605,927   

Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest

     —          326,867        (989,717     10,465   
                                

Net (loss) income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corporation ordinary shareholders

   $ (47,542   $ 21,525,027      $ 20,865,733      $ 1,595,462   
                                

Net (loss) income

     (47,542     21,851,894        19,876,016        1,605,927   
                                

Other comprehensive income:

        

Foreign currency translation adjustments

     —          763,914        342,934        182,882   
                                

Total other comprehensive income

     —          763,914        342,934        182,882   
                                

Comprehensive (loss) income

     (47,542     22,615,808        20,218,950        1,788,809   

Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest

     —          526,634        (699,874     10,465   
                                

Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. ordinary shareholders

   $ (47,542   $ 22,089,174      $ 20,918,824      $ 1,778,344   
                                

NET (LOSS) EARNINGS PER ORDINARY SHARE

        

Basic and diluted

   $ (0.00   $ 0.22      $ 0.21      $ 0.02   
                                

ORDINARY SHARES USED IN CALCULATING (LOSS) EARNINGS PER ORDINARY SHARE

        

Basic and diluted

     100,000,000        100,000,000        100,000,000        100,000,000   
                                

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

F-4


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

     Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders                  
     Ordinary Shares   Subscription
Receivable
    (Accumulated
Deficit) Retained
Earnings
    Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
  Noncontrolling
interest
    Total     Comprehensive
(Loss) Income
 
     Number   $                                  

Balance at November 22, 2007 (inception)

   —     $ —     $ —        $ —        $ —     $ —        $ —        $ —     

Issuance of ordinary shares and subscription

   100,000,000     10,000     (10,000     —          —       —          —          —     

Net loss

   —       —       —          (47,542     —       —          (47,542     (47,542

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   —       —       —          —          —       —          —          —     
                                                        

Balance at December 31, 2007

   100,000,000   $ 10,000   $ (10,000   $ (47,542   $ —     $ —        $ (47,542   $ (47,542
                      

Net income

   —       —       —          21,525,027        —       326,867       21,851,894        21,851,894   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   —       —       —          —          564,147     199,767        763,914        763,914   

Consolidation of variable interest entity

   —       —       —          —          —       48,484,622       48,484,622        —     
                                                        

Balance at December 31, 2008

   100,000,000   $ 10,000   $ (10,000   $ 21,477,485      $ 564,147   $ 49,011,256      $ 71,052,888      $ 22,615,808   
                      

Net income (loss)

   —       —       —          20,865,733        —       (989,717 )     19,876,016        19,876,016   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   —       —       —          —          53,091     289,843        342,934        342,934   

Capital contribution from ordinary shareholders

   —       —       10,000        —          —       —          10,000        —     

Daqo New Material’s conversion of amount due to investor to owner’s equity

   —       —       —          —          —       79,607,043       79,607,043        —     
                                                        

Balance at September 30, 2009

   100,000,000   $ 10,000   $ —        $ 42,343,218      $ 617,238   $ 127,918,425      $ 170,888,881      $ 20,218,950   
                                                        

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

F-5


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007, THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     Period from
November 22, 2007
(inception) to
December 31,
2007
    Year Ended
December 31,
2008
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
         2009     2008  
                       (unaudited)  

Operating activities:

        

Net (loss) income

   $ (47,542   $ 21,851,894      $ 19,876,016      $ 1,605,927   

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:

        

Deferred income taxes

     —          (44,797     (372,126     (538,093

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

     —          7,817,151        11,790,404        3,690,026   

Lease expenses of land use rights

     —          68,680        103,110        65,430   

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

        

Accounts receivable

     —          (2,440,675     (8,584,456     —     

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     —          6,694,970        (1,577,047     (2,023,466

Advances to suppliers

     —          627,249        (2,557,257     (3,197,768

Inventories

     —          (4,808,827     (1,791,764     (1,620,385

Prepaid land use rights

     —          —          (929,593     —     

Accounts payable

     —          3,125,506        1,950,561        1,533,048   

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     47,542        8,288,166        (3,060,541     33,699,389   

Income tax payable

     —          1,674,149        1,998,382        3,022,585   

Advances from customers

     —          59,266,459        (27,395,657     106,079,870   

Amount due to related party

     —          534,872        —          534,872   
                                

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

     —          102,654,797        (10,549,968     142,851,435   

Investing activities:

        

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

     —          (138,890,783     (85,874,720     (132,974,107

Increases in restricted cash

     —          (3,522,313     (17,592,396     2,115,981   

Cash consolidated from variable interest entity

     —          4,111,675        —          4,111,675   
                                

Net cash used in investing activities

     —          (138,301,421     (103,467,116     (126,746,451

Financing activities:

        

Proceeds from bank borrowings

     —          16,518,640        78,846,250        17,270,018   

Proceeds from other long-term borrowings

     —          900,000        6,230,000        900,000   

Repayment of bank borrowings

     —          —          (6,000,000     —     

Advance from related party

     —          21,512,003        41,519,269        —     

Capital contribution from ordinary shareholders

     —          —          10,000        —     
                                

Net cash provided by financing activities

     —          38,930,643        120,605,519        18,170,018   

Effect of exchange rate changes

     —          20,048        1,444        13,555   
                                

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

     —          3,304,067        6,589,879        34,288,557   

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

     —          —          3,304,067        —     
                                

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

     —          3,304,067        9,893,946        34,288,557   
                                

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

        

Interest paid

   $ —        $ 3,312,611      $ 7,015,668      $ 1,869,846   
                                

Income taxes paid

     —          —          1,763,248        —     
                                

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing activities:

        

Purchases of property, plant and equipment included in payable

   $ —        $ 50,175,630      $ 13,953,631      $ 15,890,571   
                                

Supplemental schedule of non-cash financing activities:

        

Daqo New Material’s conversion of amount due to investor to owner’s equity

   $ —        $ —        $ 79,896,886      $ —     
                                

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

F-6


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

1. ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Daqo New Energy Corp. (formerly named Mega Stand International Ltd.) (the “Company”), its wholly owned subsidiaries, Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. (“Chongqing Daqo”), Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. (“Nanjing Daqo”) and Daqo Solar Energy North America (“Daqo America”), and its consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”) Daqo New Material Co., Ltd. (“Daqo New Material”).

The Company was incorporated on November 22, 2007 in the Cayman Islands. Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo were incorporated by the Company on January 14, 2008 and December 20, 2007, respectively, in the Peoples’ Republic of China (“PRC”). Daqo America was incorporated by the Company in January 2009, in California, USA.

Daqo New Material’s ultimate shareholders are the same as the Company and these entities have been under common control and ownership since their incorporation. Daqo New Material was established by Daqo Group Co., Ltd. (“Daqo Group”), an affiliate of the Company, on November 16, 2006 for the primary purpose of developing a photovoltaic business. Daqo New Material’s activities included acquiring land use rights and constructing certain polysilicon production infrastructure, including buildings and production machinery and equipment. Chongqing Daqo acquired additional machinery and equipment that are used in connection with Daqo New Material’s land and production infrastructure.

Subsequent to its establishment, Chongqing Daqo entered into a lease agreement with Daqo New Material dated June 30, 2008 to rent all of Daqo New Material’s land, production infrastructure and machinery and equipment for the Group’s polysilicon production. The initial lease agreement has a five-year term starting from July 1, 2008, with monthly lease payments at a fixed amount of RMB9.95 million ($1.4 million). The initial lease agreement also provided that if Daqo New Material transferred the ownership of the leased assets to any third party, the lease agreement would remain effective and enforceable against the new owner. One month before the expiry of the initial lease term, the lease agreement could be renewed for an additional five-year term upon mutual consent. Chongqing Daqo had the right of first refusal to rent the leased assets under the initial lease agreement. The lease agreement was amended and restated in August 2009, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2009. Under the amended and restated lease agreement, the lease period is from January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2013, with monthly lease payments at a fixed amount of RMB6.1 million ($0.9 million). One month before the expiry of the lease period, Chongqing Daqo has the option to renew the lease on the same terms and conditions for additional five-year periods. Furthermore, the amended and restated lease agreement provides that Chongqing Daqo has the option to purchase, or to designate any person to purchase, the leased assets at the then fair value at any time during the lease period or within one year following the lease period, if permitted by the PRC laws and regulations. If Daqo New Material desires to transfer the ownership of the leased assets to a third party, Chongqing Daqo has the right of first refusal to acquire the leased assets under the same conditions. If the leased assets are transferred to a third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner.

Because the aggregate value of the monthly rental payments that Chongqing Daqo is contractually obligated to make to Daqo New Material represents the majority of the value of Daqo New Material’s

 

F-7


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

assets, Chongqing Daqo has the majority of investment risk in Daqo New Material. Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), these contractual obligations represent an implicit guarantee between related parties, and Daqo New Material is considered to be Chongqing Daqo’s variable interest entity. Furthermore, the operating activities of Daqo New Material are most closely associated with Chongqing Daqo. Based on these factors, Chongqing Daqo is considered the primary beneficiary of Daqo New Material. As a result, Daqo New Material’s financial results are consolidated into the Group’s consolidated financial statements since July 1, 2008. Daqo New Material has been deemed to be the Chongqing Daqo’s predecessor business from November 16, 2006 (inception) through June 30, 2008. The assets and liabilities of Daqo New Material are consolidated at historical cost given they were held by an entity under common control and common ownership. Daqo Group’s total equity interests in Daqo New Material are presented as a noncontrolling interest.

The Company, its subsidiaries and consolidated VIE (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Group”) manufactures and sells polysilicon. In the periods presented, substantially all of the Group’s business was conducted through Chongqing Daqo. Nanjing Daqo is inactive, and management plans to use it to construct module manufacturing facilities and enter into the downstream market. Daqo America was set up as a marketing office to promote the Group’s products in North America.

The Company authorized 50,000 shares and issued 10,000 ordinary shares with a par value of $1.00 per share to the shareholders upon incorporation. As of December 31, 2008, the balance due from shareholders for the issued shares was outstanding and was recorded as subscription receivable in shareholders’ equity. In August 2009, the shareholders of the Company approved a 10,000-for-1 stock split of the Company’s ordinary shares with a corresponding reduction in par value per share. All share and per share amounts related to ordinary shares included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and footnotes have been given retroactive treatment to reflect the stock split. In July 2009, the Company received the outstanding subscription receivable of $10,000 from the shareholders.

Reclassifications —Certain reclassifications were made to the consolidated financial statements to conform to the presentation and disclosure requirements of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810-10, “Consolidations- Overall (previously FASB Statement No. 160, “ Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements—an amendment of ARB No. 51 ”). See Note 3, “Noncontrolling interest” of the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

2. DEVELOPMENT STAGE

The Group was a development stage enterprise at December 31, 2007. The Group completed its development activities and commenced principal operations in July 2008.

 

3. SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Basis of presentation

The consolidated financial statements of the Group have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

F-8


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

(b) Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Group. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated on consolidation.

(c) Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management has made significant estimates in a variety of areas, including but not limited to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation of inventories, useful lives and residual values of long-lived assets, impairment for long lived assets, consolidation of variable interest entity and valuation allowances for deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

(d) Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially expose the Group to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivables.

The Group places its cash and cash equivalents in various financial institutions in the PRC. The Group believes that no significant credit risk exists as these banks are principally government-owned financial institutions with high credit ratings and quality.

Accounts receivable represent those receivables derived in the ordinary course of business. The Group conducts credit evaluations of customers to whom credit terms are extended. The Group establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts mainly based on age of the receivables and other factors surrounding the credit risk of specific customers. The Company believes no allowance for doubtful accounts is necessary as of September 30, 2009 based on the age of the receivables and the Company’s assessment of the customers’ credit risk.

The following customer accounted for 10% or more of accounts receivable:

 

Accounts receivable

   December 31,
2007
   December 31,
2008
   September 30,
2009

Customer A

   $ —      $ 2,387,013    $ 6,586,641

Customer E

   $ —      $ —      $ 1,770,624

Customer C

   $ —      $ —      $ 1,238,226

Dependence on Certain Customers

Sales of polysilicon to the Group’s largest customers whose sales over 10% of revenue accounted for approximately 89%, 61 % and 86% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited), respectively. As a result, currently the Group is substantially dependent upon the continued participation of these customers in order to maintain and

 

F-9


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

continue growing its total revenues. Significantly reducing the Group’s dependence on these customers is likely to take time and there can be no guarantee that the Group will succeed in reducing that dependence.

(e) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and demand deposits, which are unrestricted as to withdrawal and use, and which have maturities of three months or less when purchased.

(f) Restricted cash

Restricted cash amounted to $nil, $20,429,824 and $38,022,220 as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009, respectively, and are deposited in bank accounts as deposits for short-term letters of credit and notes issued by a bank for purchases of plant and equipment.

(g) Inventories

Inventories are stated at lower of cost or market. Costs are determined using weighted average costs. Costs comprise direct materials, direct labor and overhead costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. The Group writes down the cost of excess and slow moving inventories to the estimated market value based on historical and forecasted demand. Estimated market value is measured as the estimated selling price of each class of inventory in the ordinary course of business less estimated costs of completion and disposal. There were no such charges to inventory for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 or the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

(h) Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recognized on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives:

 

Buildings and plant

   20 years

Machinery and equipment

   10 years

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

   3-5 years

Motor vehicles

   6 years

Costs incurred on construction are capitalized and transferred to property, plant and equipment upon completion, at which time depreciation commences.

Interest expense incurred for construction of property, plant, and equipment is capitalized as part of the cost of such assets. Interest expense capitalized for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited) was $nil, $nil, $2,632,760, and $nil, respectively.

(i) Prepaid land use rights

All land in the PRC is owned by the PRC government. The PRC government, according to PRC law, may sell the land use rights for a specified period of time. The Group’s land use rights in the PRC are stated at cost less recognized lease expenses. In December 2006, Daqo New Material signed a land use rights

 

F-10


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

agreement with a 50 year term for $6,564,536 and made payments of $1,658,267. The payments are recorded as prepaid land use rights. Lease expense is recognized over the term of the agreement on a straight-line basis. The Group recorded lease expenses of $nil, $68,680, $103,110 and $65,430 for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited), respectively.

(j) Impairment of long-lived assets

The Group evaluates its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. When these events occur, the Group measures impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the asset group to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, the Group will recognize an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. No impairment charges were recognized for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 or the nine months ended September 30, 2009 or 2008 (unaudited).

(k) Revenue recognition

The Group manufactures and sells polysilicon. The Group recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the sales price is fixed or determinable, delivery of the product has occurred, title and risk of loss have transferred to the customers and collectability of the receivable is reasonably assured. Sales agreements typically do not contain product warranties except for return and replacement of defective products within a period generally ranging from 15 to 30 days from delivery. Sales agreements do not contain any post-shipment obligations or any other return or credit provisions.

The majority of the sales contracts transfer title and risk of loss to customers upon shipment. The Group recognizes revenue when the goods are shipped if all other revenue recognition criteria are met. The Group requires and receives cash on delivery for the majority of its sales transactions. The Group may extend credit terms after assessing a number of factors to determine the customers’ credit worthiness.

Customers frequently pay for products prior to the delivery of the products. Advance payments are recorded as advances from customers.

(l) Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues consists of production related costs including costs of silicon raw materials, electricity and other utilities, consumables, direct labor, overhead costs, depreciation of property, plant and equipment, and manufacturing waste treatment processing fees. Trial production costs are expensed as incurred.

(m) Research and development expenses

Research and development expenses include materials and utilities consumed in research and development activities, payroll and related costs and depreciation of property and equipment associated with the research and development activities, which are expensed when incurred.

 

F-11


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

(n) Government subsidies

The Group receives unrestricted cash subsidies from local government agencies. The Group records unrestricted cash government subsidies as other operating income in the consolidated statements of operations. Unrestricted cash government subsidies received for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and nine month period ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited) were $nil, $83,740, $1,877,289 and $nil, respectively.

(o) Income taxes

Deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amount in the consolidated financial statements, net operating loss carryforwards and credits by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Current income taxes are provided in accordance with the laws of the relevant taxing authorities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted rates expected to apply to taxable income in which temporary differences are expected to be received or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of changes in tax rates is recognized in the statement of operations in the period of the enactment of the change. The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on the characteristics of the underlying assets and liabilities, or the expected timing of their use when they do not relate to a specific asset or liability.

(p) Earnings (loss) per share

Basic earnings (loss) per ordinary share are computed by dividing the net income (loss) attributable to ordinary shares by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings (loss) per ordinary share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue ordinary shares were exercised or converted into ordinary shares. Ordinary share equivalents are excluded from the computation in loss periods as their effects would be anti-dilutive. No dilutive potential ordinary share equivalents were outstanding during the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 or the nine months ended September 30, 2009 or 2008 (unaudited).

(q) Foreign currency translation

The reporting currency of the Group is the United States dollar (“U.S. dollar”). The functional currency of the Company is the U.S. dollar. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in other currencies other than the U.S. dollar are translated into U.S. dollar at the rates of exchange in effect at the balance sheet dates. Transactions dominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar during the year are converted into U.S. dollar at the applicable rates of exchange prevailing when the transactions occur. Transaction gains and losses are recorded in the statements of operations.

The financial records of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries and VIE are maintained in Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”), which is their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates at the balance sheet date. Equity accounts are translated at historical exchange rates. Revenues, expenses,

 

F-12


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

gains and losses are translated at average rate of exchange prevailing during the periods presented. Translation adjustments are reported as cumulative translation adjustments and are shown as a separate component of other comprehensive income in the statement of changes in equity.

The RMB is not a freely convertible currency. The State Administration for Foreign Exchange of People’s Republic of China, under the authority of the People’s Bank of China, controls the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies. The value of the RMB is subject to changes in central government policies and to international economic and political developments affecting supply and demand in the China foreign exchange trading system market. The Group’s aggregate amount of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash denominated in RMB amounted to $nil, $21,603,572 and $46,117,473 as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009, respectively.

(r) Comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) includes all changes in equity except those resulting from investments by shareholders and distributions to shareholders and is comprised of net income (loss) and foreign currency translation adjustments.

(s) Fair value of financial instruments

Effective on January 1, 2008, the Group adopted changes to fair value accounting and reporting in ASC 820-10 (“ASC 820-10”) (previously SFAS No. 157) which provide a framework for measuring fair value under U.S. GAAP and expanded disclosure requirements about assets and liabilities measured at fair value. ASC 820-10 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (also referred to as an exit price). ASC 820-10 establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that gives the highest priority to observable inputs and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value shall maximize the use of observable inputs. On January 1, 2009, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB (previously FASB Staff Position FAS No. 157-2, “ Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 157 ”) to fair value accounting and reporting as it relates to non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities that are not recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on at least an annual basis. The adoption of these changes did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

When available, the Group measures the fair value of financial instruments based on quoted market prices in active markets, valuation techniques that use observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. Pricing information the Group obtains from third parties is internally validated for reasonableness prior to use in the consolidated financial statements. When observable market prices are not readily available, the Group generally estimates fair value using valuation techniques that rely on alternate market data or inputs that are generally less readily observable from objective sources and are estimated based on pertinent information available at the time of the applicable reporting periods. In certain cases, fair values are not subject to precise quantification or verification and may fluctuate as economic and market factors vary and the Group’s evaluation of those factors changes. Although the Group uses its best judgment in estimating the fair value of these financial instruments, there are inherent limitations in any estimation technique. In these cases, a

 

F-13


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

minor change in an assumption could result in a significant change in its estimate of fair value, thereby increasing or decreasing the amounts of the Group’s consolidated assets, liabilities, shareholders’ equity and net income or loss.

The Group’s financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, other current assets, accounts payable, payables for purchase of property, plant and equipment, amounts due to related parties and short-term and long-term borrowings. The carrying amounts of these short-term financial instruments approximate their fair values due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.

Management believes the carrying value of the long-term bank borrowings of $134,860,535 approximate its fair value as of September 30, 2009 as they carried market interest rates.

The fair value of the long-term payables for purchase of property, plant and equipment, amount due to related party and other long-term borrowing was approximately $nil, $218,384 and $7,130,000, respectively, as of September 30, 2009. The fair value was estimated using the discounted cash flow method based on pertinent information available to us as of September 30, 2009. Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect these fair value estimates, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of the consolidated financial statements since that date, and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented.

(t) Start-up costs

The Group expenses all costs incurred in connection with start-up activities, including preproduction costs and organization costs.

(u) Segments

The Group’s chief operating decision maker has been identified as the chief executive officer, who reviews consolidated results when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Group. The Group is a single segment entity whose business is the manufacturing and sale of polysilicon. Substantially all of its revenues are derived in the PRC. The Group’s long-lived assets and operations are substantially all located in the PRC.

The following customers accounted for 10% or more of revenues:

 

     Period from
November 22, 2007
to December 31,
2007
   Year Ended
December 31,
2008
   September 30,

Revenue

         2009    2008
                    (unaudited)

Customer A

   $ —      $ 19,842,394    $ 22,546,003    $ 5,090,551

Customer B

   $ —      $ 12,052,183    $ 14,526,801    $ 4,543,075

Customer C

   $ —      $ 18,526,727      *    $ 7,332,673

Customer D

   $ —        *    $ 11,108,917      *

 

* Represents less than 10%.

 

F-14


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

(v) Variable Interest Entity

A VIE is an entity in which equity investors generally do not have the characteristics of a “controlling financial interest” or there is not sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. A VIE is consolidated by its primary beneficiary when it is determined that the primary beneficiary will absorb the majority of the VIE’s expected losses and/or expected residual returns.

(w) Noncontrolling interest

The noncontrolling interest represents Daqo Group’s equity interest in the VIE. The Group reclassified the ownership interest in the consolidated entity held by a party other than the Company to noncontrolling interest in the consolidated financial statements. It also reported the consolidated net income at amounts that include the amounts attributable to both the parent and the noncontrolling interest on the face of the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

(x) Recent accounting pronouncements

The following new accounting pronouncements were adopted during the nine months ended September 30, 2009:

ASC 105, “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” (“ASC 105”) (previously Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 168, “ The FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles—A Replacement of FASB Statement No. 162 ”) . ASC 105 establishes the Codification as the single source of authoritative U.S. GAAP recognized by the FASB for non-governmental entities. Rules and interpretive releases of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under authority of federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative U.S. GAAP for SEC registrants. The Codification is effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. The Group adopted ASC 105 effective with the Group’s September 30, 2009 consolidated financial statements. The adoption of this provision did not change the application of existing U.S. GAAP, and as a result, did not have any impact on the Group’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Beginning with the Group’s consolidated financial statements included in this report, accounting references will be made to the Codification references and certain historical references to accounting standards will also be included during this initial transition.

ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures” (previously SFAS No. 157, “ Fair Value Measurements ”). This accounting standard defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The FASB issued an amendment to this accounting standard which delayed its effective date for nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). The adoption of the provisions of this amended accounting standard on January 1, 2009 did not have a material impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

ASC 805, “Business Combinations” (previously SFAS No. 141R, “ Business Combinations ”). This accounting standard requires an acquiring entity in a business combination to recognize all and only the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction, establishes the acquisition-date fair value as the measurement objective for all assets acquired and liabilities assumed, and requires the acquirer to

 

F-15


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

disclose to investors and other users all of the information they need to evaluate and understand the nature and financial effect of the business combination. This accounting standard applies prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 had no impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

ASC 810-10-65, “Consolidations—Overall—Transition and Open Effective Date Information” (previously SFAS No. 160, “ Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements ”). This accounting standard requires all entities to report noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries as equity in the consolidated financial statements. This accounting standard eliminates the diversity that existed in accounting for transactions between an entity and noncontrolling interests by requiring that they be treated as equity transactions. The Group adopted the presentation and disclosure provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009.

When adopting the presentation and disclosure items, retrospective application to conform previously reported financial statements to the new presentation requirements is required. Changes to reflect the new measurement guidance for increases or decreases in ownership and other changes must be done prospectively. The new requirements for noncontrolling interests, results of operations and comprehensive income of subsidiaries change the presentation of operating results, related per-share information and equity. This accounting standard requires net income and comprehensive income to be displayed for both the controlling and the noncontrolling interests. Additional required disclosures and reconciliations include a separate schedule that shows the effects of any transactions with the noncontrolling interests on the equity attributable to the controlling interest.

ASC 323-10-35, “Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures—Subsequent Measure” (previously Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) 08-06, “ Equity Method Accounting Considerations ”). This standard addresses certain aspects of accounting for business combinations and noncontrolling interests on an entity’s accounting for equity-method investments. The consensus indicates, among other things, that transaction costs for an investment should be included in the cost of the equity-method investment (and not expensed) and shares subsequently issued by the equity-method investee that reduce the investor’s ownership percentage should be accounted for as if the investor had sold a proportionate share of its investment, with gains or losses recorded through earnings. These amendments were effective for transactions occurring after December 31, 2008. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 did not have a material impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

ASC 815-10, “Derivatives and Hedging—Overall” (previously SFAS No. 161, “ Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities—an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 ”). This accounting standard expands the disclosure requirements related to derivative instruments and hedging activities with the intent to provide users of financial statements an enhanced understanding of how and why derivative instruments are used, how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for and how they affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. The Group adopted the disclosure requirements of this accounting standard effective January 1, 2009.

 

F-16


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

ASC 275-10, “Risks and Uncertainties—Overall” and ASC 350-30, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—General Intangible Other than Goodwill” (previously FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) No. FAS 142-3, “ Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets ”). These accounting standards amend the factors that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 had no impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

ASC 808-10, “Collaborative Arrangements—Overall” (previously EITF 07-01, “ Accounting for Collaborative Arrangements ”). This accounting standard defines collaborative arrangements and establishes reporting requirements for transactions between participants in a collaborative arrangement and between participants in the arrangement and third parties. A collaborative arrangement is a contractual arrangement that involves a joint operating activity. These arrangements involve two (or more) parties who are both (a) active participants in the activity and (b) exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of the activity. An entity should report the effects of applying this accounting standard as a change in accounting principle through retrospective application to all prior periods presented for all arrangements existing as of the effective date. The adoption of the provisions of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 had no impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

ASC 260-10, “Earnings per Share—Overall” (previously EITF 03-6-1, “ Determining Whether Instruments Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions are Participating Securities ”). This accounting standard addresses whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities prior to vesting and, therefore, need to be included in the earnings allocation in computing EPS under the two-class method. The adoption of this accounting standard on January 1, 2009 did not have a material effect on the Group’s computation of EPS.

ASC 855-10, “Subsequent Events—Overall” (previously SFAS No. 165, “ Subsequent Events ”). This accounting standard establishes general standards for the accounting for and disclosure of events that occur subsequent to the balance sheet date but before the financial statements of an entity are issued or are available to be issued. The Group adopted the provisions of this accounting standard effective June 30, 2009. The adoption of this accounting standard did not have any impact on the Group’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

The following new accounting pronouncements have been issued, but not yet adopted as of September 30, 2009:

ASC 810-10, “Consolidation—Overall” (previously SFAS No. 167, “ Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R) ”). In June 2009, the FASB issued this accounting standard to address (1) the effects on certain consolidation provisions as a result of the elimination of the concept of qualifying special-purpose entities and (2) constituent concerns about the application of certain consolidation provisions including those in which the accounting and disclosures do not always provide timely and useful information about an enterprise’s involvement in a variable interest entity. The Group will adopt this standard on January 1, 2010 and is assessing the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

 

F-17


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2009-13 (“ASU 2009-13”) (previously EITF 08-1, “ Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables ”). In October 2009, the EITF issued this accounting standard to address the accounting for multiple-deliverable arrangements to enable vendors to account for products or services (deliverables) separately rather than as a combined unit. In accordance with ASU 2009-13, when vendor specific objective evidence or third party evidence for deliverables in an arrangement cannot be determined, a best estimate of the selling price is required to separate deliverables and allocate arrangement consideration using the relative selling price method. This standard includes new disclosure requirements on how the application of the relative selling price method affects the timing and amount of revenue recognition. The Group believes that the adoption of this new standard will not have a material effect on its financial position and results of operations.

 

4. INVENTORIES

Inventories consist of the following:

 

     December 31,     
           2007          2008    September 30, 2009

Raw materials

   $ —      $ 481,818    $ 546,264

Work-in-process

     —        1,125,092      939,467

Finished goods

     —        3,201,917      5,114,860
                    

Inventories

   $ —      $ 4,808,827    $ 6,600,591
                    

 

5. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET

Property, plant and equipment, net, consist of the following:

 

     December 31,        
           2007          2008     September 30, 2009  

Cost

       

Buildings and plant

   $ —      $ 113,143,546      $ 113,726,991   

Machinery and equipment

     —        92,511,011        93,475,489   

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

     —        2,021,812        2,571,643   

Motor vehicles

     —        236,874        275,728   

Less: Accumulated depreciation

     —        (8,597,310     (19,900,478
                       

Property, plant and equipment, net

   $ —      $ 199,315,933      $ 190,149,373   

Construction in process

     —        115,190,672        210,616,211   
                       

Total

   $ —      $ 314,506,605      $ 400,765,584   
                       

Construction in progress represents the Group’s Phase 1b Production facility.

Depreciation expense was $nil, $7,817,151, $11,790,404 and $3,690,026 for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited), respectively.

 

F-18


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

6. BORROWINGS

 

     December 31,    September 30, 2009
           2007          2008   

Borrowings

   $ —      $ 94,688,400    $ 173,764,650
                

Analysis as:

        

Short-term bank borrowings

     —        6,000,000      5,493,450

Long-term bank borrowings, current portion

     —        4,389,420      26,280,665
                

Subtotal

     —        10,389,420      31,774,115

Long-term bank borrowings, non-current portion

     —        83,398,980      134,860,535

Other long-term borrowings

     —        900,000      7,130,000
                    

Total

   $ —      $ 94,688,400    $ 173,764,650
                    

The Group obtained loans from several banks. The details of bank loans are as follows:

 

     December 31,    September 30, 2009
           2007          2008   

Guaranteed and secured(i)

   $ —      $ 6,000,000    $ —  

Guaranteed(ii)

     —        87,788,400      166,634,650
                    

Total

   $ —      $ 93,788,400    $ 166,634,650
                    

 

 

i. As of December 31, 2008, the bank loan amounting to $6,000,000 was secured by the Company’s shareholders’ rights, title and interest in the Company and collateralized by Daqo Group’s (an affiliated company) pledged bank deposit of $6,584,130. The loan was repaid in March 2009.
ii. As of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, the bank loans amounting to $87,788,400 and $166,634,650 were guaranteed by Daqo Group, respectively.

The interest rate on the short-term bank borrowing was fixed and was 5.58% and 5.31% as of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, respectively.

The long-term bank borrowings bear floating rates which are subject to adjustment every 12 months based upon the PRC government’s standard interest rate. The weighted average interest rate as of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009 for the Group’s long-term bank borrowings was 7.67% and 6.87%, respectively.

The other long-term borrowings were obtained from an unrelated third-party non-financial institution. The borrowings are interest free. A principal payment of $900,000 will be due on May 14, 2011 and the remaining principal of $6,230,000 will be due on March 5, 2012. The proceeds of the other long-term borrowings are equal to the principal to be repaid.

 

F-19


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

The principal maturities of these long-term bank borrowings as of September 30, 2009 are as follows:

 

September 30,

   Amount

2010

   $ 26,280,665

2011

     46,423,315

2012

     32,330,784

2013

     32,228,240

2014

     18,824,222

2015

     5,053,974
      

Total

   $ 161,141,200
      

 

7. ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following:

 

     December 31,    September 30,
2009
     2007    2008   

Value-added tax payable

   $ —      $ 4,951,007    $ 596

Royalty payable

     —        —        1,209,420

Accrued payroll and welfare

     —        —        1,426,288

Others

     47,542      3,736,581      2,990,744
                    

Total

   $ 47,542    $ 8,687,588    $ 5,627,048
                    

 

8. ADVANCES FROM CUSTOMERS

Advances from customers consist of the following:

 

     December 31,    September 30,
2009
     2007    2008   

Customer C

   $ —      $ 36,488,761    $ 31,580,247

Customer B

     —        14,923,423      259,347

Others

     —        7,854,275      31,208
                    

Total

   $ —      $ 59,266,459    $ 31,870,802
                    

Advances from customers represent prepayments from customers and are recognized as revenue in accordance with the Group’s revenue recognition policy.

 

9. MAINLAND CHINA CONTRIBUTION PLAN AND PROFIT APPROPRIATION

(a) China Contribution Plan

Full time employees of the Group in the PRC participate in a government-mandated, multi-employer, defined contribution plan pursuant to which certain pension benefits, medical care, unemployment

 

F-20


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

insurance, employee housing fund and other welfare benefits are provided to employees. PRC labor regulations require the Group to accrue for these benefits based on a certain percentage of the employees’ salaries. Contributions to defined contribution plans are expensed as incurred. During the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007, the year ended December 31, 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited), the Group recognized an immaterial amount of expenses, $336,493, $674,829 and $249,154, respectively.

(b) Statutory Reserves

Foreign invested enterprises in PRC are required under PRC laws to provide for certain statutory reserves, such as a general reserve, an enterprise expansion fund and a staff welfare and bonus fund. These entities are required to allocate at least 10% of their after tax profits as reported in their PRC statutory financial statements to the general reserve and have the right to discontinue allocations to the general reserve if the balance of such reserve have reached 50% of their registered capital. These statutory reserves are not available for distribution to the owners (except in liquidation) and may not be transferred in the form of loans, advances or cash dividends. As of September 30, 2009, $2,265,021 was appropriated from the retained earnings of Chongqing Daqo.

 

10. INCOME TAXES

Cayman Islands Tax

The Company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and is not subject to tax in this jurisdiction.

PRC Tax

The Company’s subsidiaries are registered in the PRC as foreign invested enterprises. Under the newly promulgated Laws of the People’s Republic of China on Enterprise Income Tax (the “New EIT Law”) which are effective January 1, 2008, the effective enterprise income tax rate is 25%.

Chongqing Daqo is a foreign-invested enterprise located in Chongqing. In accordance with a PRC tax regulation which encourages investment in China’s southwest region, Chongqing Daqo is entitled to a preferential tax rate of 15% from its establishment through 2010.

Daqo New Material is a domestic enterprise registered in Chongqing and is subject to an income tax rate of 33%, 25% and 25% for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009, respectively.

Nanjing Daqo is a foreign invested enterprise located in Nanjing and is subject to an income tax rate of 25%.

Under the New EIT Law and implementation regulations issued by the PRC State Council, an income tax rate of 10% is applicable to interest and dividends payable to investors that are “non-resident enterprises”, which do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC, or which have such establishment or place of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such interest or dividends have their sources within the PRC. Undistributed earnings of the Group’s PRC subsidiaries of $44 million as of September 30, 2009 are considered to be indefinitely reinvested and, accordingly, no provision for PRC dividend withholding tax has been provided thereon.

 

F-21


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

Under applicable accounting principles, a deferred tax liability should be recorded for taxable temporary differences attributable to the excess of financial reporting basis over tax basis in a domestic subsidiary. However, recognition is not required in situations where the tax law provides a means by which the reported amount of that investment can be recovered tax-free and the enterprise expects that it will ultimately use that means. The Group has not recorded any such deferred tax liability attributable to the undistributed earnings of its financial interests in VIE because these entities do not have any accumulated earnings as of the balance sheet date.

The Group adopted the provisions of ASC 740-10, “Income Taxes” (previously FIN 48, “ Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an Interpretation of SFAS No. 109 ”). The Group made its assessment of the level of authority for each tax position (including the potential application of interests and penalties) based on the tax positions’ technical merits, and measured the unrecognized benefits associated with the tax positions. The adoption of ASC 740-10 did not have any impact on the Group’s total liabilities or shareholders’ equity. The Group did not have any unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2007 or 2008 or September 30, 2009. The Group does not anticipate that unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months.

According to PRC Tax Administration and Collection Law, the statute of limitations is three years if the underpayment of taxes is due to computational errors made by the taxpayer or withholding agent. The statute of limitations will be extended five years under special circumstances, which are not clearly defined (but an underpayment of tax liability exceeding RMB0.1 million is specifically listed as a special circumstance). In the case of a related party transaction, the statute of limitations is 10 years. There is no statute of limitations in the case of tax evasion. From inception to 2008, the Group is subject to examination of the PRC tax authorities. The Group classifies interest and penalties associated with taxes as income tax expense. Such charges were immaterial in the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 (unaudited).

Income tax expenses comprise:

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007 to
December 31,
2007
   Year Ended
December 31,
2008
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
          2009     2008  
                      (unaudited)  

Current Tax

   $ —      $ 1,646,756      $ 3,765,442      $ 327,896  

Deferred Tax Benefit

     —        (44,797     (372,126     (119,381 )
                               

Total

   $ —      $ 1,601,959      $ 3,393,316      $ 208,515  
                               

 

F-22


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

The principal components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

     December 31,    September 30,
2009
           2007          2008   

Net operating loss carried forward

   $ —      $ 601,601    $ 933,036

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

     —        287,622      329,725
                    

Total

   $ —      $ 889,223    $ 1,262,761
                    

Deferred tax assets are analyzed as:

        

Current

   $ —      $ —      $ —  

Non-current

     —        889,223      1,262,761
                    

Deferred tax liabilities are analyzed as:

        

Current

   $ —      $ —      $ —  

Non-current

     —        —        —  
                    

The Group uses the asset and liability method to record related deferred tax assets and liabilities. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, the Group considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Based on the level of projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, the Group believes it is more likely than not that the Group will realize the benefits of these deductible differences as at December 31, 2007 and 2008 and September 30, 2009. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable, however, could be reduced in the near term if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced. As of September 30, 2009, the Group’s VIE, Daqo New Material, had net operating losses carried forward of approximately $3,732,000, among which $2,406,000 will expire if not used by the end of 2013 and $1,326,000 will expire in 2014.

The effective income tax rate of the Group is different from the expected PRC statutory rate as a result of the following items:

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007 to
December 31,
2007
    Year Ended
December 31,
2008
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
               2009           2008  
                       (unaudited)  

PRC Enterprise Income Tax

   33   25   25   25

Losses with no tax benefit

   (33 )%    —        —        —     

Preferential income tax rate of a subsidiary

   —        (8 )%    (10 )%    (14 )% 

Additional tax deductions

   —        (10 )%    —        —     
                        

Effective tax rate

   —        7   15   11
                        

 

F-23


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

The aggregate amount and per share effect of the tax holiday are as follows:

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007 to
December 31,
2007
   Year Ended
December 31,
2008
   Nine Months Ended
September 30,
                 2009          2008
                    (unaudited)

The aggregate dollar effect (in thousands)

   —      1,811    2,510    266

Per share effect—basic and diluted

   —      0.02    0.03    0.00

 

11. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS AND BALANCES

 

(1) The relationships between the Group and related parties are as follows:

 

Name of the related party

  

Relationship

Daqo Group

   An affiliated company representing the parent company of Daqo New Material holding 100% equity ownership of Daqo New Material. Daqo Group and the Company are controlled by same group of shareholders.
Jiangsu Daqo Changjiang Electric Co., Ltd. Daqo New Material   

An affiliated company owned by Daqo Group

An affiliated company, subsidiary of Daqo Group, being consolidated in the Company’s financial statements as a VIE from July 1, 2008.

 

(2) The Group entered into the following transactions with related companies:

 

  (a) In August 2006, Daqo Group entered into a contract with an engineering firm to design and erect the Group’s production facilities and to provide technical consulting and engineering services to Chongqing Daqo for total consideration of Euro 8,400,000 ($10,756,536). In January 2008, Daqo New Material acquired rights on behalf of Chongqing Daqo to expand the contract terms for consideration of Euro 750,000 ($1,102,748).

 

       In June 2008, Daqo Group and Daqo New Material terminated all of the agreements with the engineering firm and Chongqing Daqo entered into new agreements with the engineering firm. All payments that had been made by Daqo Group under the original agreements became the Group’s accounts payable to Daqo Group. The costs are capitalized as a component of property, plant and equipment. At December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, the balance due to Daqo Group as a result of this agreement was $5,229,332 and $nil, respectively.

 

  (b) In March 2008, Daqo Group deposited $6,584,130 in a bank account to secure a short-term loan of $6,000,000 the Company obtained from a foreign bank, which was repaid in March 2009. As of December 31, 2008 and September 30, 2009, Daqo Group guaranteed the Group’s long-term debt obtained from a PRC bank of $87,788,400 and $166,634,650, respectively.

 

F-24


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

  (c) On September 12, 2009, the paid-in capital of Daqo New Material was increased to RMB895 million ($126 million) after Daqo Group converted the amount payable to it, which was recorded in amount due to related party, to owner’s equity.

 

(3) Related party balances:

The Group received a commitment from Daqo Group that the amount due to Daqo Group is interest free and will not be due for at least 12 months from September 30, 2009.

The amount due to related party was as follows:

 

Amount due to related party

   December 31,    September 30,
2009
           2007          2008   

Daqo Group

   $ —      $ 38,596,001    $ 218,385
                    

The Group’s balance due to Daqo Group was related to payments made by Daqo Group on behalf of the Group for technical consulting and engineering services, general and administrative expenses and the purchase of property, plant and equipment.

12. COMMITMENTS

Lease commitments

In December 2006, Daqo New Material signed a contract with the local government to obtain land use rights in Chongqing for a period of 50 years through December 27, 2056. Daqo New Material paid $1,658,267 through September 30, 2009. The remaining balance of $4,906,269 was initially payable within one year after commercial production of polysilicon of the Group commences, i.e. July 1, 2009. On September 22, 2009, the Group obtained a letter from local government to confirm that the delayed payment would not lead to any penalty or interest, and the land use rights would be still effective. The Group will negotiate a revised payment schedule with the local government.

In October 2008, Chongqing Daqo entered an agreement to obtain additional land use rights in Chongqing for total consideration of $3,722,228. The lease period will begin at the Group’s discretion. No payments have been made as of September 30, 2009.

Capital commitments

As of September 30, 2009, commitments outstanding for the purchase of property, plant and equipment approximated $2,688,370.

13. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY

The equity interests in Daqo New Material, the VIE, are funded by Daqo Group. Daqo New Material was structured to acquire land use rights and to erect certain facilities for the future use of the Group.

 

F-25


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

The lease agreement with the VIE is structured such that Chongqing Daqo protect Daqo Group from potential losses from Daqo New Material. As a result of this agreement, Chongqing Daqo is the primary beneficiary of Daqo New Material. Lease income and expenses and associated receivables and payables are eliminated upon consolidation as intercompany transactions. Net income of the VIE is reflected as an adjustment to noncontrolling interest.

The VIE is principally engaged in leasing all its assets for use in the Group’s operations. Total assets, liabilities, net revenues, operating costs and expenses and net income of VIE are as follows:

 

     June 30,
2008
   December 31,
2008
   September 30,
2009

Cash

   $ 4,111,675    $ 1,951,015    $ 1,127,016

Property, plant and equipment

   $ 111,680,799    $ 110,769,382    $ 190,409,702

Prepaid land use rights

   $ 826,799    $ 761,041    $ 1,587,525

Total Assets

   $ 158,452,470    $ 182,863,393    $ 219,570,914

Payable for property, plant and equipment

   $ 20,970,318    $ 11,799,185    $ 2,493,275

Long-term borrowings, including current portion

   $ 77,269,760    $ 87,788,400    $ 87,895,200

Total Liabilities

   $ 109,967,847    $ 133,852,137    $ 91,652,489

 

     Period from July 1,
2008 to
December 31,
2008
   Nine Month
Period Ended
September 30,
2009
    Period from July 1,
2008 to
September 30,
2008
                (unaudited)

Revenues

   $ 8,162,423    $ 8,068,205      $ 4,365,383

Operating costs and expenses

   $ 7,835,556    $ 9,057,922      $ 4,354,918

Net income (loss)

   $ 326,867    $ (989,717   $ 10,465

 

14. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Group has evaluated subsequent events through January 12, 2010.

 

(a) On October 31, 2009, the board of directors granted options to purchase a total of 5,350,000 ordinary shares to the Group’s officers, directors, employees and consultants pursuant to the 2009 share incentive plan. All of the options have an exercise price of $1.38 per share with an incentive plan term of 10 years. Twenty-five percent of the ordinary shares subject to the options will vest one year following the vesting commencement date, and the remaining seventy-five percent of the ordinary shares subject to the option will vest in 36 equal installments over the next three years.

 

(b) On November 9, 2009, Chongqing Daqo signed a supplementary lease agreement with Daqo New Material, to lease the production infrastructures of phase 1b from November 9, 2009 until December 31, 2013 at a fixed monthly rental of RMB3.0 million ($0.4 million). The other terms are same as those of the lease agreement for phase 1a.

 

F-26


Table of Contents

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

(c) On November 11, 2009, the Company approved a resolution to designate 40,000,000 of its authorized ordinary shares as 40,000,000 authorized Series A preferred shares, with a par value of $0.0001 each. On November 11, 2009, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with certain investors to issue 29,714,103 Series A preferred shares, for a total consideration of $55,000,000. Each Series A preferred share will be automatically converted into one ordinary share upon the closing of a qualified initial public offering.

 

(d) On December 22, 2009, the Group obtained a $9,153,375 (RMB62,500,000) short-term bank borrowing from a PRC bank, at a fixed annual interest rate of 5.31%. The bank borrowing is guaranteed by DAQO Group and has a maturity of 1 year.

 

(e) On December 30, 2009, the Group obtained a $10,255,980 (RMB70,000,000) long-term bank borrowing from a PRC bank. The bank borrowing bears floating interest rate which is subject to adjustment following the China government’s standard interest rate. The bank borrowing is guaranteed by DAQO Group and has a maturity of 2 year.

*    *    *    *    *    *

 

F-27


Table of Contents

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

These financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

BALANCE SHEET

DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND 2008

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

     December 31,  
     2007     2008  

ASSETS

    

CURRENT ASSETS

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ —        $ 47,744   
                
     —          47,744   

Investments in subsidiaries, net

     —          28,941,430   
                

TOTAL ASSETS

   $ —        $ 28,989,174   
                

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

    

CURRENT LIABILITIES

    

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

   $ 47,542      $ —     

Short-term borrowing

     —          6,000,000   
                

Total current liabilities

     47,542        6,000,000   

Other long-term liabilities

     —          900,000   

Amount due to related party

     —          47,542   
                

TOTAL LIABILITIES

     47,542        6,947,542   
                

SHAREHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

    

Ordinary shares ($0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 100,000,000 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2007 and 2008)

     10,000        10,000   

Subscription receivable

     (10,000     (10,000

(Accumulated deficit) retained earnings

     (47,542 )     21,477,485   

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     —         564,147   
                

Total shareholders’ (deficit) equity

     (47,542 )     22,041,632   
                

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

   $ —        $ 28,989,174   
                

 

F-28


Table of Contents

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007
(inception) to
December 31,
2007
    Year Ended
December 31,
2008
 

OPERATING EXPENSES

    

General and administrative

   $ (47,542   $ —     
                

Total operating expenses

     (47,542     —     
                

LOSS FROM OPERATION

     (47,542     —     

Interest expenses

     —          (451,256
                

NET LOSS BEFORE SHARE OF RESULTS OF SUBSIDIARIES

     (47,542     (451,256

Share of results of subsidiaries

     —          21,976,283   
                

NET (LOSS) INCOME

   $ (47,542   $ 21,525,027   
                

 

F-29


Table of Contents

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008

(In U.S. dollars, except share data)

 

     Ordinary Shares   Subscription
Receivable
    (Accumulated
Deficit) Retained

Earnings
    Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive

Income
  Total     Comprehensive
(Loss) Income
 
     Number   $                            

Balance at November 22, 2007 (inception)

   —     $ —     $ —        $ —        $ —     $ —        $ —     

Issuance of ordinary shares and subscription

   100,000,000     10,000     (10,000     —          —       —          —     

Net loss

   —       —       —          (47,542     —       (47,542     (47,542
                                                

BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2007

   100,000,000   $ 10,000   $ (10,000     (47,542     —       (47,542     (47,542
                                                

Net income

   —       —       —          21,525,027        —       21,525,027        21,525,027   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   —       —       —          —          564,147     564,147        564,147   
                                                

BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2008

   100,000,000   $ 10,000   $ (10,000   $ 21,477,485      $ 564,147   $ 22,041,632      $ 22,089,174   
                                                

 

F-30


Table of Contents

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2007 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     Period from
November 22,
2007
(inception) to
December 31,
2007
    Year ended
December 31,
2008
 

OPERATING ACTIVITIES

    

Net (loss) income

   $ (47,542   $ 21,525,027   

Share of results of subsidiaries

     —          (21,976,283

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:

    

Changes in other current liabilities

     47,542        —     
                

Net cash used in operating activities

     —          (451,256
                

INVESTING ACTIVITIES

    

Capital contributed to a subsidiary

     —          (6,401,000
                

Cash used in investing activities

     —          (6,401,000
                

FINANCING ACTIVITIES

    

Proceeds from bank borrowings

     —          6,000,000   

Proceeds from other borrowing

       900,000   
                

Cash provided by financing activities

     —          6,900,000   
                

NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

     —          47,744   

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD

     —          —     
                

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD

   $ —        $ 47,744   
                

 

F-31


Table of Contents

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

Notes to Schedule I

 

1. Schedule I has been provided pursuant to the requirements of Rule 12-04(a) and 5-04(c) of Regulation S-X, which require condensed financial information as to the financial position, changes in financial position and results of operations of a parent company as of the same dates and for the same periods for which audited consolidated financial statements have been presented when the restricted net assets of consolidated subsidiaries exceed 25 percent of consolidated net assets as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

2. The financial statements of Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) except for accounting of the Company’s subsidiaries and certain footnote disclosures as described below.

 

3. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The footnote disclosures contain supplemental information relating to the operations of the Company and, as such, these statements should be read in conjunction with the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company.

 

4. As of December 31, 2008, there were no material contingencies, significant provisions of long-term obligations, mandatory dividend or redemption requirements of redeemable stocks or guarantees of the Company, except for those which have been separately disclosed in the Consolidated Financial Statement, if any.

 

F-32


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE OWNER AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.:

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of the predecessor business of Daqo New Energy Corp., Daqo New Material Co., Ltd. (“Daqo New Material”) (a development stage enterprise), as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008, and the related statements of operations, owners’ equity and comprehensive income (loss), and cash flows for the period from November 16, 2006 (inception) to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007, the six months ended June 30, 2008, and the period from November 16, 2006 (inception) to June 30, 2008. These financial statements are the responsibility of Daqo New Material’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. Daqo New Material is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing the audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the predecessor business of Daqo New Energy Corp.’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the predecessor business of Daqo New Energy Corp. as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from November 16, 2006 (inception) to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007, the six months ended June 30, 2008 and the period from November 16, 2006 (inception) to June 30, 2008 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the predecessor business of Daqo New Energy Corp. was in the development stage at December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008; it completed its development activities and commenced its planned principal operations on July 1, 2008.

/s/ DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU CPA LTD.

Shanghai, China

August 20, 2009 (January 12, 2010 as to the subsequent events described in Note 12)

 

F-33


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

BALANCE SHEETS

DECEMBER 31, 2006 AND 2007 AND JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     December 31,     June 30,
2008
 
     2006     2007    

ASSETS

      

Current assets:

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 7,901,783      $ 3,842,142      $ 4,111,675   

Restricted cash

     —          15,561,805        16,907,511   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     —          2,405,076        8,284,412   

Advances to suppliers

     —          1,787,423        2,002,773   
                        

Total current assets

     7,901,783        23,596,446        31,306,371   

Amount due from related party

     —          —          13,790,975   

Property, plant and equipment, net

     332,948        76,179,115        111,680,799   

Prepaid land use rights

     728,673        847,239        826,799   

Deferred tax assets

     156,128        382,452        847,526   
                        

TOTAL ASSETS

   $ 9,119,532      $ 101,005,252      $ 158,452,470   
                        

LIABILITIES AND OWNER’S EQUITY

      

Current liabilities:

      

Accounts payable

   $ —        $ —        $ 35,274   

Advances from customer

     —          13,690,000        —     

Payables for purchases of property, plant and equipment

     —          1,974,739        20,970,318   

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     —          376,294        372,701   
                        

Total current liabilities

     —          16,041,033        21,378,293   

Long-term borrowings

     —          27,380,000        77,269,760   

Amount due to related party

     472,181        10,810,911        11,319,794   
                        

Total liabilities

     472,181        54,231,944        109,967,847   
                        

Commitments (Note 11)

      

Owner’s equity:

      

Paid-in capital

     8,898,260        45,938,900        45,938,900   

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

     (325,530     (1,096,766     (2,386,067

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     74,621        1,931,174        4,931,790   
                        

Total owner’s equity

     8,647,351        46,773,308        48,484,623   
                        

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND OWNER’S EQUITY

   $ 9,119,532      $ 101,005,252      $ 158,452,470   
                        

See notes to predecessor financial statements.

 

F-34


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006, THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     Period from
November 16,

2006
(inception) to
December 31,
2006
    Year Ended
December 31,
2007
    Six months
ended June 30,
2008
    Accumulated
from
November 16,
2006
(inception) to
June 30, 2008
 

Operating expenses:

        

General and administrative expenses

   $ (489,748   $ (1,052,794   $ (2,059,789   $ (3,602,331

Other operating income

     —          —          157,417        157,417   
                                

Total operating expenses

     (489,748     (1,052,794     (1,902,372     (3,444,914
                                

Loss from operations

     (489,748     (1,052,794     (1,902,372     (3,444,914

Interest income

     3,882        74,491        185,258        263,631   
                                

Loss before income taxes

     (485,866     (978,303     (1,717,114     (3,181,283

Income tax benefit

     160,336        207,067        427,813        795,216   
                                

Net loss

   $ (325,530   $ (771,236   $ (1,289,301   $ (2,386,067
                                

See notes to predecessor financial statements.

 

F-35


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

STATEMENTS OF OWNER’S EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006, THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     Paid-in
Capital
   Deficit accumulated
during the
development stage
    Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
   Total     Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
 

Balance at November 16, 2006 (inception)

   $ —      $ —        $ —      $ —        $ —     

Contributed capital

     8,898,260      —          —        8,898,260        —     

Net loss

     —        (325,530     —        (325,530     (325,530

Foreign currency translation adjustments

     —        —          74,621      74,621        74,621   
                                      

Balance at December 31, 2006

   $ 8,898,260    $ (325,530   $ 74,621    $ 8,647,351      $ (250,909
                  

Contributed capital

     37,040,640      —          —        37,040,640     

Net loss

     —        (771,236     —        (771,236     (771,236

Foreign currency translation adjustments

     —        —          1,856,553      1,856,553        1,856,553   
                                      

Balance at December 31, 2007

   $ 45,938,900    $ (1,096,766   $ 1,931,174    $ 46,773,308      $ 1,085,317   
                  

Net loss

     —        (1,289,301     —        (1,289,301     (1,289,301

Foreign currency translation adjustments

     —        —          3,000,616      3,000,616        3,000,616   
                                      

Balance at June 30, 2008

   $ 45,938,900    $ (2,386,067   $ 4,931,790    $ 48,484,623      $ 1,711,315   
                                      

See notes to predecessor financial statements.

 

F-36


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006, THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

     Period from
November 16,

2006 (inception)
to

December 31,
2006
    Year Ended
December 31,
2007
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2008
    Accumulated
from
November 16,
2006 to
June 30, 2008
 

Operating activities:

        

Net loss

   $ (325,530   $ (771,236   $ (1,289,301   $ (2,386,067

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:

        

Deferred tax income taxes

     (160,336     (207,067     (427,813     (795,216

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

     —          10,855        566,712        577,567   

Lease expenses of land use rights

     —          123,533        66,541        190,074   

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

        

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     —          (2,405,076     (5,879,336     (8,284,412

Advances to suppliers

     —          (1,787,423     (215,350     (2,002,773

Prepaid land use rights

     (728,673     —          —          (728,673

Accounts payable

     —          —          35,274        35,274   

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     —          376,294        (3,593     372,701   

Advances from customers

     —          13,690,000        (13,690,000     —     

Amount due to related party

     472,181        648,790        534,872        1,655,843   
                                

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

     (742,358     9,678,670        (20,301,994     (11,365,682
                                

Investing activities:

        

Advance to related party

     —          —          (13,790,975     (13,790,975

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

     (332,948     (72,651,210     (14,426,948     (87,411,106

Changes in restricted cash

     —          (15,561,805     (1,345,706     (16,907,511
                                

Cash used in investing activities

     (332,948     (88,213,015     (29,563,629     (118,109,592
                                

Financing activities:

        

Proceeds from bank borrowings

     —          27,380,000        49,889,760        77,269,760   

Advance from related party

     —          9,689,940        —          9,689,940   

Repayment to related party

     —          —          (25,989     (25,989

Capital contribution from owner

     8,898,260        37,040,640        —          45,938,900   
                                

Net cash provided by financing activities

     8,898,260        74,110,580        49,863,771        132,872,611   
                                

Effect of exchange rate changes

     78,829        364,124        271,385        714,338   
                                

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     7,901,783        (4,059,641     269,533        4,111,675   

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

     —          7,901,783        3,842,142        —     
                                

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

     7,901,783        3,842,142        4,111,675        4,111,675   
                                

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

        

Interest paid

   $ —        $ 218,821      $ 2,461,852      $ 2,680,673   
                                

Income taxes paid

   $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —     
                                

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing activities:

        

Purchases of property, plant and equipment included in accounts payable

   $ —        $ 1,974,739      $ 18,995,579      $ 20,970,318   
                                

See notes to predecessor financial statements.

 

F-37


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

1. ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES

Daqo New Material Co., Ltd. (“Daqo New Material”) was established by Daqo Group Co., Ltd. (“Daqo Group”) as a limited liability company on November 16, 2006 in the Peoples’ Republic of China (“PRC”) for the primary purpose of developing a photovoltaic business. Daqo New Material’s activities included acquiring land use rights and constructing production infrastructure, including buildings and major production machinery and equipment. Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co. Ltd. (“Chongqing Daqo”), which was incorporated on January 14, 2008, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “Company”), (formerly named Mega Stand International Ltd.), which was established on November 22, 2007 in the Cayman Islands. Chongqing Daqo acquired additional machinery and equipment that are used in connection with Daqo New Material’s land and production infrastructure.

Subsequent to its establishment, Chongqing Daqo entered into a lease agreement with Daqo New Material dated June 30, 2008 to rent all of Daqo New Material’s land, production infrastructure and machinery and equipment for the Group’s polysilicon production. The initial lease agreement has a five-year term starting July 1, 2008, with monthly lease payments at a fixed amount of RMB9.95 million ($1.4 million). The initial lease agreement also provided that if Daqo New Material transferred the ownership of the leased assets to any third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner. One month before the expiry of the initial lease term, the lease agreement could be renewed for an additional five-year term upon mutual consent. Chongqing Daqo had the right of first refusal to rent the leased assets under the initial lease agreement. The lease agreement was amended and restated in August 2009, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2009. Under the amended and restated lease agreement, the lease period is from January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2013, with monthly lease payment at a fixed amount of $0.9 million (RMB6.1 million). One month before the expiry of the lease period, Chongqing Daqo has the option to renew the lease on the same terms and conditions for additional five-year periods. Furthermore, the amended and restated lease agreement provides that Chongqing Daqo has the option to purchase, or to designate any person to purchase, the leased assets at the then fair value at any time during the lease period or within one year following the lease period, if permitted by the PRC laws and regulations. If Daqo New Material desires to transfer the ownership of the leased assets to a third party, Chongqing Daqo has the right of first refusal to acquire the leased assets under the same conditions, and if the leased assets are transferred to a third party, the lease agreement will remain effective and enforceable against the new owner.

The minimum lease payments protect Daqo Group from the risk of loss related to Daqo New Material, and represent an implicit guarantee between related parties. Chongqing Daqo and Daqo Group hold all of the variable interests of Daqo New Material. The operating activities of Daqo New Material are most closely associated with Chongqing Daqo. As a result, Chongqing Daqo is the primary beneficiary and Daqo New Material’s financial results are consolidated in the Company’s financial statements beginning July 1, 2008.

The Company, its subsidiaries and Daqo New Material, are collectively referred to as the “Group”. Daqo New Material has been deemed to be Chongqing Daqo’s predecessor business from November 16, 2006 (inception) through June 30, 2008.

 

F-38


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

2. DEVELOPMENT STAGE

Daqo New Material was a development stage enterprise at December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008. Daqo New Material completed its development activities and commenced principal operations in July 2008.

 

3. SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Basis of presentation

The financial statements of Daqo New Material have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

(b) Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management has made significant estimates in a variety of areas, including but not limited to the allowance for doubtful accounts, useful lives and residual values of property, plant and equipment, impairment for long-lived assets, and valuation allowances for deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

(c) Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially expose Daqo New Material to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents.

Daqo New Material places its cash and cash equivalents in various financial institutions in the PRC. Daqo New Material believes that no significant credit risk exists as these banks are principally government-owned financial institutions with high credit rating and quality.

(d) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and demand deposits, which are unrestricted as to withdrawal and use, and which have maturities of three months or less when purchased.

(e) Restricted cash

Restricted cash amounted to $nil, $15,561,805 and $16,907,511 as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008, respectively, are placed in bank accounts which are restricted for purchasing property, plant and equipment or as the collateral for the long-term loans borrowed by Daqo New Material.

(f) Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recognized on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives:

 

Buildings and plant

   20 years

Machinery and equipment

   10 years

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

   3-5 years

Motor vehicles

   6 years

 

F-39


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

Costs incurred on construction are capitalized and transferred to property, plant and equipment upon completion, at which time depreciation commences.

Interest expense incurred for construction of property, plant, and equipment is capitalized as part of the cost of such assets. Interest expense capitalized for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the six months ended June 30, 2008, were $nil, $264,588 and $2,559,536, respectively.

(g) Prepaid land use rights

All land in the PRC is owned by the PRC government. The PRC government, according to PRC law, may sell the land use rights for a specified period of time. Daqo New Material’s land use rights in the PRC are stated at cost less recognized lease expenses. In December 2006, Daqo New Material signed a land use rights agreement with a 50 year term for $6,564,536 and paid a down-payment of $728,673. The down-payment has been recorded as prepaid land use rights. Lease expense is recognized over the term of the agreements on a straight-line basis. Daqo New Material recognized lease expense of $nil, $123,533 and $66,541 for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the six months ended June 30, 2008.

(h) Impairment of long-lived assets

Daqo New Material evaluates its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. When these events occur, Daqo New Material measures impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the asset group to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, Daqo New Material will recognize an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. No impairment charges were recognized for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the six months ended June 30, 2008.

(i) Employee welfare benefits

Full time employees of Daqo New Material in the PRC participate in a government-mandated multi-employer defined contribution plan pursuant to which certain pension benefits, medical care, unemployment insurance, housing fund and other welfare benefits are provided to the employees. Chinese labor regulations require Daqo New Material to accrue for these defined contribution plans based on certain percentages of the employees’ salaries.

Contributions to defined contribution plans are expensed as incurred. During the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the six months ended June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material recognized immaterial expenses in 2006 and 2007 and $32,201 in 2008, respectively.

 

F-40


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

(j) Government subsidies

Daqo New Material receives unrestricted cash subsidies from local governmental agencies. Daqo New Material records unrestricted government subsidies as other operating income in the statements of operations. Unrestricted government cash subsidies received for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the six months ended June 30, 2008 totaled $nil, $nil and $157,417 respectively.

(k) Income taxes

Deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences between the tax base of assets and liabilities and their reported amount in the financial statements, net operating loss carryforwards and credits by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the laws of the relevant taxing authorities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted rates expected to apply to taxable income in which temporary differences are expected to be received or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of changes in tax rates is recognized in the statement of operation in the period of the enactment of the change. The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on the characteristics of the underlying assets and liabilities, or the expected timing of their use when they do not relate to a specific asset or liability.

(l) Foreign currency translation

The functional currency of Daqo New Material is the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”). The reporting currency of Daqo New Material is the United States dollar (“U.S. dollar”). Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates at the balance sheet date. Equity accounts are translated at historical exchange rates. Revenues, expenses, gains and losses are translated at average rate of exchange prevailing during the periods presented. Translation adjustments are reported as cumulative translation adjustments and are shown as a separate component of other comprehensive income in the statement of owner’s equity.

The RMB is not a freely convertible currency. The State Administration for Foreign Exchange of People’s Republic of China, under the authority of the People’s Bank of China, controls the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies. The value of the RMB is subject to changes in central government policies and to international economic and political developments affecting supply and demand in the China foreign exchange trading system market. Daqo New Material’s aggregate amount of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash denominated in RMB amounted to $7,901,783, $19,403,947 and $17,490,913 as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008, respectively.

(m) Comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) includes all changes in equity except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners and is comprised of net income (loss) and foreign currency translation adjustments.

 

F-41


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

(n) Fair value of financial instruments

Effective on January 1, 2008, Daqo New Material adopted the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 157, “ Fair Value Measurement ” (“SFAS No. 157”), which provides a framework for measuring fair value under U.S. GAAP, and expanded disclosure requirements about assets and liabilities measured at fair value. In February 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS No. 157-2, “ Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 157 ” (“FSP 157-2”), which delays the effective date of SFAS No. 157 as it applies to non-financial assets and liabilities that are not required to be measured at fair value on a recurring (at least annual) basis. As a result of the delay, SFAS No. 157 will be applied to Daqo New Material’s non-financial assets and liabilities effective on January 1, 2009. SFAS No. 157 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (also referred to as an exit price). SFAS No. 157 establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that gives the highest priority to observable inputs and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value shall maximize the use of observable inputs.

When available, Daqo New Material measures the fair value of financial instruments based on quoted market prices in active markets, valuation techniques that use observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. Pricing information Daqo New Material obtains from third parties is internally validated for reasonableness prior to use in the consolidated financial statements. When observable market prices are not readily available, Daqo New Material generally estimates the fair value using valuation techniques that rely on alternate market data or inputs that are generally less readily observable from objective sources and are estimated based on pertinent information available at the time of the applicable reporting periods. In certain cases, fair values are not subject to precise quantification or verification and may fluctuate as economic and market factors vary and Daqo New Material’s evaluation of those factors changes. Although Daqo New Material uses its best judgment in estimating the fair value of these financial instruments, there are inherent limitations in any estimation technique. In these cases, a minor change in an assumption could result in a significant change in its estimate of fair value, thereby increasing or decreasing the amounts of Daqo New Material’s assets, liabilities, owner’s equity and net income or loss.

Daqo New Material’s financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts payable, payable for purchase of property, plant and equipment, and long-term borrowings. The carrying amounts of these short-term financial instruments approximate their fair values due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.

Management believes the carrying value of the long-term bank borrowings of approximately $nil, $27,380,000 and $77,269,760 as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008 approximate its fair value as they are carried at market interest rates.

The fair value of amount due to related parties was approximately $472,181, $10,810,911 and $11,319,794 as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008. The fair value was estimated using discounted cash flow technique based on pertinent information available to us as of December 31, 2008.

 

F-42


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect these fair value estimates, such amount has not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of the financial statements since that date, and current estimate of fair value may differ significantly from the amount presented.

(o) Start-up costs

Daqo New Material expenses all costs incurred in connection with start-up activities, including preproduction costs and organization costs.

(p) Recent accounting pronouncements

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures About Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities-an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 ” (“SFAS No. 161”). The statement requires enhanced disclosures to help investors better understand the effect of an entity’s derivate instruments and related hedging activities on its financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. SFAS No. 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008, with early application encouraged. Daqo New Material will adopt SFAS No. 161 on January 1, 2009.

In May 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 165, “ Subsequent Events ”. The statement establishes general standards of accounting for and disclosure of events that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. This Statement shall be effective for interim or annual financial periods ending after June 15, 2009, and shall be applied prospectively. Daqo New Material will incorporate the requirements on June 30, 2009.

In June 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 166, “ Accounting for Transfers of Financial Assets-an amendment of FASB Statement No. 140 ”. The statement improve the relevance, representational faithfulness, and comparability of the information that a reporting entity provides in its financial statements about a transfer of financial assets; the effects of a transfer on its financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; and a transferor’s continuing involvement, if any, in transferred financial assets. This Statement must be applied as of the beginning of each reporting entity’s first annual reporting period that begins after November 15, 2009, for interim periods within that first annual reporting period and for interim and annual reporting periods thereafter. Earlier application is prohibited. Daqo New Material will incorporate the requirements on January 1, 2010.

In June 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 168, “ The FASB Accounting Standards Codification” (“Codification”) and Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles—a replacement of FASB Statement No. 162 ” as the single source of authoritative nongovernmental U.S. GAAP to be launched on July 1, 2009. The Codification does not change current U.S. GAAP, but is intended to simplify user access to all authoritative U.S. GAAP by providing all the authoritative literature related to a particular topic in one place. All existing accounting standard documents will be superseded and all other accounting literature not included in the Codification will be considered nonauthoritative. The Codification is effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. The Codification is effective for the Company during the interim period ending September 30, 2009 and will not have an impact on the financial condition or results of operations.

 

F-43


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

4. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Prepaid expenses and current assets consist of the following:

 

     December 31,    June 30,
2008
     2006    2007   

Deposits

   $ —      $ 2,071,166    $ 7,859,843

Others

     —        333,910      424,569
                    

Total

   $ —      $ 2,405,076    $ 8,284,412
                    

 

5. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET

Property, plant and equipment, net, consist of the following:

 

     December 31,     June 30,
2008
 
     2006    2007    

Cost

       

Buildings and plant

   $ —      $ 581,211      $ 96,954,105   

Machinery and equipment

     —        —          14,951,563   

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

     —        46,153        167,309   

Motor vehicles

     —        174,081        185,388   

Less: Accumulated depreciation

     —        (10,855     (577,566
                       

Property, plant and equipment, net

   $ —      $ 790,590      $ 111,680,799   

Construction in process

     332,948      75,388,525        —     
                       

Total

   $ 332,948    $ 76,179,115      $ 111,680,799   
                       

Depreciation expense was $nil, $10,855 and $566,712 for the period from November 16, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the year ended December 31, 2007 and the six months ended June 30, 2008.

 

6. LONG-TERM BORROWINGS

Daqo New Material obtained loans from a PRC bank. The details of bank loans are as follows:

 

     December 31,    June 30,
2008
     2006    2007   

Guaranteed and secured (i)

   $ —      $ 27,380,000    $ 77,269,760
                    

Total

   $ —      $ 27,380,000    $ 77,269,760
                    

 

i.

As of December 31, 2007, bank loans amounting to $27,380,000 were guaranteed by Daqo Group and secured by Daqo New Material’s restricted cash of $11,704,932. As of June 30, 2008, bank loans amounting $77,269,760 were guaranteed by Daqo Group and secured by Daqo New Material’s restricted cash of $13,900,885.

 

F-44


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

The long-term bank borrowings bear floating rates which are adjusted every 12 months based upon the PRC government’s standard interest rate. The weighted average floating interest rate as of December 31, 2007 and June 30, 2008 for Daqo New Material’s long-term bank borrowings was 7.83% and 7.83%, respectively.

The principal maturities of these long-term borrowings are as follows as of June 30, 2008:

 

Period Ending June 30,

   Amount

2009

   $ —  

2010

     15,453,952

2011

     15,453,952

2012

     15,453,952

2013

     15,453,952

2014

     15,453,952
      

Total

   $ 77,269,760
      

 

7. ADVANCE FROM CUSTOMER

Advance from customer consist of the following:

 

     At December 31,    At June 30,
2008
     2006    2007   

Customer A

   $ —      $ 13,690,000    $ —  
                    

The amount represented a prepayment from a customer under a long-term supply agreement. Subsequent to the formation of Chongqing Daqo in 2008, it was terminated.

 

8. PROFIT APPROPRIATION

The domestic Chinese enterprises are required to allocate at least 10% of their after tax profits as reported in their PRC statutory financial statements to the statutory reserve and have the right to discontinue allocations to the statutory reserve if the balances of such reserve have reached 50% of their registered capital. The statutory reserve is not available for distribution to the owners (except in liquidation) and may not be transferred in the form of loans, advances or cash dividends. As of June 30, 2008, no such statutory reserve was appropriated since Daqo New Material recorded losses in each year since its inception.

 

9. INCOME TAXES

Daqo New Material is a domestic enterprise registered in Chongqing and is subject to an income tax rate of 33%, 33% and 25% for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

 

F-45


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

On November 22, 2007, Daqo New Material adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, “ Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an Interpretation of SFAS No. 109 ” (“FIN 48”). Daqo New Material made its assessment of the level of authority for each tax position (including the potential application of interests and penalties) based on the technical merits, and measured the unrecognized benefits associated with the tax positions. The adoption of FIN 48 did not have any impact on Daqo New Material’s total liabilities or owners’ equity. Daqo New Material did not have any unrecognized tax benefits in the reporting periods. Daqo New Material does not anticipate that unrecognized tax benefits will be significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months.

According to PRC Tax Administration and Collection Law, the statute of limitations is three years if the underpayment of taxes is due to computational errors made by the taxpayer or withholding agent. The statute of limitations will be extended five years under special circumstances, which are not clearly defined (but an underpayment of tax liability exceeding RMB0.1 million is specifically listed as a special circumstance). In the case of a related party transaction, the statute of limitations is 10 years. There is no statute of limitations in the case of tax evasion. From inception to June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material is subject to examination of the PRC tax authorities. Daqo New Material classifies interest and penalties associated with taxes as income tax expense. Such charges were immaterial in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The tax benefit comprises:

 

     Period from
November 16,
2006 to
December 31,
2006
   Year Ended
December 31,
2007
   Six Months
Ended
June 30,
2008

Current Tax

   $ —      $ —      $ —  

Deferred Tax Benefit

     160,336      207,067      427,813
                    

Total

   $ 160,336    $ 207,067    $ 427,813
                    

The principal components of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

     December 31,    June 30,
2008
     2006    2007   

Net operating loss carried forward

   $ 156,128    $ 382,452    $ 720,240

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

     —        —        127,286
                    

Total

   $ 156,128    $ 382,452    $ 847,526
                    

Deferred tax assets are analyzed as:

        

Current

   $ —      $ —      $ —  

Non-current

     156,128      382,452      847,526
                    

Daqo New Material uses the asset and liability method to record related deferred tax assets and liabilities. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, Daqo New Material considers whether it is

 

F-46


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Based on the projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, Daqo New Material believes it is more likely than not that Daqo New Material will realize the benefits of these deductible differences as at December 31, 2006 and 2007 and June 30, 2008. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable, however, could be reduced in the near term if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced. As of June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material had net operating losses carried forward of approximately $2,880,960 which will expire if not used by the end of 2013.

The effective income tax rate of Daqo New Material is different from the expected PRC statutory rate as a result of the following items:

 

     Period from
November 16,
2006 to
December 31,
2006
    Year Ended
December 31,
2007
    Six Months
Ended
June 30,
2008
 

PRC Enterprise Income Tax

   33   33   25

Effect of change in tax rate

   —        (12 )%    —     
                  

Effective tax rate

   33   21   25
                  

 

10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS AND BALANCES

 

(1) The relationship between Daqo New Material and related parties are as follows:

 

Name of the related party

 

Relationship

Daqo Group

  Parent company holding 100% equity ownership of Daqo New Material

Chongqing Daqo

  An affiliated company under common control of the ultimate shareholders of Daqo Group and primary beneficiary of Daqo New Material through an operating lease.

 

(2) Daqo New Material entered into the following transactions with related companies:

 

  (a) In August 2006, Daqo Group entered into a contract with an engineering firm to design and erect the Group’s production facilities and to provide technical consulting and engineering services to Chongqing Daqo for total consideration of Euro 8,400,000 ($10,756,536). In January 2008, Daqo New Material acquired rights on behalf of Chongqing Daqo to expand the contract terms for consideration of Euro 750,000 ($1,102,748).

 

       In June 2008, Daqo Group and Daqo New Material terminated all of the agreements with the engineering firm and Chongqing Daqo entered into new agreements with the engineering firm.

 

F-47


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

       As of June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material made payments to the engineering firm on behalf of Chongqing Daqo amounting to $3,338,151. At June 30, 2008, the balance due from Chongqing Daqo was $3,338,151.

 

  (b) On June 30, 2008, Daqo New Material signed a lease contract with Chongqing Daqo, to rent all of its operating assets, including the land use right, property, plant and equipment to Chongqing Daqo, for a period of 5 years from July 1, 2008.

 

(3) Daqo New Material had the following balances between Daqo New Material and related company and its owner:

 

       December 31,    June 30,
2008

Amount due from related party

   2006    2007   

Chongqing Daqo.

   $ —      $ —      $ 13,790,975
                    
     December 31,    June 30,
2008

Amount due to related party

   2006    2007   

Daqo Group

   $ 472,181    $ 10,810,911    $ 11,319,794
                    

Daqo New Material’s balance due from Chongqing Daqo consisted of payments made by Daqo New Material on behalf of Chongqing Daqo for technical consulting and engineering services and the purchase of property, plant and equipment.

Daqo New Material’s balance due to Daqo Group was related to payments made by Daqo Group on behalf of Daqo New Material for general and administrative expenses and the purchase of property, plant and equipment.

 

11. COMMITMENTS

Lease commitments

In December 2006, Daqo New Material signed a contract with local government to obtain land use rights in Chongqing for a period of 50 years through December 27, 2056. Daqo New Material paid $728,673 as down-payment. The remaining balance of $5,835,863 is payable within one year after the Group’s commercial production of polysilicon commences, or July 1, 2009.

 

12. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Daqo New Material has evaluated subsequent events through January 12, 2010.

(a) On September 12, 2009, the paid-in capital of Daqo New Material was increased to RMB895 million ($126 million), after Daqo New Material’s owners converted the amount payable to them, which was recorded in amount due to related party, to owners’ equity.

 

F-48


Table of Contents

PREDECESSOR BUSINESS OF DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.,

DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE)

NOTES TO PREDECESSOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 16, 2006 (INCEPTION) TO DECEMBER 31, 2006,

THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

(In U.S. dollars)

 

(b) On September 22, 2009, Daqo New Material obtained a letter from the local government to confirm that the delay in payment for the land use rights would not lead to any penalty or interest, and the land use rights are still effective. Daqo New Material will negotiate a revised payment schedule with the local government.

(c) On November 9, 2009, Chongqing Daqo signed a supplementary lease agreement with Daqo New Material to lease the production infrastructures of Phase 1b from November 9, 2009 until December 31, 2013 at a fixed monthly rent of RMB3.0 million ($0.4 million). The other terms of the supplementary lease agreement are the same as those of the lease agreement of Phase 1a.

*    *    *    *    *    *

 

F-49


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

 

6,500,000 American Depositary Shares

 

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

 

Representing 39,000,000 Ordinary Shares

 

 

LOGO

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

Until             , 2010, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

Piper Jaffray

 

 

Lazard Capital Markets   
   Needham & Company, LLC

 

            , 2010


Table of Contents

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM    6. 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 Island courts to be contrary to the public interest, such as indemnification against civil fraud 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 out of the assets of the registrant against any liability incurred by him or her in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, in which judgment is given in his or her favor, or where the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his or her part, or in which he or she is acquitted or in connection with any application in which relief is granted to him or her by the court from liability for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the affairs of the registrant.

 

ITEM    7. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.

During the past three years, we have issued the following securities (including options to acquire our shares). We believe that each of the following issuances was exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Regulation D under the Securities Act or pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act regarding transactions not involving a public offering or in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act regarding sales by an issuer in offshore transactions.

 

Purchaser

   Date of Sale or Issuance    Type and Number
of Securities
    Consideration

Gold Intellect Limited

   November 22, 2007    39,000,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 3,900

Plenty China Limited

   November 22, 2007    14,820,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 1,482

Ruian International Limited

   November 22, 2007    10,890,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 1,089

Instantup Investments Limited

   November 22, 2007    9,930,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 993

Ace Pro Holdings Limited

   November 22, 2007    9,210,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 921

Best Mount International Limited

   November 22, 2007    8,760,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 876

Million Fortune International Limited

   November 22, 2007    7,380,000 ordinary shares (1)     $ 738

Granite Global Ventures III L.P.

   November 20, 2009    11,695,471 Series A
preferred shares
  
  
  $ 21,648,000

GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P.

   November 20, 2009    190,170 Series A preferred
shares
  
  
  $ 352,000

Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited

   November 20, 2009    2,161,026 Series A
preferred shares
  
  
  $ 4,000,000

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.

   November 20, 2009    11,615,513 Series A
preferred shares
  
  
  $ 21,500,000

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP

   November 20, 2009    987,656 Series A
preferred shares
  
  
  $ 1,828,125

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP

   November 20, 2009    362,985 Series A
preferred shares
  
  
  $ 671,875

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP

   November 20, 2009    2,157,244 Series A
preferred shares
  
  
  $ 3,993,000

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP

  

November 20, 2009

  

453,275 Series A
preferred shares

  
  

 

$

839,000

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP

  

November 20, 2009

  

90,763 Series A
preferred shares

  
  

 

$

168,000

 

Note:

(1) Giving effect to the 10,000-for-1 share split that became effective on August 5, 2009.

 

II-1


Table of Contents
ITEM    8. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

 

(a) Exhibits

 

Exhibit

No.

  

Description of Exhibit

  1.1   

Form of Underwriting Agreement

  3.1    Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant as currently in effect
  4.1   

Form of Ordinary Share Certificate

  4.2    Form of Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant, as effective upon the closing of this offering
  4.3    Form of Deposit Agreement between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary
  4.4    Form of American depositary receipt evidencing American depositary shares (included in Exhibit 4.3)
  4.5    Investor Rights Agreement among the Registrant, the Series A preferred holders and other parties thereof dated as of November 20, 2009
  5.1    Opinion of Thorp Alberga, the Cayman Islands counsel to the Registrant, regarding the issue of ordinary shares being registered
  8.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP regarding certain U.S. federal tax matters
  8.2    Opinion of Thorp Alberga regarding certain Cayman Islands tax matters (included in Exhibit 5.1)
  8.3    Opinion of Jun He Law Offices regarding certain Chinese tax law matters
10.1    2009 Share Incentive Plan
10.2   

Form of Indemnification Agreement with the Registrant’s directors and officers

10.3    Form of Employment Agreement between the Registrant and an Executive Officer of the Registrant
10.4    English translation of the Lease Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material effective from July 1, 2008
10.5    English translation of the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material effective from January 1, 2009
10.6    English translation of the Supplemental Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material effective from November 9, 2009 with respect to the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement
10.7    English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd. (the principal operating subsidiary of ReneSola Ltd.) and Daqo New Material dated as of October 31, 2007
10.8    English translation of the Amendment Agreement between Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd. and Daqo New Material dated as of December 5, 2008 with respect to a Sales and Purchase Agreement
10.9    English translation of the Amendment Agreement among Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd., Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo dated as of December 11, 2008 with respect to a Sales and Purchase Agreement
10.10    English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of August 4, 2009

 

II-2


Table of Contents

Exhibit

No.

  

Description of Exhibit

10.11    English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo (formerly known as Chongqing Sailing) dated as of May 28, 2008
10.12    English translation of the Amendment Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo (formerly known as Chongqing Sailing) dated as of November 21, 2008 regarding a Sales and Purchase Agreement
10.13    English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of August 12, 2009
10.14    English translation of a Sales and Purchase Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of December 31, 2009
10.15    English translation of the Three-party Sales and Purchase Contract among Chongqing Daqo (formerly known as Chongqing Sailing), Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. and Glory Silicon Energy (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd. dated as of March 11, 2008
10.16    English translation of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd. dated as of December 3, 2008
10.17    English translation of the Supplemental Agreement to the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd. dated as of December 12, 2008
10.18    English translation of a Sales and Purchase Agreement between China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing) Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of December 18, 2009
10.19    English translation of the Loan Agreement between Daqo New Material and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of September 30, 2007
10.20   

English translation of the Loan Agreement between Daqo New Material and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of February 28, 2008

10.21   

English translation of the Loan Agreement between Daqo New Material and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of July 31, 2008

10.22   

English translation of the Loan Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of January 21, 2009

10.23    English translation of the Loan Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of July 7, 2009
10.24    English translation of the Loan Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Huaxia Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of December 30, 2009
10.25    English translation of the Syndicated Loan Agreement among Chongqing Daqo, China Construction Bank, Chongqing Branch, China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch, and China Merchants Bank, Chongqing Jiangbei Sub-branch dated as of August 28, 2009
10.26    English translation of the Supplemental Agreement to the Syndicated Loan Agreement among Chongqing Daqo, China Construction Bank, Chongqing Branch, China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch, China Merchants Bank, Chongqing Jiangbei Sub-branch, China CITIC Bank, Chongqing Branch, Daqo Group, Guangfu Xu and Xiang Xu dated as of December 10, 2009, pursuant to which China CITIC Bank joined the bank syndicate as a lender
10.27    English translation of the Trademark License Agreement among Daqo Group, Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo dated as of May 8, 2009
10.28    Non-Competition Agreement among Daqo Group, Daqo Cayman (formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited) and Chongqing Daqo dated as of July 1, 2008
10.29    Technology License and Engineering Services Contract between Poly Engineering S.r.l and Chongqing Daqo dated as of June 15, 2008

 

II-3


Table of Contents

Exhibit

No.

  

Description of Exhibit

10.30    English summary of the Construction Contract between Daqo New Material and China Tianchen Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. dated as of June 27, 2007
10.31    English summary of the Amendment to the Construction Contract between Daqo New Material and China Tianchen Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. dated as of July 10, 2007
10.32    English summary of the Construction Contract between Chongqing Daqo and China Tianchen Engineering Co., Ltd. dated as of August 28, 2008
10.33   

Series A Purchase Agreement among the Registrant, the Series A investors and other parties thereof dated November 11, 2009

10.34   

English translations of a Sales and Purchase Agreement Between Chongqing Daqo and Lighway Green New Energy Co., Ltd, dated as of January 9, 2010

21.1    Subsidiaries of Registrant
23.1    Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.
23.2    Consent of Thorp Alberga (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.3    Consent of Jun He Law Offices
23.4    Consent of Solarbuzz LLC
23.5    Consent of Daqing Qi to Become a Director
23.6    Consent of Rongling Chen to Become a Director
24.1    Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of this registration statement)
99.1    Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of the Registrant
99.2    Opinion of Jun He Law Offices regarding certain PRC law matters

 

(b) Financial Statement Schedules

Schedules have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto.

 

ITEM    9. UNDERTAKINGS.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

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 provisions described in Item 6, 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 of 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-4


Table of Contents

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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) Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. 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 first use, 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 date of first use.

(4) For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser 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 of 1933 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.

(5) For the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: 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:

 

  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;

 

II-5


Table of Contents
  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.

 

II-6


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Wanzhou, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, on January 12, 2010.

 

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

By:

 

/s/    Gongda Yao

Name:   Gongda Yao
Title:   Director and Chief Executive Officer

Power of Attorney

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Gongda Yao and Jimmy Y. Lai as attorneys-in-fact with full power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to do any and all acts and all things and to execute any and all instruments which said attorney and agent may deem necessary or desirable to enable the registrant to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and any rules, regulations and requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, in connection with the registration under the Act of ordinary shares of the registrant (the “Shares”), including, without limitation, the power and authority to sign the name of each of the undersigned in the capacities indicated below to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to such Shares, to any and all amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement, whether such amendments or supplements are filed before or after the effective date of such Registration Statement, to any related Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, and to any and all instruments or documents filed as part of or in connection with such Registration Statement or any and all amendments thereto, whether such amendments are filed before or after the effective date of such Registration Statement; and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms all that such attorney and agent shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/    Guangfu Xu

   Chairman of the Board of Directors   January 12, 2010
Guangfu Xu     

/s/    Gongda Yao

Gongda Yao

  

Director and Chief Executive Officer

(principal executive officer)

 

January 12, 2010

/s/    Jimmy Y. Lai

Jimmy Y. Lai

  

Chief Financial Officer

(principal financial and accounting officer)

 

January 12, 2010

 

II-7


Table of Contents

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/    Xiang Xu

   Director   January 12, 2010
Xiang Xu     

/s/    Fei Ge

   Director   January 12, 2010
Fei Ge     

/s/    Dafeng Shi

   Director   January 12, 2010
Dafeng Shi     

/s/    Fumin Zhou

Fumin Zhou

  

Director

  January 12, 2010

/s/    Greg W. Ye

Greg W. Ye

  

Director

  January 12, 2010

 

II-8


Table of Contents

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES

Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Daqo New Energy Corp. has signed this registration statement or amendment thereto in New York, New York, U.S.A. on January 12, 2010.

 

Authorized U.S. Representative

By:

 

/ S /    J ASMINE M ARRERO

Name:   Jasmine Marrero
Title:   Manager, Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc.

 

II-9


Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

No.

    

Description of Exhibit

  1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  3.1       Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant as currently in effect
  4.1       Form of Ordinary Share Certificate
  4.2       Form of Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant, as effective upon the closing of this offering
  4.3       Form of Deposit Agreement between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary
  4.4       Form of American depositary receipt evidencing American depositary shares (included in Exhibit 4.3)
  4.5       Investor Rights Agreement among the Registrant, the Series A preferred holders and other parties thereof dated as of November 20, 2009
  5.1       Opinion of Thorp Alberga, the Cayman Islands counsel to the Registrant, regarding the issue of ordinary shares being registered
  8.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP regarding certain U.S. federal tax matters
  8.2       Opinion of Thorp Alberga regarding certain Cayman Islands tax matters (included in Exhibit 5.1)
  8.3       Opinion of Jun He Law Offices regarding certain Chinese tax law matters
10.1       2009 Share Incentive Plan
10.2       Form of Indemnification Agreement with the Registrant’s directors and officers
10.3       Form of Employment Agreement between the Registrant and an Executive Officer of the Registrant
10.4       English translation of the Lease Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material effective from July 1, 2008
10.5       English translation of the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material effective from January 1, 2009
10.6       English translation of the Supplemental Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material effective from November 9, 2009 with respect to the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement
10.7       English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd. (the principal operating subsidiary of ReneSola Ltd.) and Daqo New Material dated as of October 31, 2007
10.8       English translation of the Amendment Agreement between Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd. and Daqo New Material dated as of December 5, 2008 with respect to a Sales and Purchase Agreement
10.9       English translation of the Amendment Agreement among Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd., Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo dated as of December 11, 2008 with respect to a Sales and Purchase Agreement

 

II-10


Table of Contents

Exhibit

No.

   

Description of Exhibit

10.10      English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of August 4, 2009
10.11      English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo (formerly known as Chongqing Sailing) dated as of May 28, 2008
10.12      English translation of the Amendment Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo (formerly known as Chongqing Sailing) dated as of November 21, 2008 regarding a Sales and Purchase Agreement
10.13      English translation of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of August 12, 2009
10.14 ***    English translation of a Sales and Purchase Agreement between Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of December 31, 2009
10.15      English translation of the Three-party Sales and Purchase Contract among Chongqing Daqo (formerly known as Chongqing Sailing), Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. and Glory Silicon Energy (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd. dated as of March 11, 2008
10.16      English translation of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd. dated as of December 3, 2008
10.17 **    English translation of the Supplemental Agreement to the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd. dated as of December 12, 2008
10.18      English translation of a Sales and Purchase Agreement between China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing) Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo dated as of December 18, 2009
10.19      English translation of the Loan Agreement between Daqo New Material and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of September 30, 2007
10.20      English translation of the Loan Agreement between Daqo New Material and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of February 28, 2008
10.21      English translation of the Loan Agreement between Daqo New Material and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of July 31, 2008
10.22      English translation of the Loan Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of January 21, 2009
10.23      English translation of the Loan Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of July 7, 2009
10.24      English translation of the Loan Agreement between Chongqing Daqo and Huaxia Bank, Wanzhou Branch dated as of December 30, 2009
10.25*      English translation of the Syndicated Loan Agreement among Chongqing Daqo, China Construction Bank, Chongqing Branch, China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch, and China Merchants Bank, Chongqing Jiangbei Sub-branch dated as of August 28, 2009
10.26*      English translation of the Supplemental Agreement to the Syndicated Loan Agreement among Chongqing Daqo, China Construction Bank, Chongqing Branch, China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch, China Merchants Bank, Chongqing Jiangbei Sub-branch, China CITIC Bank, Chongqing Branch, Daqo Group, Guangfu Xu and Xiang Xu dated as of December 10, 2009, pursuant to which China CITIC Bank joined the bank syndicate as a lender
10.27      English translation of the Trademark License Agreement among Daqo Group, Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo dated as of May 8, 2009

 

II-11


Table of Contents

Exhibit

No.

  

Description of Exhibit

10.28    Non-Competition Agreement among Daqo Group, Daqo Cayman (formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited) and Chongqing Daqo dated as of July 1, 2008
10.29**    Technology License and Engineering Services Contract between Poly Engineering S.r.l and Chongqing Daqo dated as of June 15, 2008
10.30    English summary of the Construction Contract between Daqo New Material and China Tianchen Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. dated as of June 27, 2007
10.31    English summary of the Amendment to the Construction Contract between Daqo New Material and China Tianchen Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. dated as of July 10, 2007
10.32    English summary of the Construction Contract between Chongqing Daqo and China Tianchen Engineering Co., Ltd. dated as of August 28, 2008
10.33    Series A Purchase Agreement among the Registrant, the Series A investors and other parties thereof dated November 11, 2009
10.34    English translations of a Sales and Purchase Agreement Between Chongqing Daqo and Lighway Green New Energy Co., Ltd, dated as of January 9, 2010
21.1    Subsidiaries of Registrant
23.1    Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.
23.2    Consent of Thorp Alberga (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.3    Consent of Jun He Law Offices
23.4    Consent of Solarbuzz LLC
23.5    Consent of Daqing Qi to Become a Director
23.6    Consent of Rongling Chen to Become a Director
24.1    Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of this registration statement)
99.1    Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of the Registrant
99.2    Opinion of Jun He Law Offices regarding certain PRC law matters

 

* to be filed by amendment
** Confidential treatment requested for certain confidential portions of these exhibits pursuant to Rule 406 under the Securities Act. In accordance with Rule 406, these confidential portions have been omitted and filed separately with the Commission.
*** to be filed by amendment, confidential treatment requested for certain confidential portions of this exhibit

 

II-12

Exhibit 3.1

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

MEMORANDUM

AND

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

(as adopted by Special Resolution on November 11, 2009 and effective on November 20, 2009)


THE COMPANIES LAW (2009 Revision)

Company Limited by Shares

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

OF

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

(as adopted by Special Resolution on November 11, 2009 and effective on November 20, 2009)

 

1. The name of the Company is Daqo New Energy Corp.

 

2. The Registered Office of the Company shall be at the offices of International Corporation Services Ltd., PO Box 472, 2nd Floor Harbour Place, Grand Cayman KY1-1106, Cayman Islands or at such other place as the Directors may from time to time decide.

 

3. The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and shall include, but without limitation, the following:

 

(a)  

(i)     To carry on the business of an investment company and to act as promoters and entrepreneurs and to carry on business as financiers, capitalists, concessionaires, merchants, brokers, traders, dealers, agents, importers and exporters and to undertake and carry on and execute all kinds of investment, financial, commercial, mercantile, trading and other operations.

 

(ii)    To carry on whether as principals, agents or otherwise howsoever the business of realtors, developers, consultants, estate agents or managers, builders, contractors, engineers, manufacturers, dealers in or vendors of all types of property including services.

 

  (b) To exercise and enforce all rights and powers conferred by or incidental to the ownership of any shares, stock, obligations or other securities including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing all such powers of veto or control as may be conferred by virtue of the holding by the Company of some special proportion of the issued or nominal amount thereof, to provide managerial and other executive, supervisory and consultant services for or in relation to any company in which the Company is interested upon such terms as may be thought fit.

 

  (c) To purchase or otherwise acquire, to sell, exchange, surrender, lease, mortgage, charge, convert, turn to account, dispose of and deal with real and personal property and rights of all kinds and, in particular, mortgages, debentures, produce, concessions, options, contracts, patents, annuities, licences, stocks, shares, bonds, policies, book debts, business concerns, undertakings, claims, privileges and choses in action of all kinds.

 

1


  (d) To subscribe for, conditionally or unconditionally, to underwrite, issue on commission or otherwise, take, hold, deal in and convert stocks, shares and securities of all kinds and to enter into partnership or into any arrangement for sharing profits, reciprocal concessions or cooperation with any person or company and to promote and aid in promoting, to constitute, form or organise any company, syndicate or partnership of any kind, for the purpose of acquiring and undertaking any property and liabilities of the Company or of advancing, directly or indirectly, the objects of the Company or for any other purpose which the Company may think expedient.

 

  (e) To stand surety for or to guarantee, support or secure the performance of all or any of the obligations of any person, firm or company whether or not related or affiliated to the Company in any manner and whether by personal covenant or by mortgage, charge or lien upon the whole or any part of the undertaking, property and assets of the Company, both present and future, including its uncalled capital or by any such method and whether or not the Company shall receive valuable consideration thereof.

 

  (f) To engage in or carry on any other lawful trade, business or enterprise which may at any time appear to the Directors of the Company capable of being conveniently carried on in conjunction with any of the aforementioned businesses or activities or which may appear to the Directors or the Company likely to be profitable to the Company.

In the interpretation of this Memorandum of Association in general and of this Clause 3 in particular no object, business or power specified or mentioned shall be limited or restricted by reference to or inference from any other object, business or power, or the name of the Company, or by the juxtaposition of two or more objects, businesses or powers and that, in the event of any ambiguity in this clause or elsewhere in this Memorandum of Association, the same shall be resolved by such interpretation and construction as will widen and enlarge and not restrict the objects, businesses and powers of and exercisable by the Company.

 

4. Except as prohibited or limited by the Companies Law (2009 Revision) or the Articles, the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object and shall have and be capable of from time to time and at all times exercising any and all of the powers at any time or from time to time exercisable by a natural person or body corporate in doing in any part of the world whether as principal, agent, contractor or otherwise whatever may be considered by it necessary for the attainment of its objects and whatever else may be considered by it as incidental or conducive thereto or consequential thereon, including, but without in any way restricting the generality of the foregoing, the power to make any alterations or amendments to this Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association of the Company considered necessary or convenient in the manner set out in the Articles of Association of the Company, and the power to do any of the following acts or things, viz: to pay all expenses of and incidental to the promotion, formation and incorporation of the Company; to register the Company to do business in any other jurisdiction; to sell, lease or dispose of any property of the Company; to draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue promissory notes, debentures, bills of exchange, bills of lading, warrants and other negotiable or transferable instruments; to lend money or other assets and to act as guarantors; to borrow or raise money on the security of the undertaking or on all or any of the assets of the Company including uncalled capital or without security; to invest monies of the Company in such manner as the Directors determine; to promote other companies; to sell the undertaking of the Company for cash or any other consideration; to distribute assets in specie to Members of the Company; to make charitable or benevolent donations; to pay pensions or gratuities or provide other benefits in cash or kind to Directors, officers, employees, past or present and their families; to purchase Directors and officers liability insurance and to carry on any trade or business and generally to do all acts and things which, in the opinion of the Company or the Directors, may be conveniently or profitably or usefully acquired and dealt with, carried on, executed or done by the Company in connection with the business aforesaid PROVIDED THAT the Company shall only carry on the businesses for which a licence is required under the laws of the Cayman Islands when so licensed under the terms of such laws.

 

2


5. The liability of each Member is limited to the amount from time to time unpaid on such Member’s shares.

 

6. The share capital of the Company is US$50,000 divided into 500,000,000 shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.0001 comprising of (i) 460,000,000 ordinary shares of US$0.0001 par value each (“Ordinary Shares”) and (ii) 40,000,000 Series A Preferred Shares of US$0.0001 par value each (“Series A Preferred Shares”), all with power for the Company insofar as is permitted by law, to redeem or purchase any of its shares and to increase or reduce the said capital subject to the provisions of the Companies Law (2009 Revision) and the Articles of Association and to issue any part of its capital, whether original, redeemed or increased with or without any preference, priority or special privilege or subject to any postponement of rights or to any conditions or restrictions and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise expressly declare every issue of shares whether declared to be preference or otherwise shall be subject to the powers hereinbefore contained PROVIDED ALWAYS that, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this Memorandum of Association, the Company shall have no power to issue bearer shares, warrants, coupons or certificates.

 

7. If the Company is registered as exempted, its operations will be carried on subject to the provisions of Section 193 of the Companies Law (2009 Revision) and, subject to the provisions of the Companies Law (2009 Revision) and the Articles of Association, it shall have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.

 

8. Unless otherwise defined, capitalized terms used herein shall have the same meanings as those defined in the Articles of Association of the Company.

 

3


THE COMPANIES LAW (2009 Revision)

Company Limited by Shares

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

(formerly known as MEGA STAND INTERNATIONAL LIMITED)

(as adopted by Special Resolution on November 11, 2009 and effective on November 20, 2009)

 

1. In these Articles Table A in the Schedule to the Statute does not apply and, unless there be something in the subject or context inconsistent therewith,

 

“Additional Shares”    means all Shares issued by the Company; provided that the term “Additional Shares” does not include (i) any Ordinary Shares issued to employees, officers, consultants or directors of the Company pursuant to the Share Incentive Plan or a stock option plan, stock purchase plan, or other equity incentive plan duly approved pursuant to Article 7A(6); (ii) Ordinary Shares issued as a dividend or distribution on Preferred Shares; (iii) Shares issued or issuable in connection with any share split, share dividend, combination, recapitalization or other similar transaction of the Company; or (iv) Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of the Preferred Shares.
“Affiliate”    means, except with respect to individuals, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, Controls, is Controlled by or is under common Control with such Person, and with respect to an individual, anyone who is a Relative.
“Articles”    means the Articles as originally framed or as from time to time altered by Special Resolution.
“Auditors”    means the persons for the time being performing the duties of auditors of the Company.
“Board”    means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day”    means a day (i) other than Saturday or Sunday, and (ii) on which commercial banks are open for business in the PRC, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.
“Company”    means the above named Company.
“Control”    of a given Person means the power or authority, whether exercised or not, to direct the business, management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, which power or authority shall conclusively be presumed to exist upon possession of beneficial ownership or power to direct the vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes entitled to be cast at a meeting of the members or shareholders of such Person or power to control the composition of a majority of the board of directors of such Person; the term “Controlled” has the meaning correlative to the foregoing.

 

1


“Conversion Price”    has the meaning specified in Article7A(4).
“Daqo New Material”    means Daqo New Material Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China.
“debenture”    means debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and any other such securities of the Company whether constituting a charge on the assets of the Company or not.
“Deemed Liquidation Event”    has the meaning specified in Article 7A(2)(b).
“Directors”    means the directors for the time being of the Company.
“dividend”    includes bonus.
“Equity Securities”    means, with respect to a Person, any shares, share capital, registered capital, ownership interest, equity interest, or other securities, and any option, warrant, or right to subscribe for, acquire or purchase any of the foregoing, or any other security or instrument convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any of the foregoing, or any equity appreciation, phantom equity, equity plans or similar rights with respect to such Person, and, with respect to the Company, shall include any Ordinary Shares and Ordinary Share Equivalents of the Company.
“Group Company”    means each of the Company, Daqo New Material, and the WFOEs, together with, if any, each Subsidiary of any of the foregoing, and each Person that is, directly or indirectly, Controlled by any of the foregoing, including but not limited to each joint venture in which any of the foregoing holds more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power, and “Group” refers to all of Group Companies collectively.
“Key Employee”    means each of the president, chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, the chief operating officer, the chief technology officer, the chief sales and marketing officer, the general manager, any other manager with the title of “senior vice president” or higher or any other employee with responsibilities similar to any of the foregoing, of each Group Company and “Key Employees” mean such Persons collectively.
“Indemnification Agreements”    means the Indemnification Agreements dated November [    ], 2009 by and between the Company and each of the Series A Directors.
“Investor Rights Agreement”    means that certain Investor Rights Agreement dated November [    ], 2009 by and among the Company and other parties thereto.
“Major Shareholder”    means each of Guangfu Xu, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124194211100512, and Xiang Xu, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124197103030514.

 

2


“Major Shareholder Holdco”    means each of Gold Intellect Limited and Plenty China Limited, each a company organized and validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island.
“Material Adverse Effect”    means any (i) event, occurrence, fact, condition, change or development that has had, has, or could reasonably be expected to have, either alone or together with other events, occurrences, facts, conditions, changes or developments, a material adverse effect on the business, properties, assets, employees, operations, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, assets or liabilities of any Group Company taken as a whole, or (ii) material impairment of the ability of any Group Company, Major Shareholder Holdco or Major Shareholder to perform the obligations of such Person under any of the Transaction Documents.
“Material Breach”    means a breach of a representation, warranty or covenant that has or may reasonable be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or such breach that will cause an increase of the liabilities or decrease of the assets of the Group in an amount in excess of US$2 million.
“Member”    shall bear the meaning as ascribed to it in the Statute.
“Memorandum”    means the amended and restated memorandum of association of the Company to be adopted by resolution in writing of all Members of the Company.
“month”    means calendar month.
“Ordinary Shares”    has the meaning specified in Article 6 of the Memorandum of Association.
“Ordinary Share Equivalents”    means warrants, options and rights exercisable for Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares, including, without limitation, the Preferred Shares.
“Original Series A Issue Date”    means the date of issuance by the Company of its first Series A Preferred Share pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement.
“Original Series A Issue Price”    means US$1.851.
“paid-up”    means paid-up and/or credited as paid-up.
“Person”    means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, proprietorship, association, limited liability company, firm, trust, estate or other enterprise or entity.
“PRC”    means the People’s Republic of China, but solely for the purposes of these Articles, excluding Hong Kong, Macau and the islands of Taiwan.
“Preferred Shares”    means the Series A Preferred Shares.
“Qualified Exchange”    means the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Market System or the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

 

3


“Qualified IPO”    means the closing of the first firm commitment fully underwritten public offering of Ordinary Shares or securities representing such Ordinary Shares of the Company (i) with gross proceeds to the Company of at least US$80 million and that reflects a pre-money market valuation (based on the price per share offered to the public in the offering) of the Company of at least US$275 million and that results in such securities being listed on a Qualified Exchange, or (ii) otherwise approved by the Board, including the affirmative votes of both Series A Directors.
“Redemption Closing”    has the meaning specified in Article 7A(5)(a)(iii).
“Redemption Notice”    has the meaning specified in Article 7A(5)(a)(i).
“Redemption Price”    has the meaning specified in Article 7A(5)(a)(ii).
“registered office”    means the registered office for the time being of the Company.
“Related Party”    means an officer, director or employee of any Group Company or any “affiliate” or “associate” (as those terms are defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of any of them.
“Relative”    means a husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, or spouse of any of these, or a person living in the same household with an individual.
“Seal”    means the common seal of the Company and includes every duplicate seal.
“Series A Conversion Price”    has the meaning specified in Article 7A(4)(d).
“Series A Director”    means the Director(s) appointed pursuant to Article 96A(a).
“Series A Preferred Shares”    has the meaning specified in Article 6 of the Memorandum of Association.
“Secretary”    includes an Assistant Secretary and any person appointed to perform the duties of Secretary of the Company.
“Shares”    means Ordinary Shares and Series A Preferred Shares and may also be referenced as “shares” and includes any fraction of a share.
“Share Incentive Plan”    means the Company’s 2009 share incentive plan adopted in August 2009, as such plan may be amended and restated from time to time.
“Share Purchase Agreement”    means that certain Share Purchase Agreement dated as of November 11, 2009 by and among the Company and other parties thereto.
“shareholder”    has the same meaning as “Member.”
“Special Resolution”    has the same meaning as in the Statute and includes a resolution approved in writing as described therein.

 

4


“Statute”    means the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands as amended and every statutory modification or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force.
“Subsidiary”    means, with respect to any specified Person, any Person of which the specified Person, directly or indirectly, owns or Controls more than fifty percent (50%) of the issued and outstanding authorized share capital, voting interests or registered capital.
“Transaction Documents”    means these Articles and the Memorandum, the Share Purchase Agreement, the Investor Rights Agreement, the Indemnification Agreements and the exhibits attached to any of the foregoing.
“written” and “in writing”    include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form.
“WFOE”    means each of Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., each a company organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, and “WFOEs” means both of the foregoing entities collectively.

Words importing the singular number only include the plural number and vice versa.

Words importing the masculine gender only include the feminine gender.

Words importing persons only include corporations.

 

2. The business of the Company may be commenced as soon after incorporation as the Directors shall see fit, notwithstanding that part only of the shares may have been allotted.

 

3. The Directors may pay, out of the capital or any other monies of the Company, all expenses incurred in or about the formation and establishment of the Company including the expenses of registration.

CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES

 

4. Certificates representing shares of the Company shall be in such form as shall be determined by the Directors. Such certificates may be under Seal. All certificates for shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the shares to which they relate. The name and address of the person to whom the shares represented thereby are issued, with the number of shares and date of issue, shall be entered in the register of Members of the Company. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate for a like number of shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with the seal and authorised signature(s) affixed by some method or system of mechanical process.

 

5. Notwithstanding Article 4 of these Articles, if a share certificate be defaced, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on payment of a fee of one dollar (US$1.00) or such less sum and on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and the payment of the expenses incurred by the Company in investigating evidence, as the Directors may prescribe.

 

5


ISSUE OF SHARES

 

6. Subject to the provisions, if any, in that behalf in the Memorandum and in these Articles (including but not limited to Article 7A(6)) and to any direction that may be given by the Company in general meeting and without prejudice to any special rights previously conferred on the holders of existing shares, the Directors may allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of shares of the Company (including fractions of a share) with or without preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise and to such persons, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper PROVIDED ALWAYS that, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in these Articles, the Company shall be precluded from issuing bearer shares, warrants, coupons or certificates.

 

7. The Company shall maintain a register of its Members and every person whose name is entered as a Member in the register of Members shall be entitled, upon request without payment to receive within ten Business Days after allotment or lodgement of transfer (or within such other period as the conditions of issue shall provide) one certificate for all his shares or several certificates each for one or more of his shares upon payment of fifty cents (US$0.50) for every certificate after the first or such less sum as the Directors shall from time to time determine provided that in respect of a share or shares held jointly by several persons the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate and delivery of a certificate for a share to one of the several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all such holders.

 

7A. DESIGNATIONS, POWERS, PREFERENCES, ETC. OF SHARES

(1) Dividends

 

  (a) Subject to the provisions of the Statute and these Articles, no dividends shall be declared or paid on any Ordinary Shares, unless and until a dividend in like amount is declared and paid on each outstanding Series A Preferred Share (on an as-if-converted basis).

 

  (b) Each holder of a Series A Preferred Share shall be entitled to receive, on an annual basis, preferential, non-cumulative dividends at the rate equal to eight percent (8%) of the Original Series A Issue Price (as adjusted for any share splits, share dividends, combinations, recapitalizations or similar transactions) for each Series A Preferred Share held by such holder, payable in cash when and as such cash becomes legally available therefor on parity with each other, prior and in preference to any dividend on any Ordinary Shares; provided that such dividends shall be payable only when, as, and if declared by the Board.

 

  (c) In addition to any dividend pursuant to subsection (b) above, the holders of Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive on a pari passu basis, when, as and if declared at the sole discretion of the Board, but only out of funds that are legally available therefor, cash dividends at the rate or in the amount as the Board considers appropriate.

(2) Liquidation Preference

 

  (a) Liquidation Preferences . Upon any liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary:

 

  (i)

Before any distribution or payment shall be made to the holders of any Ordinary Shares, each holder of Series A Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the Original Series A Issue Price (adjusted for any

 

6


 

share splits, share dividends, combinations, recapitalizations and similar transactions), plus all dividends declared and unpaid with respect thereto (as adjusted for any share splits, share dividends, combinations, recapitalizations and similar transactions) per Series A Preferred Share then held by such holder. If, upon any such liquidation, distribution, or winding up, the assets of the Company shall be insufficient to make payment of the foregoing amounts in full on all Series A Preferred Shares, then such assets shall be distributed among the holders of Series A Preferred Shares, ratably in proportion to the full amounts to which they would otherwise be respectively entitled thereon.

 

  (ii) After distribution or payment in full of the amount distributable or payable on the Preferred Shares pursuant to subsection (i) above, the remaining assets of the Company available for distribution to shareholders shall be distributed ratably among the holders of outstanding Preferred Shares and Ordinary Shares based on the number of Ordinary Shares held by each holder, assuming full conversion of all such Preferred Shares.

 

  (b) Liquidation on Sale or Merger . The following events shall be treated as a liquidation (each, a “ Deemed Liquidation Event ”) under this Article 7A(2) unless waived by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis:

 

  (i) any consolidation, amalgamation or merger of the Company with or into any Person, or any other corporate reorganization, including a sale or acquisition of Shares of the Company, in which the shareholders of the Company immediately before such transaction own less than fifty percent 50% of the Company’s voting power immediately after such transaction (excluding any transaction effected solely for tax purposes or to change the Company’s domicile); or

 

  (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; or

 

  (iii) the exclusive licensing of all or substantially all of the Company’s intellectual property that is used to generally all or substantially all of the Company’s revenues to a third party,

and upon any such event, any proceeds resulting to the shareholders of the Company therefrom shall be distributed in accordance with the terms of paragraph (a) of this Article 7A(2).

 

  (c) In the event the Company proposes to distribute assets other than cash in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company (including any Deemed Liquidation Event), the value of the assets to be distributed to the holder of the Preferred Shares and Ordinary Shares shall be determined in good faith by the majority of the Board, which majority shall include all of the Series A Directors, or by a liquidator if one is appointed. Any securities not subjected to investment letter or similar restrictions on free marketability shall be valued as follows:

 

  (i) If traded on a securities exchange, the value shall be deemed to be the average of the security’s closing prices on such exchange over the thirty (30) day period ending one (1) day prior to the distribution;

 

7


  (ii) If traded over-the-counter, the value shall be deemed to be the average of the closing bid prices over the thirty (30) day period ending three (3) days prior to the distribution; and

 

  (iii) If there is no active public market, the value shall be the fair market value thereof as determined in good faith by the majority of the Board, which majority shall include all of the Series A Directors, or by a liquidator if one is appointed, which determination shall take into the account, among other factors, any lock-ups or other restrictions which would reduce the ability of the shareholder to freely sell and transfer the securities.

The method of valuation of securities subject to investment letter or other restrictions on free marketability shall be adjusted to make an appropriate discount from the market value determined as above in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) to reflect the fair market value thereof as determined in good faith by the Board, or by a liquidator if one is appointed. The holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding Preferred Shares shall have the right to challenge any determination by the Board of fair market value pursuant to this Article 7A(2)(c), in which case the determination of fair market value shall be made by an independent appraiser selected jointly by the Board and the challenging parties, the cost of such appraisal to be borne equally by the Company and the challenging parties.

(3) Voting Rights . Subject to the provisions of the Memorandum and these Articles, at all general meetings of the Company: (i) each holder of a Ordinary Share issued and outstanding shall have one (1) vote in respect of each Ordinary Share held by such holder, and (ii) each holder of a Preferred Share shall be entitled to that number of votes as equals the total number of Ordinary Shares into which such holder’s Preferred Shares are convertible immediately after the close of business on the record date of the determination of the Company’s shareholders entitled to vote or, if no such record date is established, at the date such vote is taken or any written consent of the Company’s shareholders is first solicited. Subject to provisions to the contrary elsewhere in the Memorandum and these Articles, or as required by the Statute, the holders of Preferred Shares shall vote together with the holders of Ordinary Shares, and not as a separate class or series, on all matters put before the shareholders.

(4) Conversion Rights . The holders of the Preferred Shares shall have the following rights described below with respect to the conversion of the Preferred Shares into Ordinary Shares. The number of Ordinary Shares to which a holder shall be entitled upon conversion of any Series A Preferred Share shall be, for each Series A Preferred Share, the Original Series A Issue Price divided by the then-effective Series A Conversion Price. For the avoidance of doubt, the initial conversion ratio for Series A Preferred Shares to Ordinary Shares shall be 1:1, and all shall be subject to adjustment based on adjustments of the Series A Conversion Price (the “ Conversion Price ”), as set forth below:

 

  (a) Optional Conversion .

 

  (i) Subject to and in compliance with the provisions of this Article 7A(4)(a), and subject to compliance with the requirements of the Statute, any Preferred Share may, at the option of the holder thereof, be converted at any time into fully-paid and nonassessable Ordinary Shares based on the then-effective Conversion Price.

 

  (ii)

The holder of any Preferred Shares who desires to convert such shares into Ordinary Shares shall surrender the certificate or certificates therefor, duly endorsed, at the office of the Company or any transfer agent for the Preferred Shares, and shall give written notice to the Company at such office that such holder has elected to convert such

 

8


 

shares. Such notice shall state the number of Preferred Shares being converted. Thereupon, the Company shall promptly issue and deliver to such holder at such office a certificate or certificates for the number of Ordinary Shares to which the holder is entitled.

 

  (b) Automatic Conversion . Without any action being required by the holder of such share and whether or not the certificates representing such share are surrendered to the Company or its transfer agent, the Preferred Shares shall automatically be converted into Ordinary Shares upon (i) the closing of a Qualified IPO, or (ii) the written request to the Company made by the holders of no less than a majority of the then outstanding Preferred Shares, acting together as a single class, in each case based on the then-effective Conversion Price.

 

  (c) The Company shall not be obligated to issue certificates for any Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion of any Preferred Shares unless the certificate or certificates evidencing such Preferred Shares is either delivered as provided below to the Company or any transfer agent for the Preferred Shares, or the holder notifies the Company or its transfer agent that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed and executes an agreement satisfactory to the Company to indemnify the Company from any loss incurred by it in connection with such certificate. The Company shall, as soon as practicable after receipt of certificates for Preferred Share, or satisfactory agreement for indemnification in the case of a lost certificate, promptly issue and deliver at its office to the holder thereof a certificate or certificates for the number of Ordinary Shares to which the holder is entitled. No fractional Ordinary Shares shall be issued upon conversion of the Preferred Shares, and the number of Ordinary Shares to be so issued to a holder of converting Preferred Share (after aggregating all fractional Ordinary Shares that would be issued to such holder) shall be rounded to the nearest whole share (with one-half being rounded upward). Any person entitled to receive Ordinary Shares issuable upon the automatic conversion of the Preferred Shares shall be treated for all purposes as the record holder of such Ordinary Shares on the date of such conversion.

 

  (d) The Directors may effect such conversion in any manner available under applicable law, including redeeming or repurchasing the Preferred Shares and applying the proceeds thereof towards payment for the new Ordinary Shares. For purposes of the repurchase or redemption, the Directors may, subject to the Company being able to pay its debts in the ordinary course of business, make payments out of its capital.

 

  (e) Adjustments to Conversion Price . The “ Series A Conversion Price ” shall initially equal the Original Series A Issue Price, and shall be adjusted from time to time as provided below.

 

  (i) Adjustment for Share Splits and Combinations . If the Company shall at any time, or from time to time, effect a subdivision of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such subdivision shall be proportionately decreased. Conversely, if the Company shall at any time, or from time to time, combine the outstanding Ordinary Shares into a smaller number of shares, the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the combination shall be proportionately increased. Any adjustment under this paragraph shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

 

  (ii)

Adjustment for Ordinary Share Dividends and Distributions . If the Company makes (or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Ordinary Shares entitled to receive) a dividend or other distribution to the holders of

 

9


 

Ordinary Shares payable in Additional Ordinary Shares, the Conversion Price then in effect shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance (or in the event such record date is fixed, as of the close of business on such record date) by multiplying such Conversion Price then in effect by a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the total number of Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and (ii) the denominator of which is the total number of Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of Ordinary Shares issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

 

  (iii) Adjustments for Other Dividends . If the Company at any time, or from time to time, makes (or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Ordinary Shares entitled to receive) a dividend or other distribution payable in Equity Securities of the Company other than Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents, then, and in each such event, provision shall be made so that, upon conversion of any Preferred Share thereafter, the holder thereof shall receive, in addition to the number of Ordinary Shares issuable thereon, the amount of Equity Securities of the Company which the holder of such share would have received had the Preferred Shares been converted into Ordinary Shares immediately prior to such event, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

 

  (iv) Reorganizations, Mergers, Consolidations, Reclassifications, Exchanges, Substitutions . If at any time, or from time to time, any capital reorganization or reclassification of the Ordinary Shares (other than as a result of a share dividend, subdivision, split or combination otherwise treated above) occurs or the Company is consolidated, merged or amalgamated with or into another Person (other than a consolidation, merger or amalgamation treated as a Liquidation Event), then in any such event, provision shall be made so that, upon conversion of any Preferred Share thereafter, the holder thereof shall receive the kind and amount of shares and other securities and property which the holder of such share would have received had the Preferred Shares been converted into Ordinary Shares on the date of such event, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein, or with respect to such other securities or property, in accordance with any terms applicable thereto.

 

  (v) Sale of Shares below the Conversion Price .

 

  (A) Adjustment of Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares . In the event the Company shall at any time after the Original Series A Issue Date issue Additional Shares, without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue, then the Conversion Price shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, to a price equal to the issue price of such Additional Shares.

 

  (B) Determination of Consideration . For the purpose of making any adjustment to any Conversion Price or the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Shares, as provided above:

 

  (1) To the extent it consists of cash, the consideration received by the Company for any issue or sale of securities shall be computed at the net amount of cash received by the Company after deduction of any underwriting or similar commissions, compensations, discounts or concessions paid or allowed by the Company in connection with such issue or sale;

 

10


  (2) To the extent it consists of property other than cash, consideration other than cash received by the Company for any issue or sale of securities shall be computed at the fair market value thereof (as determined in good faith by a majority of the Board, which majority shall include all Series A Directors), as of the date of the adoption of the resolution specifically authorizing such issue or sale, irrespective of any accounting treatment of such property; and

 

  (3) If Additional Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents exercisable, convertible or exchangeable for Additional Ordinary Shares are issued or sold together with other stock or securities or other assets of the Company for consideration which covers both, the consideration received for the Additional Ordinary Shares or such Ordinary Share Equivalents shall be computed as that portion of the consideration received (as determined in good faith by a majority of the Board, which majority shall include all Series A Directors, or by an independent appraiser, if so appointed) to be allocable to such Additional Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents.

 

  (C) No Exercise . If all of the rights to exercise, convert or exchange any Ordinary Share Equivalents shall expire without any of such rights having been exercised, the Conversion Price as adjusted upon the issuance of such Ordinary Share Equivalents shall be readjusted to the Conversion Price which would have been in effect had such adjustment not been made.

 

  (vi) Other Dilutive Events . In case any event shall occur as to which the other provisions of this Article 7A(4)(e) are not strictly applicable, but the failure to make any adjustment to any Conversion Price would not fairly protect the conversion rights of the applicable series of Preferred Shares in accordance with the essential intent and principles hereof, then, in each such case, the Company, in good faith, shall determine the appropriate adjustment to be made, on a basis consistent with the essential intent and principles established in this Article 7A(4)(e) necessary to preserve, without dilution, the conversion rights of such series of Preferred Shares.

 

  (vii)

Certificate of Adjustment . In the case of any adjustment or readjustment of a Conversion Price, the Company, at its sole expense, shall compute such adjustment or readjustment in accordance with the provisions hereof and prepare a certificate showing such adjustment or readjustment, and shall mail such certificate, by first class mail, postage prepaid, to each registered holder of such series of Preferred Shares at such holder’s address as shown in the

 

11


 

Company’s books. The certificate shall set forth such adjustment or readjustment, showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment or readjustment is based, including a statement of (i) the consideration received or deemed to be received by the Company for any Additional Ordinary Shares issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold, (ii) the number of Additional Ordinary Shares issued or sold or deemed to be issued or sold, (iii) the Conversion Price in effect before and after such adjustment or readjustment, and (iv) the number of Ordinary Shares and the type and amount, if any, of other property which would be received upon conversion of such series of Preferred Shares after such adjustment or readjustment.

 

  (viii) Notice of Record Date . In the event the Company shall propose to take any action of the type or types requiring an adjustment to a Conversion Price or the number or character of the Preferred Shares as set forth herein, the Company shall give notice to the holders of such Preferred Shares, which notice shall specify the record date, if any, with respect to any such action and the date on which such action is to take place. Such notice shall also set forth such facts with respect thereto as shall be reasonably necessary to indicate the effect of such action (to the extent such effect may be known at the date of such notice) on the Conversion Price and the number, kind or class of shares or other securities or property which shall be deliverable upon the occurrence of such action or deliverable upon the conversion of Preferred Shares. In the case of any action which would require the fixing of a record date, such notice shall be given at least twenty (20) days prior to the date so fixed, and in the case of all other actions, such notice shall be given at least thirty (30) days prior to the taking of such proposed action; provided, however, the foregoing notice requirement may be waived by the written consent of holders representing a majority of the then outstanding Preferred Shares.

 

  (ix) Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion . The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares, solely for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Preferred Shares, such number of its Ordinary Shares as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding Preferred Shares. If at any time the number of authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding Preferred Shares, the Company will take such corporate action as may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for such purpose.

 

  (x) Notices . Any notice required or permitted pursuant to this Article 7A(4) shall be given in writing and shall be given either personally or by sending it by next-day or second-day courier service, fax, electronic mail or similar means to each holder of record at the address of such holder appearing on the books of the Company. Where a notice is sent by next-day or second-day courier service, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and sending by next-day or second-day service through an internationally-recognized courier a letter containing the notice, with a confirmation of delivery, and to have been effected at the expiration of two (2) days after the letter containing the same is sent as aforesaid. Where a notice is sent by fax or electronic mail, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, and sending such notice through a transmitting organization, with a written confirmation of delivery, and to have been effected on the day the same is sent as aforesaid.

 

12


  (xi) Payment of Taxes . The Company will pay all taxes (other than taxes based upon income) and other governmental charges that may be imposed with respect to the issue or delivery of Ordinary Shares upon conversion of Preferred Shares, excluding any tax or other charge imposed in connection with any transfer involved in the issue and delivery of Ordinary Shares in a name other than that in which the Preferred Share so converted were registered.

(5) Redemption

 

  (a) Optional Redemption . Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in the Memorandum and the Articles, the Preferred Shares shall be redeemable at the option of holders of the Preferred Shares as provided herein:

 

  (i)

Optional Redemption Date . Upon the earliest of (i) a breach by any Group Company, any Major Shareholder or any Major Shareholder Holdco of Section 7.3 of the Share Purchase Agreement, (ii) any Material Breach by any Group Company, any Major Shareholder or any Major Shareholder Holdco of any other representation, warranty or covenant in any of the Transaction Documents and (iii) second (2 nd ) anniversary of the Original Series A Issue Date, each holder of Preferred Shares, upon written request to the Company, may require that the Company redeem all or any part of the Preferred Shares held thereby, in accordance with the subsection (ii) below.

 

  (ii) Redemption Process . Following receipt of a request for redemption from any such holder according to subsection (i) above, the Company shall within five (5) Business Days give written notice (the “ Redemption Notice ”) to each holder of record of the Preferred Share, at the address last shown on the records of the Company for such holder(s). Such notice shall indicate that a holder of the Preferred Shares has elected redemption of all or a part of its Preferred Shares pursuant to the provisions of this Article 7A(5)(a), shall specify the redemption date, and shall direct any other holders of Preferred Shares wishing to participate in the redemption to notify the Company within ten (10) Business Days and submit their share certificates to the Company on or before the scheduled redemption date. Any other holders of the Preferred Shares shall have the right to participate in the redemption by giving written notice to the Company within ten (10) Business Days of the receipt of the Redemption Notice, specifying the number of the Preferred Shares held thereby to be redeemed.

 

  (iii) Redemption Price . The redemption price for each Series A Preferred Share redeemed pursuant to this Article 7A(5)(a) shall be equal to the sum of (i) one hundred percent (100%) of the Original Series A Issue Price, (ii) an amount equal to interest on the Original Series A Issue Price for the period between the Original Series A Issue Date and the redemption date at an interest rate of 8% per annum, compounded annually, and (iii) all declared but unpaid dividends thereon up until the date of redemption, in each case above, proportionally adjusted for any share splits, share dividends, combinations, recapitalizations or similar transactions (the “ Redemption Price ”).

 

  (iv)

Procedure . The closing (the “ Redemption Closing ”) of any redemption of the Preferred Shares pursuant to this Article 7A(5)(a) will take place within thirty (30) days after the notice period in subsection (i) above expires at the

 

13


 

offices of the Company, or such later date or other place as the holders of a majority of the Preferred Shares to be redeemed in such redemption may mutually agree in writing. At the Redemption Closing, subject to applicable law, the Company will, from any source of assets or funds legally available therefor, redeem each Preferred Share to be redeemed in the redemption by paying in cash therefor the Redemption Price against surrender by such holder at the Company’s principal office of the certificate representing such share.

 

  (b) Insufficient Funds . If the Company’s assets or funds which are legally available on the date that any redemption payment under this Article 7A(5) is due are insufficient to pay in full all redemption payments to be paid at the Redemption Closing, or if the Company is otherwise prohibited by applicable law from making such redemption, those assets or funds which are legally available shall be used to the extent permitted by applicable law to pay all redemption payments due on such date ratably in proportion to the full amounts to which the holders to which such redemption payments are due would otherwise be respectively entitled thereon. Thereafter, all assets or funds of the Company that become legally available for the redemption of shares shall immediately be used to pay the redemption payment which the Company did not pay on the date that such redemption payments were due. Without limiting any rights of the holders of Preferred Shares which are set forth in these Articles, or are otherwise available under law, the balance of any shares subject to redemption hereunder with respect to which the Company has become obligated to pay the redemption payment but which it has not paid in full shall continue to have all the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional, and other special rights (including, without limitation, rights to accrue dividends) which such shares had prior to such date, until the redemption payment has been paid in full with respect to such shares.

(6) Protective Provisions .

 

  (a) Preferred Shareholder Majority Approval Required . In addition to any other rights provided by law and these Articles, as for so long as any Series A Preferred Share remains outstanding, each Group Company shall not take any of the following actions without obtaining the prior written consent of holders representing a majority of the then outstanding Preferred Shares:

 

  (i) any amendment, alteration, or repeal of any provision of the constitutional documents thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

  (ii) any increase in the authorized share capital thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

  (iii) any authorization or designation of any new class or series of shares or any other Equity Securities thereof;

 

  (iv) any redemption or repurchase of the Equity Securities thereof (except redemption or repurchase pursuant to the Share Incentive Plan or any other share incentive plan duly adopted pursuant to subsection (viii) hereof);

 

  (v) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets thereof, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise;

 

14


  (vi) any action that results in the payment or declaration of a dividend or other distribution thereby;

 

  (vii) any voluntary dissolution or liquidation thereof or any reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding equity thereof (in the case of reclassification or recapitalization, except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

  (viii) the adoption or a change in the terms of any bonus or profit sharing scheme or any employee share option or share participation scheme or plan;

 

  (ix) any increase or decrease of the authorized number of members of the board of directors thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

  (x) the issuance of any Equity Securities thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

  (xi) the undertaking of any voluntary dissolution or liquidation thereof or any reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding equity capital thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

  (xii) the disposal of the whole or substantial part of the intellectual property, goodwill or assets thereof;

 

  (xiii) any initial public offering other than a Qualified IPO; and

 

  (xiv) authorization, agreement or undertaking to do any of the foregoing.

For the avoidance of doubt, any matter set forth in this Article 7A(6) does not need to be determined or approved by Members other than the holders of Preferred Shares, unless the Statute or these Articles require otherwise, and Article 7A(6) does not intend to, nor does it, create any additional rights to Members that are not holders of Preferred Shares. In the context of such matters set forth in Article 7A(6) which are by Statute required to be determined or approved by the Members in general, the consent of the holders of at least 50% of the Preferred Shares shall be deemed obtained if the matter is approved at a general meeting of the Company with the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 50% of the Preferred Shares or by way of a unanimous written resolution of all Members.

 

  (b) Series A Directors Approval Required . In addition to any other rights provided by law and these Articles, as for so long as Granite Global Ventures III L.P. or NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. has the right to appoint any Series A Director on the Board and for so long as any Series A Preferred Share remains outstanding, the Company shall not, and shall cause each other Group Company not to, take any of the following actions without obtaining the prior written consent or affirmative votes of all Series A Directors:

 

  (i) hire, dismiss or make any significant change in the responsibilities of Key Employees;

 

  (ii) borrow any money or obtain any financial facilities in excess of the amounts over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

 

15


  (iii) create, allow to arise or issue any debenture constituting a pledge, lien, or charge on all or any of the assets or rights (including intellectual property rights) thereof in the transaction value over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

 

  (iv) license or otherwise transfer any of material patents, copyrights, trademarks or other intellectual property thereof other than in the ordinary course of business;

 

  (v) purchase or lease any real property in the transaction value over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

 

  (vi) acquire any investment or incur any commitment in excess of the amounts over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

 

  (vii) adopt the annual business plan thereof or make any substantial change in the such business plan;

 

  (viii) approve quarterly and annual budgets therefor and deviations in excess of 25 percent therefrom;

 

  (ix) appoint or change the auditors;

 

  (x) establish any new subsidiary or joint venture;

 

  (xi) make any material amendment of the accounting policies or any change to the financial year thereof;

 

  (xii) enter into, terminate or make any change to agreements with any Related Party or another Group Company in an amount over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof; and

 

  (xiii) authorize, agree or undertake to do any of the foregoing.

TRANSFER OF SHARES

 

8. The instrument of transfer of any share shall be in writing and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and the transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a share until the name of the transferee is entered in the register in respect thereof.

 

9. The Directors may in their absolute discretion decline to register any transfer of shares without assigning any reason therefor, provided however that the Directors shall have no discretion in relation to the transfer of Shares to any chargee (or its nominee) pursuant to any share charge agreement that may be agreed up by a shareholder with the consent of the Company and shall forthwith, upon presentation to the Company of any share transfer form transferring Shares to the chargee (or to any nominee of the chargee) as confirmed to the Company by the chargee, proceed to register the transfer of shares contained in any such share transfer form. If the Directors refuse to register a transfer, other than a transfer of shares to the Chargee (or its nominee) which the Directors shall be required to register forthwith, they shall notify the transferee within five Business Days of such refusal.

 

10. The registration of transfers may be suspended at such time and for such periods as the Directors may from time to time determine, provided always that such registration shall not be suspended for more than 10 days in any year.

 

16


REDEEMABLE SHARES

 

11.     (a)      Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Memorandum and these Articles, shares may be issued on the terms that they are, or at the option of the Company or the holder are, to be redeemed on such terms and in such manner as the Company, before the issue of the shares, may by Special Resolution determine.
  (b)      Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Memorandum and these Articles, the Company may purchase its own shares (including fractions of a share), including any redeemable shares, provided that the manner of purchase has first been authorised by the Company in general meeting and may make payment therefor in any manner authorised by the Statute, including out of capital.

VARIATION OF RIGHTS OF SHARES

 

12. Subject to Article 7A(6), if at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied with the consent in writing of the holders of a majority 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.

The provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings shall apply to every such general meeting of the holders of one class of shares except that the necessary quorum shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least one-third of the issued shares of the class and that any holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.

 

13. Subject to Article 7A(6), the rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith.

COMMISSION ON SALE OF SHARES

 

14. Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the Company may in so far as the Statute from time to time permits pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe whether absolutely or conditionally for any shares of the Company. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the lodgement of fully or partly paid-up shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also on any issue of shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.

NON-RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS

 

15. No person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any share upon any trust and the Company shall not be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future, or partial interest in any share, or any interest in any fractional part of a share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by these Articles or the Statute) any other rights in respect of any share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the registered holder.

LIEN ON SHARES

 

16.

The Company shall have a first and paramount lien and charge on all shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a

 

17


 

Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such share shall operate as a waiver of the Company’s lien (if any) thereon. The Company’s lien (if any) on a share shall extend to all dividends or other monies payable in respect thereof.

 

17. The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any shares on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, nor until the expiration of fourteen days after a notice in writing stating and demanding payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, has been given to the registered holder or holders for the time being of the share, or the person, of which the Company has notice, entitled thereto by reason of his death or bankruptcy.

 

18. To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise some person to transfer the shares sold to the purchaser thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale.

 

19. The proceeds of such sale shall be received by the Company and applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable and the residue, if any, shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the shares at the date of the sale.

CALL ON SHARES

 

20.     (a)      The Directors may from time to time make calls upon the Members in respect of any monies unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the shares or by way of premium or otherwise) and not by the conditions of allotment thereof made payable at fixed terms, provided that no call shall be payable at less than one month from the date fixed for the payment of the last preceding call, and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen days notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on the shares. A call may be revoked or postponed as the Directors may determine. A call may be made payable by instalments.
  (b)      A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed.
  (c)      The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof.

 

21. If a sum called in respect of a share is not paid before or on a day appointed for payment thereof, the persons from whom the sum is due shall pay interest on the sum from the day appointed for payment thereof to the time of actual payment at such rate not exceeding ten per cent per annum as the Directors may determine, but the Directors shall be at liberty to waive payment of such interest either wholly or in part.

 

22. Any sum which by the terms of issue of a share becomes payable on allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium or otherwise, shall for the purposes of these Articles be deemed to be a call duly made, notified and payable on the date on which by the terms of issue the same becomes payable, and in the case of non-payment all the relevant provisions of these Articles as to payment of interest forfeiture or otherwise shall apply as if such sum had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.

 

18


23. The Directors may, on the issue of shares, differentiate between the holders as to the amount of calls or interest to be paid and the times of payment.

 

24.     (a)      The Directors may, if they think fit, receive from any Member willing to advance the same, all or any part of the monies uncalled and unpaid upon any shares held by him, and upon all or any of the monies so advanced may (until the same would but for such advances, become payable) pay interest at such rate not exceeding (unless the Company in general meeting shall otherwise direct) seven per cent per annum, as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such sum in advance.

 

  (b) No such sum paid in advance of calls shall entitle the Member paying such sum to any portion of a dividend declared in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such sum would, but for such payment, become presently payable.

FORFEITURE OF SHARES

 

25.     (a)      If a Member fails to pay any call or instalment of a call or to make any payment required by the terms of issue on the day appointed for payment thereof, the Directors may, at any time thereafter during such time as any part of the call, instalment or payment remains unpaid, give notice requiring payment of so much of the call, instalment or payment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued and all expenses that have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. Such notice shall name a day (not earlier than the expiration of fourteen days from the date of giving of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state that, in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the shares in respect of which such notice was given will be liable to be forfeited.

 

  (b) If the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with, any share in respect of which the notice has been given may at any time thereafter, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect. Such forfeiture shall include all dividends declared in respect of the forfeited share and not actually paid before the forfeiture.

 

  (c) A forfeited share may be sold or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit.

 

26. A person whose shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of the forfeited shares, but shall, notwithstanding, remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which, at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of the shares together with interest thereon, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all monies whenever payable in respect of the shares.

 

27. A certificate in writing under the hand of one Director or the Secretary of the Company that a share in the Company has been duly forfeited on a date stated in the declaration shall be conclusive evidence of the fact therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. The Company may receive the consideration given for the share on any sale or disposition thereof and may execute a transfer of the share in favour of the person to whom the share is sold or disposed of and he shall thereupon be registered as the holder of the share and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the share.

 

19


28. The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium as if the same had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.

REGISTRATION OF EMPOWERING INSTRUMENTS

 

29. The Company shall be entitled to charge a fee not exceeding one dollar (US$1.00) on the registration of every probate, letters of administration, certificate of death or marriage, power of attorney, notice in lieu of distringas, or other instrument.

TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

 

30. In case of the death of a Member, the survivor or survivors where the deceased was a joint holder, and the legal personal representatives of the deceased where he was a sole holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his interest in the shares, but nothing herein contained shall release the estate of any such deceased holder from any liability in respect of any shares which had been held by him solely or jointly with other persons.

 

31.     (a)      Any person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be required by the Directors and subject as hereinafter provided, elect either to be registered himself as holder of the share or to make such transfer of the share to such other person nominated by him as the deceased or bankrupt person could have made and to have such person registered as the transferee thereof, but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the share by that Member before his death or bankruptcy as the case may be.

 

  (b) If the person so becoming entitled shall elect to be registered himself as holder he shall deliver or send to the Company a notice in writing signed by him stating that he so elects.

 

32. A person becoming entitled to a share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of the holder (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Member in respect of the share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company PROVIDED HOWEVER that the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the share and if the notice is not complied with within ninety days the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all dividends, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.

AMENDMENT OF MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION, CHANGE OF LOCATION OF

REGISTERED OFFICE & ALTERATION OF CAPITAL

 

33.     (a)      Subject to and in so far as permitted by the provisions of the Statute and these Articles, the Company may from time to time by ordinary resolution alter or amend its Memorandum otherwise than with respect to its name and objects and may, without restricting the generality of the foregoing:

 

  (i) increase the share capital by such sum to be divided into shares of such amount or without nominal or par value as the resolution shall prescribe and with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto, as the Company in general meeting may determine.

 

20


  (ii) consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares;

 

  (iii) by subdivision of its existing shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share capital into shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum or into shares without nominal or par value;

 

  (iv) cancel any shares which at the date of the passing of the resolution have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person.

 

  (b) All new shares created hereunder shall be subject to the same provisions with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise as the shares in the original share capital.

 

  (c) Subject to the provisions of the Statute and these Articles, the Company may by Special Resolution change its name or alter its objects.

 

  (d) Without prejudice to Article 11 hereof and subject to the provisions of the Statute and these Articles, the Company may by Special Resolution reduce its share capital and any capital redemption reserve fund.

 

  (e) Subject to the provisions of the Statute and these Articles, the Company may by resolution of the Directors change the location of its registered office.

CLOSING REGISTER OF MEMBERS OR FIXING RECORD DATE

 

34. For the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or Members entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other proper purpose, the Directors of the Company may provide that the register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period but not to exceed in any case 40 days. If the register of Members shall be so closed for the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members such register shall be so closed for at least ten days immediately preceding such meeting and the record date for such determination shall be the date of the closure of the register of Members.

 

35. In lieu of or apart from closing the register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Members and for the purpose of determining the Members entitled to receive payment of any dividend the Directors may, at or within 90 days prior to the date of declaration of such dividend fix a subsequent date as the record date for such determination.

 

36. If the register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members or Members entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the date on which notice of the meeting is mailed or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.

 

21


GENERAL MEETING

 

37.     (a)      Subject to paragraph (c) hereof, the Company shall within one year of its incorporation and in each year of its existence thereafter hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint and if no other time and place is prescribed by them, it shall be held at the registered office on the second Wednesday in December of each year at ten o’clock in the morning.

 

  (b) At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented.

 

  (c) If the Company is exempted as defined in the Statute it may but shall not be obliged to hold an annual general meeting.

 

38.     (a)      The Directors may whenever they think fit, and they shall on the requisition of Members of the Company holding at the date of the deposit of the requisition not less than one-tenth of such of the paid-up capital of the Company as at the date of the deposit carries the right of voting at general meetings of the Company, proceed to convene a general meeting of the Company.

 

  (b) The requisition must state the objects of the meeting and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the registered office of the Company and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.

 

  (c) If the Directors do not within 21 days from the date of the deposit of the requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of them, may themselves convene a general meeting, but any meeting so convened shall not be held after the expiration of three months after the expiration of the said 21 days.

 

  (d) A general meeting convened as aforesaid by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings are to be convened by Directors.

NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

 

39. At least five days notice shall be given of an annual general meeting or any other general meeting. Every notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is given or deemed to be given and of the day for which it is given and shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business and shall be given in manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by the Company PROVIDED that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this regulation has been given and whether or not the provisions of Article 38 have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if it is so agreed:

 

  (a) in the case of a general meeting called as an annual general meeting by all the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat or their proxies; and

 

  (b) in the case of any other general meeting, by holders of not less than the appropriate proportion of all those Shares which are in issue at the time which would be required to approve the actions submitted to the Members for approval at such meeting, or their proxies.

 

22


40. The accidental omission to give notice of a general meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting.

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

 

41. No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of Members is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. The holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate voting power of all of the Ordinary Shares and at least fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate voting power of all of the Preferred Shares (on an as-converted basis) entitled to notice of and to attend and vote at such general meeting present in person or by proxy or if a company or other non-natural person by its duly authorized representative shall be a quorum. A person shall be deemed to be present at a general meeting if he participates by telephone or other electronic means and all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear each other.

 

42. A resolution (including a Special Resolution) in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by all Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings (or being corporations by their duly authorised representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the same had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held.

 

43. If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved and in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place or to such other time or such other place as the Directors may determine and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting the Members present shall be a quorum.

 

44. The Chairman, if any, of the Board of Directors shall preside as Chairman at every general meeting of the Company, or if there is no such Chairman, or if he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the holding of the meeting, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting.

 

45. If at any general meeting no Director is willing to act as Chairman or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the Members present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting.

 

46. The Chairman may, with the consent of any general meeting duly constituted hereunder, and shall if so directed by the meeting, adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a general meeting is adjourned for 30 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting; save as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned general meeting.

 

47. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is, before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands, demanded by the Chairman or any other Member present in person or by proxy.

 

48.

Unless a poll be so demanded a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has on a show of hands been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the Company’s Minute Book containing the

 

23


 

Minutes of the proceedings of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of that fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution.

 

49. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn.

 

50. Except as provided in Article 52, if a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the Chairman directs and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was demanded.

 

51. In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the Chairman of the general meeting at which the show of hands takes place or at which the poll is demanded, shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

 

52. A poll demanded on the election of a Chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time as the Chairman of the general meeting directs and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded or is contingent thereon may be proceeded with pending the taking of the poll.

VOTES OF MEMBERS

 

53. Subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares, every Member of record present in person or by proxy at a general meeting shall have one vote for each share registered in his name in the register of Members.

 

54. In the case of joint holders of record the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the register of Members.

 

55. A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by his committee, receiver, curator bonis, or other person in the nature of a committee, receiver or curator bonis appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver, curator bonis or other persons may vote by proxy.

 

56. No Member shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless he is registered as a shareholder of the Company on the record date for such meeting nor unless all calls or other sums presently payable by him in respect of shares in the Company have been paid.

 

57. No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at such general meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection made in due time shall be referred to the Chairman of the general meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive.

 

58. On a poll or on a show of hands votes may be given either personally or by proxy.

PROXIES

 

59.

The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing and shall be executed under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing, or, if the appointor is a corporation under the hand of an officer or attorney duly authorised in that behalf. A proxy need not be a Member of the Company. An appointment of a proxy which is expressed to be irrevocable and is

 

24


 

made by way of security for any obligations owed by the relevant Member to any person shall be irrevocable without the prior written consent of such person so long as the relevant obligation remains outstanding.

 

60. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited at the registered office of the Company or at such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice convening the meeting no later than the time for holding the meeting, or adjourned meeting provided that the Chairman of the Meeting may at his discretion direct that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited upon receipt of telex, cable or telecopy confirmation from the appointor that the instrument of proxy duly signed is in the course of transmission to the Company.

 

61. The instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment thereof or generally until revoked. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll.

 

62. A vote given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed, or the transfer of the share in respect of which the proxy is given provided that no intimation in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer as aforesaid shall have been received by the Company at the registered office before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy.

 

63. Any corporation which is a Member of record of the Company may in accordance with its Articles or in the absence of such provision by resolution of its Directors or other governing body authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members of the Company, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member of record of the Company.

 

64. Shares of its own capital belonging to the Company or held by it in a fiduciary capacity shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

DIRECTORS

 

65. There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of not less than one or more than seven (7) persons (exclusive of alternate Directors) PROVIDED HOWEVER that the Company may from time to time by ordinary resolution increase or reduce the limits in the number of Directors, subject to the provision of Article 7A(6). The first Directors of the Company shall be determined in writing by, or appointed by a resolution of, the subscribers of the Memorandum or a majority of them.

 

66. The remuneration to be paid to the Directors shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine. Such remuneration shall be deemed to accrue from day to day. The Directors shall also be entitled to be paid their travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in going to, attending and returning from meetings of the Directors, or any committee of the Directors, or general meetings of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company, or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Directors from time to time, or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other.

 

25


67. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may by resolution award special remuneration to any Director of the Company undertaking any special work or services for, or undertaking any special mission on behalf of, the Company other than his ordinary routine work as a Director. Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director.

 

68. Subject to these Articles, a Director or alternate Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors may determine.

 

69. Subject to these Articles, a Director or alternate Director may act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director or alternate Director.

 

70. A shareholding qualification for Directors may be fixed by the Company in general meeting, but unless and until so fixed no qualification shall be required.

 

71. Subject to these Articles, a Director or alternate Director of the Company may be or become a director or other officer of or otherwise interested in any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as shareholder or otherwise and no such Director or alternate Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director or officer of, or from his interest in, such other company.

 

72. In addition to any further restrictions set forth in these Articles, no person shall be disqualified from the office of Director or alternate Director or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director or alternate Director shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director or alternate Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director holding office or of the fiduciary relation thereby established. A Director (or his alternate Director in his absence) shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is so interested as aforesaid PROVIDED HOWEVER that the nature of the interest of any Director or alternate Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him or the alternate Director appointed by him at or prior to its consideration and any vote thereon.

 

73. A general notice that a Director or alternate Director is a shareholder of any specified firm or company and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company shall be sufficient disclosure under Article 72 and after such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction.

ALTERNATE DIRECTORS

 

74. Subject to the exception contained in Article 82, a Director who expects to be unable to attend Directors’ Meetings because of absence, illness or otherwise may appoint any person to be an alternate Director to act in his stead and such appointee whilst he holds office as an alternate Director shall, in the event of absence therefrom of his appointor, be entitled to attend meetings of the Directors and to vote thereat and to do, in the place and stead of his appointor, any other act or thing which his appointor is permitted or required to do by virtue of his being a Director as if the alternate Director were the appointor, other than appointment of an alternate to himself, and he shall ipso facto vacate office if and when his appointor ceases to be a Director or removes the appointee from office. Any appointment or removal under this Article shall be effected by notice in writing under the hand of the Director making the same.

 

26


POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

 

75. The business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors (or a sole Director if only one is appointed) who may pay all expenses incurred in promoting, registering and setting up the Company, and may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not, from time to time by the Statute, or by these Articles, or such regulations, being not inconsistent with the aforesaid, as may be prescribed by the Company in general meeting required to be exercised by the Company in general meeting PROVIDED HOWEVER that no regulations made by the Company in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if that regulation had not been made; PROVIDED FURTHER that, for the avoidance of doubt and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Directors shall undertake none of those acts described in Article 7A(6) or Article 12 without the prior approval therein required.

 

76. The Directors may from time to time and at any time by powers of attorney appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him.

 

77. All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Directors shall from time to time by resolution determine.

 

78. The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books provided for the purpose:

 

  (a) of all appointments of officers made by the Directors;

 

  (b) of the names of the Directors (including those represented thereat by an alternate or by proxy) present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors;

 

  (c) of all resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Company and of the Directors and of committees of Directors.

 

79. Subject to these Articles, the Directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance.

 

80. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

 

27


MANAGEMENT

 

81.     (a)      Subject to these Articles, the Directors may from time to time provide for the management of the affairs of the Company in such manner as they shall think fit and the provisions contained in the three next following paragraphs shall be without prejudice to the general powers conferred by this paragraph.

 

  (b) Subject to these Articles, the Directors from time to time and at any time may establish any committees, local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company and may appoint any persons to be members of such committees or local boards or any managers or agents and may fix their remuneration.

 

  (c) Subject to these Articles, the Directors from time to time and at any time may delegate to any such committee, local board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions for the time being vested in the Directors and may authorise the members for the time being of any such local board, or any of them to fill up any vacancies therein and to act notwithstanding vacancies and any such appointment or delegation may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Directors may think fit and the Directors may at any time remove any person so appointed and may annul or vary any such delegation, but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of any such annulment or variation shall be affected thereby.

 

  (d) Subject to these Articles, any such delegates as aforesaid may be authorised by the Directors to subdelegate all or any of the powers, authorities, and discretions for the time being vested in them.

MANAGING DIRECTORS

 

82. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may, from time to time, appoint one or more of their body (but not an alternate Director) to the office of Managing Director for such term and at such remuneration (whether by way of salary, or commission, or participation in profits, or partly in one way and partly in another) as they may think fit but his appointment shall be subject to determination ipso facto if he ceases from any cause to be a Director and no alternate Director appointed by him can act in his stead as a Director or Managing Director.

 

83. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may entrust to and confer upon a Managing Director any of the powers exercisable by them upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as they may think fit and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and may from time to time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers.

PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS

 

84. Except as otherwise provided by these Articles, the Directors shall meet together for the despatch of business, convening, adjourning and otherwise regulating their meetings as they think fit. Subject to these Articles, questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes of the Directors and alternate Directors present at a meeting at which there is a quorum, the vote of an alternate Director not being counted if his appointor be present at such meeting.

 

85. A Director or alternate Director may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a Director or alternate Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors by at least seven days notice in writing to every Director and alternate Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors (or their alternates) either at, before or after the meeting is held and PROVIDED FURTHER if notice is given in person, by cable, telex or telecopy the same shall be deemed to have been given on the day it is delivered to the Directors or transmitting organisation as the case may be. The provisions of Article 40 shall apply mutatis mutandis with respect to notices of meetings of Directors.

 

28


86. The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Directors shall be a majority of the Directors then appointed to the Board, including all then appointed Series A Directors. If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present solely due to the absence of any Series A Director, the meeting shall not require the presence of such Series A Director. For the avoidance of doubt, for any matters that require the affirmative votes of the Series A Directors, the meeting on which such matters are decided must include all then Series A Directors duly appointed. For the purposes of this Article an alternate Director or proxy appointed by a Director shall be counted in a quorum at a meeting at which the Director appointing him is not present.

 

87. Subject to these Articles, the continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to that number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.

 

88. The Directors may elect a Chairman of their Board and determine the period for which he is to hold office; but if no such Chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the Chairman is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting.

 

89. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such member or members of the Board of Directors (including Alternate Directors in the absence of their appointors) as they think fit; any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Directors and these Articles.

 

90. A committee may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Subject to these Articles, questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present.

 

91. All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors (including any person acting as an alternate Director) shall, notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director or alternate Director, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and qualified to be a Director or alternate Director as the case may be.

 

92. Members of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board or of such committee by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and participation in a meeting pursuant to this provision shall constitute presence in person at such meeting. A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts), signed by all the Directors for the time being or all the members of a committee of Directors (an alternate Director being entitled to sign such resolution on behalf of his appointor) shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors or committee as the case may be duly convened and held.

 

93.      (a)    A Director may be represented at any meetings of the Board of Directors by a proxy appointed by him in which event the presence or vote of the proxy shall for all purposes be deemed to be that of the Director.

 

29


  (b) The provisions of Articles 59-62 shall mutatis mutandis apply to the appointment of proxies by Directors.

VACATION OF OFFICE OF DIRECTOR

 

94. The office of a Director shall be vacated:

 

  (a) if he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director;

 

  (b) if he absents himself (without being represented by proxy or an alternate Director appointed by him) from three consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors without special leave of absence from the Directors, and they pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office;

 

  (c) if he dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally;

 

  (d) if he is found a lunatic or becomes of unsound mind.

APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS

 

95. Subject to these Articles, the Company may by ordinary resolution appoint any person to be a Director and may in like manner remove any Director and may in like manner appoint another person in his stead.

 

96. Subject to these Articles, the Directors shall have power at any time and from time to time to appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors but so that the total amount of Directors (exclusive of alternate Directors) shall not at any time exceed the number fixed in accordance with these Articles.

 

96A. APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS.

 

  (a)

For so long as Granite Global Ventures III L.P., together with its Affiliates, holds in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. shall have the right to designate one (1) director on the Board at any time prior to the first (1 st ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO. For so long as NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., together with its Affiliates, holds in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. shall have the right to designate one (1) director on the Board at any time prior to the first (1 st ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO. During the period commencing on the first (1 st ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO and terminating on the third (3 rd ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. shall have the right to jointly designate one (1) director on the Board, for so long as such Persons, together with their respective Affiliates, hold in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares.

 

  (b) For so long as a Qualified IPO has not been consummated, holders of Ordinary Shares representing a majority of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares shall have the right to designate five (5) directors on the Board.

 

  (c) Any director not elected in the manner provided in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) above shall be elected by the members at a general meeting, with holders of Series A Preferred Shares and Ordinary Shares voting together on an as-converted basis and not as separate classes.

 

30


  (d) Any Person or group of Persons entitled to designate any individual to be elected as a director of the Board pursuant to this Article 96A shall have the right to remove any such director occupying such position and to fill any vacancy caused by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of any director occupying such position. If a vacancy is created on the Board at any time by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of any director designated pursuant to this Section 96A, the replacement to fill such vacancy shall be designated in the same manner, in accordance with this Section 96A, as the director whose seat was vacated.

PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT

 

97. A Director of the Company who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the Minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the Secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered mail to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action.

SEAL

 

98.      (a)    The Company may, if the Directors so determine, have a Seal which shall, subject to paragraph (c) hereof, only be used by the authority of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors in that behalf and every instrument to which the Seal has been affixed shall be signed by one person who shall be either a Director or the Secretary or Secretary-Treasurer or some person appointed by the Directors for the purpose.
   (b)    The Company may have for use in any place or places outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a facsimile of the Common Seal of the Company and, if the Directors so determine, with the addition on its face of the name of every place where it is to be used.
   (c)    A Director, Secretary or other officer or representative or attorney may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal of the Company over his signature alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under Seal or to be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever.

 

 

OFFICERS

 

99. The Company may have a President, a Secretary or Secretary-Treasurer appointed by the Directors who may also from time to time appoint such other officers as they consider necessary, all for such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors from time to time prescribe.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND RESERVE

 

100. Subject to the Statute and these Articles, the Directors may from time to time declare dividends (including interim dividends) and distributions on shares of the Company outstanding and authorise payment of the same out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefore.

 

101. Subject to the Statute and these Articles, the Directors may, before declaring any dividends or distributions, set aside such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose of the Company and pending such application may, at the like discretion, be employed in the business of the Company.

 

31


102. No dividend or distribution shall be payable except out of the profits of the Company, realised or unrealised, or out of the share premium account or as otherwise permitted by the Statute.

 

103. Subject to the rights of persons, if any, entitled to shares with special rights as to dividends or distributions, if dividends or distributions are to be declared on a class of shares they shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid or credited as paid on the shares of such class outstanding on the record date for such dividend or distribution as determined in accordance with these Articles but no amount paid or credited as paid on a share in advance of calls shall be treated for the purpose of this Article as paid on the share.

 

104. The Directors may deduct from any dividend or distribution payable to any Member all sums of money (if any) presently payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise.

 

105. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may declare that any dividend or distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular of paid up shares, debentures, or debenture stock of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional certificates and fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and may vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Directors.

 

106. Any dividend, distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of shares may be paid by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the holder who is first named on the register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any dividends, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the share held by them as joint holders.

 

107. No dividend or distribution shall bear interest against the Company.

CAPITALISATION

 

108. Subject to these Articles, the Company may upon the recommendation of the Directors by ordinary resolution authorise the Directors to capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution and to appropriate such sum to Members in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst them had the same been a distribution of profits by way of dividend and to apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid up to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid. In such event the Directors shall do all acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power to the Directors to make such provisions as they think fit for the case of shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to the Company rather than to the Members concerned). Subject to these Articles, the Directors may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all of the Members interested into an agreement with the Company providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental thereto and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned.

 

32


BOOKS OF ACCOUNT

 

109. The Directors shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect to:

 

  (a) all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place;

 

  (b) all sales and purchases of goods by the Company;

 

  (c) the assets and liabilities of the Company.

Proper books shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Company’s affairs and to explain its transactions.

 

110. Subject to any agreement binding on the Company, the Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting.

 

111. The Directors may from time to time cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required by law.

AUDIT

 

112. Subject to these Articles, the Directors may at any time appoint an Auditor or Auditors of the Company who shall hold office for a period specified by the Directors.

 

113. The remuneration of any Auditor appointed by the Directors under this Article may be fixed by the Directors.

 

114. Every Auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Directors and Officers of the Company such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the auditors.

 

115. Auditors shall at the next annual general meeting following their appointment and at any other time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members, make a report on the accounts of the Company in general meeting during their tenure of office.

NOTICES

 

116. Notices shall be in writing and may be given by the Company to any Member either personally or by sending it by post, cable, telex or telecopy to him or to his address as shown in the register of Members, such notice, if mailed, to be forwarded airmail if the address be outside the Cayman Islands.

 

117.

   (a)    Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and to have been effected at the expiration of 60 hours after the letter containing the same is posted as aforesaid.

 

33


  (b) Where a notice is sent by cable, telex, telecopy or electronic message, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, and sending such notice through a transmitting organisation and to have been effected on the day the same is sent as aforesaid.

 

118. A notice may be given by the Company to the joint holders of record of a share by giving the notice to the joint holder first named on the register of Members in respect of the share.

 

119. A notice may be given by the Company to the person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a share or shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member by sending it through the post as aforesaid in a pre-paid letter addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.

 

120. Notice of every general meeting shall be given in any manner hereinbefore authorised to:

 

  (a) every person shown as a Member in the register of Members as of the record date for such meeting except that in the case of joint holders the notice shall be sufficient if given to the joint holder first named in the register of Members.

 

  (b) every person upon whom the ownership of a share devolves by reason of his being a legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy of a Member of record where the Member of record but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting; and

No other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings.

WINDING UP

 

121. If the Company shall be wound up, any liquidator must be approved by a Special Resolution approved by the majority in voting power of the Members, which must include the affirmative vote of the majority of the Series A Preferred Shares then outstanding.

 

122. If the Company shall be wound up, the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be distributed in accordance with Article 7A(2); provided that no Member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other securities whereon there is any liability.

INDEMNITY

 

123.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Directors and officers for the time being of the Company and any trustee for the time being acting in relation to any of the affairs of the Company and their heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives respectively shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company from and against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, losses, damages and expenses which they or any of them shall or may incur or sustain by reason of any act done or omitted in or about the execution of their duty in their respective offices or trusts, except such (if any) as they shall incur or sustain by or through their own wilful neglect or default respectively and no such Director, officer or trustee shall be answerable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of any other Director, officer or trustee or for joining in any receipt for the sake of conformity or for the solvency or honesty of any banker or other persons with whom any monies or effects belonging to the Company may be lodged or deposited for safe custody or for any insufficiency of any security upon which any monies of the Company may be invested or for any other loss or damage due to any such cause as aforesaid or which may happen in or about the execution of his office or trust unless the same shall happen through the wilful neglect or default of such Director,

 

34


 

Officer or trustee. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Directors and officers for the time being of the Company and any trustee for the time being acting in relation to any of the affairs of the Company and their heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives respectively shall not be personally liable to the Company or its Members for monetary damages for breach of their duty in their respective offices, except such (if any) as they shall incur or sustain by or through their own willful neglect or willful default respectively.

FINANCIAL YEAR

 

124. Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 31st December in each year and, following the year of incorporation, shall begin on 1st January in each year.

AMENDMENTS OF ARTICLES

 

125. Subject to the Statute and these Articles, the Company may at any time and from time to time by Special Resolution alter or amend these Articles in whole or in part.

TRANSFER BY WAY OF CONTINUATION

 

126. If the Company is exempted as defined in the Statute, it shall, subject to the provisions of the Statute and with the approval of a Special Resolution, have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.

 

35

Exhibit 4.1

 

FORM OF ORDINARY SHARE CERTIFICATE
Name of Company:    DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.
DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.         
   Number       Shares
Number:    [ ]       -[ ]-
[ ]         

Shares:

-[ ]-

  

Incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands

Share capital is US$50,000 divided into 500,000,000 Shares of US$0.0001 par value each

Issued to:

[ ]

   THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT [ ] is the registered holder of [ ] Shares in the above-named Company subject to the Memorandum and Articles of Association thereof.
Dated         
   EXECUTED on behalf of the said Company on the      day of              20      by:      
Transferred from:         
original issue         
   DIRECTOR                                                                 

Exhibit 4.2

THE COMPANIES LAW (2009 REVISION)

OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

OF

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

Adopted by a Special Resolution

passed on January 7, 2010 and

effective immediately upon completion of the Company’s initial public offering of shares represented

by American Depositary Shares

 

1.    The name of the Company is Daqo New Energy Corp.
2.    The registered office of the Company shall be at the offices of International Corporation Services Ltd., PO Box 472, 2nd Floor Harbour Place, Grand Cayman KY1-1106, Cayman Islands, or at such other place as the Directors may from time to time decide.
3.    The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Law (2009 Revision) or as the same may be revised from time to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands.
4.    The liability of each Member is limited to the amount from time to time unpaid on such Member’s shares.
5.    The authorized share capital of the Company is US$50,000 divided into 500,000,000 shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.0001 each. The Company has the power to redeem or purchase any of its shares and to increase or reduce the said capital subject to the provisions of the Companies Law (2009 Revision) and the Articles of Association and to issue any part of its capital, whether original, redeemed or increased with or without any preference, priority or special privilege or subject to any postponement of rights or to any conditions or restrictions and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise expressly declare every issue of shares whether declared to be preference or otherwise shall be subject to the powers hereinbefore contained.
6.    The Company has the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.
7.    Capitalized terms that are not defined in this Memorandum of Association bear the same meaning as those given in the Articles of Association of the Company.

 

1


THE COMPANIES LAW (2009 REVISION)

OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

Adopted by a Special Resolution

passed on January 7, 2010 and

effective immediately upon completion of the Company’s initial public offering of shares represented

by American Depositary Shares

INTERPRETATION

 

1. In these Articles, Table A in the Schedule in the Companies Law does not apply and unless otherwise defined, the defined terms shall have the meanings assigned to them as follows:

 

“AFFILIATE”    with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control, with such specified Person;
“ARTICLES”    these Third Articles of Association of the Company as altered or added to, from time to time;
“BOARD”    the board of Directors for the time being of the Company;
“BUSINESS DAY”    a day (excluding Saturdays or Sundays), on which banks in Hong Kong, Beijing and New York are open for general banking business throughout their normal business hours;
“CHAIRMAN”    the Chairman appointed pursuant to Article 77;
“COMMISSION”    Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America or any other federal agency for the time being administering the Securities Act;
“COMPANIES LAW”    the Companies Law (2009 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and any statutory amendment or re-enactment thereof. Where any provision of the Companies Law is referred to, the reference is to that provision as amended by any law for the time being in force;
“COMPANY”    Daqo New Energy Corp, a Cayman Islands company limited by shares;
“COMPANY’S WEBSITE”    the website of the Company, the address or domain name of which has been notified to Members;
“DIRECTORS”, “BOARD OF DIRECTORS” and “BOARD”    the directors of the Company for the time being, or as the case may be, the Directors assembled as a Board or as a committee thereof;

 

2


EFFECTIVE DATE    the date of the completion of the Company’s initial public offering of shares represented by American Depositary Shares
“ELECTRONIC”    the meaning given to it in the Electronic Transactions Law (2003 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and any amendment thereto or re-enactments thereof for the time being in force and includes every other law incorporated therewith or substituted therefore;
“ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION”    electronic posting to the Company’s Website, transmission to any number, address or internet website or other electronic delivery methods as otherwise decided and approved by not less than two-thirds of the vote of the Board;
“IN WRITING”    includes writing, printing, lithograph, photograph, type-writing and every other mode of representing words or figures in a legible and non-transitory form and, only where used in connection with a notice served by the Company on Members or other persons entitled to receive notices hereunder, shall also include a record maintained in an electronic medium which is accessible in visible form so as to be useable for subsequent reference;
“MEMBER”    the meaning given to it in the Companies Law;
“MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION”    the Memorandum of Association of the Company, as amended and re-stated from time to time;
“MONTH”    calendar month;
“ORDINARY RESOLUTION”    a resolution:
   (a)    passed by a simple majority of votes cast by such Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, in the case of any Member being an organization, by its duly authorized representative or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company; or
   (b)    approved in writing by all of the Members entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Members and the effective date of the resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument, or the last of such instruments if more than one, is executed;
“PAID UP”    paid up as to the par value and any premium payable in respect of the issue of any shares and includes credited as paid up;
“PERSON”    any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, as well as any syndicate or group that would be deemed to be a person under section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act;

 

3


“REGISTER OF MEMBERS”    the register to be kept by the Company in accordance with the Companies Law;
“SEAL”    the Common Seal of the Company (if adopted) including any facsimile thereof;
“SECURITIES ACT”    the Securities Act of 1933 of the United States of America, as amended, or any similar federal statute and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time;
“SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT”    the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States of America, as amended, or any similar federal statute and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time;
“SHARE”    any share in the capital of the Company and includes a fraction of a share;
“SIGNED”    includes a signature or representation of a signature affixed by mechanical means or an electronic symbol or process attached to or logically associated with an electronic communication and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the electronic communication;
“SPECIAL RESOLUTION”    the meaning given to it in the Companies Law and includes a unanimous written resolution;
“STATUTES”    the Companies Law and every other laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands for the time being in force concerning companies and affecting the Company;
“SUBSIDIARIES”    with respect to any Person, any or all corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures, associations and other entities controlled by such person directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries; and
“YEAR”    calendar year.

 

2.    In these Articles, save where the context requires otherwise:
   (a)    words importing the singular number shall include the plural number and vice versa;
   (b)    words importing the masculine gender only shall include the feminine gender;
   (c)    words importing persons only shall include companies or associations or bodies of persons, whether corporate or not;
   (d)    “MAY” shall be construed as permissive and “SHALL” shall be construed as imperative;
   (e)    a reference to a dollar or dollars (or $) is a reference to dollars of the United States;

 

4


   (f)    references to a statutory enactment shall include reference to any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force;
   (g)    any phrase introduced by the terms “including”, “include”, “in particular” or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms; and
   (h)    Section 8 of the Electronic Transactions Law (2003 Revision) shall not reply.
3.    Subject to the last two preceding Articles, any words defined in the Companies Law shall, if not inconsistent with the subject or context, bear the same meaning in these Articles.
PRELIMINARY
4.    The business of the Company may be conducted as the Directors see fit.
5.    The registered office of the Company shall be at such address in the Cayman Islands as the Directors shall from time to time determine. The Company may in addition establish and maintain such other offices and places of business and agencies in such places as the Directors may from time to time determine.
ISSUE OF SHARES
6.    Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum of Association, these Articles and to any direction that may be given by the Company in a general meeting, the Directors may, in their absolute discretion and without approval of the existing Members, issue Shares, grant rights over existing shares or issue other securities in one or more series as they deem necessary and appropriate and determine designations, powers, preferences, privileges and other rights, including dividend rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the powers and rights associated with the Shares held by existing Members, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper. The Company shall not issue shares in bearer form.
6A.    The Directors may provide, out of the unissued Shares, for series of preferred shares. Before any preferred shares of any such series are issued, the Directors shall fix, by resolution or resolutions, the following provisions of the preferred shares thereof:
   (a)    the designation of such series, the number of preferred shares to constitute such series and the subscription price thereof if different from the par value thereof;
   (b)    whether the shares of such series shall have voting rights, in addition to any voting rights provided by law, and, if so, the terms of such voting rights, which may be general or limited;
   (c)    the dividends, if any, payable on such series, whether any such dividends shall be cumulative, and, if so, from what dates, the conditions and dates upon which such dividends shall be payable, the preference or relation which such dividends shall bear to the dividends payable on any shares of any other class or any other series of preferred shares;
   (d)    whether the preferred shares of such series shall be subject to redemption by the Company, and, if so, the times, prices and other conditions of such redemption;

 

5


   (e)    the amount or amounts payable upon preferred shares of such series upon, and the rights of the holders of such series in, a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or upon any distribution of the assets, of the Company;
   (f)    whether the preferred shares of such series shall be subject to the operation of a retirement or sinking fund and, if so, the extent to and manner in which any such retirement or sinking fund shall be applied to the purchase or redemption of the preferred shares of such series for retirement or other corporate purposes and the terms and provisions relative to the operation thereof;
   (g)    whether the preferred shares of such series shall be convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or any other series of preferred shares or any other securities and, if so, the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the method, if any, of adjusting the same, and any other terms and conditions of conversion or exchange;
   (h)    the limitations and restrictions, if any, to be effective while any preferred shares of such series are outstanding upon the payment of dividends or the making of other distributions on, and upon the purchase, redemption or other acquisition by the Company of, the existing Shares or shares of any other class of shares or any other series of preferred shares;
   (i)    the conditions or restrictions, if any, upon the creation of indebtedness of the Company or upon the issue of any additional shares, including additional shares of such series or of any other class of shares or any other series of preferred shares; and
   (j)    any other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof.
   Without limiting the foregoing and subject to Article 77, the voting powers of any series of preferred shares may include the right, in the circumstances specified in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of such preferred shares, to elect one or more Directors who shall serve for such term and have such voting powers as shall be stated in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of such preferred shares. The term of office and voting powers of any Director elected in the manner provided in the immediately preceding sentence of this Article 6A may be greater than or less than those of any other Director or class of Directors.

6B

   The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of each series of preferred shares, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series at any time outstanding. All shares of any one series of preferred shares shall be identical in all respects with all other shares of such series, except that shares of any one series issued at different times may differ as to the dates from which dividends thereon shall be cumulative.
REGISTER OF MEMBERS AND SHARE CERTIFICATES

7.

   The Company shall maintain a Register of its Members and a Member shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates (if any) shall specify the share or shares held by that person and the amount paid up thereon, provided that in respect of a share or shares held jointly by several persons the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate, and delivery of a certificate for a share to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all. All certificates for shares shall be delivered personally or sent through the post addressed to the member entitled thereto at the Member’s registered address as appearing in the register.

 

6


8.    All share certificates shall bear legends required under the applicable laws, including the Securities Act.
9.    Any two or more certificates representing shares of any one class held by any Member may at the Member’s request be cancelled and a single new certificate for such shares issued in lieu on payment (if the Directors shall so require) of US$1.00 or such smaller sum as the Directors shall determine.
10.    If a share certificate shall be damaged or defaced or alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, a new certificate representing the same shares may be issued to the relevant member upon request subject to delivery up of the old certificate or (if alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed) compliance with such conditions as to evidence and indemnity and the payment of out-of-pocket expenses of the Company in connection with the request as the Directors may think fit.
11.    In the event that shares are held jointly by several persons, any request may be made by any one of the joint holders and if so made shall be binding on all of the joint holders.
TRANSFER OF SHARES
12.    (a)    Shares of the Company are transferable; provided that the Board may, in its sole discretion, decline to register any transfer of any share which is not fully paid up or on which the Company has a lien.
   (b)    The Directors may also decline to register any transfer of any share unless:
      (i)    the instrument of transfer is lodged with the Company, accompanied by the certificate for the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;
      (ii)    the shares conceded are free of any lien in favor of the Company; and
      (iii)    a fee of such maximum sum as the New York Stock Exchange may determine to be payable, or such lesser sum as the Board may from time to time require, is paid to the Company in respect thereof.
   (c)    If the 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.
   (d)    Any one of the Directors authorized by the Board shall have the power to renounce the Company’s discretion under this Article 12 and accept the transfers of shares.
13.    The registration of transfers may, on 14 days’ notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers or by electronic means, be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

7


14.    The instrument of transfer of any share shall be in writing and executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and if the Directors so require, signed by the transferee). The transferor shall be deemed to remain a holder of the share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members.
15.    All instruments of transfer registered shall be retained by the Company.
REDEMPTION AND PURCHASE OF OWN SHARES
16.    Subject to the provisions of the Statutes and these Articles, the Company may:
   (a)    issue shares on terms that they are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the Member and the redemption of shares shall be effected on such terms and in such manner as the Board may, before the issue of such shares, determine;
   (b)    purchase its own shares (including any redeemable shares) provided that the Members shall have approved the manner of purchase by ordinary resolution or the manner of purchase is in accordance with the Articles 17 and 17A (this authorisation is in accordance with section 37(2) of the Statutes or any modification or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force); and
   (c)    the Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own shares in any manner permitted by the Statutes, including out of capital.
17.    Purchase of shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange: the Company is authorised to purchase any Share listed on the New York Stock Exchange in accordance with the following manner of purchase:
   (a)    the maximum number of shares that may be repurchased shall be equal to the number of issued and outstanding shares less one Share; and
   (b)    the repurchase shall be at such time, at such price and on such other terms as determined and agreed by the Board in their sole discretion; provided, however, that:
      (i)    such repurchase transactions shall be in accordance with the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the shares on the New York Stock Exchange; and
      (ii)    at the time of the repurchase, the Company is able to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of its business.
17A.    Purchase of shares not listed on the New York Stock Exchange: the Company is authorised to purchase any shares not listed on the New York Stock Exchange in accordance with the following manner of purchase:
   (a)    the Company shall serve a repurchase notice in a form approved by the Board on the Member from whom the shares are to be repurchased at least two business days prior to the date specified in the notice as being the repurchase date;

 

8


   (b)    the price for the shares being repurchased shall be such price agreed between the Board and the applicable Member;
   (c)    the date of repurchase shall be the date specified in the repurchase notice; and
   (d)    the repurchase shall be on such other terms as specified in the repurchase notice as determined and agreed by the Board and the applicable Member in their sole discretion.
18.    The redemption or purchase of any share shall not be deemed to give rise to the redemption or purchase of any other share and the Company is not obligated to purchase any other share other than as may be required pursuant to applicable law and any other contractual obligations of the Company.
19.    The holder of the shares being purchased shall be bound to deliver up to the Company the certificate(s) (if any) thereof for cancellation and thereupon the Company shall pay to him the purchase or redemption monies or consideration in respect thereof.
VARIATION OF RIGHTS ATTACHING TO SHARES
20.    If at any time the share capital is divided into different classes or series of shares, the rights attaching to any class or series (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series) may, subject to these Articles, be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of a majority of the issued shares of that class or series or with the sanction of a Special Resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class or series.
21.    The provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings shall apply to every such general meeting of the holders of one class or series of shares except the following:
   (a)    separate general meetings of the holders of a class or series of shares may be called only by (i) the Chairman of the Board, or (ii) a majority of the entire Board of Directors (unless otherwise specifically provided by the terms of issue of the shares of such class or series). Nothing in this Article 21 or Article 20 shall be deemed to give any Member or Members the right to call a class or series meeting.
   (b)    the necessary quorum shall be one or more persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third of the issued shares of the class or series and that any holder of shares of the class or series present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.
22.    The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class or series issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking in priority to or pari passu therewith.
COMMISSION ON SALE OF SHARES
23.    The Company may in so far as the Statutes from time to time permit pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe whether absolutely or conditionally for any shares of the Company. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the lodgement of fully or partly paid-up shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also on any issue of shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.

 

9


NON-RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS
24.    No person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any share upon any trust and the Company shall not be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future, or partial interest in any share, or any interest in any fractional part of a share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by these Articles or the Statutes) any other rights in respect of any share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the registered holder.
LIEN ON SHARES
25.    The Company shall have a first and paramount lien and charge on all shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such share shall operate as a waiver of the Company’s lien (if any) thereon. The Company’s lien (if any) on a share shall extend to all dividends or other monies payable in respect thereof.
26.    The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any shares on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless some sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable nor until the expiration of 14 calendar days after a notice in writing, stating and demanding payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, has been given to the registered holder for the time being of the share, or the persons entitled thereto by reason of his death or bankruptcy.
27.    For giving effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise some person to transfer the shares sold to the purchaser thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the shares comprised in any such transfer and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale.
28.    The proceeds of the sale shall be received by the Company and applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, and the residue shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the shares prior to the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the shares at the date of the sale.
CALLS ON SHARES
29.    Subject to the terms of allotment, the Directors may from time to time make calls upon the Members in respect of any money unpaid on their shares, and each member shall (subject to receiving at least 14 calendar days notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on his shares. A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed.
30.    The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay calls in respect thereof.

 

10


31.    If a sum called in respect of a share is not paid before or on the day appointed for payment thereof, the person from whom the sum is due shall pay interest upon the sum at the rate of eight percent per annum from the day appointed for the payment thereof to the time of the actual payment, but the Directors shall be at liberty to waive payment of that interest wholly or in part.
32.    The provisions of these Articles as to the liability of joint holders and as to payment of interest shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the amount of the share, or by way of premium, as if the same had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
33.    The Directors may make arrangements on the issue of shares for a difference between the Members, or the particular shares, in the amount of calls to be paid and in the times of payment.
34.    The Directors may, if they think fit, receive from any member willing to advance the same all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any shares held by him, and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may (until the same would, but for such advance, become presently payable) pay interest at such rate (not exceeding without the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution, eight percent. per annum) as may be agreed upon between the Member paying the sum in advance and the Directors. No such sum paid in advance of calls shall entitle the member paying such sum to any portion of a dividend declared in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such sum would, but for such payment, become presently payable.
FORFEITURE OF SHARES
35.    If a Member fails to pay any call or instalment of a call on the day appointed for payment thereof, the Directors may, at any time thereafter during such time as any part of such call or instalment remains unpaid, serve a notice on him requiring payment of such much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued.
36.    The notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of 14 calendar days from the date of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state that in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited.
37.    If the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with, any share in respect of which the notice has been given may at any time thereafter, before the payment required by notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect.
38.    A forfeited share may be sold or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit, and at any time before a sale or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit.
39.    A person whose shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of the forfeited shares, but shall, notwithstanding, remain liable to pay to the Company all moneys which at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of the shares, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company receives payment in full of the fully paid up amount of the shares.

 

11


40.    A certificate in writing under the hand of a Director of the Company, and that a share has been forfeited on a date stated in the certificate, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for the share or any sale or disposition thereof and may execute a transfer of the share in favour of the person to whom the share is sold or disposed of and he shall thereupon be registered as the holder of the share, and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the share.
41.    The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which by the terms of issue of a share becomes due and payable, whether on account of the amount of the share, or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
REGISTRATION OF EMPOWERING INSTRUMENTS
42.    The Company shall be entitled to charge a fee not exceeding one dollar (US$1.00) on the registration of every probate, letters of administration, certificate of death or marriage, power of attorney, notice in lieu of distringas, or other instrument.
TRANSMISSION OF SHARES
43.    The legal personal representative of a deceased sole holder of a share shall be the only person recognised by the Company as having any title to the share. In the case of a share registered in the name of two or more holders, the survivors or survivor, or the legal personal representatives of the deceased survivor, shall be the only person recognised by the Company as having any title to the share.
44.    Any person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member shall upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be properly required by the Directors, have the right either to be registered as a member in respect of the share or, instead of being registered himself, to make such transfer of the share as the deceased or bankrupt person could have made. If the person so becoming entitled shall elect to be registered himself as holder he shall deliver or send to the Company a notice in writing signed by him stating that he so elects.
45.    A person becoming entitled to a share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the holder shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Member in respect of the share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company, provided however, that the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the share, and if the notice is not complied with within 90 calendar days, the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all dividends, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.
ALTERATION OF CAPITAL
46.    The Company may by Ordinary Resolution:
   (a)    increase the share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such classes and amount, as the resolution shall prescribe;

 

12


   (b)    consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares;
   (c)    sub-divide its existing shares or any of them into shares of a smaller amount provided that in the subdivision the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any unpaid on each reduced share shall be the same as it was in case of the share from which the reduced share is derived;
   (d)    cancel any shares which, 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 its share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled.
47.    Subject to the provisions of the Statutes and these Articles as regards to the matters to be dealt with by Ordinary Resolution, the Company may by Special Resolution:
   (a)    change its name;
   (b)    alter or add to these Articles;
   (c)    alter or add to the Memorandum of Association with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein; and
   (d)    reduce its share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorized by law.
48.    All new shares created hereunder shall be subject to the same provisions with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise as the shares in the original share capital.
CLOSING REGISTER OF MEMBERS OR FIXING RECORD DATE
49.    For the purpose of determining those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or those Members that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination as to who is a Member for any other purpose, the Directors may provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period but not to exceed in any case 30 calendar days. If the Register of Members shall be so closed for the purpose of determining those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Members such register shall be so closed for at least 10 calendar days immediately preceding such meeting and the record date for such determination shall be the date of the closure of the Register of Members.
50.    In lieu of or apart from closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of the Members and for the purpose of determining those Members that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend, the Directors may, at or within 30 calendar days prior to the date of declaration of such dividend fix a subsequent date as the record date of such determination.

 

13


51.    If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of those Members entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Members or those Members that are entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the date on which notice of the meeting is posted or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Members has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.
GENERAL MEETINGS
52.    All general meetings of the Company other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.
53.    (a)    The Company may hold an annual general meeting and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall determine.
   (b)    At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented.
54.    (a)    The Directors may call general meetings, and they shall on a Members requisition forthwith proceed to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company.
   (b)    A Members requisition is a requisition of Members of the Company holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than one-third of the share capital of the Company as at that date carries the right of voting at general meetings of the Company.
   (c)    The requisition must state the objects of the meeting and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the principal place of business of the Company (with a copy forwarded to the registered office), and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.
   (d)    If the Directors do not within 21 calendar days from the date of the deposit of the requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting to be held within a further 21 calendar days, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one half of the total voting rights of all of them, may themselves convene a general meeting, but any meeting so convened shall not be held after the expiration of three months after the expiration of the second said 21 calendar days.
   (e)    A general meeting convened as aforesaid by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings are to be convened by Directors.
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
55.    At least seven calendar days’ notice shall be given for any general meeting. Every notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is given or deemed to be given and of the day for which it is given and shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business and shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by the Company, provided that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this regulation has been given and whether or not the provisions of Articles regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if it is so agreed:
   (a)    in the case of an annual general meeting by all the Members (or their proxies) entitled to attend and vote thereat; and

 

14


   (b)    in the case of an extraordinary general meeting by a majority in number of the Members (or their proxies) having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority together holding not less than ninety five percent in par value of the shares giving that right.
56.    The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of a notice of a meeting by any Member shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
57.    No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of Members is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. Members holding not less than an aggregate of one-third of all voting share capital of the Company in issue present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall be a quorum for all purposes.
58.    A person may participate at a general meeting by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation by a person in a general meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting.
59.    If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the meeting shall be dissolved.
60.    The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside as chairman at every general meeting of the Company, except as provided in Article 60 below.
61.    If at any meeting the Chairman of the Board of Directors is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or is unwilling to act as chairman, the Members present shall choose a chairman of the meeting.
62.    The chairman of a general meeting may with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn a meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 10 calendar days or more, not less than 7 Business Days’ notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Save as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
63.    At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands, unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by one or more Members present in person or by proxy entitled to vote and who together hold not less than 10 percent of the paid up voting share capital of the Company, and unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the book of the proceedings of the Company, shall be conclusive evidence of the fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of, or against, that resolution.

 

15


64.    If a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn.
65.    In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairman of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place or at which the poll is demanded, shall not be entitled to a second or casting vote.
66.    A poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time as the chairman of the meeting directs.
  

 

VOTES OF MEMBERS

 

67.    Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares, every Member present in person and every person representing a Member by proxy at a general meeting of the Company shall have one vote for each share registered in his name in the Register of Members.
68.    In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior who tenders a vote whether in person or by proxy shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the joint holders and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register of Members.
69.    A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by his committee, or other person in the nature of a committee appointed by that court, and any such committee or other person, may on a poll, vote by proxy.
70.    No Member shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless all calls or other sums presently payable by him in respect of shares in the Company have been paid.
71.    On a poll, votes may be given either personally or by proxy.
72.    The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorized in writing or, if the appointor is a corporation, either under seal or under the hand of an officer or attorney duly authorized. A proxy need not be a Member of the Company.
73.    An instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may approve. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll.
74.    The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited at the registered office or at such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice convening the meeting, or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company:
   (a)    not less than 48 hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote; or

 

16


   (b)    in the case of a poll taken more than 48 hours after it is demanded, be deposited as aforesaid after the poll has been demanded and not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll; or
   (c)    where the poll is not taken forthwith but is taken not more than 48 hours after it was demanded be delivered at the meeting at which the poll was demanded to the chairman or to the secretary or to any director;
   provided that the Directors may in the notice convening the meeting, or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, direct that the instrument appointing a proxy may be deposited (no later than the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting) at the registered office or at such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice convening the meeting, or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company. The Chairman may in any event at his discretion direct that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited. An instrument of proxy that is not deposited in the manner permitted shall be invalid.
75.    Votes given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed, or the transfer of the share in respect of which the proxy is given unless notice in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer was received by the Company before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy.
CORPORATIONS ACTING BY REPRESENTATIVES AT MEETING
76.    Any corporation which is a Member or a Director may by resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members or of the Board of Directors or of a committee of Directors, and the person so authorized shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as that corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member or Director.
CLEARING HOUSES
77.    If a clearing house (or its nominee) is a Member of the Company it may, by resolution of its directors or other governing body or by power of attorney, authorise such person or persons as it thinks fit to act as its representative or representatives at any general meeting of the Company or at any general meeting of any class of Members of the Company provided that, if more than one person is so authorized, the authorisation shall specify the number and class of shares in respect of which each such person is so authorized. A person so authorized pursuant to this provision shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the clearing house (or its nominee) which he represents as that clearing house (or its nominee) could exercise if it were an individual member of the Company holding the number and class of shares specified in such authorisation.
DIRECTORS
78.    (a) The Board shall consist of not less than five (5) Directors, provided that the Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase or decrease the number of Directors on the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as the Company’s American Depositary Shares representing Ordinary Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Board composition shall comply with applicable New York Stock Exchange rules, including those relating to Independent Directors (as such term is defined under applicable New York Stock Exchange rules).

 

17


   (b) For so long as Granite Global Ventures III L.P., together with its Affiliates, holds in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. shall have the right to designate one (1) director on the Board at any time prior to the first (1st) anniversary of the Effective Date. For so long as NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., together with its Affiliates, holds in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. shall have the right to designate one (1) director on the Board at any time prior to the first (1st) anniversary of the Effective Date. During the period commencing on the first (1st) anniversary of the Effective Date and terminating on the third (3rd) anniversary of the Effective Date, Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. shall have the right to jointly designate one (1) director on the Board, for so long as such Persons, together with their respective Affiliates, hold in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares.
   (c) Each Director shall hold office until the expiration of his term and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified. The Board of Directors shall have a Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Chairman”) elected and appointed by a majority of the Directors then in office. The Directors may also elect a Co-Chairman or a Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Co-Chairman”). The Chairman shall preside as chairman at every meeting of the Board of Directors. To the extent the Chairman is not present at a meeting of the Board of Directors, the Co-Chairman, or in his absence, the attending Directors may choose one Director to be the chairman of the meeting. The Chairman’s voting right as to the matters to be decided by the Board of Directors shall be the same as other Directors. Subject to these Articles and the Companies Law, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution elect any person to be a Director either to fill a casual vacancy on the Board or as an addition to the existing Board. The Directors by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the remaining Directors present and voting at a Board meeting, or the sole remaining Director, shall have the power from time to time and at any time to appoint any person as a Director to fill a casual vacancy on the Board or as an addition to the existing Board, subject to the Company’s compliance with director nomination procedures required under applicable New York Stock Exchange corporate governance rules, as long as the Company’s American Depositary Shares are trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
   (d) A Director may be removed from office by Ordinary Resolution at any time before the expiration of his term notwithstanding any agreement between the Company and such Director (but without prejudice to any claim for damages under such agreement).
   (e) A vacancy on the Board created by the removal of a Director may be filled by the election or appointment by Ordinary Resolution at the meeting at which such Director is removed or by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the remaining Directors present and voting at a duly called and constituted Board meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Articles, any persons entitled to designate any individual to be elected as a director of the Board pursuant to the Article 77(b) above shall have the right to remove any such director occupying such position and to fill any vacancy caused by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of any director occupying such position during the periods specified in Article 77(b). If a vacancy is created on the Board at any time by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of any director designated pursuant to the above Article 77(b), the replacement to fill such vacancy shall be designated in the same manner, in accordance with this Article 77(b), as the director whose seat was vacated.
79.    The Board may, from time to time, and except as required by applicable law or the listing rules of the recognized stock exchange or automated quotation system where the Company’s securities are traded, adopt, institute, amend, modify or revoke the corporate governance policies or initiatives, which shall be intended to set forth the policies of the Company and the Board on various corporate governance related matters as the Board shall determine by resolution from time to time.

 

18


80.    A Director shall not be required to hold any shares in the Company by way of qualification. A Director who is not a member of the Company shall nevertheless be entitled to receive notice of and to attend and speak at general meetings of the Company and all classes of shares of the Company.
DIRECTORS’ FEES AND EXPENSES
81.    The Directors may receive such remuneration as the Board may from time to time determine. The Directors may be entitled to be repaid all traveling, hotel and incidental expenses reasonably incurred or expected to be incurred by him in attending meetings of the Board or committees of the Board or general meetings or separate meetings of any class of shares or of debentures of the Company or otherwise in connection with the discharge of his duties as a Director.
82.    Any Director who, by request, goes or resides abroad for any purpose of the Company or who performs services which in the opinion of the Board go beyond the ordinary duties of a Director may be paid such extra remuneration (whether by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the Board may determine and such extra remuneration shall be in addition to or in substitution for any ordinary remuneration provided for by or pursuant to any other Article.
ALTERNATE DIRECTOR
83.    Any Director may in writing appoint another person to be his alternate to act in his place at any meeting of the Directors at which he is unable to be present. Every such alternate shall be entitled to notice of meetings of the Directors and to attend and vote thereat as a Director when the person appointing him is not personally present and where he is a Director to have a separate vote on behalf of the Director he is representing in addition to his own vote. A Director may at any time in writing revoke the appointment of an alternate appointed by him. Such alternate shall be deemed for all purposes to be a Director and shall not be deemed to be the agent of the Director appointing him. An alternate Director shall cease to be an alternate Director if his appointor ceases to be a Director.
84.    Any Director may appoint any person, whether or not a Director, to be the proxy of that Director to attend and vote on his behalf, in accordance with instructions given by that Director, or in the absence of such instructions at the discretion of the proxy, at a meeting or meetings of the Directors which that Director is unable to attend personally. The instrument appointing the proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointing Director and shall be in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may approve, and must be lodged with the Chairman at which such proxy is to be used, or first used, prior to the commencement of the meeting.
POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS
85.    Subject to the provisions of the Companies Law, these Articles and to any resolutions made in a general meeting, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors, who may pay all expenses incurred in setting up and registering the Company and may exercise all powers of the Company. No resolution made by the Company in a general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors that would have been valid if that resolution had not been made.

 

19


86.    Subject to these Articles, the Directors may from time to time appoint any person, whether or not a Director of the Company, to hold such office in the Company as the Directors may think necessary for the administration of the Company, including without prejudice to the foregoing generality, the office of the Chief Executive Officer, one or more Vice Presidents, Chief Financial Officer, Manager or Controller, and for such term and at such remuneration (whether by way of salary or commission or participation in profits or partly in one way and partly in another), and with such powers and duties as the Directors may think fit. The Directors may also appoint one or more of their body (but not an alternate Director) to the office of Managing Director upon like terms, but any such appointment shall ipso facto determine if any Managing Director ceases from any cause to be a Director, or if the Company by Ordinary Resolution resolves that his tenure of office be terminated.
87.    The Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such member or members of their body as they think fit; any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Directors.
88.    The Directors may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney appoint any company, firm or person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretion (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the Directors may think fit, and may also authorise any such attorney to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretion vested in him.
89.    The Directors may from time to time provide for the management of the affairs of the Company in such manner as they shall think fit and the provisions contained in the following paragraphs shall be without prejudice to the general powers conferred by this paragraph.
90.    The Directors from time to time and at any time may establish any committees, local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company and may appoint any persons to be members of such committees or local boards and may appoint any managers or agents of the Company and may fix the remuneration of any of the aforesaid.
91.    The Directors from time to time and at any time may delegate to any such committee, local board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions for the time being vested in the Directors and may authorise the members for the time being of any such local board, or any of them to fill up any vacancies therein and to act notwithstanding vacancies and any such appointment or delegation may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Directors may think fit and the Directors may at any time remove any person so appointed and may annul or vary any such delegation, but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of any such annulment or variation shall be affected thereby.
92.    Any such delegates as aforesaid may be authorised by the Directors to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities, and discretions for the time being vested to them.
93.    The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof, to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

 

20


DISQUALIFICATION OF DIRECTORS

 

94.    Notwithstanding anything in these Articles, the office of Director shall be vacated, if the Director:
   (a)    dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors;
   (b)    is found to be or becomes of unsound mind;
   (c)    resigns his office by notice in writing to the Company; or
   (d)    shall be removed from office pursuant to Articles 77 or the Statutes.
PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
95.    The Directors may meet together (whether within or outside the Cayman Islands) for the dispatch of business, adjourn, and otherwise regulate their meetings and proceedings as they think fit.
96.    A Director may at any time summon a meeting of the Directors by at least three Business Days’ notice to every other Director and alternate Director.
97.    Notice of a meeting of the Board shall be deemed to be duly given to a Director if it is given to such Director verbally (in person or by telephone) or otherwise communicated or sent to such Director by post, cable, telex, telecopier, facsimile, electronic mail or other mode of representing words in a legible form at such Director’s last known address or any other address given by such Director to the Company for this purpose.
98.    A Director or Directors may participate in any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee appointed by the Board of Directors of which such Director or Directors are members, by means of conference telephone, video conference or similar communication equipment by way of which all persons participating in such meeting can hear each other and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at the meeting.
99.    The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors and unless so fixed shall be a majority of the Directors then in office, provided that a Director and his appointed alternate Director shall be considered only one person for this purpose. A meeting of the Directors at which a quorum is present when the meeting proceeds to business shall be competent to exercise all powers and discretions for the time being exercisable by the Directors. A meeting of the Directors may be held by means of telephone or teleconferencing or any other telecommunications facility provided that all participants are thereby able to communicate immediately by voice with all other participants.
100.    If a quorum is not present at a Board meeting within thirty (30) minutes following the time appointed for such board meeting, the relevant meeting shall be adjourned for a period of at least three (3) Business Days and the presence of any three (3) directors shall constitute a quorum at such adjourned meeting. A meeting of the Directors at which a quorum is present when the meeting proceeds to business shall be competent to exercise all powers and discretions for the time being exercisable by the Directors.

 

21


101.    Questions arising at any meeting of the Directors shall be decided by a majority of votes and each Director shall be entitled to one (1) vote in deciding matters deliberated at any meeting of the Directors.
102.    In case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
103.    A Director who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with the Company shall declare the nature of his interest at a meeting of the Directors. A general notice given to the Directors by any Director to the effect that he is a member of any specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract which may thereafter be made with that company or firm shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of interest in regard to any contract so made. A Director may vote in respect of any contract or proposed contract or arrangement notwithstanding that he may be interested therein and if he does so his vote shall be counted and he may be counted in the quorum at any meeting of the Directors at which any such contract or proposed contract or arrangement shall come before the meeting for consideration.
104.    A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms (as to remuneration and otherwise) as the Directors may determine and no Director or intending Director shall be disqualified by his office from contracting with the Company either with regard to his tenure of any such other office or place of profit or as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director is in any way interested, be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by any such contract or arrangement by reason of such Director holding that office or of the fiduciary relation thereby established. A Director, notwithstanding his interest, may be counted in the quorum present at any meeting whereat he or any other Director is appointed to hold any such office or place of profit under the Company or whereat the terms of any such appointment are arranged and he may vote on any such appointment or arrangement.
105.    Any Director may act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company, and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director; provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise a Director or his firm to act as auditor to the Company.
106.    The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books or loose-leaf folders provided for the purpose of recording:
   (a)    all appointments of officers made by the Directors;
   (b)    the names of the Directors present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors; and
   (c)    all resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Company, and of the Directors and of committees of Directors.
107.    When the chairman of a meeting of the Directors signs the minutes of such meeting the same shall be deemed to have been duly held notwithstanding that all the Directors have not actually come together or that there may have been a technical defect in the proceedings.

 

22


108.    A resolution signed by all the Directors shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors duly called and constituted and when signed, a resolution may consist of several documents each signed by one or more of the Directors.
109.    The continuing Directors may act, notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if their number is reduced below the number fixed pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors, then the continuing Directors may act only to increase the number or to summon a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.
110.    A committee appointed by the Directors may elect a chairman of its meetings. If no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the members present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
111.    A committee appointed by the Directors may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the committee members present and in case of an equality of votes the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
112.    All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors, or by any person acting as a Director, shall notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any such Director or person acting as aforesaid, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a Director.
PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT
113.    A Director who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the Minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the Chairman or Secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered post to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND RESERVE
114.    Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares and these Articles, the Directors may from time to time declare dividends (including interim dividends) and other distributions on shares in issue and authorise payment of the same out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor.
115.    Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares and these Articles, the Company by Ordinary Resolution may declare dividends, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors.
116.    The Directors may, before recommending or declaring any dividend, set aside out of the funds legally available for distribution such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors be applicable for meeting contingencies, or for equalising dividends or for any other purpose to which those funds be properly applied and pending such application may, at the like discretion, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments (other than shares of the Company) as the Directors may from time to time think fit.

 

23


117.    Any dividend may be paid by cheque or wire transfer to the registered address of the Member or person entitled thereto, or in the case of joint holders, to any one of such joint holders at his registered address or to such person and such address as the Member or person entitled, or such joint holders as the case may be, may direct. Every such cheque shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent or to the order of such other person as the Member or person entitled, or such joint holders as the case may be, may direct.
118.    The Directors when paying dividends to the Members in accordance with the foregoing provisions may make such payment either in cash or in specie.
119.    Dividends may be declared and paid out of profits of the Company, realised or unrealised, or from any reserve set aside from profits which the Directors determine is no longer needed. Dividends may also be declared and paid out of share premium account or any other fund or account which can be authorised for this purpose in accordance with the Companies Law.
120.    Subject to the rights of persons, if any, entitled to shares with special rights as to dividends, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid or credited as fully paid on the shares, but if and so long as nothing is paid up on any of the shares in the Company dividends may be declared and paid according to the amounts of the shares. No amount paid on a share in advance of calls shall, while carrying interest, be treated for the purposes of this Article as paid on the share.
121.    If several persons are registered as joint holders of any share, any of them may give effectual receipts for any dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of the share.
122.    No dividend shall bear interest against the Company.
BOOK OF ACCOUNTS
123.    The books of account relating to the Company’s affairs shall be kept in such manner as may be determined from time to time by the Directors.
124.    The books of account shall be kept at such place or places as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to the inspection of the Directors.
125.    The Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors, and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by law or authorized by the Directors or by the Company by Ordinary Resolution.
126.    The accounts relating to the Company’s affairs shall be audited in such manner and with such financial year end as may be determined from time to time by the Company by Ordinary Resolution or failing any such determination by the Directors or failing any determination as aforesaid shall not be audited.
ANNUAL RETURNS AND FILINGS
127.    The Board shall make the requisite annual returns and any other requisite filings in accordance with the Companies Law.

 

24


AUDIT
128.    The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the Company who shall hold office until removed from office by a resolution of the Directors and may fix his or their remuneration.
129.    Every Auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Directors and Officers of the Company such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the auditors.
130.    Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an ordinary company, and at the next special meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an exempted company, and at any time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members.
THE SEAL
131.    The Seal of the Company shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a resolution of the Board of Directors provided always that such authority may be given prior to or after the affixing of the Seal and if given after may be in general form confirming a number of affixings of the Seal. The Seal shall be affixed in the presence of any one or more persons as the Directors may appoint for the purpose and every person as aforesaid shall sign every instrument to which the Seal of the Company is so affixed in their presence.
132.    The Company may maintain a facsimile of its Seal in such countries or places as the Directors may appoint and such facsimile Seal shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a resolution of the Board of Directors provided always that such authority may be given prior to or after the affixing of such facsimile Seal and if given after may be in general form confirming a number of affixings of such facsimile Seal. The facsimile Seal shall be affixed in the presence of such person or persons as the Directors shall for this purpose appoint and such person or persons as aforesaid shall sign every instrument to which the facsimile Seal of the Company is so affixed in their presence of and the instrument signed by a Director or the Secretary (or an Assistant Secretary) of the Company or in the presence of any one or more persons as the Directors may appoint for the purpose.
133.    Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Director shall have the authority to affix the Seal, or the facsimile Seal, to any instrument for the purposes of attesting authenticity of the matter contained therein but which does not create any obligation binding on the Company.
OFFICERS
134.    Subject to Article 85, the Company may have Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, one or more Vice Presidents, Manager or Controller, appointed by the Directors. The Directors may also from time to time appoint such other officers as they consider necessary, all for such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors from time to time subscribe.

 

25


CAPITALISATION OF PROFITS

 

135.    Subject to the Statutes and these Articles, the Board may, with the authority of an Ordinary Resolution:
   (a)    resolve to capitalise an amount standing to the credit of reserves (including a share premium account, capital redemption reserve and profit and loss account), whether or not available for distribution;
   (b)    appropriate the sum resolved to be capitalised to the Members in proportion to the nominal amount of shares (whether or not fully paid) held by them respectively and apply that sum on their behalf in or towards:
      (i)    paying up the amounts (if any) for the time being unpaid on shares held by them respectively; or
      (ii)    paying up in full unissued shares or debentures of a nominal amount equal to that sum,
      and allot the shares or debentures, credited as fully paid, to the Members (or as they may direct) in those proportions, or partly in one way and partly in the other, but the share premium account, the capital redemption reserved and profits which are not available for distribution may, for the purposes of this Article, only be applied in paying up unissued shares to be allotted to Members credited as fully paid;
   (c)    make any arrangements it thinks fit to resolve a difficulty arising in the distribution of a capitalised reserve and in particular, without limitation, where shares or debentures become distributable in fractions the Board may deal with the fractions as it thinks fit;
   (d)    authorise a person to enter (on behalf of all the Members concerned) an agreement with the Company providing for either:
      (i)    the allotment to the Members respectively, credited as fully paid, of shares or debentures to which they may be entitled on the capitalisation, or
      (ii)    the payment by the Company on behalf of the Members (by the application of their respective operations of the reserves resolved to be capitalised) of the amounts or part of the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing shares,
      an agreement made under the authority being effective and binding on all those Members; and
   (e)    generally do all acts and things required to give effect to the resolution.
NOTICES
136.    Except as otherwise provided in these Articles, any notice or document may be served by the Company or by the person entitled to give notice to any Member either personally, by facsimile or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter or via a recognised courier service, fees prepaid, addressed to the Member at his address as appearing in the Register of Members or, to the extent permitted by all applicable laws and regulations, by electronic means by transmitting it to any electronic number or address or website supplied by the member to the Company or by placing it on the Company’s Website. In the case of joint holders of a share, all notices shall be given to that one of the joint holders whose name stands first in the Register of Members in respect of the joint holding, and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders.

 

26


137.    Notices posted to addresses outside the Cayman Islands shall be forwarded by prepaid airmail.
138.    Any Member present, either personally or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company shall for all purposes be deemed to have received due notice of such meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which such meeting was convened.
139.    Any notice or other document, if served by:
   (a)    post, shall be deemed to have been served five calendar days after the time when the letter containing the same is posted and if served by courier, shall be deemed to have been served five calendar days after the time when the letter containing the same is delivered to the courier (in proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter containing the notice or document was properly addressed and duly posted or delivered to the courier);
   (b)    facsimile, shall be deemed to have been served upon confirmation of receipt;
   (c)    recognised delivery service, shall be deemed to have been served 48 hours after the time when the letter containing the same is delivered to the courier service and in proving such service it shall be sufficient to provide that the letter containing the notice or documents was properly addressed and duly posted or delivered to the courier; or
   (d)    electronic means as provided herein shall be deemed to have been served and delivered on the day following that on which it is successfully transmitted or at such later time as may be prescribed by any applicable laws or regulations.
140.    Any notice or document delivered or sent to any Member in accordance with the terms of these Articles shall notwithstanding that such Member be then dead or bankrupt, and whether or not the Company has notice of his death or bankruptcy, be deemed to have been duly served in respect of any share registered in the name of such Member as sole or joint holder, unless his name shall at the time of the service of the notice or document, have been removed from the Register of Members as the holder of the share, and such service shall for all purposes be deemed a sufficient service of such notice or document on all persons interested (whether jointly with or as claiming through or under him) in the share.
141.    Notice of every general meeting shall be given to:
   (a)    all Members who have supplied to the Company an address for the giving of notices to them;
   (b)    every person entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member, who but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting; and
   (c)    each Director and Alternate Director.
   No other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings.

 

27


INFORMATION
142.    No Member shall be entitled to require discovery of any information in respect of any detail of the Company’s trading or any information which is or may be in the nature of a trade secret or secret process which may relate to the conduct of the business of the Company and which in the opinion of the Board would not be in the interests of the members of the Company to communicate to the public.
143.    The Board shall be entitled to release or disclose any information in its possession, custody or control regarding the Company or its affairs to any of its members including, without limitation, information contained in the Register of Members and transfer books of the Company.
INDEMNITY
144.    Every Director (including for the purposes of this Article any Alternate Director appointed pursuant to the provisions of these Articles) and officer of the Company for the time being and from time to time shall be indemnified and secured harmless out of the assets and funds of the Company against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by him in connection with the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions as a Director or officer of the Company, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by him in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning the Company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere.
145.    No such Director or officer of the Company shall be liable to the Company for any loss or damage unless such liability arises through the willful neglect or default of such Director or officer.
FINANCIAL YEAR
146.    Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on December 31st in each year and shall begin on January 1st in each year.
WINDING UP
147.    Subject to these Articles, if the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, with the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution of the Company, divide amongst the Members in specie or kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for such purpose set such value as he deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the contributories as the liquidator, with the like sanction shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other securities whereon there is any liability.
AMENDMENT OF MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION AND
NAME OF COMPANY
148.    The Company may at any time and from time to time by Special Resolution alter or amend these Articles or the Memorandum of Association of the Company, in whole or in part.
REGISTRATION BY WAY OF CONTINUATION
149.    The Company may by Special Resolution resolve to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing. In furtherance of a resolution adopted pursuant to this Article, the Directors may cause an application to be made to the Registrar of Companies to deregister the Company in the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing and may cause all such further steps as they consider appropriate to be taken to effect the transfer by way of continuation of the Company.

 

28

Exhibit 4.3

LOGO

J.P.Morgan


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

PARTIES

   1

RECITALS

   1

Section 1.

   Certain Definitions   

  (a)

           ADR Register    1

  (b)

           ADRs; Direct Registration ADRs    1

  (c)

           ADS    1

  (d)

           Custodian    1

  (e)

           Deliver, execute, issue et al.    1

  (f)

           Delivery Order    1

  (g)

           Deposited Securities    1

  (h)

           Direct Registration System    2

  (i)

           Holder    2

  (j)

           Securities Act of 1933    2

  (k)

           Securities Exchange Act of 1934    2

  (l)

           Shares    2

  (m)

           Transfer Office    2

  (n)

           Withdrawal Order    2

Section 2.

   ADRs    2

Section 3.

   Deposit of Shares    3

Section 4.

   Issue of ADRs    3

Section 5.

   Distributions on Deposited Securities    4

Section 6.

   Withdrawal of Deposited Securities    4

Section 7.

   Substitution of ADRs    4

Section 8.

   Cancellation and Destruction of ADRs, Maintenance of Records    4

Section 9.

   The Custodian    5

Section 10.

   Co-Registrars and Co-Transfer Agents    5

Section 11.

   Lists of Holders    5

Section 12.

   Depositary's Agents    5

Section 13.

   Successor Depositary    6

Section 14.

   Reports    6

Section 15.

   Additional Shares    7

Section 16.

   Indemnification    7

Section 17.

   Notices    8

Section 18.

   Miscellaneous    8

Section 19.

   Consent to Jurisdiction    8

TESTIMONIUM

   8

SIGNATURES

   11

 

- i -


     Page
EXHIBIT A   

FORM OF FACE OF ADR

   A-1

Introductory Paragraph

   A-1

(1)    Issuance of ADRs and Pre-Release of ADRs

   A-2

(2)    Withdrawal of Deposited Securities

   A-3

(3)    Transfers of ADRs

   A-3

(4)    Certain Limitations

   A-4

(5)    Taxes

   A-4

(6)    Disclosure of Interests

   A-5

(7)    Charges of Depositary

   A-6

(8)    Available Information

   A-7

(9)    Execution

   A-7

Signature of Depositary

   A-8

Address of Depositary’s Office

   A-8

FORM OF REVERSE OF ADR

   A-8

(10)  Distributions on Deposited Securities

   A-8

(11)  Record Dates

   A-9

(12)  Voting of Deposited Securities

   A-9

(13)  Changes Affecting Deposited Securities

   A-10

(14)  Exoneration

   A-10

(15)  Resignation and Removal of Depositary; the Custodian

   A-11

(16)  Amendment

   A-12

(17)  Termination

   A-12

(18)  Appointment

   A-13

(19)  Waiver

   A-13

 

- ii -


DEPOSIT AGREEMENT dated as of [DATE] , 2010 (the “Deposit Agreement”) among DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP. and its successors (the “Company”), JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as depositary hereunder (the “Depositary”), and all holders from time to time of American Depositary Receipts issued hereunder (“ADRs”) evidencing American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) representing deposited Shares (defined below). The Company hereby appoints the Depositary as depositary for the Deposited Securities and hereby authorizes and directs the Depositary to act in accordance with the terms set forth in this Deposit Agreement. All capitalized terms used herein have the meanings ascribed to them in Section 1 or elsewhere in this Deposit Agreement. The parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Certain Definitions .

(a) “ ADR Register ” is defined in paragraph (3) of the form of ADR.

(b) “ ADRs ” mean the American Depositary Receipts executed and delivered hereunder. ADRs may be either in physical certificated form or Direct Registration ADRs. ADRs in physical certificated form, and the terms and conditions governing the Direct Registration ADRs (as hereinafter defined), shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A annexed hereto (the “ form of ADR ”). The term “ Direct Registration ADR ” means an ADR, the ownership of which is recorded on the Direct Registration System. References to “ADRs” shall include certificated ADRs and Direct Registration ADRs, unless the context otherwise requires. The form of ADR is hereby incorporated herein and made a part hereof; the provisions of the form of ADR shall be binding upon the parties hereto.

(c) Subject to paragraph (13) of the form of ADR, each “ADS” evidenced by an ADR represents the right to receive six Shares and a pro rata share in any other Deposited Securities.

(d) “ Custodian ” means the agent or agents of the Depositary (singly or collectively, as the context requires) and any additional or substitute Custodian appointed pursuant to Section 9.

(e) The terms “ deliver ”, “ execute ”, “ issue ”, “ register ”, “ surrender ”, “ transfer ” or “ cancel ”, when used with respect to Direct Registration ADRs, shall refer to an entry or entries or an electronic transfer or transfers in the Direct Registration System, and, when used with respect to ADRs in physical certificated form, shall refer to the physical delivery, execution, issuance, registration, surrender, transfer or cancellation of certificates representing the ADRs.

(f) “ Delivery Order ” is defined in Section 3.

(g) “ Deposited Securities ” as of any time means all Shares at such time deposited under this Deposit Agreement and any and all

 

1


other Shares, securities, property and cash at such time held by the Depositary or the Custodian in respect or in lieu of such deposited Shares and other Shares, securities, property and cash.

(h) “ Direct Registration System ” means the system for the uncertificated registration of ownership of securities established by The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) and utilized by the Depositary pursuant to which the Depositary may record the ownership of ADRs without the issuance of a certificate, which ownership shall be evidenced by periodic statements issued by the Depositary to the Holders entitled thereto. For purposes hereof, the Direct Registration System shall include access to the Profile Modification System maintained by DTC which provides for automated transfer of ownership between DTC and the Depositary.

(i) “ Holder ” means the person or persons in whose name an ADR is registered on the ADR Register.

(j) “ Securities Act of 1933 ” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as from time to time amended.

(k) “ Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as from time to time amended.

(l) “ Shares ” mean the ordinary shares of the Company, and shall include the rights to receive Shares specified in paragraph (1) of the form of ADR.

(m) “ Transfer Office ” is defined in paragraph (3) of the form of ADR.

(n) “ Withdrawal Order ” is defined in Section 6.

2. ADRs . (a) ADRs in certificated form shall be engraved, printed or otherwise reproduced at the discretion of the Depositary in accordance with its customary practices in its American depositary receipt business, or at the request of the Company typewritten and photocopied on plain or safety paper, and shall be substantially in the form set forth in the form of ADR, with such changes as may be required by the Depositary or the Company to comply with their obligations hereunder, any applicable law, regulation or usage or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular ADRs are subject. ADRs may be issued in denominations of any number of ADSs. ADRs in certificated form shall be executed by the Depositary by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized officer of the Depositary. ADRs in certificated form bearing the facsimile signature of anyone who was at the time of execution a duly authorized officer of the Depositary shall bind the Depositary, notwithstanding that such officer has ceased to hold such office prior to the delivery of such ADRs.

 

2


(b) Direct Registration ADRs . Notwithstanding anything in this Deposit Agreement or in the form of ADR to the contrary, ADSs shall be evidenced by Direct Registration ADRs, unless certificated ADRs are specifically requested by the Holder.

(c) Holders shall be bound by the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement and of the form of ADR, regardless of whether their ADRs are Direct Registration ADRs or certificated ADRs.

3. Deposit of Shares . In connection with the deposit of Shares hereunder, the Depositary or the Custodian may require the following in form satisfactory to it: (a) a written order directing the Depositary to issue to, or upon the written order of, the person or persons designated in such order a Direct Registration ADR or ADRs evidencing the number of ADSs representing such deposited Shares (a “ Delivery Order ”); (b) proper endorsements or duly executed instruments of transfer in respect of such deposited Shares; (c) instruments assigning to the Depositary, the Custodian or a nominee of either any distribution on or in respect of such deposited Shares or indemnity therefor; and (d) proxies entitling the Custodian to vote such deposited Shares. As soon as practicable after the Custodian receives Deposited Securities pursuant to any such deposit or pursuant to paragraph (10) or (13) of the form of ADR, the Custodian shall present such Deposited Securities for registration of transfer into the name of the Depositary, the Custodian or a nominee of either, to the extent such registration is practicable, at the cost and expense of the person making such deposit (or for whose benefit such deposit is made) and shall obtain evidence satisfactory to it of such registration. Deposited Securities shall be held by the Custodian for the account and to the order of the Depositary at such place or places and in such manner as the Depositary shall determine. Deposited Securities may be delivered by the Custodian to any person only under the circumstances expressly contemplated in this Deposit Agreement. To the extent that the provisions of or governing the Shares make delivery of certificates therefor impracticable, Shares may be deposited hereunder by such delivery thereof as the Depositary or the Custodian may reasonably accept, including, without limitation, by causing them to be credited to an account maintained by the Custodian for such purpose with the Company or an accredited intermediary, such as a bank, acting as a registrar for the Shares, together with delivery of the documents, payments and Delivery Order referred to herein to the Custodian or the Depositary.

4. Issue of ADRs . After any such deposit of Shares, the Custodian shall notify the Depositary of such deposit and of the information contained in any related Delivery Order by letter, first class airmail postage prepaid, or, at the request, risk and expense of the person making the deposit, by cable, telex or facsimile transmission. After receiving such notice from the Custodian, the Depositary, subject to this Deposit Agreement, shall properly issue at the Transfer Office, to or upon the order of any person named in such notice, an ADR or ADRs registered as requested and evidencing the aggregate ADSs to which such person is entitled.

 

3


5. Distributions on Deposited Securities . To the extent that the Depositary determines in its reasonable discretion that any distribution pursuant to paragraph (10) of the form of ADR is not practicable with respect to any Holder, the Depositary may make such distribution as it so deems practicable, including the distribution of foreign currency, securities or property (or appropriate documents evidencing the right to receive foreign currency, securities or property) or the retention thereof as Deposited Securities with respect to such Holder's ADRs (without liability for interest thereon or the investment thereof).

6. Withdrawal of Deposited Securities . In connection with any surrender of an ADR for withdrawal of the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced thereby, the Depositary may require proper endorsement in blank of such ADR (or duly executed instruments of transfer thereof in blank) and the Holder's written order directing the Depositary to cause the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced by such ADR to be withdrawn and delivered to, or upon the written order of, any person designated in such order (a “ Withdrawal Order ”). Directions from the Depositary to the Custodian to deliver Deposited Securities shall be given by letter, first class airmail postage prepaid, or, at the request, risk and expense of the Holder, by cable, telex or facsimile transmission. Delivery of Deposited Securities may be made by the delivery of certificates (which, if required by law shall be properly endorsed or accompanied by properly executed instruments of transfer or, if such certificates may be registered, registered in the name of such Holder or as ordered by such Holder in any Withdrawal Order) or by such other means as the Depositary may deem practicable, including, without limitation, by transfer of record ownership thereof to an account designated in the Withdrawal Order maintained either by the Company or an accredited intermediary, such as a bank, acting as a registrar for the Deposited Securities.

7. Substitution of ADRs . The Depositary shall execute and deliver a new Direct Registration ADR in exchange and substitution for any mutilated certificated ADR upon cancellation thereof or in lieu of and in substitution for such destroyed, lost or stolen certificated ADR, unless the Depositary has notice that such ADR has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, upon the Holder thereof filing with the Depositary a request for such execution and delivery and a sufficient indemnity bond and satisfying any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Depositary.

8. Cancellation and Destruction of ADRs; Maintenance of Records . All ADRs surrendered to the Depositary shall be cancelled by the Depositary. The Depositary is authorized to destroy ADRs in certificated form so cancelled in accordance with its customary practices.

The Depositary agrees to maintain or cause its agents to maintain records of all ADRs surrendered and Deposited Securities withdrawn under Section 6 hereof and paragraph (2) of the form of ADR, substitute ADRs delivered under Section 7 hereof, and canceled or destroyed ADRs under this Section 8, in keeping with the procedures ordinarily followed by stock transfer agents located in the City of New York or as required by the laws or regulations governing the Depositary.

 

4


9. The Custodian . Any Custodian in acting hereunder shall be subject to the directions of the Depositary and shall be responsible solely to it. The Depositary shall be responsible for the compliance by the Custodian with any applicable provisions of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary reserves the right to add, replace or remove a Custodian. The Depositary will give prompt notice of any such action, which will be advance notice if practicable. Each Custodian so appointed (other than JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) shall give written notice to the Company and the Depositary accepting such appointment and agreeing to be bound by the applicable terms hereof.

Any Custodian may resign from its duties hereunder by at least 30 days written notice to the Depositary. The Depositary may discharge any Custodian at any time upon notice to the Custodian being discharged. Any Custodian ceasing to act hereunder as Custodian shall deliver, upon the instruction of the Depositary, all Deposited Securities held by it to a Custodian continuing to act. If upon the effectiveness of such resignation there would be no Custodian acting hereunder, the Depositary shall, promptly after receiving such notice, appoint a substitute custodian or custodians, each of which shall thereafter be a Custodian hereunder.

10. Co-Registrars and Co-Transfer Agents . The Depositary may appoint and remove (i) co-registrars to register ADRs and transfers, combinations and split-ups of ADRs and to countersign ADRs in accordance with the terms of any such appointment and (ii) co-transfer agents for the purpose of effecting transfers, combinations and split-ups of ADRs at designated transfer offices in addition to the Transfer Office on behalf of the Depositary. Each co-registrar or co-transfer agent (other than JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) shall give notice in writing to the Company and the Depositary accepting such appointment and agreeing to be bound by the applicable terms of this Deposit Agreement.

11. Lists of Holders . The Company shall have the right to inspect transfer records of the Depositary and its agents and the ADR Register, take copies thereof and require the Depositary and its agents to supply copies of such portions of such records as the Company may request. The Depositary or its agent shall furnish to the Company promptly upon the written request of the Company, a list of the names, addresses and holdings of ADSs by all Holders as of a date within seven days of the Depositary's receipt of such request.

12. Depositary's Agents . The Depositary may perform its obligations under this Deposit Agreement through any agent appointed by it, provided that the Depositary shall notify the Company of such appointment and shall remain responsible for the performance of such obligations as if no agent were appointed, subject to paragraph (14) of the form of ADR.

 

5


13. Successor Depositary . The Depositary may at any time resign as Depositary hereunder by written notice of its election so to do delivered to the Company, such resignation to take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided. The Depositary may at any time be removed by the Company by providing no less than 90 days prior written notice of such removal to the Depositary, such removal to take effect the later of (i) the 90 th day after such notice of removal is first provided and (ii) the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if upon the resignation or removal of the Depositary a successor depositary is not appointed within the applicable 45-day period (in the case of resignation) or 90-day period (in the case of removal) as specified in paragraph (17) of the form of ADR, then the Depositary may elect to terminate this Deposit Agreement and the ADR and the provisions of said paragraph (17) shall thereafter govern the Depositary's obligations hereunder. In case at any time the Depositary acting hereunder shall resign or be removed, the Company shall use its best efforts to appoint a successor depositary, which shall be a bank or trust company having an office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York. Every successor depositary shall execute and deliver to its predecessor and to the Company an instrument in writing accepting its appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor depositary, without any further act or deed, shall become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor. The predecessor depositary, only upon payment of all sums due to it and on the written request of the Company, shall (i) execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor all rights and powers of such predecessor hereunder (other than its rights to indemnification and fees owing, each of which shall survive any such removal and/or resignation), (ii) duly assign, transfer and deliver all right, title and interest to the Deposited Securities to such successor, and (iii) deliver to such successor a list of the Holders of all outstanding ADRs. Any such successor depositary shall promptly mail notice of its appointment to such Holders. Any bank or trust company into or with which the Depositary may be merged or consolidated, or to which the Depositary shall transfer substantially all its American depositary receipt business, shall be the successor of the Depositary without the execution or filing of any document or any further act.

14. Reports . On or before the first date on which the Company makes any communication available to holders of Deposited Securities or any securities regulatory authority or stock exchange, by publication or otherwise, the Company shall transmit to the Depositary a copy thereof in English or with an English translation or summary. The Company has delivered to the Depositary, the Custodian and any Transfer Office, a copy of all provisions of or governing the Shares and any other Deposited Securities issued by the Company and, promptly upon any change thereto, the Company shall deliver to the Depositary, the Custodian and any Transfer Office, a copy (in English or with an English translation) of such provisions as so changed. The Depositary and its agents may rely upon the Company's delivery thereof for all purposes of this Deposit Agreement.

 

6


15. Additional Shares . Neither the Company nor any company controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company shall issue additional Shares, rights to subscribe for Shares, securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares or rights to subscribe for any such securities or shall deposit any Shares under this Deposit Agreement, except under circumstances complying in all respects with the Securities Act of 1933. The Depositary will use reasonable efforts to comply with written instructions of the Company not to accept for deposit hereunder any Shares identified in such instructions at such times and under such circumstances as may reasonably be specified in such instructions in order to facilitate the Company's compliance with securities laws in the United States.

16. Indemnification . The Company shall indemnify, defend and save harmless each of the Depositary and its agents against any loss, liability or expense (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) which may arise out of acts performed or omitted, in connection with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement and of the ADRs, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance herewith by either the Depositary or its agents or their respective directors, employees, agents and affiliates, except, subject to the penultimate paragraph of this Section 16, for any liability or expense directly arising out of the negligence or willful misconduct of the Depositary or its agents acting in their capacity as such hereunder.

The indemnities set forth in the preceding paragraph shall also apply to any liability or expense which may arise out of any misstatement or alleged misstatement or omission or alleged omission in any registration statement, proxy statement, prospectus (or placement memorandum), or preliminary prospectus (or preliminary placement memorandum) relating to the offer or sale of ADSs, except to the extent any such liability or expense arises out of (i) information relating to the Depositary or its agents (other than the Company), as applicable, furnished in writing by the Depositary and not changed or altered by the Company expressly for use in any of the foregoing documents or (ii) if such information is provided, the failure to state a material fact necessary to make the information provided not misleading.

Except as provided in the next succeeding paragraph, the Depositary shall indemnify, defend and save harmless the Company against any loss, liability or expense (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) incurred by the Company in respect of this Deposit Agreement to the extent such loss, liability or expense is due to the negligence or willful misconduct of the Depositary or its agents acting in their capacity as such hereunder.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Deposit Agreement or the ADRs to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Depositary, nor any of their agents, shall be liable to the other for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (collectively “Special Damages”) except (i) to the extent such Special Damages arise from the gross negligence or willful misconduct

 

7


of the party from whom indemnification is sought or (ii) to the extent Special Damages arise from or out of a claim brought by a third party (including, without limitation, Holders) against the Depositary or its agents, except to the extent such Special Damages arise out of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party seeking indemnification hereunder

The obligations set forth in this Section 16 shall survive the termination of this Deposit Agreement and the succession or substitution of any indemnified person.

17. Notices . Notice to any Holder shall be deemed given when first mailed, first class postage prepaid, to the address of such Holder on the ADR Register or received by such Holder. Failure to notify a Holder or any defect in the notification to a Holder shall not affect the sufficiency of notification to other Holders or to the beneficial owners of ADSs held by such other Holders. Notice to the Depositary or the Company shall be deemed given when first received by it at the address or facsimile transmission number set forth in (a) or (b), respectively, or at such other address or facsimile transmission number as either may specify to the other by written notice:

 

  (a) JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Four New York Plaza

New York, New York 10004

Attention: ADR Administration

Fax: (212) 623-0079

 

  (b) Daqo New Energy Corp.

666 Longdu Avenue

Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

Attention: [CONTACT PERSON]

Fax:

18. Miscellaneous . This Deposit Agreement is for the exclusive benefit of the Company, the Depositary, the Holders, and their respective successors hereunder, and shall not give any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim whatsoever to any other person. The Holders and owners of ADRs from time to time shall be parties to this Deposit Agreement and shall be bound by all of the provisions hereof. If any such provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected thereby. This Deposit Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall constitute one instrument.

19. Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company irrevocably agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding against the Company brought by the Depositary or any Holder, arising out of or based upon this Deposit Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, may be instituted in any state or federal court in New York, New York, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, irrevocably

 

8


waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company also irrevocably agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding against the Depositary brought by the Company, arising out of or based upon this Deposit Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York. The Company has appointed Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc., 400 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10017, as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) upon which process may be served in any such action arising out of or based on this Deposit Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby which may be instituted in any state or federal court in New York, New York by the Depositary or any Holder, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, waives any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. The Company represents and warrants that the Authorized Agent has agreed to act as said agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments, that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect as aforesaid. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent and written notice of such service to the Company shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company. If, for any reason, the Authorized Agent named above or its successor shall no longer serve as agent of the Company to receive service of process in New York, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor acceptable to the Depositary, so as to serve and will promptly advise the Depositary thereof. In the event the Company fails to continue such designation and appointment in full force and effect, the Company hereby waives personal service of process upon it and consents that any such service of process may be made by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to the Company at its address last specified for notices hereunder, and service so made shall be deemed completed five (5) days after the same shall have been so mailed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action based on this Deposit Agreement may be instituted by the Depositary or any Holder in any competent court in the Cayman Islands or the People's Republic of China (including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region).

To the extent that the Company or any of its properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter be entitled to, or have attributed to it, any right of immunity, on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any respect thereof, from setoff or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from service of process, from attachment upon or prior to judgment, from attachment in aid of execution or judgment, or from execution of judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment, in any jurisdiction in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or other matter under or arising out of or in connection with the Shares or Deposited Securities, the ADSs, the ADRs or this Deposit Agreement, the Company, to the fullest

 

9


extent permitted by law, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, and agrees not to plead or claim, any such immunity and consents to such relief and enforcement.

EACH PARTY TO THIS DEPOSIT AGREEMENT (INCLUDING, FOR AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, EACH HOLDER AND BENEFICIAL OWNER AND/OR HOLDER OF INTERESTS IN ADRS) HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE DEPOSITARY AND/OR THE COMPANY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SHARES OR OTHER DEPOSITED SECURITIES, THE ADSs OR THE ADRs, THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREIN OR THEREIN, OR THE BREACH HEREOF OR THEREOF (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, COMMON LAW OR ANY OTHER THEORY).

 

10


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP. and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. have duly executed this Deposit Agreement as of the day and year first above set forth and all holders of ADRs shall become parties hereto upon acceptance by them of ADRs issued in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title  
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:   Vice President

 

11


EXHIBIT A

ANNEXED TO AND INCORPORATED IN

DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

[FORM OF FACE OF ADR]

 

___    No. of ADSs:
Number   
   Each ADS represents
   Six Shares
   CUSIP:

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPT

evidencing

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

representing

ORDINARY SHARES

of

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

(Incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands)

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States of America, as depositary hereunder (the “Depositary”), hereby certifies that             is the registered owner (a “Holder”) of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each (subject to paragraph (13)) representing six ordinary shares (including the rights to receive Shares described in paragraph (1), “Shares” and, together with any other securities, cash or property from time to time held by the Depositary in respect or in lieu of deposited Shares, the “Deposited Securities”), of Daqo New Energy Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), deposited under the Deposit Agreement dated as of [DATE] , 2010 (as amended from time to time, the “Deposit Agreement”) among the Company, the Depositary and all Holders from time to time of American Depositary Receipts issued thereunder (“ADRs”), each of whom by accepting an ADR becomes a party thereto. The Deposit Agreement and this ADR (which includes the provisions set forth on the reverse hereof) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

A-1


(1) Issuance of ADRs; Pre-Release . This ADR is one of the ADRs issued under the Deposit Agreement. Subject to paragraph (4), the Depositary may so issue ADRs for delivery at the Transfer Office (defined in paragraph (3)) only against deposit of: (a) Shares in form satisfactory to the Custodian; (b) rights to receive Shares from the Company or any registrar, transfer agent, clearing agent or other entity recording Share ownership or transactions; or, (c) in accordance with the next paragraph of this paragraph (1).

In its capacity as Depositary, the Depositary shall not lend Shares or ADSs; provided, however, that the Depositary may issue ADSs prior to the receipt of Shares (each such transaction a “Pre-Release”). The Depositary may receive ADSs in lieu of Shares to close out a Pre-Release (which ADSs will promptly be canceled by the Depositary upon receipt by the Depositary). Each such Pre-Release will be subject to a written agreement whereby the person or entity (the “Applicant”) to whom ADSs are to be delivered (a) represents that at the time of the Pre-Release the Applicant or its customer owns the Shares that are to be delivered by the Applicant under such Pre-Release, (b) agrees to indicate the Depositary as owner of such Shares in its records and to hold such Shares in trust for the Depositary until such Shares are delivered to the Depositary or the Custodian, (c) unconditionally guarantees to deliver to the Depositary or the Custodian, as applicable, such Shares, and (d) agrees to any additional restrictions or requirements that the Depositary deems appropriate. Each such Pre-Release will be at all times fully collateralized with cash, U.S. government securities or such other collateral as the Depositary deems appropriate, terminable by the Depositary on not more than five (5) business days’ notice and subject to such further indemnities and credit regulations as the Depositary deems appropriate. The Depositary will normally limit the number of ADSs involved in such Pre-Release at any one time to thirty percent (30%) of the ADSs outstanding (without giving effect to Pre-Released ADSs outstanding), provided, however, that the Depositary reserves the right to change or disregard such limit from time to time as it deems appropriate. The Depositary may also set limits with respect to the number of ADSs involved in Pre-Release with any one person on a case-by-case basis as it deems appropriate. The Depositary may retain for its own account any compensation received by it in conjunction with the foregoing. Collateral provided as described above, but not the earnings thereon, shall be held for the benefit of the Holders (other than the Applicant).

Every person depositing Shares under the Deposit Agreement represents and warrants that such Shares are validly issued and outstanding, fully paid, nonassessable and free of pre-emptive rights, that the person making such deposit is duly authorized so to do and that such Shares (A) are not “restricted securities” as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Restricted Securities”) unless at the time of deposit the requirements of paragraphs (c), (e), (f) and (h) of Rule 144 shall not apply and such Shares may be freely transferred and may otherwise be offered and sold freely in the United States or (B) have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933. To the extent the person depositing Shares is an “affiliate” of the Company as such term

 

A-2


is defined in Rule 144, the person also represents and warrants that upon the sale of the ADSs, all of the provisions of Rule 144 which enable the Shares to be freely sold (in the form of ADSs) will be fully complied with and, as a result thereof, all of the ADSs issued in respect of such Shares will not be on the sale thereof, Restricted Securities. Such representations and warranties shall survive the deposit of Shares and issuance of ADRs. The Depositary will not knowingly accept for deposit under the Deposit Agreement any Shares required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and not so registered; the Depositary may refuse to accept for such deposit any Shares identified by the Company in order to facilitate the Company’s compliance with such Act.

(2) Withdrawal of Deposited Securities . Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), upon surrender of (i) a certificated ADR in form satisfactory to the Depositary at the Transfer Office or (ii) proper instructions and documentation in the case of a Direct Registration ADR, the Holder hereof is entitled to delivery at, or to the extent in dematerialized form from, the Custodian’s office of the Deposited Securities at the time represented by the ADSs evidenced by this ADR. At the request, risk and expense of the Holder hereof, the Depositary may deliver such Deposited Securities at such other place as may have been requested by the Holder. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, the withdrawal of Deposited Securities may be restricted only for the reasons set forth in General Instruction I.A.(1) of Form F-6 (as such instructions may be amended from time to time) under the Securities Act of 1933.

(3) Transfers of ADRs . The Depositary or its agent will keep, at a designated transfer office (the “Transfer Office”), (a) a register (the “ADR Register”) for the registration, registration of transfer, combination and split-up of ADRs, and, in the case of Direct Registration ADRs, shall include the Direct Registration System, which at all reasonable times will be open for inspection by Holders and the Company for the purpose of communicating with Holders in the interest of the business of the Company or a matter relating to the Deposit Agreement and (b) facilities for the delivery and receipt of ADRs. The term ADR Register includes the Direct Registration System. Title to this ADR (and to the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced hereby), when properly endorsed (in the case of ADRs in certificated form) or upon delivery to the Depositary of proper instruments of transfer, is transferable by delivery with the same effect as in the case of negotiable instruments under the laws of the State of New York; provided that the Depositary, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, may treat the person in whose name this ADR is registered on the ADR Register as the absolute owner hereof for all purposes and neither the Depositary nor the Company will have any obligation or be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement to any holder of an ADR, unless such holder is the Holder thereof. Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), this ADR is transferable on the ADR Register and may be split into other ADRs or combined with other ADRs into one ADR, evidencing the aggregate number of ADSs surrendered for split-up or combination, by the

 

A-3


Holder hereof or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this ADR at the Transfer Office properly endorsed (in the case of ADRs in certificated form) or upon delivery to the Depositary of proper instruments of transfer and duly stamped as may be required by applicable law; provided that the Depositary may close the ADR Register at any time or from time to time when deemed expedient by it or when reasonably requested by the Company in order to comply with applicable law. At the request of a Holder, the Depositary shall, for the purpose of substituting a certificated ADR with a Direct Registration ADR, or vice versa, execute and deliver a certificated ADR or a Direct Registration ADR, as the case may be, for any authorized number of ADSs requested, evidencing the same aggregate number of ADSs as those evidenced by the certificated ADR or Direct Registration ADR, as the case may be, substituted.

(4) Certain Limitations . Prior to the issue, registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of any ADR, the delivery of any distribution in respect thereof, or, subject to the last sentence of paragraph (2), the withdrawal of any Deposited Securities, and from time to time in the case of clause (b)(ii) of this paragraph (4), the Company, the Depositary or the Custodian may require: (a) 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 charges as provided in paragraph (7) of this ADR; (b) 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 ownership of any securities, compliance with applicable law, regulations, provisions of or governing Deposited Securities and terms of the Deposit Agreement and this ADR, as it may deem necessary or proper; and (c) 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, subject to the last sentence of paragraph (2), the withdrawal of Deposited Securities 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 or when reasonably requested by the Company in order to comply with applicable law.

(5) Taxes . If any tax or other governmental charge shall become payable by or on behalf of the Custodian or the Depositary with respect to this ADR, any Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced hereby or any distribution thereon, such tax or other governmental charge shall be paid by the Holder hereof to the Depositary. The Depositary may refuse to effect any registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination hereof or, subject to the last sentence of paragraph (2), any withdrawal of such Deposited Securities until such payment is made. The Depositary may also deduct from any distributions on or in respect of

 

A-4


Deposited Securities, or may sell by public or private sale for the account of the Holder hereof any part or all of such Deposited Securities (after attempting by reasonable means to notify the Holder hereof prior to such sale), and may apply such deduction or the proceeds of any such sale in payment of such tax or other governmental charge, the Holder hereof remaining liable for any deficiency, and shall reduce the number of ADSs evidenced hereby to reflect any such sales of Shares. In connection with any distribution to Holders, the Company will remit to the appropriate governmental authority or agency all amounts (if any) required to be withheld and owing to such authority or agency by the Company; and the Depositary and the Custodian will remit to the appropriate governmental authority or agency all amounts (if any) required to be withheld and owing to such authority or agency by the Depositary or the Custodian. The Depositary will forward to the Company such information from its records as the Company may reasonably request to enable the Company to file any necessary reports with governmental authorities or agencies. If the Depositary determines that any distribution in property other than cash (including Shares or rights) on Deposited Securities is subject to any tax that the Depositary or the Custodian is obligated to withhold, the Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of such property in such amounts and in such manner as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay such taxes, by public or private sale, and the Depositary shall distribute the net proceeds of any such sale or the balance of any such property after deduction of such taxes to the Holders entitled thereto. Each Holder of an ADR or an interest therein agrees to indemnify the Depositary, the Company, the Custodian and any of their respective 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.

(6) Disclosure of Interests . 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, Holders and all persons holding ADRs agree to comply with all such disclosure requirements and ownership limitations and to comply with any reasonable Company instructions in respect thereof. The Depositary agrees to forward, upon the request and at the expenses of the Company, any written request for beneficial ownership information from the Company to the Holders, and at the Company’s expense, to promptly forward to the Company any responses received by the Depositary. The Company reserves the right to instruct Holders to deliver their ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of the Deposited Securities so as to permit the Company to deal directly with the Holder thereof as a holder of Shares and Holders agree to comply with such instructions. The Depositary agrees to cooperate with the Company in its efforts to inform Holders of the Company’s exercise of its rights under this paragraph and agrees to consult with, and provide reasonable assistance without risk, liability or expense on the part of the Depositary, to the Company on the manner or manners in which it may enforce such rights with respect to any Holder.

 

A-5


(7) Charges of Depositary . The Depositary may charge, and collect from, (i) 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 (as such terms are defined in paragraph (10)), issuances pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by the Company, or issuances pursuant to a merger, exchange of securities or any other transaction or event affecting the ADSs or the Deposited Securities, and (ii) each person surrendering ADSs for withdrawal of Deposited Securities or whose ADSs are cancelled or reduced for any other reason, U.S.$5.00 for each 100 ADSs (or 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 Share Distributions, Rights and Other Distributions prior to such deposit to pay such charge. The following additional charges shall be incurred by the Holders, by any party depositing or withdrawing Shares or by any party surrendering ADSs, to whom ADSs are issued (including, without limitation, issuance pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by the Company or an exchange of stock regarding the ADSs or the Deposited Securities or a distribution of ADSs pursuant to paragraph (10)), whichever is applicable (i) a fee of up to U.S.$0.02 per ADS for any Cash distribution made pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, (ii) a fee of U.S.$1.50 per ADR or ADRs for transfers made pursuant to paragraph (3) hereof, (iii) a fee for the distribution or sale of securities pursuant to paragraph (10) hereof, such fee being in an amount equal to the fee for the execution and delivery of ADSs referred to above which would have been charged as a result of the deposit of such securities (for purposes of this paragraph (7) 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 Holders entitled thereto, (iv) an aggregate fee of up to U.S.$0.02 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 periodic basis during each calendar year and shall be assessed against Holders as of the record date or record dates set by the Depositary during each calendar year 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), and (v) reimbursement of such fees, charges and expenses as are incurred by the Depositary and/or any of the Depositary’s 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 or regulation relating to foreign investment) in connection with the servicing of the Shares or other 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 charge 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). The Company will pay all other charges and expenses of the Depositary and any agent of the Depositary (except the Custodian) pursuant to agreements

 

A-6


from time to time between the Company and the Depositary, except (i) stock transfer or other taxes and other governmental charges (which are payable by Holders or persons depositing Shares), (ii) cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery charges incurred at the request of persons depositing, or Holders delivering Shares, ADRs or Deposited Securities (which are payable by such persons or Holders), (iii) transfer or registration fees for the registration or transfer of Deposited Securities on any applicable register in connection with the deposit or withdrawal of Deposited Securities (which are payable by persons depositing Shares or Holders withdrawing Deposited Securities; there are no such fees in respect of the Shares as of the date of the Deposit Agreement), and (iv) expenses of the Depositary in connection with the conversion of foreign currency into U.S. dollars (which are paid out of such foreign currency). Such charges may at any time and from time to time be changed by agreement between the Company and the Depositary.

(8) Available Information . The Deposit Agreement, the provisions of or governing Deposited Securities and any written communications from the Company, 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, are available for inspection by Holders at the offices of the Depositary and the Custodian and at the Transfer Office. The Depositary will distribute copies of such communications (or English translations or summaries thereof) to Holders when furnished by the Company. The Company is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and accordingly files certain reports with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). Such reports and other information may be inspected and copied at public reference facilities maintained by the Commission located at the date hereof at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549.

(9) Execution . This ADR shall not be valid for any purpose unless executed by the Depositary by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized officer of the Depositary.

Dated:

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Depositary
By  

 

Authorized Officer

The Depositary’s office is located at 4 New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004.

 

A-7


[FORM OF REVERSE OF ADR]

(10) Distributions on Deposited Securities . Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), to the extent practicable, the Depositary will distribute to each Holder entitled thereto on the record date set by the Depositary therefor at such Holder’s address shown on the ADR Register, in proportion to the number of Deposited Securities (on which the following distributions on Deposited Securities are received by the Custodian) represented by ADSs evidenced by such Holder’s ADRs: (a)  Cash . Any U.S. dollars available to the Depositary resulting from a cash dividend or other cash distribution or the net proceeds of sales of any other distribution or portion thereof authorized in this paragraph (10) (“Cash”), 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 Holders, and (iii) deduction of the Depositary’s expenses in (1) converting any foreign currency to U.S. dollars by sale or in such other manner as the Depositary may determine 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. (b)  Shares . (i) Additional ADRs evidencing whole ADSs representing any Shares available to the Depositary resulting from a dividend or free distribution on Deposited Securities consisting of Shares (a “Share Distribution”) and (ii) U.S. dollars available to it resulting from the net proceeds of sales of Shares received in a Share Distribution, which Shares would give rise to fractional ADSs if additional ADRs were issued therefor, as in the case of Cash. (c)  Rights . (i) Warrants or other instruments in the discretion of the Depositary representing rights to acquire additional ADRs in respect of any rights to subscribe for additional Shares or rights of any nature available to the Depositary as a result of a distribution on Deposited Securities (“Rights”), to the extent that the Company timely furnishes to the Depositary evidence satisfactory to the Depositary that the Depositary may lawfully distribute the same (the Company has no obligation to so furnish such evidence), or (ii) to the extent the Company does not so furnish such evidence and sales of Rights are practicable, any U.S. dollars available to the Depositary from the net proceeds of sales of Rights as in the case of Cash, or (iii) to the extent the Company does not so furnish such evidence and such sales cannot practicably be accomplished by reason of the nontransferability of the Rights, limited markets therefor, their short duration or otherwise, nothing (and any Rights may lapse). (d)  Other Distributions . (i) Securities or property available to the Depositary resulting from any distribution on Deposited Securities other than Cash, Share Distributions and Rights (“Other Distributions”), by any means that the Depositary may deem equitable and practicable, or (ii) to the extent the Depositary deems distribution of such securities or property not to be equitable and practicable, any U.S. dollars available to the Depositary from the net proceeds of sales of Other Distributions as in the case of Cash. Such U.S. dollars available 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.

 

A-8


(11) Record Dates . The Depositary may, after consultation with the Company if practicable, fix a record date (which, to the extent applicable, shall be as near as practicable to any corresponding record date set by the Company) for the determination of the Holders who shall be responsible for the fee assessed by the Depositary for administration of the ADR program and for any expenses provided for in paragraph (7) hereof as well as for the determination of the Holders who shall be entitled to receive any distribution on or in respect of Deposited Securities, to give instructions for the exercise of any voting rights, to receive any notice or to act in respect of other matters and only such Holders shall be so entitled or obligated.

(12) Voting of Deposited Securities . As soon as practicable after receipt from the Company of notice of any meeting or solicitation of consents or proxies of holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, the Depositary shall distribute to Holders a notice stating (a) such information as is contained in such notice and any solicitation materials, (b) that each Holder on the record date set by the Depositary therefor will, subject to any applicable provisions of Cayman Island law, be entitled to instruct the Depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced by such Holder’s ADRs and (c) the manner in which such instructions may be given, including instructions to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company. Upon receipt of instructions of a Holder on such record date in the manner and on or before the date established by the Depositary for such purpose, the Depositary shall endeavor insofar as practicable and permitted under the provisions of or governing Deposited Securities to vote or cause to be voted the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced by such Holder’s ADRs in accordance with such instructions. The Depositary will not itself exercise any voting discretion in respect of any Deposited Securities. To the extent voting instruction cards are not so received by the Depositary from any Holder, the Depositary shall deem such Holder to have so instructed the Depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company and the Depositary shall endeavor insofar as practicable and permitted under the provisions of or governing Deposited Securities to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company to vote the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs evidenced by such Holder’s ADRs as to which such deemed instructions are so given, provided that no such instruction shall be deemed given and no discretionary proxy shall be given (i) with respect to any matter as to which the Company informs the Depositary (and the Company agrees to provide such information promptly in writing when and if applicable) that (x) the Company does not wish such proxy to be given, (y) substantial opposition exists with respect to any agenda item for which the proxy would be given or (z) materially affects the rights of holders of Shares and (ii) unless, with respect to such meeting, the Depositary has been provided with an opinion of counsel to the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Depositary, to the effect that (a) the granting of such discretionary proxy does not subject the Depositary to any reporting obligations in the Cayman Islands, (b) the granting of such proxy will not result in a violation of Cayman Island law, rule, regulation or permit, (c) the voting arrangement and deemed instruction as contemplated herein will be given effect under Cayman Island law upon a discretionary proxy being granted in the manner as aforesaid, and (d) the granting of such discretionary proxy alone will not result in the Shares represented by the ADSs

 

A-9


being considered subject to attachment or appropriation by creditors of the Custodian or the Depositary under Cayman Island law, to the extent Cayman Island law is relevant.

There is no guarantee that Holders generally or any Holder in particular will receive the notice described above with sufficient time to enable such Holder to return any voting instructions to the Depositary in a timely manner.

(13) Changes Affecting Deposited Securities . Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the Depositary may, in its discretion, amend this ADR or distribute additional or amended ADRs (with or without calling this ADR for exchange) or cash, securities or property on the record date set by the Depositary therefor to reflect any change in par value, split-up, consolidation, cancellation or other reclassification of Deposited Securities, any Share Distribution or Other Distribution not distributed to Holders or any cash, securities or property available to the Depositary in respect of Deposited Securities from (and the Depositary is hereby authorized to surrender any Deposited Securities to any person and, irrespective of whether such Deposited Securities are surrendered or otherwise cancelled by operation of law, rule, regulation or otherwise, to sell by public or private sale any property received in connection with) any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, liquidation, receivership, bankruptcy or sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company, and to the extent the Depositary does not so amend this ADR or make a distribution to Holders to reflect any of the foregoing, or the net proceeds thereof, whatever cash, securities or property results from any of the foregoing shall constitute Deposited Securities and each ADS evidenced by this ADR shall automatically represent its pro rata interest in the Deposited Securities as then constituted.

(14) Exoneration . The Depositary, the Company, their agents and each of them shall: (a) incur no liability (i) 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 of any governmental or regulatory authority or any securities exchange or market or automated quotation system, the provisions of or governing any Deposited Securities, any present or future provision of the Company’s charter, any act of God, war, terrorism or other circumstance beyond its 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 this ADR provides shall be done or performed by it or them (including, without limitation, voting pursuant to paragraph (12) hereof), or (ii) by reason of any exercise or failure to exercise any discretion given it in the Deposit Agreement or this ADR; (b) assume no liability except to perform its obligations to the extent they are specifically set forth in this ADR and the Deposit Agreement without gross negligence or bad faith; (c) in the case of the Depositary and its agents, be under no obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Securities or this ADR; (d) in the case of the Company and its agents hereunder be under no obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Securities or this ADR, which in its opinion may involve it in expense or liability,

 

A-10


unless indemnity satisfactory to it against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability be furnished as often as may be required; or (e) not be liable for any action or inaction by it in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Holder, or any other person believed by it to be competent to give such advice or information. The Depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions made by any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of Deposited Securities or otherwise, so long as such acts or omissions are not caused as a direct result of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Depositary. 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 Chase Bank, N.A. The Depositary, its agents and the Company may rely and shall be protected in acting upon any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by them to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties. The Depositary and its agents will not 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 or for the effect of any such vote. The Depositary and its agents may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its affiliates and in ADRs. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in the Deposit Agreement or an ADR, 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 Holder or Holders, any ADR or ADRs or otherwise related hereto or thereto 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. None of the Depositary, the Custodian or the Company shall be liable for the failure by any Holder or beneficial owner to obtain the benefits of credits on the basis of non-U.S. tax paid against such Holder’s or beneficial owner’s income tax liability. The Depositary and the Company shall not incur any liability for any tax consequences that may be incurred by Holders and beneficial owners on account of their ownership of the ADRs or ADSs. The Company has agreed to indemnify the Depositary and its agents under certain circumstances and the Depositary has agreed to indemnify the Company under certain circumstances. Neither the Company nor the Depositary nor any of their agents shall be liable to Holders or beneficial owners of interests in ADSs for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (including, without limitation, lost profits) of any form incurred by any person or entity, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the type of action in which such a claim may be brought. No disclaimer of liability under the Securities Act of 1933 is intended by any provision hereof.

(15) Resignation and Removal of Depositary; the Custodian . The Depositary may resign as Depositary by written notice of its election so to do delivered to the Company, such resignation to take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as provided in the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary may at any time be removed by the Company by no less than 90 days prior written notice of such removal, to become effective upon the later of (i) the 90th day after delivery of the notice to the Depositary and (ii) the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as provided in the

 

A-11


Deposit Agreement. The Depositary may appoint substitute or additional Custodians and the term “ Custodian ” refers to each Custodian or all Custodians as the context requires.

(16) Amendment . Subject to the last sentence of paragraph (2), the ADRs and the Deposit Agreement may be amended by the Company and the Depositary, provided that 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, cable, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or that shall otherwise prejudice any substantial existing right of Holders, shall become effective 30 days after notice of such amendment shall have been given to the Holders. Every Holder of an ADR at the time any amendment to the Deposit Agreement so becomes effective shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such ADR, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the Deposit Agreement as amended thereby. In no event shall any amendment impair the right of the Holder of any ADR to surrender such ADR and receive the Deposited Securities represented thereby, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. Any amendments or supplements which (i) are reasonably necessary (as agreed by the Company 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 Holders, shall be deemed not to prejudice any substantial rights of Holders. 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, the Company and the Depositary may amend or supplement the Deposit Agreement and the ADR at any time in accordance with such changed laws, rules or regulations. Such amendment or supplement to the Deposit Agreement in such circumstances may become effective before a notice of such amendment or supplement is given to Holders or within any other period of time as required for compliance. Notice of any amendment to the Deposit Agreement or form of ADRs shall not need to describe in detail the specific amendments effectuated thereby, and failure to describe the specific amendments in any such notice shall not render such notice invalid, provided, however, that, in each such case, the notice given to the Holders identifies a means for Holders to retrieve or receive the text of such amendment (i.e., upon retrieval from the Commission’s, the Depositary’s or the Company’s website or upon request from the Depositary).

(17) Termination . The Depositary may, and shall at the written direction of the Company, terminate the Deposit Agreement and this ADR by mailing notice of such termination to the 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 hereunder, notice of such termination by the Depositary shall not be provided to Holders unless a successor depositary shall not be operating hereunder within 45 days of the date of such resignation, or (ii) been removed as Depositary hereunder, notice of such termination by the Depositary shall not be provided to Holders unless a successor depositary shall not be operating hereunder on the 90 th day after the Company’s notice of removal was first provided to the Depositary. After the date so fixed for termination, the Depositary and its agents will perform no further acts

 

A-12


under the Deposit Agreement and this ADR, except to receive and hold (or sell) distributions on Deposited Securities and deliver Deposited Securities being withdrawn. As soon as practicable after the expiration of six months from the date so fixed for termination, the Depositary shall sell the Deposited Securities and shall thereafter (as long as it may lawfully do so) hold in a segregated account the net proceeds of such sales, together with any other cash then held by it under the Deposit Agreement, without liability for interest, in trust for the pro rata benefit of the Holders of ADRs not theretofore surrendered. After making such sale, the Depositary shall be discharged from all obligations in respect of the Deposit Agreement and this ADR, except to account for such net proceeds and other cash. After the date so fixed for termination, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement except for its obligations to the Depositary and its agents.

(18) Appointment . Each Holder and each person holding an interest in ADSs, upon acceptance of any ADSs (or any interest therein) issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed for all purposes to (a) be a party to and bound by the terms of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR(s), and (b) 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(s), to adopt any and all procedures necessary to comply with applicable law 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(s), the taking of such actions to be the conclusive determinant of the necessity and appropriateness thereof.

(19) Waiver . EACH PARTY TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT (INCLUDING, FOR AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, EACH HOLDER AND BENEFICIAL OWNER AND/OR HOLDER OF INTERESTS IN ADRS) HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE DEPOSITARY AND/OR THE COMPANY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SHARES OR OTHER DEPOSITED SECURITIES, THE ADSs OR THE ADRs, THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREIN OR THEREIN, OR THE BREACH HEREOF OR THEREOF (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, COMMON LAW OR ANY OTHER THEORY).

 

A-13

Exhibit 4.5

INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of November 20, 2009 (the “ Effective Date ”), by and among:

 

(1) Daqo New Energy Corp., a company duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the Cayman Islands (the “ Company ”),

 

(2) Daqo Solar Energy North America, a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under the Laws of the State of California (“ Daqo North America ”),

 

(3) Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the Laws of the People’s Republic of China (“ Chongqing Daqo ”),

 

(4) Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the Laws of the People’s Republic of China (“ Nanjing Daqo ”),

 

(5) Daqo New Material Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the Laws of the People’s Republic of China (“ Daqo New Material ”),

 

(4) the individuals listed in Schedule I-A attached hereto (the “ Major Shareholders ,” and each a “ Major Shareholder ”),

 

(5) the entities listed in Schedule I-B attached hereto (the “ Major Shareholder Holdcos ,” and each a “ Major Shareholder Holdcos ”),

 

(6) the individuals listed in Schedule I-C attached hereto (the “ Other Beneficial Owners ,” and each an “ Other Beneficial Owner ”),

 

(6) the parties listed in Schedule I-D attached hereto (the “ Other Ordinary Shareholders ” and together with the Major Shareholder Holdcos, the “ Ordinary Shareholders ,” and each an “ Ordinary Shareholder ”), and

 

(7) the investors listed in Schedule II attached hereto (the “ Investors ”, and each an “ Investor ”).

Each of the Company, Daqo North America, Chongqing Daqo, Nanjing Daqo, Daqo New Material, the Major Shareholders, the Other Beneficial Owners, the Ordinary Shareholders and the Investors is referred to herein individually as a “ Party ” and collectively as the “ Parties .”

RECITALS

 

A. The Company, Daqo North America, Chongqing Daqo, Nanjing Daqo, Daqo New Material, the Major Shareholders, the Investors and other parties thereto entered into a Share Purchase Agreement dated as of November 11, 2009 (the “ Share Purchase Agreement ”).

 

B. The Share Purchase Agreement requires that the Parties enter into this Agreement as a condition to the closing contemplated therein.

 

-1-


C. The Parties desire to enter into this Agreement and make the respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties intending to be legally bound hereto hereby agree as follows:

1. Definitions. The following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them below:

Affiliate ” means, except with respect to individuals, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, Controls, is Controlled by or is under common Control with such Person, and with respect to an individual, anyone who is a Relative.

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Applicable Accounting Principles ” means the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, applied on a consistent basis.

Board ” or “ Board of Directors ” means the board of directors of the Company.

CFC ” means a controlled foreign corporation as defined in section 957 the Code.

Chongqing Daqo ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Circular 75 ” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3 hereof.

Closing ” means the closing of issuance and sale of the Series A Preferred Shares pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Commission ” has the meaning set forth in Schedule III hereof.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Company’s Option Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(ii) hereof.

Control ” of a given Person means the power or authority, whether exercised or not, to direct the business, management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, which power or authority shall conclusively be presumed to exist upon possession of beneficial ownership or power to direct the vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes entitled to be cast at a meeting of the members or shareholders of such Person or power to control the composition of a majority of the board of directors of such Person; the term “Controlled” has the meaning correlative to the foregoing.

 

-2-


Controlled Entity ” means Daqo New Material or any other company organized and existing under the Laws of the PRC and Controlled by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

Conversion Shares ” means Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon conversion of Series A Preferred Shares.

Daqo North America ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Daqo New Material ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Effective Date ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Equity Securities ” means, with respect to a Person, any shares, share capital, registered capital, ownership interest, equity interest, or other securities, and any option, warrant, or right to subscribe for, acquire or purchase any of the foregoing, or any other security or instrument convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any of the foregoing, or any equity appreciation, phantom equity, equity plans or similar rights with respect to such Person, and, with respect to the Company, shall include any Ordinary Shares and Ordinary Share Equivalents of the Company.

Exercising Shareholder of Preemptive Rights ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.

Exercising Shareholder of Right of First Refusal ” has the meaning set for in Section 7.2(iii)(c) hereof.

Governmental Authority ” means any nation or government or any federation, province or state or any other political subdivision thereof; any entity, authority or body exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, including any government authority, agency, department, board, commission or instrumentality of the PRC, the jurisdiction in which the Company is organized, or any other country, or any political subdivision thereof, any court, tribunal or arbitrator, and any self-regulatory organization.

Governmental Order ” means any applicable order, ruling, decision, verdict, decree, writ, subpoena, mandate, precept, command, directive, consent, approval, award, judgment, injunction or other similar determination or finding by, before or under the supervision of any Governmental Authority.

Group Company ” means each of the Company, Daqo New Material, and the WFOEs, together with each Subsidiary of any of the foregoing, and each Person that is, directly or indirectly, Controlled by any of the foregoing, including but not limited to each joint venture in which any of the foregoing holds more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power, and “ Group ” refers to all of Group Companies collectively.

Holdco Equity Securities ” means any Equity Securities of any Person that holds Equity Securities of the Company, if any Major Shareholder or Other Beneficial Owner directly or indirectly holds any Equity Securities of such Person. For the avoidance of doubt, Holdco Equity Securities include all Equity Securities of each Major Shareholder Holdco held by any Major Shareholder and all Equity Securities of each Other Ordinary Shareholder held by any Other Beneficial Owner.

 

-3-


Indirect US Investor ” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.3 hereof.

Investors ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Issuance Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2 hereof.

Key Employee ” means each of the president, chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, the chief operating officer, the chief technology officer, the chief sales and marketing officer, the general manager, any other manager with the title of “senior vice president” or higher or any other employee with responsibilities similar to any of the foregoing, of each Group Company and “ Key Employees ” mean such Persons collectively.

Law ” or “ Laws ” means any constitutional provision, statute or other law, rule, regulation, official policy or interpretation of any Governmental Authority and any Governmental Order.

Lead Investor ” means each of Granite Global Ventures III L.P. and NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P. and “ Lead Investors ” mean such Persons collectively.

Major Shareholders ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement and each individually is referred to as a “ Major Shareholder ”.

Major Shareholder Holdcos ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement and each individually is referred to as a “ Major Shareholder Holdco ”.

Memorandum and Articles ” means the Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association of the Company and the Amended and Restated Articles of Association of the Company, each in the form attached as Exhibit B to the Share Purchase Agreement.

Nanjing Daqo ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

New Securities ” means, subject to the terms of Section 4.3 hereof, any Equity Securities of the Company, except for (i) any Ordinary Shares, or any option or warrant to acquire any Ordinary Shares, issued to employees, officers, consultants or directors of the Company pursuant to the Share Incentive Plan or a stock option plan, stock purchase plan, or other equity incentive plan duly approved pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof; (ii) Equity Securities of the Company issued upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares; (iii) Equity Securities of the Company issued in an initial public offering of the Ordinary Shares; or (iv) Equity Securities of the Company issued in connection with any share split, share dividend, combination, or similar transaction of the Company duly approved pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof.

Non-Exercising Shareholder ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.

Offered Shares ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(i) hereof.

Ordinary Directors ” means the directors on the Board designated or to be designated by the Ordinary Shareholders pursuant to Section 2.1(i) hereof.

“Ordinary Share Equivalents ” means warrants, options and rights exercisable for Ordinary Shares and instruments convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares, including, without limitation, the Series A Preferred Shares.

 

-4-


Ordinary Shareholders ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Ordinary Shares ” means the Company’s ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share.

Other Beneficial Owners ” have the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Other Ordinary Shareholders ” have the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Party ” or “ Parties ” have the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Person ” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, proprietorship, association, limited liability company, firm, trust, estate or other enterprise or entity.

PFIC ” means passive foreign investment company as defined section 1297 in the Code.

PFIC Shareholder ” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.3 hereof.

PRC ” means the People’s Republic of China, but solely for the purposes of this Agreement, excluding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region and the islands of Taiwan.

Preemptive Right ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1 hereof.

Preferred Shareholders ” means the holders of Series A Preferred Shares.

Preferred Shareholder Majority ” means one or more Preferred Shareholders who hold more than fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding Series A Preferred Shares.

Preferred Shareholder’s Option Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(iii)(a) hereof.

Qualified Exchange ” means the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Market System or the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Qualified IPO ” means the closing of the first firm commitment fully underwritten public offering of Ordinary Shares or securities representing such Ordinary Shares of the Company (i) with gross proceeds to the Company of at least US$80 million and that reflects a pre-money market valuation (based on the price per share offered to the public in the offering) of the Company of at least US$275 million and that results in such securities being listed on a Qualified Exchange, or (ii) otherwise approved by the Board, including the affirmative votes of both Series A Directors.

Related Party ” means an officer, director or employee of any Group Company or any “affiliate” or “associate” (as those terms are defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) of any of them.

 

-5-


Relative ” means a husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, or spouse of any of these, or a person living in the same household with an individual.

Remaining Securities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.

SAFE ” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3 hereof.

Second Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(ii) hereof.

Securities Act ” has the meaning set forth in Schedule III hereof.

Selling Shareholder ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3(i) hereof.

Series A Directors ” means the director(s) on the Board designated or to be designated by the Lead Investors pursuant to Section 2.1(i) hereof.

Series A Preferred Shares ” means the Series A Preferred Shares of the Company, par value US$0.0001 per share, with the rights and privileges as set forth in the Memorandum and Articles.

Share Incentive Plan ” means the Company’s 2009 share incentive plan adopted in August 2009, as such plan may be amended and restated from time to time.

Share Purchase Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Shares ” means the Ordinary Shares and the Series A Preferred Shares.

Shareholders ” means the Ordinary Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders, and “ Shareholder ” means any one of them.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any Person of which the specified Person, directly or indirectly, owns or Controls more than fifty percent (50%) of the issued and outstanding authorized share capital, voting interests or registered capital.

Third Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(iii)(c) hereof.

Third Party Purchaser ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(i) hereof.

Transfer ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(i) hereof.

Transfer Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(i) hereof.

Transferor ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(i) hereof.

U.S. ” means the United States of America.

U.S. Person ” or “ United States Person ” means any person described in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

WFOE ” means each of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo and “ WFOEs ” means both of the foregoing entities collectively.

 

-6-


2. Corporate Governance .

2.1 Board of Directors.

(i) From and after the date hereof and prior to the consummation of the Qualified IPO, the Company shall have a Board consisting of no more than seven (7) directors. For so long as a Lead Investor, together with its Affiliates, holds in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares, such Lead Investor shall have the right to designate one (1) director on the Board at any time prior to the first (1 st ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO. During the period commencing on the first (1 st ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO and terminating on the third (3 rd ) anniversary of the Qualified IPO, the Lead Investors shall have the right to jointly designate one (1) director on the Board, for so long as such Lead Investors, together with their respective Affiliates, hold in aggregate at least five percent (5%) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares. For so long as the Qualified IPO has not been consummated, holders of Ordinary Shares representing a majority of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares shall have the right to designate five (5) directors on the Board.

(ii) At each election of the directors of the Board, each Party shall vote at any meeting of members, such number of Shares held by such Party as may be necessary, or in lieu of any such meeting, shall give such holder’s written consent, as the case may be, with respect to such number of Shares held by such Party to keep the size of the Board at seven (7) directors and in addition (a) as may be necessary to cause the election or re-election as members of the Board, and during such period to continue in office, each of the individuals designated pursuant to this Section 2.1 and (b) against any nominees not designated pursuant to this Section 2.1 . The Series A Directors shall initially be Fumin Zhuo and Greg W. Ye. The Ordinary Directors shall initially be Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge, Dafeng Shi and Gongda Yao.

(iii) Any Person or group of Persons entitled to designate any individual to be elected as a director of the Board pursuant to this Section 2.1 shall have the right to remove any such director occupying such position and to fill any vacancy caused by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of any director occupying such position. Each Party that is a Shareholder agrees to always vote such Party’s respective Shares in support of the principle that a director to the Board designated pursuant to this Section 2.1 shall be removed from the Board with or without cause only upon the vote or written consent of the shareholders entitled to designate such director pursuant to Section 2.1 , and each such holder further agrees not to seek, vote for or otherwise effect the removal with or without cause of any such director without such vote or written consent. If a vacancy is created on the Board at any time by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of any director designated pursuant to Section 2.1 , the replacement to fill such vacancy shall be designated in the same manner, in accordance with Section 2.1 , as the director whose seat was vacated.

(iv) Any director not elected in the manner provided in sub-paragraphs (i) , (ii) , or (iii)  shall be elected by the members at a general meeting, with holders of Series A Preferred Shares and Ordinary Shares voting together on an as-converted basis and not as separate classes.

2.2 Alternates. Subject to applicable Law, each Series A Director shall be entitled to appoint an alternate to serve at any Board meeting, and such alternate shall be permitted to attend all Board meetings and vote on behalf of the director for whom she or he is serving as an alternate.

 

-7-


2.3 D&O Insurance. The Company shall, and the Major Shareholders and the Major Shareholder Holdcos shall cause the Company to, as promptly as practicable and in any event prior to any initial public offering of the Ordinary Shares, purchase, and thereafter shall maintain, directors’ and officers’ insurance on terms approved by the Lead Investors, in relation to any person who is or was a director or an officer of the Company, or who at the request of the Company is or was serving as a director or an officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or entity, against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in that capacity. The Memorandum and Articles shall at all times provide that the Company shall indemnify the members of the Board to the maximum extent permitted by the Law of the jurisdiction in which the Company is organized.

2.4 Board Meetings. The Company shall hold no less than one (1) Board meeting during each fiscal quarter. The Company shall promptly reimburse each member of the Board of Directors that participates in or attends Board and/or committee meetings for all reasonable, documented expenses incurred in connection with such participation or attendance, including without limitation round-trip travel and lodging and/or long-distance telephone charges. The Series A Directors shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for all reasonable expenses incurred in their service as directors.

2.5 Boards of Other Group Companies. At the request of the Lead Investors, the number of directors on the board of any Group Company (other than the Company) shall be constituted in the same manner as the Board, and the provisions in Section 2.1 , 2.2 and 2.4 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the board of directors of each Group Company subject to applicable law. Each Group Company and each Major Shareholder shall take all steps required to give effect to the first sentence of this Section 2.5 .

2.6 Additional Covenants. Each Group Company and each of the Major Shareholders shall ensure that the rights granted hereunder are effective and that the Parties hereto enjoy the benefits thereof. Such actions include, without limitation, the use of the Company’s best efforts to cause the nomination and election of the directors as provided above. No Group Company shall, and the Major Shareholders shall cause each Group Company not to, by any voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms to be performed hereunder by the Group Companies and the Major Shareholders, and each Group Company shall, and the Major Shareholders shall cause the Group Companies to, at all times in good faith take action as appropriate in the carrying out of all of the provisions of this Agreement. Each Ordinary Shareholder agrees that it shall not enter into any other agreements or arrangements of any kind with respect to the voting of any Shares or deposit any Shares in a voting trust or other similar arrangement.

2.7 Termination . Except Section 2.1 , which shall survive the Qualified IPO, this Section 2 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of the Qualified IPO.

3. Protective Provisions.

3.1 Preferred Shareholder Majority Approval Required. In addition to any other rights provided by law and the Memorandum and Articles, as for so long as any Series A Preferred Share remains outstanding, each Group Company shall not, and each Major Shareholder shall cause each Group Company not to, take any of the following actions without obtaining the prior written consent of the Preferred Shareholder Majority:

(i) any amendment, alteration, or repeal of any provision of the constitutional documents thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

 

-8-


(ii) any increase in the authorized share capital thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

(iii) any authorization or designation of any new class or series of shares or any other Equity Securities thereof;

(iv) any redemption or repurchase of the Equity Securities thereof (except redemption or repurchase pursuant to the Share Incentive Plan or any other share incentive plan duly adopted pursuant to subsection (viii) hereof);

(v) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets thereof, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise;

(vi) any action that results in the payment or declaration of a dividend or other distribution thereby;

(vii) any voluntary dissolution or liquidation thereof or any reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding equity thereof (in the case of reclassification or recapitalization, except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

(viii) the adoption or a change in the terms of any bonus or profit sharing scheme or any employee share option or share participation scheme or plan;

(ix) any increase or decrease of the authorized number of members of the board of directors thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

(x) the issuance of any Equity Securities thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

(xi) the undertaking of any voluntary dissolution or liquidation thereof or any reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding equity capital thereof (except as may be appropriate or necessary to consummate a Qualified IPO);

(xii) the disposal of the whole or substantial part of the intellectual property, goodwill or assets thereof;

(xiii) any initial public offering other than a Qualified IPO; and

(xiv) authorization, agreement or undertaking to do any of the foregoing.

3.2 Series A Directors Approval Required. In addition to any other rights provided by law and the Memorandum and Articles, as for so long as the Lead Investor(s) have the right to appoint any Series A Director on the Board and as long as any Series A Preferred Share remains outstanding, each Group Company shall not, and each Major Shareholder shall cause each Group Company not to, take any of the following actions without obtaining the prior written consent of all Series A Directors:

(i) hire, dismiss or make any significant change in the responsibilities of Key Employees;

 

-9-


(ii) borrow any money or obtain any financial facilities in excess of the amounts over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

(iii) create, allow to arise or issue any debenture constituting a pledge, lien, or charge on all or any of the assets or rights (including intellectual property rights) thereof in the transaction value over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

(iv) license or otherwise transfer any of material patents, copyrights, trademarks or other intellectual property thereof other than in the ordinary course of business;

(v) purchase or lease any real property in the transaction value over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

(vi) acquire any investment or incur any commitment in excess of the amounts over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof;

(vii) adopt the annual business plan thereof or make any substantial change in the such business plan;

(viii) approve quarterly and annual budgets therefor and deviations in excess of 25 percent therefrom;

(ix) appoint or change the auditors;

(x) establish any new subsidiary or joint venture;

(xi) make any material amendment of the accounting policies or any change to the financial year thereof;

(xii) enter into, terminate or make any change to agreements with any Related Party or another Group Company in an amount over US$1 million other than pursuant to a budget duly approved under subsection (viii) hereof; and

(xiii) authorize, agree or undertake to do any of the foregoing.

3.3 Termination . This Section 3 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of the Qualified IPO.

4. Information and Inspection Rights.

4.1 Delivery of Financial Statements. The Company shall, and each Major Shareholder shall cause the Company to, deliver to each Preferred Shareholder the following documents or reports:

(i) within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, a consolidated income statement and statement of cash flows for the Company for such fiscal year and a consolidated balance sheet for the Company as of the end of

 

-10-


the fiscal year, audited and certified by an internationally reputable firm of independent certified public accountants or any other firm of independent certified public accountants reasonably acceptable to the Lead Investors, all prepared in accordance with the Applicable Accounting Principles;

(ii) within forty five (45) days of the end of each month, a consolidated unaudited income statement and statement of cash flows for such month and a consolidated balance sheet for the Company as of the end of such month, prepared in accordance with the Applicable Accounting Principles consistently applied throughout the period (except for year-end adjustments and except for the absence of notes) and certified by the chief financial officer of the Company;

(iii) within sixty (60) days of the end of each fiscal quarter, a consolidated unaudited income statement and statement of cash flows for such quarter and a consolidated balance sheet for the Company as of the end of such quarter, prepared in accordance with the Applicable Accounting Principles consistently applied throughout the period (except for year-end adjustments and except for the absence of notes) and certified by the chief financial officer of the Company;

(iv) as soon as practicable, but in any event at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of each fiscal year, an annual budget and an business plan for the succeeding fiscal year for the Group Companies, setting forth for each quarter during such succeeding fiscal year projected revenues, profits and operating expenses; and

(v) copies of all documents or other information sent to all other shareholders and any documents filed by the Company with any relevant securities exchange or similar regulatory authority, no later than five (5) Business Days after such documents or information are filed by the Company.

4.2 Inspection. Each Group Company shall, and the Major Shareholders shall cause each Group Company to, permit each Preferred Shareholder, at the Preferred Shareholder’s own expense, during normal business hours following reasonable notice, to visit and inspect the relevant Group Company, its Subsidiaries, any of the properties of the Group Company or its Subsidiaries, and to examine the books of account and records of the Group Company and its Subsidiaries, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Group Company and its Subsidiaries with the directors, officers, management employees, accountants, legal counsel and investment bankers of such entities.

4.3 Termination. This Section 4 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of the initial public offering of the Ordinary Shares or securities representing such Ordinary Shares of the Company.

5. Preemptive Rights.

5.1 General. The Company hereby grants to each Preferred Shareholder a right (the “ Preemptive Right ”) to purchase up to its pro rata share (and any overallotment, as provided in Section 5.3 below) of any New Securities that the Company may, from time to time, propose to sell or issue, in the proportions set forth in this Section 5.1 . Each Preferred Shareholder’s “pro rata share” for the purposes of this Section 5.1 shall be determined according to the aggregate number of Conversion Shares held by such Preferred Shareholder immediately prior to the issuance of the New Securities in relation to the total number of Ordinary Shares and Ordinary Share Equivalents outstanding immediately prior to the issuance of the New Securities.

 

-11-


5.2 Issuance Notice. In the event the Company proposes to undertake an issuance of New Securities, it shall give each Preferred Shareholder written notice (an “ Issuance Notice ”) of such intention, describing (i) the type of New Securities, (ii) the identity of the prospective subscriber, and (iii) the price and the general terms upon which the Company proposes to issue the same. Each of the Preferred Shareholders shall have ten (10) days after the receipt of such notice to agree to purchase up to such Preferred Shareholder’s respective pro rata share of such New Securities (as determined in Section 5.1 above) for the price and upon the terms specified in the notice by giving written notice to the Company and stating therein the quantity of New Securities to be purchased.

5.3 Overallotment. If any Preferred Shareholder fails to exercise its Preemptive Right to purchase its full pro rata share of any New Securities (each, a “ Non-Exercising Shareholder ”), the Company shall, within five (5) days after the expiration of the ten (10) day period described in Section 5.2 above, deliver written notice specifying the aggregate number of unpurchased New Securities that were eligible for purchase by all Non-Exercising Shareholders (the “ Remaining Securities ”) to each Preferred Shareholder that exercised its right to purchase its full pro rata share of the New Securities (each, an “ Exercising Shareholder of Preemptive Rights ”). Each Exercising Shareholder of Preemptive Rights shall have a right of overallotment, and may exercise an additional right to purchase the Remaining Securities by notifying the Company in writing within five (5) days after receipt of the notice by the Company pursuant to the prior sentence of this Section 5.3 ; provided , however , that if the Exercising Shareholders of Preemptive Rights desire to purchase in aggregate more than the number of Remaining Securities, then the Remaining Securities will be allocated to the extent necessary among the Exercising Shareholders of Preemptive Rights in accordance with their relative pro rata shares based on the number of the Remaining Shares such Exercising Shareholders of Preemptive Rights have elected to purchase pursuant to this Section 5.3 .

5.4 Sales by the Company. For a period of ninety (90) days following the expiration of the ten (10) day period as described in Section 5.2 above (or the five (5) day period described in Section 5.3 above, if applicable), the Company may sell any New Securities with respect to which the Preferred Shareholders’ rights under this Section 5 were not exercised, to the purchasers identified in the Issuance Notice and at a price and upon terms not more favorable to the purchasers thereof than specified in the Issuance Notice. In the event the Company has not sold such New Securities within such ninety (90) day period, the Company shall not and the Major Shareholders shall cause the Company to not thereafter issue or sell any New Securities, without first again offering such securities to the Preferred Shareholders in the manner provided in this Section 5 .

5.5 Termination. This Section 5 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of the initial public offering of the Ordinary Shares or securities representing such Ordinary Shares of the Company.

6. Tax Matters.

6.1 Each Group Company shall not, and the Major Shareholders shall cause each Group Company not to, take any action inconsistent with the treatment of the relevant Group Company as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and each Group Company shall not, and the Major Shareholders shall cause each Group Company not to, elect to be treated as an entity other than a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

-12-


6.2 Each Group Company and Major Shareholder shall use their best efforts to arrange the management and business activities of each Group Company in such a way that none of the Group Companies is treated as a resident for tax purposes of or is subject to income tax in a jurisdiction other than the jurisdiction in which it has been organized.

6.3 Each Group Company and Major Shareholder shall use their best efforts to avoid future status of any Group Company as a PFIC. Within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the end of each taxable year of the Company, each Group Company shall, and the Major Shareholders shall cause each Group Company to determine, in consultation with a reputable accounting firm, whether any Group Company was a PFIC in such taxable year (including whether any exception to PFIC status may apply). If any Group Company or Major Shareholder determines that any Group Company was a PFIC in such taxable year (or if a Government Authority or an Investor informs a Group Company that it has so determined), the Group Company or Major Shareholder, as relevant, shall, within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the end of such taxable year, provide the following information to each Investor that is a United States Person and each United States Person that holds either direct or indirect interest in an Investor (“ Indirect US Investor ”) (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a “ PFIC Shareholder ”): (i) all information available to the relevant Group Company as a PFIC Shareholder may request to permit such PFIC Shareholder to (a) accurately and timely prepare its U.S. tax returns and comply with any other reporting requirements, if any, arising from its investment in the Group Company and relating to the relevant Group Company’s classification as a PFIC and (b) make any election (including, without limitation, a “qualified electing fund” election under Section 1295 of the Code), with respect to the relevant Group Company; and (ii) a completed “PFIC Annual Information Statement” as described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.1295-1(g). A Group Company shall be required to provide the information described above to an Indirect US Investor only if an Investor requests in writing that the Group Company provide such information to such Indirect US Investor and furnishes the Group Company with written identifying information (such as name, address, and other identifying information) about the Indirect US Investor.

6.4 Each Party that is a shareholder of any Group Company (except for the Investors) represents (i) that it is not a United States Person, and (ii) that it is not owned, wholly or in part, directly or indirectly, by any United States Person. Each Party that is a shareholder of any Group Company (other than the Investors) shall provide prompt written notice to the relevant Group Company, and the Group Company shall in turn provide prompt written notice to each of other Parties that is a shareholder, of any subsequent change in United States Person status in their shareholders. Each Group Company represents that, other than the Investors, it does not have any direct or indirect shareholders that are United States Persons. Within 120 days from the end of each taxable year, each Group Company shall determine, in consultation with a reputable accounting firm, whether it is a CFC. Each Group Company shall provide to any Investors upon request (i) any information in its possession concerning its shareholders and, to the Group Company’s actual knowledge, the direct and indirect interest holders in each shareholder, sufficient for the Investor to determine whether or not such Group Company is a CFC; and (ii) in the event any Group Company is determined to be a CFC, any information reasonably requested by the Investor in connection with complying with applicable reporting requirements for U.S. tax purposes. The Major Shareholders and all Group Companies shall use their best efforts to avoid generating for any taxable year in which any Group Company is a CFC, income that would be includible in the income of the Investors (or any Indirect US Investor) pursuant to Section 951 of the Code.

 

-13-


6.5 The Company shall comply, and the Major Shareholders shall cause all Group Companies to comply, with all record-keeping, reporting, and other requirements that the Investors inform the Company are necessary to enable the Investors to comply with any applicable U.S. tax rules. The Company shall, and the Major Shareholders shall cause all Group Companies to, also provide each Investor with any information reasonably requested by such Investor to enable the Investor to comply with any applicable U.S. tax rules.

6.6 The cost incurred by any Group Company in providing the information that it is required to provide, or is required to cause to be provided, and the cost incurred by the Group Company in taking the action, or causing the action to be taken, as described in this Section 5.5 shall be borne by the relevant Group Company.

6.7 Termination. This Section 6 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of a Qualified IPO.

7. Share Transfer Rights and Restrictions

7.1 Prohibition on Transfer of Shares .

(i) Ordinary Shareholders. Subject to the provisions in Sections 7.2 , 7.3 , and 7.4 of this Agreement, no Party that is an Ordinary Shareholder, regardless of such Ordinary Shareholder’s employment status with the Company, shall directly or indirectly sell, assign, transfer, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber or dispose of in any way (“ Transfer ”) all or any part of any interest in any Equity Securities of the Company now or hereafter owned or held by such Ordinary Shareholder.

(ii) Prohibited Transfers Void. Any Transfer of Equity Securities of the Company by a Party that is an Ordinary Shareholder not made in compliance with this Agreement shall be null and void as against the Company, shall not be recorded on the books of the Company and shall not be recognized by the Company.

(iii) No Indirect Transfers. Each of the Major Shareholders and Other Beneficial Owners agrees that any Transfer, sale or issuance of any Holdco Equity Securities or any interest therein shall be deemed to be an indirect Transfer of Equity Securities of the Company and therefore is subject to all of the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to Transfers set forth in this Agreement. Furthermore, the Major Shareholders and Other Beneficial Owners shall not make, cause or permit any Transfer, sale or issuance of any Holdco Equity Securities or any interest therein without first complying with all of the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to a Transfer of Equity Securities of the Company pursuant to this Agreement, and any purported Transfer, sale or issuance of any Holdco Equity Securities or any interest therein in contravention of this Agreement shall be void and ineffective for any and all purposes and shall not confer on any transferee or purported transferee any rights whatsoever, and no Ordinary Shareholder shall recognize any such Transfer, sale or issuance.

 

-14-


7.2 Rights of First Refusal .

(i) Transfer Notice. If any Party that is an Ordinary Shareholder proposes to sell any Equity Securities of the Company (such holder, a “ Transferor ”) to one or more third parties that are not Affiliates of such Transferor or otherwise related to such Transferor through common ownership or Control (the “ Third Party Purchaser ”), other than in connection with and as part of an initial public offering of the Ordinary Shares of the Company, then the Transferor shall give the Company and each Preferred Shareholder written notice of the Transferor’s intention to make the Transfer (the “ Transfer Notice ”), which shall include (i) a description of the Equity Securities of the Company to be transferred (the “ Offered Shares ”), (ii) the identity of the Third Party Purchaser(s) and (iii) the consideration and the material terms and conditions upon which the proposed Transfer is to be made. The Transfer Notice shall certify that the Transferor has received a definitive offer from the Third Party Purchaser and in good faith believes a binding agreement for the Transfer is obtainable on the terms set forth in the Transfer Notice. The Transfer Notice shall also include a copy of any written proposal, term sheet or letter of intent or other agreement relating to the proposed Transfer.

(ii) Company’s Option. The Company shall have an option for a period of ten (10) days following its receipt of the Transfer Notice (the “ Company’s Option Period ”) to elect to purchase all or a portion of the Offered Shares at the same price and subject to the same material terms and conditions as described in the Transfer Notice, by notifying the Transferor and each Shareholder in writing before the expiration of the Company’s Option Period as to the number of such Offered Shares that it wishes to purchase. Within ten (10) days after expiration of the Company’s Option Period, the Transferor shall deliver written notice to each of the other Shareholders (the “ Second Notice ”) setting forth the number of Offered Shares, if any, which the Company has not elected to purchase.

(iii) Preferred Shareholders’ Option.

(a) Each Preferred Shareholder shall have an option for a period of ten (10) days following receipt of the Second Notice (the “ Preferred Shareholder’s Option Period ”) to elect to purchase all or any portion of its respective pro rata share of the Offered Shares set out in the Second Notice at the same price and subject to the same material terms and conditions as described in the Transfer Notice, by notifying the Transferor and the Company in writing before expiration of the Preferred Shareholder’s Option Period as to the number of such Offered Shares that it wishes to purchase.

(b) For the purposes of this Section 7.2(iii) , each such Preferred Shareholder’s “pro rata share” of the Offered Shares shall be equal to (A) the total number of Offered Shares which the Company has not elected to purchase pursuant to Section 7.2(ii) , multiplied by (B) a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the aggregate number of Conversion Shares held by such Preferred Shareholder on the date of the Transfer Notice and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Conversion Shares held by all Preferred Shareholders on such date.

(c) If any such Preferred Shareholder fails to exercise its right to purchase its full pro rata share of the available Offered Shares, the Transferor shall deliver written notice (the “ Third Notice ”) within five (5) days after the expiration of the Preferred Shareholder’s Option Period to the Company and each Preferred Shareholder that elected to purchase its entire pro rata share of the Offered Shares (an “ Exercising Shareholder of Right of First Refusal ”). The Exercising Shareholders of Right of First Refusal shall have a right of re-allotment, and may exercise an additional right to purchase such unpurchased Offered Shares by notifying the

 

-15-


Transferor and the Company in writing within ten (10) days after receipt of the Third Notice; provided , however , that if the Exercising Shareholders of Right of First Refusal desire to purchase in aggregate more than the number of such unpurchased Offered Shares, then such unpurchased Offered Shares will be allocated to the extent necessary among the Exercising Shareholders of Right of First Refusal in accordance with their relative pro rata shares based on the number of the unpurchased Offered Shares such Exercising Shareholders of Right of First Refusal have elected to purchase pursuant to this Section 7.2(iii)(c) .

(d) Subject to applicable securities Laws, each such Preferred Shareholder shall be entitled to apportion Offered Shares to be purchased among its Affiliates, provided that such Preferred Shareholder notifies the Company and the Transferor in writing.

(iv) Procedure . If the Company and/or any Preferred Shareholder gives the Transferor notice that it desires to purchase Offered Shares, and, as the case may be, its re-allotment, then payment for the Offered Shares to be purchased shall be by wire transfer in immediately available funds of the appropriate currency, against delivery of such Offered Shares to be purchased, at a place agreed to by the Transferor, the Company and all the participating Preferred Shareholders and at the time of the scheduled closing therefor, no later than sixty (60) days after the Company’s receipt of the Transfer Notice, unless such notice contemplated a later closing with the Third Party Purchaser or unless the value of the purchase price has not yet been established pursuant to Section 7.2(v) . The Transferor shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any Transfer Notice and any intent to transfer Offered Shares at any time, whether or not the Company and/or any Preferred Shareholder has elected to purchase under this Section 7.2 any Offered Shares offered thereby.

(v) Valuation of Property.

(a) Should the purchase price specified in the Transfer Notice be payable in property other than cash or evidences of indebtedness, the Company and the Preferred Shareholders shall have the right to pay the purchase price in the form of cash equal in amount to the fair market value of such property.

(b) If the Transferor, the Company and the Preferred Shareholders cannot agree on such cash value within the Preferred Shareholder’s Option Period, the valuation shall be made by an appraiser of internationally recognized standing jointly selected by the Transferor, the Company (if the Company has elected to purchase any Offered Shares) and the Preferred Shareholders that have elected to purchase a majority of the Offered Shares elected to be purchased by the Preferred Shareholders (if any Preferred Shareholders have elected to purchase any Offered Shares) or, if they cannot agree on an appraiser within the Company’s Option Period (or the Preferred Shareholder’s Option Period if the Company does not elect to purchase all Offered Shares), each shall select an appraiser of internationally recognized standing and the two appraisers shall designate a third appraiser of internationally recognized standing, whose appraisal shall be determinative of such value.

(c) The cost of such appraisal shall be shared equally by the Transferor, on the one hand, and the Company and the participating Preferred Shareholders, on the other hand, with the portion of the cost borne by the Company and the Preferred Shareholders to be borne pro rata by the Company and each participating Preferred Shareholder based on the number of Offered Shares such Party has elected to purchase pursuant to this Section 7.2

 

-16-


(d) If the value of the purchase price in the Transfer Notice is not determined within the sixty (60) day period specified in Section 7.2(iv) above, the closing of the purchase of Offered Shares by the Company and/or Preferred Shareholders shall be held on or prior to the fifth (5 th ) business day after such valuation shall have been made pursuant to this Section 7.2(v) .

7.3 Right of Co-Sale .

(i) To the extent the Company and the Preferred Shareholders do not exercise their respective rights of first refusal as to all of the Equity Securities of the Company proposed to be sold by any Transferor pursuant to Section 7.2 , each Preferred Shareholder that did not exercise its right of first refusal pursuant to Section 7.2 with respect to such Offered Shares shall have the right to participate in such sale of Equity Securities on the same terms and conditions as specified in the Transfer Notice (but in no event less favorable to the Transferor) by notifying the Transferor in writing within ten (10) days after the expiration of the last applicable notice period set forth in Section 7.2(iii) (such Preferred Shareholder a “ Selling Shareholder ”). Such Selling Shareholder’s notice to the Transferor shall indicate the number of Equity Securities the Selling Shareholder wishes to sell under its right to participate. To the extent one or more Preferred Shareholders exercise such right of participation in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth below, the number of Equity Securities of the Company that the Transferor may sell in the Transfer shall be correspondingly reduced proportionally.

(ii) The total number of Equity Securities of the Company that each Selling Shareholder may elect to sell shall be equal to the product of (i) the aggregate number of the Offered Shares being transferred following the exercise or expiration of all rights of first refusal pursuant to Section 7.2 hereof, multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Ordinary Shares (assuming the exercise, conversion and exchange of any Ordinary Shares Equivalents) owned by such Selling Shareholder on the date of the Transfer Notice and the denominator of which is the total number of Ordinary Shares (assuming the exercise, conversion and exchange of any Ordinary Shares Equivalents) owned by the Transferor and all Selling Shareholders on the date of the Transfer Notice.

(iii) Each Selling Shareholder shall effect its participation in the sale by promptly delivering to the Transferor for transfer to the Third Party Purchaser one or more certificates, properly endorsed for transfer, which represent the type and number of Equity Securities of the Company which such Selling Shareholder elects to sell; provided , however that if the Third Party Purchaser objects to the delivery of Equity Securities in lieu of Ordinary Shares, such Selling Shareholder shall only deliver Ordinary Shares (and therefore shall convert any such Equity Securities into Ordinary Shares) and certificates corresponding to such Ordinary Shares. The Company agrees to make any such conversion concurrent with the actual transfer of such shares to the purchaser and contingent on such transfer.

(iv) The share certificate or certificates that a Selling Shareholder delivers to the Transferor pursuant to this Section 6.3(iv) shall be transferred to the Third Party Purchaser in consummation of the sale of the Equity Securities pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in the Transfer Notice, and the Transferor shall concurrently therewith remit to such Selling Shareholder that portion of the sale proceeds to which such Selling Shareholder is entitled by reason of its participation in such sale.

(v) To the extent that any Third Party Purchaser prohibits the participation of a Selling Shareholder exercising its co-sale rights hereunder in a proposed Transfer or otherwise refuses to purchase shares or other securities from a Selling Shareholder exercising its

 

-17-


co-sale rights hereunder, the Transferor shall not sell to such Third Party Purchaser any Equity Securities unless and until, simultaneously with such sale, the Transferor shall purchase from such Selling Shareholder such shares or other securities that such Selling Shareholder would otherwise be entitled to sell to the Third Party Purchaser pursuant to its co-sale rights for the same consideration and on the same terms and conditions as the proposed transfer described in the Transfer Notice.

7.4 Non-Exercise of Rights.

(i) To the extent that the Company and the Preferred Shareholders have not exercised their rights to purchase all Offered Shares within the time periods specified in Section 7.2 , subject to the right of the Preferred Shareholders to exercise their rights to participate in the sale of Offered Shares within the time periods specified in Section 7.3 , the Transferor shall have a period of sixty (60) days from the expiration of such rights specified in Section 7.2 in which to sell the remaining Offered Shares to the Third Party Purchaser identified in the Transfer Notice upon terms and conditions (including the purchase price) no more favorable to the purchaser than those specified in the Transfer Notice, so long as any such sale is effected in accordance with any applicable securities Laws. The Parties agree that the Third Party Purchaser, prior to and as a condition to the consummation of any sale, shall execute and deliver to the Parties documents and other instruments assuming the obligations of such Transferor under this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares, and the transfer shall not be effective and shall not be recognized by any Party until such documents and instruments are so executed and delivered.

(ii) In the event the Transferor does not consummate the sale or disposition of any Offered Shares within sixty (60) days from the expiration of such rights, rights of the Shareholders under Section 7.2 and Section 7.3 , as the case may be, shall be re-invoked and shall be applicable to any subsequent disposition of such Offered Shares by the Transferor until such rights lapse in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(iii) The exercise or non-exercise of the rights of the Shareholders under this Section 7.4 to purchase Equity Securities of the Company from a Transferor or participate in the sale of Equity Securities by a Transferor shall not adversely affect their rights to make subsequent purchases from the Transferor of Equity Securities of the Company or subsequently participate in sales of Equity Securities by the Transferor hereunder.

7.5 Legend. Each existing or replacement certificate for Equity Securities of the Company now owned or hereafter acquired by any Shareholder other than a Preferred Shareholder shall bear the following legend:

“THE SALE, PLEDGE, HYPOTHECATION, ASSIGNMENT OR TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF A INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT BY AND AMONG THE SHAREHOLDER, THE COMPANY AND CERTAIN HOLDERS OF SHARES OF THE COMPANY. COPIES OF SUCH AGREEMENT MAY BE OBTAINED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE COMPANY.”

7.6 Termination. This Section 7 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of the initial public offering of the Ordinary Shares of the Company.

 

-18-


8. Additional Agreements; Other Covenants.

8.1 Registration Rights.

The Company hereby grants to the Shareholders such registration rights as set forth on Schedule III .

8.2 Compliance. Each Group Company shall, and each Major Shareholder shall cause each Group Company to, use its best efforts to cause any direct or indirect subsidiary or entity Controlled by the Company, including without limitation the Group Companies, whether now in existence or formed in the future, to comply in all material respects with all applicable Laws.

8.3 PRC Matters . Each Ordinary Shareholder, Major Shareholder and Other Beneficial Owner who is or becomes a “Domestic Resident” as defined in Circular 75 issued by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“ SAFE ”) on October 21, 2005 (as supplemented by implementing rules and regulations, including without limitation the implementing rule issued by SAFE on May 31, 2007 and known as Notice 106, and by any successor rule or regulation under PRC law, including but not limited to any rule or regulation interpreting or setting forth provisions for implementation of any of the foregoing, “ Circular 75 ”) shall use its best efforts to comply with, and the Group Companies shall use their best efforts to cause such Ordinary Shareholder, Major Shareholder or Other Beneficial Owner to comply with, any applicable reporting and registration requirements under Circular 75 and any other applicable SAFE rules and regulations in respect of shares of the Company held or beneficially owned by such Ordinary Shareholder, Major Shareholder or Other Beneficial Owner.

8.4 Memorandum and Articles. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between any of the terms of this Agreement and any of the terms of the Memorandum and Articles, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail in all respects except as against the Company, the Parties (except for the Company) shall give full effect to and act in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement over the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles, and the Parties hereto (except for the Company) shall exercise all voting and other rights and powers (including to procure any required alteration to the Memorandum and Articles to resolve such conflict or inconsistency) to make the provisions of this Agreement effective.

8.5 Confidentiality. Each Party acknowledges that the information received by it pursuant to this Agreement may be confidential and for its use only, and it will not reproduce, disclose or disseminate such information to any other person (other than its employees or agents having a need to know the contents of such information, and its attorneys), except in connection with the exercise of rights under this Agreement, unless the Company has made such information available to the public generally or applicable law requires such disclosure. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Party may disclose such information to its current or bona fide prospective investors, employees, investment bankers, lenders, partners, accountants and attorneys, in each case only where such persons or entities are under appropriate nondisclosure obligations.

8.6 Qualified IPO. Subject to applicable Laws, each of the Company, the Ordinary Shareholders and the Major Shareholders shall use their best efforts to effectuate the closing of a Qualified IPO as soon as practicable.

 

-19-


8.7 Incorporation by Reference . Article 7A of the Memorandum and Articles are hereby incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if repeated in their entirety herein. Any breach of such articles by the Company or any Shareholder shall be deemed to be a breach of this Agreement. The Company shall, and each Major Shareholder, Other Beneficial Owner and Ordinary Shareholder shall cause the Company to, abide by, and take all actions necessary to achieve the economic effect of, all of its obligations under the Memorandum and Articles, including, but not limited to, the provisions related to the conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares, the adjustment to the conversion prices of the Series A Preferred Shares, the declaration and payment of dividends, the winding up of the Company and payment of liquidation preferences on the Series A Preferred Shares and the redemption of the Series A Preferred Shares.

8.8 Investors’ Lockup . Without the prior written consent of the Company, the Investors will not, at any time prior to the first anniversary of the Closing, offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Equity Securities held by such Investors; provided, however, that such Investors may transfer its Equity Securities to an Affiliate of such Investor if such Affiliates shall sign and deliver an agreement in which such Affiliate covenants to comply with the forgoing transfer restrictions.

8.9 Termination . Except Sections 8.1 and 8.8 . which shall survive the Qualified IPO, this Section 8 shall terminate and cease to have any effect upon the consummation of the Qualified IPO.

9. Miscellaneous.

9.1 Further Assurances. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein, each of the Parties hereto agrees to use its best efforts to take or cause to be taken all action, to do or cause to be done, to execute such further instruments, and to assist and cooperate with the other Parties hereto in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws or otherwise to consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and, to the extent reasonably requested by another Party, to enforce rights and obligations pursuant hereto.

9.2 Assignments and Transfers; No Third Party Beneficiaries. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement and the rights and obligations of the Parties hereunder shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, their respective successors, assigns and legal representatives, but shall not otherwise be for the benefit of any third party. The rights of any Investor hereunder (including, without limitation, registration rights) are assignable in connection with the transfer (subject to applicable securities Laws and other Laws) of Equity Securities of the Company held by such Investor but only to the extent of such transfer, and any such transferee shall execute and deliver to the Company and the other parties hereto a deed of adherence in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A becoming a party hereto as an “Investor” subject to the terms and conditions hereof. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of any party hereunder shall not otherwise be assigned without the mutual written consent of the other Parties; provided that each Investor may assign its rights and obligations to an Affiliate of such Investor without consent of the other parties under this Agreement.

9.3 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the Laws of New York, the United States, without regard to principles of conflict of laws thereunder.

 

-20-


9.4 Dispute Resolution.

(i) Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of, in connection with or relating to this Agreement, including the interpretation, validity, invalidity, breach or termination thereof, shall be settled by arbitration.

(ii) The arbitration shall be conducted in Hong Kong under the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Administered Arbitration Rules in force when the notice of arbitration is submitted in accordance with the said Rules. The number of arbitrators shall be three. The arbitration shall be conducted in the English language.

(iii) Each party shall cooperate with the other in making full disclosure of and providing complete access to all information and documents requested by the other in connection with such arbitration proceedings, subject only to any doctrine of legal privilege or any confidentiality obligations binding on such party.

(iv) The costs of arbitration shall be borne by the losing party, unless otherwise determined by the arbitration tribunal.

(v) When any dispute occurs and when any dispute is under arbitration, except for the matters in dispute, the parties shall continue to fulfill their respective obligations and shall be entitled to exercise their rights under this Agreement.

(vi) The award of the arbitration tribunal shall be final and binding upon the parties, and the prevailing party may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for enforcement of such award.

(vii) Regardless of anything else contained herein, either party shall be entitled to seek preliminary injunctive relief from any court of competent jurisdiction pending the conclusion of the arbitration.

(viii) In order to facilitate the comprehensive resolution of related disputes, and upon request of any Party to the arbitration proceeding, the arbitration tribunal may consolidate the arbitration proceeding with any other arbitration proceeding(s) involving any of the Parties relating to this Agreement, the Share Purchase Agreement, or any other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreement). The arbitration tribunal shall not consolidate such arbitrations unless it determines that (i) there are issues of fact or law common to the two proceedings so that a consolidated proceeding would be more efficient than separate proceedings, and (ii) no party would be prejudiced as a result of such consolidation through undue delay or otherwise. In the event of different rulings on this question by the arbitration tribunal constituted hereunder and the tribunal(s) constituted under any of the Transaction Agreements (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreement), the ruling of the tribunal constituted under the Share Purchase Agreement shall prevail.

9.5 Notices. Any notice required or permitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be given either personally or by sending it by next-day or second-day courier service, fax, electronic mail or similar means to the address as shown below the signature of such party on Schedule IV (or at such other address as such party may designate by fifteen (15) days’ advance written notice to the other parties to this Agreement given in accordance with this Section 9.5 ). Where a notice is given personally, delivery shall be deemed to have been effected on receipt (or when delivery is refused). Where a notice is sent by next-day or

 

-21-


second-day courier service, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and sending by next-day or second-day service through an internationally-recognized courier a letter containing the notice, with a confirmation of delivery, and to have been effected on receipt (or when delivery is refused). Where a notice is sent by fax or electronic mail, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, and sending such notice through a transmitting organization, with a written confirmation of delivery, and to have been effected on the day the same is sent as aforesaid if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, otherwise on the next Business Day.

9.6 Rights Cumulative. Except as expressly provided herein, each and all of the various rights, powers and remedies of a Party hereto will be considered to be cumulative with and in addition to any other rights, powers and remedies which such Party may have at law or in equity in the event of the breach of any of the terms of this Agreement. The exercise or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy will neither constitute the exclusive election thereof nor the waiver of any other right, power or remedy available to such Party.

9.7 Successor Indemnification. If the Company or any of its successors or assignees consolidates with or merges into any other Person and is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, then to the extent necessary, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assignees of the Company assume the obligations of the Company with respect to indemnification of members of the Board of Directors as in effect immediately before such transaction, whether such obligations are contained in the Memorandum and Articles, or elsewhere, as the case may be.

9.8 Severability. In case any provision of the Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. If, however, any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable under any such applicable Law in any jurisdiction, it shall, as to such jurisdiction, be deemed modified to conform to the minimum requirements of such Law, or, if for any reason it is not deemed so modified, it shall be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable only to the extent of such invalidity, illegality, or limitation on enforceability without affecting the remaining provisions of this Agreement, or the validity, legality, or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

9.9 Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of each of (i) the Company, (ii) the Major Shareholders, and (iii) both Lead Investors, provided that any amendment or waiver that would adversely affect the rights of any Investor in a manner disproportionate to any adverse effect such amendment or waiver would have on the rights of the other Investors shall require such Investor’s written consent. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this paragraph shall be binding upon each of the Parties hereto.

9.10 No Waiver. Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants, or conditions hereof will not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant, or condition, nor will any waiver or relinquishment of, or failure to insist upon strict compliance with, any right, power or remedy hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right, power or remedy at any other time or times.

 

-22-


9.11 Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise any right, power or remedy accruing to any Party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other Party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power or remedy of such non-breaching or non-defaulting Party nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach or default, or an acquiescence therein, or of or in any similar breach or default thereafter occurring; nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. Any waiver, permit, consent or approval of any kind or character on the part of any Party of any breach or default under this Agreement, or any waiver on the part of any Party of any provisions or conditions of this Agreement, must be in writing and shall be effective only to the extent specifically set forth in such writing. All remedies, either under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any Party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

9.12 No Presumption. The Parties acknowledge that each Party has been represented by counsel in connection with this Agreement. Accordingly, any rule of law or any legal decision that would require interpretation of any claimed ambiguities in this Agreement against the Party that drafted it has no application and is expressly waived. If any claim is made by a Party relating to any conflict, omission or ambiguity in the provisions of this Agreement, no presumption or burden of proof or persuasion will be implied because this Agreement was prepared by or at the request of any Party or its counsel.

9.13 Headings and Subtitles; Interpretation. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement. Unless a provision hereof expressly provides otherwise: (i) the term “or” is not exclusive; (ii) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the plural include the singular; (iii) the terms “herein”, “hereof”, and other similar words refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section, subsection, paragraph, clause, or other subdivision; (iv) the term “including” will be deemed to be followed by “, but not limited to,”; (v) the masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will each be deemed to include the others; (vi) the terms “shall”, “will”, and “agrees” are mandatory, and the term “may” is permissive; (vii) the term “day” means “calendar day”; and (viii) all references to dollars or to “US$” are to currency of the United States of America (and shall be deemed to include reference to the equivalent amount in other currencies).

9.14 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Facsimile and e-mailed copies of signatures shall be deemed to be originals for purposes of the effectiveness of this Agreement.

9.15 Consent to Specific Performance . The Parties declare that it is impossible to measure in money the damages that would be suffered by a Party by reason of the failure by any other Party to perform any of the obligations hereunder. Therefore, if any Party shall institute any action or proceeding to enforce the provisions hereof, any Party against whom such action or proceeding is brought hereby waives any claim or defense therein that the other Parties have an adequate remedy at law.

9.16 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the Exhibits and Schedules hereto) constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the Parties with regard to the subjects hereof and thereof, and supersedes all other agreements between or among any of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. After the execution and delivery of this Agreement, to the extent that there is any conflict between this Agreement and any provision of any other agreement, arrangement or understanding between the Company and any holder of equity securities of the Company, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall prevail.

 

-23-


9.17 Aggregation of Stock . All Shares held or acquired by any Affiliates shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement.

[ The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank. ]

 

-24-


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

COMPANY:     DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.
    By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

      Name: Gongda Yao
      Title: Chief Executive Officer

OTHER GROUP COMPANIES:

 

    DAQO SOLAR ENERGY NORTH AMERICA
    By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

      Name: Gongda Yao
      Title: Authorized Signatory

 

    CHONGQING DAQO NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.
    By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

      Name: Gongda Yao
      Title: Authorized Signatory


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

NANJING DAQO NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.
By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

  Name: Gongda Yao
  Title: Authorized Signatory
DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.
By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

  Name: Gongda Yao
  Title: Authorized Signatory


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INVESTORS:     GRANITE GLOBAL VENTURES III L.P.
    By: Granite Global Ventures III L.L.C., its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Hany Nada

      Name: Hany Nada
      Title: Managing Director
    GGV III ENTREPRENEURS FUND L.P.
    By: Granite Global Ventures III L.L.C., its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Hany Nada

      Name: Hany Nada
      Title: Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INVESTORS:     VENTURE STAR INVESTMENT (HK) LIMITED
    By:  

/s/ Fumin Zhuo

      Name: Fumin Zhuo
      Title: Chairman


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INVESTORS:     NEWMARGIN GROWTH FUND, L.P.
    By:  

/s/ Greg W. Ye

      Name: Greg W. Ye
      Title: Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INVESTORS:     SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name: Donald P. Spencer
      Title: Managing Director
    SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND (E), LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name: Donald P. Spencer
      Title: Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INVESTORS:     SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND II, LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC II GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name: Donald P. Spencer
      Title: Managing Director
    SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND II (T), LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC II GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name: Donald P. Spencer
      Title: Managing Director
    SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND II (M), LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC II GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name: Donald P. Spencer
      Title: Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS:     Guangfu Xu
   

/s/ Guangfu Xu

    Xiang Xu
   

/s/ Xiang Xu

ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS:     GOLD INTELLECT LIMITED
    By:  

/s/ Guangfu Xu

      Name: Guangfu Xu
      Title: Director
    PLENTY CHINA LIMITED
    By:  

/s/ Xiang Xu

      Name: Xiang Xu
      Title: Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

    RUIAN INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
    By:  

/s/ Fei Ge

      Name: Fei Ge
      Title: Director
    INSTANTUP INVESTMENTS LIMITED
    By:  

/s/ Dafeng Shi

      Name: Dafeng Shi
      Title: Director

OTHER BENEFICIAL OWNERS:

     
    Fei Ge
   

/s/ Fei Ge

    Dafeng Shi
   

/s/ Dafeng Shi


Exhibit A

FORM DEED OF ADHERENCE

THIS DEED OF ADHERENCE is made the              day of

by [    ], (“ New Shareholder ”)

RECITALS

A. On November [    ], 2009, the shareholders of Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “ Company ”) entered into an Investor Rights Agreement (the “ Investor Rights Agreement ”), to which the substantial form of this Deed of Adherence forms Exhibit A .

B. The New Shareholder is the intended transferee of [            ] [Ordinary Shares] [Series A Preferred Shares] of par value US$[            ] each (“ Transferred Shares ”) in the capital of the Company from [            ] (“ Transferor ”) and in accordance with Section 9.2 of the Investor Rights Agreement is executing this Deed.

THIS DEED WITNESSES as follows:

1. Interpretation . Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Deed shall have the meanings given to then in the Investor Rights Agreement.

2. Covenant; Enforceability . The New Shareholder hereby ratifies and accedes to the terms of, agrees to be bound by, and assumes all rights and obligations under the terms and conditions of, the Investor Rights Agreement, as if the New Shareholder had been an original party to the Investor Rights Agreement in the same capacity as the Transferor. The existing shareholders shall be entitled to enforce the Investor Rights Agreement against the New Shareholder.

3. Representation and Warranty . The New Shareholder hereby represents and warrants to the existing shareholders that:

(a) If the New Shareholder is an entity, such New Shareholder is duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation.

(b) The New Shareholder has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Deed and to assume and perform all rights and obligations under the Investor Rights Agreement. Upon their execution, this Deed and the Investor Rights Agreement shall constitute valid and legally binding obligations thereof, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.

(c) The execution, delivery and performance by the New Shareholder of and compliance with the Deed and the Investor Rights Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, will not result in any violation, breach or default, or be in conflict with or constitute, with or without the passage of time or the giving of notice or both, a default under (A) the articles of association or any other such constitutional documents of the New Shareholder, (B) any material contract to which the New Shareholder is a party, (C) any judgment, order, writ or decree or (D) any applicable law.

 

Exhibit A


4. Governing Law. This Adherence Deed shall be governed by and construed in all respects in accordance with the laws of New York, the United States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF this Deed of Adherence has been executed as a deed by the New Shareholder on the date set forth above.

 

[NEW SHAREHOLDER]    )
in the presence of:    )


Schedule I-A

LIST OF MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS

Guangfu Xu, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124194211100512.

Xiang Xu, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124197103030514.

[ The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank ]

 

Schedule I-A


Schedule I-B

LIST OF MAJOR SHAREHOLDER HOLDCOS

Gold Intellect Limited, a company organized and validly existing under the Laws of the British Virgin Islands.

Plenty China Limited, a company organized and validly existing under the Laws of the British Virgin Islands.

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank]

 

Schedule I-B


Schedule I-C

LIST OF OTHER BENEFICIAL OWNERS

Fei Ge, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124196412170532.

Dafeng Shi, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321102197204261014.

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank]

 

Schedule I-C


Schedule I-D

LIST OF OTHER ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS

Ruian International Limited, a company organized and validly existing under the Laws of the British Virgin Islands.

Instantup Investments Limited, a company organized and validly existing under the Laws of the British Virgin Islands.

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank]

 

Schedule I-D


Schedule II

LIST OF INVESTORS

Granite Global Ventures III L.P., a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P., a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited, a company duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of Hong Kong

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the Cayman Islands

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP, a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP, a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP, a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP, a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP, a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank]

 

Schedule II


Schedule III

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

1. Definitions. The following terms used in this Schedule III shall have the meanings ascribed to the below:

Commission ” means (i) with respect to any offering of securities in the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States or any other federal agency at the time administering the Securities Act and (ii) with respect to any offering of securities in a jurisdiction other than the United States, the regulatory body of the jurisdiction with authority to supervise and regulate the offering and sale of securities in that jurisdiction.

Exchange Act ” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Form F-3 ” means Form F-3 promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act or any successor form or substantially similar form then in effect.

Form S-3 ” means Form S-3 promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act or any successor form or substantially similar form then in effect.

Holders ” means the holders of Registrable Securities who are parties to this Agreement from time to time, and their transferees that become parties to this Agreement from time to time.

Initiating Holders ” means, with respect to a request duly made under Section 2.1 or Section 2.2 of this Schedule III to Register any Registrable Securities, the Holders initiating such request.

IPO ” means the first firm underwritten registered public offering by the Company of its Ordinary Shares pursuant to a Registration Statement that is filed with and declared effective by either the Commission under the Securities Act or another Governmental Authority for a public offering in a jurisdiction other than the United States.

Registrable Securities ” means (i) the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares and (ii) any Ordinary Shares of the Company issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange for, or in replacement of, the shares referenced in (i) herein, excluding in all cases, however, any of the foregoing sold by a Person in a transaction other than an assignment pursuant to Section 9.2 of the Investor Rights Agreement.

Registration ” means a registration effected by preparing and filing a Registration Statement and the declaration or ordering of the effectiveness of that Registration Statement; and the terms “ Register ” and “ Registered ” have meanings concomitant with the foregoing.

Registration Statement ” means a registration statement prepared on Form F-1, F-3, S-1, or S-3 under the Securities Act (including, without limitation, Rule 415 under the Securities Act), or on any comparable form in connection with registration in a jurisdiction other than the United States.

 

  Schedule III   1


Securities Act ” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Violation ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(i) of this Schedule III .

Except where the context requires otherwise, capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings set forth in the Section 1 of the Investor Rights Agreement.

2. Demand Registration

2.1 Registration Other Than on Form F-3 or Form S-3. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, at any time or from time to time after the earlier of (i) the second year anniversary of the Effective Date, or (ii) the date that is six (6) months after the closing of the IPO, Holders holding ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding Registrable Securities held by all Holders may request in writing that the Company effect a Registration on any internationally recognized exchange that is reasonably acceptable to such requesting Holders. Upon receipt of such a request, the Company shall (x) promptly give written notice of the proposed Registration to all other Holders and (y) as soon as practicable, use its best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities specified in the request, together with any Registrable Securities of any Holder who requests in writing to join such Registration within fifteen (15) days after the Company’s delivery of written notice, to be Registered and/or qualified for sale and distribution in such jurisdiction as the Initiating Holders may request. The Company shall be obligated to effect no more than three (3) Registrations pursuant to this Section 2.1 that have been declared and ordered effective; provided that if the sale of all of the Registrable Securities sought to be included pursuant to this Section 2.1 is not consummated for any reason other than due to the action or inaction of the Holders including Registrable Securities in such Registration, such Registration shall not be deemed to constitute one of the Registration rights granted pursuant to this Section 2.1 .

2.2 Registration on Form F-3 or Form S-3. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, if the Company qualifies for registration on Form F-3 or Form S-3 (or any comparable form for Registration in a jurisdiction other than the United States), Holders holding ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding Registrable Securities held by all Holders may request the Company to file, in any jurisdiction in which the Company has had a registered underwritten public offering, a Registration Statement on Form F-3 or Form S-3 (or any comparable form for Registration in a jurisdiction other than the United States), including without limitation any registration statement filed under the Securities Act providing for the registration of, and the sale on a continuous or a delayed basis by the Holders of, all of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act and/or any similar rule that may be adopted by the Commission. Upon receipt of such a request, the Company shall (i) promptly give written notice of the proposed Registration to all other Holders and (ii) as soon as practicable, use its best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities specified in the request, together with any Registrable Securities of any Holder who requests in writing to join such Registration within fifteen (15) days after the Company’s delivery of written notice, to be Registered and qualified for sale and distribution in such jurisdiction.

2.3 Right of Deferral.

(i) The Company shall not be obligated to Register or qualify Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2 :

(a) if, within ten (10) days of the receipt of any request of the Holders to Register any Registrable Securities under Section 2.1 or Section 2.2 , the Company gives notice to the Initiating Holders of its bona fide intention to effect the filing for its own account of a Registration Statement of Ordinary Shares within one hundred and eighty (180) days of receipt of that request; provided , that the Company is actively employing in good faith its best efforts to cause that Registration Statement to become effective within one hundred and eighty (180) days of receipt of that request; provided , further , that the Holders are entitled to join such Registration subject to Section 3 (other than a registration of securities in a transaction under Rule 145 of the Securities Act or with respect to an employee benefit plan;

 

  Schedule III   2


(b) during the period starting with the date of filing by the Company of, and ending six (6) months following the effective date of any Registration Statement pertaining to Ordinary Shares of the Company; provided , that the Holders are entitled to join such Registration subject to Section 3 (other than a registration of securities in a transaction under Rule 145 of the Securities Act or with respect to an employee benefit plan);

(c) if the Holders, together with the holders of any other securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such registration, propose to sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at an aggregate price to the public of less than US$5,000,000 (or an equivalent amount in another currency); or

(d) in any jurisdiction in which the Company would be required to execute a general consent to service of process in effecting such Registration or qualification, unless the Company is already subject to service of process in such jurisdiction.

(ii) If, after receiving a request from Holders pursuant to Section 2.1 or Section 2.2 hereof, the Company furnishes to the Holders a certificate signed by the chief executive officer of the Company stating that, in the good faith judgment of the Board, it would be materially detrimental to the Company or its members for a Registration Statement to be filed in the near future, then the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period during which such filing would be materially detrimental, provided , that that the Company may not utilize this right and/or the deferral right contained in clause (ii) for more than ninety (90) days on any one occasion or for more than once during any twelve (12) month period; provided , further , that the Company may not Register any other of its securities during such period (except for Registrations contemplated by Section 3.4 ).

2.4 Underwritten Offerings. If, in connection with a request to Register Registrable Securities under Section 2.1 or Section 2.2 , the Initiating Holders seek to distribute such Registrable Securities in an underwritten offering, they shall so advise the Company as a part of the request, and the Company shall include such information in the written notice to the other Holders described in Section 2.1 and Section 2.2 . In such event, the right of any Holder to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwritten offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwritten offering (unless otherwise mutually agreed by a majority-in-interest of the Initiating Holders and such Holder, taken together) to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwritten offering shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters of internationally recognized standing

 

  Schedule III   3


selected for such underwritten offering by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the holders of a majority of the voting power of all Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such Registration. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the managing underwriter advises the Company that marketing factors (including without limitation the aggregate number of securities requested to be Registered, the general condition of the market, and the status of the Persons proposing to sell securities pursuant to the Registration) require a limitation of the number of Registrable Securities to be underwritten in a Registration pursuant to Section 2.1 or Section 2.2 , the underwriters may (i) in the event the offering is the Company’s IPO, exclude from the underwritten offering all of the Registrable Securities (so long as the only securities included in such offering are those sold for the account of the Company), or (ii) otherwise exclude up to seventy five percent (75%) of the Registrable Securities requested to be Registered but only after first excluding all other Equity Securities from the Registration and underwritten offering and so long as the number of Registrable Securities to be included in the Registration is allocated among all Holders in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective amounts of Registrable Securities requested by such Holders to be included. Any Registrable Securities excluded or withdrawn from such underwritten offering shall be withdrawn from the Registration. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to a Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares.

3. Piggyback Registrations.

3.1 Registration of the Company’s Securities. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, if the Company proposes to Register for its own account any of its Equity Securities, or for the account of any holder (other than a Holder) of Equity Securities any of such holder’s Equity Securities, in connection with the public offering of such securities (except as set forth in Section 3.4 ), the Company shall promptly give each Holder written notice of such Registration and, upon the written request of any Holder given within ten (10) days after delivery of such notice, the Company shall use its best efforts to include in such Registration any Registrable Securities thereby requested to be Registered by such Holder. If a Holder decides not to include all or any of its Registrable Securities in such Registration by the Company, such Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent Registration Statement or Registration Statements as may be filed by the Company, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

3.2 Right to Terminate Registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any Registration initiated by it under Section 3.1 prior to the effectiveness of such Registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to participate therein. The expenses of such withdrawn Registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 4.3 .

3.3 Underwriting Requirements.

(i) In connection with any offering involving an underwriting of the Company’s Equity Securities, the Company shall not be required to Register the Registrable Securities of a Holder under this Section 3 unless such Holder’s Registrable Securities are included in the underwritten offering and such Holder enters into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters of internationally recognized standing selected by the Company and setting forth such terms for the underwritten offering as have been agreed upon between the Company and the underwriters. In the event the underwriters

 

  Schedule III   4


advise Holders seeking Registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 3 in writing that market factors (including the aggregate number of Registrable Securities requested to be Registered, the general condition of the market, and the status of the Persons proposing to sell securities pursuant to the Registration) require a limitation of the number of Registrable Securities to be underwritten, the underwriters may (i) in the event the offering is the Company’s IPO, exclude all of the Registrable Securities (so long as the only securities included in such offering are those sold for the account of the Company and no securities of other selling shareholders are included), or (ii) otherwise exclude up to seventy five percent (75%) of the Registrable Securities requested to be Registered but only after first excluding all other Equity Securities (except for securities sold for the account of the Company) from the Registration and underwriting and so long as the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration is allocated among all Holders in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective amounts of Registrable Securities requested by such Holders to be included. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to a Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares.

(ii) If any Holder disapproves the terms of any underwriting, the Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by written notice to the Company and the underwriters delivered at least ten (10) days prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement. Any Registrable Securities excluded or withdrawn from the underwritten offering shall be withdrawn from the Registration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any Registration proceeding begun pursuant to Section 2.1 or Section 2.2 if the Registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all participating Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn registration), unless such withdrawal is due to an action or inaction of the Company or an event outside of the reasonable control of such Holders.

3.4 Exempt Transactions. The Company shall have no obligation to Register any Registrable Securities under this Section 3 in connection with a Registration by the Company (i) relating solely to the sale of securities to participants in a Company share plan, or (ii) relating to a corporate reorganization or other transaction under Rule 145 of the Securities Act (or comparable provision under the Laws of another jurisdiction, as applicable).

4. Registration Procedures.

4.1 Registration Procedures and Obligations. Whenever required under this Agreement to effect the Registration of any Registrable Securities held by the Holders, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:

(i) Prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement with respect to those Registrable Securities and use its best efforts to cause that Registration Statement to become effective and not be withdrawn until the date on which all Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to such Registration Statement;

(ii) Prepare and file with the Commission amendments and supplements to that Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with the Registration Statement as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of applicable securities Laws;

 

  Schedule III   5


(iii) Furnish to the Holders the number of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, required by applicable securities Laws, and any other documents as they may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities owned by them;

(iv) In the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in customary form, with the managing underwriter(s) of the offering;

(v) Promptly notify each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under applicable securities Laws of (a) the issuance of any stop order by the Commission, or (b) the happening of any event or the existence of any condition as a result of which any prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, or if in the opinion of counsel for the Company it is necessary to supplement or amend such prospectus to comply with law, and at the request of any such Holder promptly prepare and furnish to such Holder a reasonable number of copies of a supplement to or an amendment of such prospectus as may be necessary so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such securities, such prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made or such prospectus, as supplemented or amended, shall comply with law;

(vi) Furnish, at the request of any Holder requesting Registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement, on the date that such Registrable Securities are delivered for sale in connection with a Registration pursuant to this Agreement, (i) an opinion, dated the date of the sale, of the counsel representing the Company for the purposes of the Registration, in form and substance as is customarily given to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters; and (ii) a comfort letter dated the date of the sale, from the independent certified public accountants of the Company, in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters;

(vii) Otherwise comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission to the extent applicable to the applicable registration statement;

(viii) Provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities Registered pursuant to the Registration Statement and, where applicable, a number assigned by the Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures for all those Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of the Registration; and

(ix) Take all reasonable action necessary to list the Registrable Securities on the primary exchange on which the Company’s securities are then traded or, in connection with an IPO, the primary exchange on which the Company’s securities will be traded.

 

  Schedule III   6


4.2 Information from Holder. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be required to effect the Registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.

4.3 Expenses of Registration. All expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement (which shall be borne by the Holders requesting Registration on a pro rata basis in proportion to their respective numbers of Registrable Securities sold in such Registration), incurred in connection with Registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to this Agreement, including (without limitation) all Registration, filing and qualification fees, printers’ and accounting fees, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and reasonable fees and disbursement of one counsel for all selling Holders, shall be borne by the Company. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay for any expenses of any Registration proceeding begun pursuant to this Agreement if the Registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of a majority-in-interest of the Holders requesting such Registration (in which case all participating Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be thereby Registered in the withdrawn Registration).

5. Registration-Related Indemnification.

5.1 Company Indemnity.

(i) To the maximum extent permitted by Law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, such Holder’s partners, officers, directors, shareholders and legal counsel, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) and each Person, if any, who controls (as defined in the Securities Act) such Holder or underwriter, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (joint or several) to which they may become subject under Laws which are applicable to the Company and relate to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any Registration, qualification, or compliance, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any of the following statements, omissions or violations (each a “ Violation ”): (a) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such Registration Statement, on the effective date thereof (including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto), (b) the omission or alleged omission to state in the Registration Statement, on the effective date thereof (including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto), a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (c) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of applicable securities Laws, or any rule or regulation promulgated under applicable securities Laws. The Company will reimburse each such Holder, underwriter or controlling person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action.

(ii) The indemnity agreement contained in this Section 5.1 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company (which consent shall not be

 

  Schedule III   7


unreasonably withheld or delayed), nor shall the Company be liable in any such case for any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action to the extent that it arises solely out of or is solely based upon a Violation that occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished in a certificate expressly for use in connection with such Registration by any such Holder, such Holder’s partners, officers, directors, and legal counsel, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) and each Person, if any, who controls (as defined in the Securities Act) such Holder or underwriter. Further, the foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any preliminary prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Holder or other aforementioned person, or any person controlling such Holder, from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased shares in the offering, if a copy of the most current prospectus was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Holder or other aforementioned person to such person, if required by law to have been so delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the shares to such person, and if the prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage or liability.

5.2 Holder Indemnity.

(i) To the maximum extent permitted by Law, each selling Holder that has included Registrable Securities in a Registration will, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, legal counsel and accountants, any underwriter, any other Holder selling securities in connection with such Registration and each Person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act) the Company, such underwriter or other Holder, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (joint or several) to which any of the foregoing persons may become subject, under applicable securities Laws, or any rule or regulation promulgated under applicable securities Laws, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereto) arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case to the extent (and only to the extent) that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by such Holder in a certificate expressly for use in connection with such Registration; and each such Holder will reimburse any Person intended to be indemnified pursuant to this Section 5.2 , for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action. No Holder’s liability under this Section 5.2 shall exceed the net proceeds (less underwriting discounts and selling commissions) received by such Holder from the offering of securities made in connection with that Registration.

(ii) The indemnity contained in this Section 5.2 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

5.3 Notice of Indemnification Claim. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under Section 5.1 or Section 5.2 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under Section 5.1 or Section 5.2 , deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually

 

  Schedule III   8


satisfactory to the indemnifying parties. An indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the reasonably incurred fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action, if prejudicial to its ability to defend such action, shall relieve such indemnifying party, to the extent so prejudiced, of any liability to the indemnified party under this Section 5 , but the omission to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 5 .

5.4 Contribution. If any indemnification provided for in Section 5.1 or Section 5.2 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party with respect to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense referred to herein, the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party hereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party, on the one hand, and of the indemnified party, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. No Holder’s liability under this Section 5.4 , when combined with such Holder’s liability under Section 5.2 , shall exceed the net proceeds (less underwriting discounts and selling commissions) received by such Holder from the offering of securities made in connection with that Registration.

5.5 Underwriting Agreement. To the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.

5.6 Survival. The obligations of the Company and Holders under this Section 5 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement under this Agreement.

6. Additional Registration-Related Undertakings.

6.1 Reports under the Exchange Act. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act and any comparable provision of any applicable securities Laws that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without Registration or pursuant to a Registration on Form F-3 or Form S-3 (or any comparable form in a jurisdiction other than the United States), the Company agrees to:

(i) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144 (or comparable provision, if any, under applicable securities Laws in any jurisdiction where the Company’s securities are listed), at all times following ninety (90) days after the effective date of the first Registration under the Securities Act filed by the Company for an offering of its securities to the general public;

 

  Schedule III   9


(ii) file with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under all applicable securities Laws; and

(iii) at any time following ninety (90) days after the effective date of the first Registration under the Securities Act filed by the Company for an offering of its securities to the general public by the Company, promptly furnish to any Holder holding Registrable Securities, upon request (a) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of all applicable securities Laws at any time after it has become subject to such reporting requirements or, at any time after so qualified, that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form F-3 or Form S-3 (or any form comparable thereto under applicable securities Laws of any jurisdiction where the Company’s securities are listed), (b) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents as filed by the Company with the Commission, and (c) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the Commission, that permits the selling of any such securities without Registration or pursuant to Form F-3 or Form S-3 (or any form comparable thereto under applicable securities Laws of any jurisdiction where the Company’s Securities are listed).

6.2 Limitations on Subsequent Registration Rights. From and after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities held by all Holders, enter into any agreement with any holder or prospective holder of any Equity Securities of the Company that would allow such holder or prospective holder (i) to include such Equity Securities in any Registration filed under Section 2 or Section 3 , unless under the terms of such agreement such holder or prospective holder may include such Equity Securities in any such Registration only to the extent that the inclusion of such Equity Securities will not reduce the amount of the Registrable Securities of the Holders that are included, (ii) to demand Registration of their Equity Securities, or (iii) cause the Company to include such Equity Securities in any Registration filed under Section 2 or Section 3 hereof on a basis pari passu with or more favorable to such holder or prospective holder than is provided to the Holders of Registrable Securities.

6.3 Market Stand-Off Agreement. Each party that is a Shareholder agrees, if so required by the managing underwriter(s), that it will not during the period commencing on the date of the final prospectus relating to the Company’s IPO and ending on the date specified by the Company and the managing underwriter (such period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of such final prospectus) (i) lend, offer, pledge, hypothecate, hedge, sell, make any short sale of, loan, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Equity Securities of the Company (other than those included in such offering) or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Equity Securities of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of

 

  Schedule III   10


Equity Securities of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; provided , that (x) all directors, officers and all other holders of at least one percent (1%) of the outstanding share capital of the Company must be bound by restrictions at least as restrictive as those applicable to any such holder pursuant to this Section 6.3 , (y) this Section 6.3 shall not apply to the extent that any other members subject to substantially similar restrictions are released, and (z) the lockup agreements shall permit such holders to transfer their Registrable Securities to their respective Affiliates so long as the transferees enters into the same lockup agreement. The underwriters in connection with the Company’s IPO are intended third party beneficiaries of this Section 6.3 and shall have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company may place restrictive legends on the certificates and impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Registrable Securities of each shareholder (and the shares or securities of every other person subject to the foregoing restriction) until the end of such period.

6.4 Termination of Registration Rights. The registration rights set forth in Section 2 and Section 3 above shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the date that is five (5) years from the date of closing of an IPO, and (ii) with respect to any Holder, the date on which such Holder may sell all of such Holder’s Registrable Securities under Rule 144 of the Securities Act in any ninety (90)-day period.

7. Jurisdiction. The terms of this Schedule III are drafted primarily in contemplation of an offering of securities in the United States of America. The Parties recognize, however, the possibility that securities may be qualified or registered for offering to the public in a jurisdiction other than the United States of America where registration rights have significance or that the Company might effect an offering in the United States of America in the form of American depositary receipts or American depositary shares. Accordingly:

(i) It is their intention that, whenever this Schedule III or any portion of the Investor Rights Agreement refers to a Law, form, process or institution of the United States of America but the parties wish to effectuate qualification or registration in a different jurisdiction where registration rights have significance, such references to the Laws or institutions of the United States shall be read as referring, mutatis mutandis , to the comparable Laws or institutions of the jurisdiction in question; and

(ii) It is agreed that the Company will not undertake any listing of American depositary receipts, American depositary shares or any other security derivative of the Company’s Ordinary Shares unless arrangements have been made reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the Shareholders to ensure that the spirit and intent of the Investor Rights Agreement will be realized and that the Company is committed to take such actions as are necessary such that the Shareholders will enjoy rights corresponding to the rights hereunder to sell their Registrable Securities in a public offering in the United States of America as if the Company had listed Ordinary Shares in lieu of such derivative securities.

 

  Schedule III   11


Schedule IV

NOTICE ADDRESSES

For the purpose of the notice provisions contained in this Investor Rights Agreement, the following are the initial addresses of each party:

If to the Company, Daqo North America, Chongqing Daqo, Nanjing Daqo, Daqo New Material, the Major Shareholders, the Other Beneficial Owners, or the Ordinary Shareholders:

666 Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000,

People’s Republic of China

Attn: Chief Financial Officer

T: +86 23 6486 6666

F: +86 23 6486 6688

If to Granite Global Ventures III L.P. or GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P.:

2494 Sand Hill Road, Suite 100

Menlo Park, CA 94025

Attn: Stephen Hyndman

T:+1 650 475 2150

F:+1 650 475 2151

with a copy to:

GGV Capital

Unit 3701,K.Wah Center

1010 Huaihai Zhong Road

Shanghai 200031 PRC

Attn: Jenny Lee

T: +86 21 6161 1717

F: +86 21 5404 7667

If to NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.:

c/o NewMargin Ventures

Radisson Plaza (Xing Guo) Hotel

78 Xing Guo Road, Villa 3

Shanghai, China 200052

86-21-6213-8000

If to Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited:

LOGO

 

Schedule IV


LOGO

LOGO : 200031

Tel: 86 21 61611 777

If to Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP, or Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP:

c/o Siguler Guff Advisers, LLC

825 Third Avenue, 10th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Attention: General Counsel

+1 212 332 5100

 

Schedule IV

Exhibit 5.1

LOGO

Direct: +852 2801 6066

Fax: +852 2801 6767

E-mail: rthorp@thorpalberga.com

New York Stock Exchange

11 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

U.S.A.

12 January, 2010

Dear Sirs

Daqo New Energy Corp.

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “ Company ”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1, including all amendments or supplements thereto, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the “ Act ”), as amended, (the “ Registration Statement ”), related to the offering and sale of American Depositary Shares representing certain ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share (the “ Shares ”). This opinion is given in accordance with the terms of the Legal Matters section of the Registration Statement.

 

1 Documents Reviewed

For the purposes of this opinion we have reviewed originals, copies or final drafts of the following documents, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary:

 

1.1 the Certificate of Incorporation dated 22 November 2007 and the Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name dated 21 August 2009;

 

1.2 a Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the “ Certificate of Good Standing ”);

 

1.3 the Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company as adopted by a resolution passed on 11 November 2009 and effective on 20 November 2009;

 

1.4 the Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company as conditionally adopted by a special resolution passed on 7 January 2010 and effective immediately upon completion of the Company’s IPO (the “ IPO M&A ”);

 

1.5 the written resolutions of the board of Directors dated 7 January 2010 (the “ IPO Board Resolutions ”);

 

1.6 the written resolutions of the shareholders of the Company dated 7 January 2010 (the “ Shareholders’ Resolutions ”, together with the IPO Board Resolutions are referred to as the “ Resolutions ”);

 

  Tel:    +852 2801 6066    2606 The Centrium
  Fax:    +852 2801 6767    60 Wyndham Street
  www.thorpalberga.com    Central H ONG  K ONG
 

An international law firm advising on the laws of the Cayman Islands

Resident Hong Kong Partners : Richard Thorp, Michael Alberga


1.7 a certificate from a Director of the Company addressed to this firm, a copy of which is attached hereto (the “ Director’s Certificate ”);

 

1.8 the register of members of the Company (the “ Register of Members ”); and

 

1.9 the Registration Statement.

 

2 Assumptions

The following opinions are given only as to and based on circumstances and matters of fact existing at the date hereof and as to the laws of the Cayman Islands as the same are in force at the date hereof. In giving this opinion, we have relied upon the completeness and accuracy (and assumed the continuing completeness and accuracy as at the date hereof) of the Director’s Certificate, as to matters of fact, without further verification and have assumed that copy documents or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals.

 

3 Opinions

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing assumptions, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

3.1 The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands;

 

3.2 The Shares to be offered and issued by the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement have been duly authorised for issue, and when issued by the Company against payment in full of the consideration, in accordance with the terms set out in the Registration Statement and duly registered in the Company’s Register of Members (shareholders), such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

 

3.3 The statements under the caption “Taxation” in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement, to the extent that they constitute statements of Cayman Islands law, are accurate in all material respects and such statements constitute our opinion.


We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the headings “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities”, “Taxation”, “Legal Matters” and elsewhere in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In providing our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

This opinion is limited to the matters detailed herein and is not to be read as an opinion with respect to any other matter.

Yours faithfully

/s/ THORP ALBERGA

Exhibit 8.3

LOGO

 

J UN H E L AW O FFICES

China Resources Building, 20th Floor

Beijing 100005, P. R. China

Tel.: (86-10) 8519-1300 Fax: (86-10) 8519-1350

E-mail: junhebj@junhe.com

Homepage: www.junhe.com

   LOGO

 

Date: January 12, 2009

 

To: Daqo New Energy Corp

 

Dear Sirs,

 

We are lawyers qualified in the People’s Republic of China (the “ PRC ”) and are qualified to issue an opinion on the laws and regulations of the PRC.

 

We are acting as the PRC counsel to Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “ Company ”), a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, in connection with (A) the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1 (the “ Registration Statement ”), publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) on January 12, 2010 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and including the prospectus that forms a part of the Registration Statement (the “ Prospectus ”), as amended, relating to the offering by the Company and certain selling shareholders of the Company of a certain number of the Company’s American Depositary Shares (“ ADSs ”), each representing ten ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share of the Company, and (B) the sale of the Company’s ADSs and listing of the Company’s ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

In so acting, we have examined the Registration Statement, originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, provided to us by the Company and such other documents, corporate records, certificates, approvals and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purpose of rendering this opinion, including, without limitation, originals or copies of the agreements and certificates issued by PRC authorities and officers of the Company. In such examination, we have assumed the accuracy of the factual matters described in the Registration Statement and that the Registration Statement and other documents will be executed by the parties in the forms provided to and reviewed by us. We have also assumed the genuineness of all signatures, seals and chops, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, and the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of all factual statements in the documents.

  

 

Beijing Head Office

 

China Resources Building

20 Floor

Beijing 100005

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-10) 8519-1300

Fax: (86-10) 8519-1350

E-mail: junhebj@junhe.com

 

Shanghai Office

 

Shanghai Kerry Centre

32 Floor

1515 Nanjing Road West

Shanghai 200040

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-21) 5298-5488

Fax: (86-21) 5298-5492

E-mail: junhesh@junhe.com

 

Shenzhen Office

 

Shenzhen Development

Bank Tower Suite 15-C

5047 East Shennan Road

Shenzhen 518001

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-755) 2587-0765

Fax: (86-755) 2587-0780

E-mail: junhesz@junhe.com

 

Dalian Office

 

International Finance Tower

Suite F, 16 Floor

No. 15 Renmin Road

Zhongshan District

Dalian 116001

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-411) 8250-7578

Fax: (86-411) 8250-7579

E-mail: junhedl@junhe.com

 

Haikou Office

 

Nanyang Building

Suite 1107

Haikou 570105

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-898) 6851-2544

Fax: (86-898) 6851-3514

E-mail: junhehn@junhe.com

 

New York Office

 

500 Fifth Avenue,

43rd Floor, New York,

NY 10110, U.S.A.

Tel.: (1-212) 703-8702

Fax: (1-212) 703-8720

E-mail: junheny@junhe.com

  

 

1


Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein and in the Registration Statement, we are of the opinion that the statements set forth under the caption “Taxation” insofar as they constitute statement of PRC tax law, are accurate in all material respects and that such statements constitute our opinion.

 

We do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than PRC tax law.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with SEC as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the headings “Taxation” in the Registration Statement.

 

 
Yours faithfully,

 

 

/s/ Jun He Law Offices

Jun He Law Offices

 

2

Exhibit 10.1

DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.

2009 SHARE INCENTIVE PLAN

(As adopted by shareholder resolution on August 5, 2009; this plan has reflected the 10,000-to-1 share

split and the corporate name change as approved by the shareholders on the same day)

ARTICLE 1

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Daqo New Energy Corp. 2009 Share Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) is to promote the success and enhance the value of Daqo New Energy Corp. Share, a company formed under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “ Company ”) by linking the personal interests of the members of the Board, Employees, and Consultants to those of the Company’s shareholders and by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance to generate superior returns to the Company’s shareholders. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of members of the Board, Employees, and Consultants upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent.

ARTICLE 2

DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

Wherever the following terms are used in the Plan they shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The singular pronoun shall include the plural where the context so indicates.

2.1 “ Applicable Laws ” means the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under applicable provisions of the corporate, securities, tax and other laws, rules, regulations and government orders, and the rules of any applicable stock exchange or national market system, of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents therein.

2.2 “ Award ” means an Option, Restricted Share or Restricted Share Units award granted to a Participant pursuant to the Plan.

2.3 “ Award Agreement ” means any written agreement, contract, or other instrument or document evidencing an Award, including through electronic medium.

 

1


2.4 “ Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.5 “ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 of the United States, as amended.

2.6 “ Committee ” means the Board or a committee thereof described in Article 9.

2.7 “ Consultant ” means any consultant or adviser if: (a) the consultant or adviser renders bona fide services to a Service Recipient; (b) the services rendered by the consultant or adviser are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities; and (c) the consultant or adviser is a natural person who has contracted directly with the Service Recipient to render such services.

2.8 “ Corporate Transaction ”, unless otherwise defined in an Award Agreement, means any of the following transactions, provided, however, that the Committee shall determine under (d) and (e) whether multiple transactions are related, and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive:

(a) an amalgamation, arrangement or consolidation or scheme of arrangement (i) in which the Company is not the surviving entity, except for a transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the jurisdiction in which the Company is incorporated or (ii) following which the holders of the voting securities of the Company do not continue to hold more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the surviving entity;

(b) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company;

(c) the complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company;

(d) any reverse takeover or series of related transactions culminating in a reverse takeover (including, but not limited to, a tender offer followed by a reverse takeover) in which the Company is the surviving entity but (A) the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such takeover are converted or exchanged by virtue of the takeover into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise, or (B) in which securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities are transferred to a person or persons different from those who held such securities immediately prior to such takeover or the initial transaction culminating in such takeover, but excluding any such transaction or series of related transactions that the Committee determines shall not be a Corporate Transaction; or

(e) acquisition in a single or series of related transactions by any person or related group of persons (other than the Company or by a Company-sponsored employee benefit plan) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities but excluding any such transaction or series of related transactions that the Committee determines shall not be a Corporate Transaction.

 

2


2.9 “ Disability ”, unless otherwise defined in an Award Agreement, means that the Participant qualifies to receive long-term disability payments under the Service Recipient’s long-term disability insurance program, as it may be amended from time to time, to which the Participant provides services regardless of whether the Participant is covered by such policy. If the Service Recipient to which the Participant provides service does not have a long-term disability plan in place, “Disability” means that a Participant is unable to carry out the responsibilities and functions of the position held by the Participant by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment for a period of not less than ninety (90) consecutive days. A Participant will not be considered to have incurred a Disability unless he or she furnishes proof of such impairment sufficient to satisfy the Committee in its discretion.

2.10 “ Effective Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.1.

2.11 “ Employee ” means any person, including an officer or member of the Board of the Company, any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company, who is in the employment of a Service Recipient, subject to the control and direction of the Service Recipient as to both the work to be performed and the manner and method of performance. The payment of a director’s fee by a Service Recipient shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Service Recipient.

2.12 “ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States, as amended.

2.13 “ Fair Market Value ” means, as of any date, the value of Shares determined as follows:

(a) If the Shares are listed on one or more established stock exchanges or national market systems, including without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Share Market, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such shares (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on the principal exchange or system on which the Shares are listed (as determined by the Committee) on the date of determination (or, if no closing sales price or closing bid was reported on that date, as applicable, on the last trading date such closing sales price or closing bid was reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;

(b) If the Shares are regularly quoted on an automated quotation system (including the OTC Bulletin Board) or by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such shares as quoted on such system or by such securities dealer on the date of determination, but if selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of a Common Share shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Common Shares on the date of determination (or, if no such prices were reported on that date, on the last date such prices were reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or

(c) In the absence of an established market for the Shares of the type described in (a) and (b), above, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be determined by the Committee in good faith and in its discretion by reference to (i) the placing price of the latest private placement of the Shares and the development of the Company’s business operations and the general economic and market

 

3


conditions since such latest private placement, (ii) other third party transactions involving Shares and the development of the company’s business operation and the general economic and market conditions since such sale, (iii) an independent valuation of the Shares, or (iii) such other methodologies or information as the Committee determines to be indicative of Fair Market Value, relevant.

2.14 “ Incentive Share Option ” means an Option that is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

2.15 “ Independent Director ” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee of the Company.

2.16 “ Non-Employee Director ” means a member of the Board who qualifies as a “Non-Employee Director” as defined in Rule 16b-3(b)(3) of the Exchange Act, or any successor definition adopted by the Board.

2.17 “ Non-Qualified Share Option ” means an Option that is not intended to be an Incentive Share Option.

2.18 “ Option ” means a right granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 5 of the Plan to purchase a specified number of Shares at a specified price during specified time periods. An Option may be either an Incentive Share Option or a Non-Qualified Share Option.

2.19 “ Participant ” means a person who, as a member of the Board, Consultant or Employee, has been granted an Award pursuant to the Plan.

2.20 “ Parent ” means a parent corporation under Section 424(e) of the Code.

2.21 “ Plan ” means this Daqo New Energy Corp. 2009 Share Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

2.22 “ Related Entity ” means any business, corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which the Company, a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company holds a substantial ownership interest, directly or indirectly but which is not a Subsidiary and which the Board designates as a Related Entity for purposes of the Plan.

2.23 “ Restricted Share ” means a Share awarded to a Participant pursuant to Article 6 that is subject to certain restrictions and may be subject to risk of forfeiture.

2.24 “ Restricted Share Unit ” means the right granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 6 to receive a Share at a future date.

2.25 “ Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933 of the United States, as amended.

2.26 “ Service Recipient ” means the Company, any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company and any Related Entity to which a Participant provides services as an Employee, Consultant or as a Director.

 

4


2.27 “ Share ” means ordinary shares of the Company, and such other securities of the Company that may be substituted for Shares pursuant to Article 8.

2.28 “ Subsidiary ” means any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the outstanding voting shares or voting power is beneficially owned directly or indirectly by the Company.

2.29 “ Trading Date ” means the closing of the first sale to the general public of the Shares pursuant to a registration statement filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act.

ARTICLE 3

SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

3.1 Number of Shares .

(a) Subject to the provisions of Article 8 and Section 3.1(b), the maximum aggregate number of Shares which may be issued pursuant to all Awards (including Incentive Share Options) (the “Award Pool”) shall be 15,000,000.

(b) To the extent that an Award terminates, expires, or lapses for any reason, any Shares subject to the Award shall again be available for the grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, Shares issued in assumption of, or in substitution for, any outstanding awards of any entity acquired in any form or combination by the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company shall not be counted against Shares available for grant pursuant to the Plan. Shares delivered by the Participant or withheld by the Company upon the exercise of any Award under the Plan, in payment of the exercise price thereof or tax withholding thereon, may again be optioned, granted or awarded hereunder, subject to the limitations of Section 3.1(a). If any Restricted Shares are forfeited by the Participant or repurchased by the Company, such Shares may again be optioned, granted or awarded hereunder, subject to the limitations of Section 3.1(a). Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3.1(b), no Shares may again be optioned, granted or awarded if such action would cause an Incentive Share Option to fail to qualify as an incentive Share option under Section 422 of the Code.

3.2 Shares Distributed . Any Shares distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares, treasury shares (subject to applicable law) or Shares purchased on the open market. Additionally, in the discretion of the Committee, American Depository Shares in an amount equal to the number of Shares which otherwise would be distributed pursuant to an Award may be distributed in lieu of Shares in settlement of any Award. If the number of Shares represented by an American Depository Share is other than on a one-to-one basis, the limitations of Section 3.1 shall be adjusted to reflect the distribution of American Depository Shares in lieu of Shares.

 

5


ARTICLE 4

ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

4.1 Eligibility . Persons eligible to participate in this Plan include Employees, Consultants, and all members of the Board, as determined by the Committee.

4.2 Participation . Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select from among all eligible individuals, those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award. No individual shall have any right to be granted an Award pursuant to this Plan.

4.3 Jurisdictions . In order to assure the viability of Awards granted to Participants employed in various jurisdictions, the Committee may provide for such special terms as it may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy, or custom applicable in the jurisdiction in which the Participant resides or is employed. Moreover, the Committee may approve such supplements to, or amendments, restatements, or alternative versions of, the Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes without thereby affecting the terms of the Plan as in effect for any other purpose; provided, however , that no such supplements, amendments, restatements, or alternative versions shall increase the share limitations contained in Section 3.1 of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate any Applicable Laws.

ARTICLE 5

OPTIONS

5.1 General . The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

(a) Exercise Price . The exercise price per Share subject to an Option shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement which may be a fixed or variable price related to the Fair Market Value of the Shares; provided, however, that no Option may be granted to an individual subject to taxation in the United States at less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant. The exercise price per Share subject to an Option may be amended or adjusted in the absolute discretion of the Committee or the Board, the determination of which shall be final, binding and conclusive. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent not prohibited by Applicable Laws or any exchange rule, a downward adjustment of the exercise prices of Options mentioned in the preceding sentence shall be effective without the approval of the Company’s shareholders or the approval of the affected Participants.

(b) Time and Conditions of Exercise . The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise prior to vesting; provided that the term of any Option granted under the Plan shall not exceed ten years, except as provided in Section 11.1. The Committee shall also determine any conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may be exercised.

(c) Payment . The Committee shall determine the methods by which the exercise price of an Option may be paid, the form of payment, including, without limitation (i) cash or check denominated in U.S. Dollars, (ii) to the extent permissible under the Applicable Laws, cash or check in Chinese Renminbi, (iii) cash or check denominated in any other local currency as approved by the

 

6


Committee, (iv) Shares held for such period of time as may be required by the Committee in order to avoid adverse financial accounting consequences and having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Option or exercised portion thereof, (v) after the Trading Date the delivery of a notice that the Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker with respect to Shares then issuable upon exercise of the Option, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the Option exercise price; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale, (vi) other property acceptable to the Committee with a Fair Market Value equal to the exercise price, or (vii) any combination of the foregoing. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant who is a member of the Board or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act shall be permitted to pay the exercise price of an Option in any method which would violate Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

(d) Evidence of Grant . All Options shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement between the Company and the Participant. The Award Agreement shall include such additional provisions as may be specified by the Committee.

5.2 Incentive Share Options . Incentive Share Options may be granted to Employees of the Company, a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. Incentive Share Options may not be granted to Employees of a Related Entity or to Independent Directors or Consultants. The terms of any Incentive Share Options granted pursuant to the Plan, in addition to the requirements of Section 5.1, must comply with the following additional provisions of this Section 5.2:

(a) Expiration of Option . An Incentive Share Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after the first to occur of the following events:

(i) Ten years from the date it is granted, unless an earlier time is set in the Award Agreement;

(ii) Three months after the Participant’s termination of employment as an Employee; and

(iii) One year after the date of the Participant’s termination of employment or service on account of Disability or death. Upon the Participant’s Disability or death, any Incentive Share Options exercisable at the Participant’s Disability or death may be exercised by the Participant’s legal representative or representatives, by the person or persons entitled to do so pursuant to the Participant’s last will and testament, or, if the Participant fails to make testamentary disposition of such Incentive Share Option or dies intestate, by the person or persons entitled to receive the Incentive Share Option pursuant to the applicable laws of descent and distribution.

(b) Individual Dollar Limitation . The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the Option is granted) of all Shares with respect to which Incentive Share Options are first exercisable by a Participant in any calendar year may not exceed $100,000 or such other limitation as imposed by Section 422(d) of the Code, or any successor provision. To the extent that Incentive Share Options are first exercisable by a Participant in excess of such limitation, the excess shall be considered Non-Qualified Share Options.

 

7


(c) Exercise Price . The exercise price of an Incentive Share Option shall be equal to the Fair Market Value on the date of grant. However, the exercise price of any Incentive Share Option granted to any individual who, at the date of grant, owns Shares possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Company may not be less than 110% of Fair Market Value on the date of grant and such Option may not be exercisable for more than five years from the date of grant.

(d) Transfer Restriction . The Participant shall give the Company prompt notice of any disposition of Shares acquired by exercise of an Incentive Share Option within (i) two years from the date of grant of such Incentive Share Option or (ii) one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant.

(e) Expiration of Incentive Share Options . No Award of an Incentive Share Option may be made pursuant to this Plan after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date.

(f) Right to Exercise . During a Participant’s lifetime, an Incentive Share Option may be exercised only by the Participant.

ARTICLE 6

RESTRICTED SHARES AND RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS

6.1 Grant of Restricted Shares . The Committee is authorized to make Awards of Restricted Shares and/or Restricted Share Units to any Participant selected by the Committee in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Committee. All Awards of Restricted Shares shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.

6.2 Issuance and Restrictions . Restricted Shares shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and other restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, limitations on the right to vote Restricted Shares or the right to receive dividends on the Restricted Share). These restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, pursuant to such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Committee determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter.

6.3 Forfeiture/Repurchase . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Shares that are at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited or repurchased in accordance with the Award Agreement; provided, however , the Committee may (a) provide in any Restricted Share Award Agreement that restrictions or forfeiture and repurchase conditions relating to Restricted Shares will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and (b) in other cases waive in whole or in part restrictions or forfeiture and repurchase conditions relating to Restricted Shares.

6.4 Certificates for Restricted Shares . Restricted Shares granted pursuant to the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Shares are registered in the name of the Participant, certificates

 

8


must bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Shares, and the Company may, at its discretion, retain physical possession of the certificate until such time as all applicable restrictions lapse.

6.5 Restricted Share Units. At the time of grant, the Committee shall specify the date or dates on which the Restricted Share Units shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable, and may specify such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate. At the time of grant, the Committee shall specify the maturity date applicable to each grant of Restricted Share Units which shall be no earlier than the vesting date or dates of the Award and may be determined at the election of the grantee. On the maturity date, the Company shall, subject to Sections 7.4 and 7.5, transfer to the Participant one unrestricted, fully transferable Share for each Restricted Share Unit scheduled to be paid out on such date and not previously forfeited.

ARTICLE 7

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS

7.1 Award Agreement . Awards under the Plan shall be evidenced by Award Agreements that set forth the terms, conditions and limitations for each Award which may include the term of an Award, the provisions applicable in the event the Participant’s employment or service terminates, and the Company’s authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel or rescind an Award.

7.2 Limits on Transfer . No right or interest of a Participant in any Award may be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to or in favor of any party other than the Company or a Subsidiary, or shall be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to any other party other than the Company or a Subsidiary. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee, no Award shall be assigned, transferred, or otherwise disposed of by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Committee by express provision in the Award or an amendment thereto may permit an Award (other than an Incentive Share Option) to be transferred to, exercised by and paid to certain persons or entities related to the Participant, including but not limited to members of the Participant’s family, charitable institutions, or trusts or other entities whose beneficiaries or beneficial owners are members of the Participant’s family and/or charitable institutions, or to such other persons or entities as may be expressly approved by the Committee, pursuant to such conditions and procedures as the Committee may establish. Any permitted transfer shall be subject to the condition that the Committee receive evidence satisfactory to it that the transfer is being made for estate and/or tax planning purposes (or to a “blind trust” in connection with the Participant’s termination of employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary to assume a position with a governmental, charitable, educational or similar non-profit institution) and on a basis consistent with the Company’s lawful issue of securities.

7.3 Beneficiaries . Notwithstanding Section 7.2, a Participant may, in the manner determined by the Committee, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights pursuant to the Plan is subject to all

 

9


terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to the Participant, except to the extent the Plan and Award Agreement otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee. If the Participant is married and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse as his or her beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Participant’s interest in the Award shall not be effective without the prior written consent of the Participant’s spouse. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the person entitled thereto pursuant to the Participant’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Participant at any time provided the change or revocation is filed with the Committee.

7.4 Share Certificates . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates evidencing shares of Share pursuant to the exercise of any Award, unless and until the Board has determined, with advice of counsel, that the issuance and delivery of such certificates is in compliance with all Applicable Laws, regulations of governmental authorities and, if applicable, the requirements of any exchange on which the Shares are listed or traded. All Share certificates delivered pursuant to the Plan are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to comply all Applicable Laws, and the rules of any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted, or traded. The Committee may place legends on any Share certificate to reference restrictions applicable to the Share. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Board may require that a Participant make such reasonable covenants, agreements, and representations as the Board, in its discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with any such laws, regulations, or requirements. The Committee shall have the right to require any Participant to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement or exercise of any Award, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the discretion of the Committee.

7.5 Paperless Administration . Subject to Applicable Laws, the Committee may make Awards, provide applicable disclosure and procedures for exercise of Awards by an internet website or interactive voice response system for the paperless administration of Awards.

7.6 Foreign Currency . A Participant may be required to provide evidence that any currency used to pay the exercise price of any Award were acquired and taken out of the jurisdiction in which the Participant resides in accordance with Applicable Laws, including foreign exchange control laws and regulations. In the event the exercise price for an Award is paid in Chinese Renminbi or other foreign currency, as permitted by the Committee, the amount payable will be determined by conversion from U.S. dollars at the official rate promulgated by the People’s Bank of China for Chinese Renminbi, or for jurisdictions other than the Peoples Republic of China, the exchange rate as selected by the Committee on the date of exercise.

ARTICLE 8

CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE

8.1 Adjustments . In the event of any dividend, share split, combination or exchange of Shares, amalgamation, arrangement or consolidation, spin-off, recapitalization or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to its shareholders,

 

10


or any other change affecting the shares of Shares or the share price of a Share, the Committee shall make such proportionate adjustments, if any, as the Committee in its discretion may deem appropriate to reflect such change with respect to (a) the aggregate number and type of shares that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section 3.1); (b) the terms and conditions of any outstanding Awards (including, without limitation, any applicable performance targets or criteria with respect thereto); and (c) the grant or exercise price per share for any outstanding Awards under the Plan.

8.2 Corporate Transactions . Except as may otherwise be provided in any Award Agreement or any other written agreement entered into by and between the Company and a Participant, if a Corporate Transaction occurs:

(a) The Committee upon, or in anticipation of, a Corporate Transaction, may in its sole discretion provide for (i) any and all Awards outstanding hereunder to terminate at a specific time in the future and shall give each Participant the right to exercise such Awards during a period of time as the Committee shall determine, (ii) either the purchase of any Award for an amount of cash equal to the amount that could have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights had such Award been currently exercisable or payable or fully vested (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of such date the Committee determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’ s rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment), (iii) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Committee in its sole discretion, the assumption of or substitution of such Award by the successor or surviving corporation, or a Parent or Subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of Shares and prices, or (iv) provide for payment of Awards in cash based on the value of Shares on the date of the Corporate Transaction plus reasonable interest on the Award through the date such Award would otherwise be vested or have been paid in accordance with its original terms, if necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code.

(b) If a Participant’s Awards are not converted, assumed, or replaced by a successor, as described in (c) below, such Awards shall become fully exercisable and all forfeiture restrictions on such Awards shall lapse immediately prior to the specified effective date of such Corporate Transaction, provided that the Participant remains an Employee, Consultant or Director on the effective date of the Corporate Transaction.

(c) If the Award either is (i) assumed by the successor entity or Parent thereof or replaced with a comparable Award (as determined by the Committee) with respect to shares of the capital stock of the successor entity or Parent thereof or (ii) replaced with a cash incentive program of the successor entity which preserves the compensation element of such Award existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction and provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same vesting schedule applicable to such Award, then such Award (if assumed), the replacement Award (if replaced), or the cash incentive program automatically shall become fully vested, exercisable and payable and be released from any restrictions on transfer (other than transfer restrictions applicable to Options) and repurchase or forfeiture rights, immediately upon termination of the Participant’s employment or service with all Service Recipient within twelve (12) months of the Corporate Transaction without cause.

 

11


8.3 Outstanding Awards – Other Changes . In the event of any other change in the capitalization of the Company or corporate change other than those specifically referred to in this Article 8, the Committee may, in its absolute discretion, make such adjustments in the number and class of shares subject to Awards outstanding on the date on which such change occurs and in the per share grant or exercise price of each Award as the Committee may consider appropriate to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights.

8.4 No Other Rights . Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of Shares of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or pursuant to action of the Committee under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of shares of any class, or securities convertible into shares of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares subject to an Award or the grant or exercise price of any Award.

ARTICLE 9

ADMINISTRATION

9.1 Committee . The Plan shall be administered by the Board; provided, however that the Board may delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board the authority to grant or amend Awards to Participants other than senior executives of the Company who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

9.2 Action by the Committee . A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, and acts approved in writing by a majority of the Committee in lieu of a meeting, shall be deemed the acts of the Committee. Each member of the Committee is entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.

9.3 Authority of Board or Committee . Subject to any specific designation in the Plan, the Board or the Committee has the exclusive power, authority and discretion to:

(a) Designate Participants to receive Awards;

(b) Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

(c) Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of Shares to which an Award will relate;

(d) Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted pursuant to the Plan, including, but not limited to, the

 

12


exercise price, grant price, or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, any provisions related to non-competition and recapture of gain on an Award, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee in its sole discretion determines;

(e) Determine whether, to what extent, and pursuant to what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in, cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

(f) Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Participant;

(g) Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

(h) Establish, adopt, or revise any rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

(i) Interpret the terms of, and any matter arising pursuant to, the Plan or any Award Agreement; and

(j) Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required pursuant to the Plan or as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan.

9.4 Decisions Binding . The Board’s or the Committee’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan, any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Committee with respect to the Plan are final, binding, and conclusive on all parties.

ARTICLE 10

EFFECTIVE AND EXPIRATION DATE

10.1 Effective Date . The Plan is effective as of the date the Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders (the “ Effective Date ”). The Plan will be deemed to be approved by the shareholders if it receives the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the share capital of the Company present or represented and entitled to vote at a meeting duly held in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Company’s Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association.

10.2 Expiration Date . The Plan will expire on, and no Award may be granted pursuant to the Plan after, the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date. Any Awards that are outstanding on the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date shall remain in force according to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

 

13


ARTICLE 11

AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION

11.1 Amendment, Modification, And Termination . With the approval of the Board, at any time and from time to time, the Committee may terminate, amend or modify the Plan; provided, however , that (a) to the extent necessary and desirable to comply with Applicable Laws, or stock exchange rules, the Company shall obtain shareholder approval of any Plan amendment in such a manner and to such a degree as required, and (b) shareholder approval is required for any amendment to the Plan that (i) increases the number of Shares available under the Plan (other than any adjustment as provided by Article 8), (ii) permits the Committee to extend the term of the Plan or the exercise period for an Option beyond ten years from the date of grant, or (iii) results in a material increase in benefits or a change in eligibility requirements.

11.2 Awards Previously Granted . Except with respect to amendments made pursuant to Section 11.1, no termination, amendment, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted pursuant to the Plan without the prior written consent of the Participant.

ARTICLE 12

GENERAL PROVISIONS

12.1 No Rights to Awards . No Participant, employee, or other person shall have any claim to be granted any Award pursuant to the Plan, and neither the Company nor the Committee is obligated to treat Participants, employees, and other persons uniformly.

12.2 No Shareholders Rights . No Award gives the Participant any of the rights of a Shareholder of the Company unless and until Shares are in fact issued to such person in connection with such Award.

12.3 Taxes . No Shares shall be delivered under the Plan to any Participant until such Participant has made arrangements acceptable to the Committee for the satisfaction of any income and employment tax withholding obligations under Applicable Laws. The Company or any Subsidiary shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, local and foreign taxes (including the Participant’s payroll tax obligations) required or permitted by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event concerning a Participant arising as a result of this Plan. The Committee may in its discretion and in satisfaction of the foregoing requirement allow a Participant to elect to have the Company withhold Shares otherwise issuable under an Award (or allow the return of Shares) having a Fair Market Value equal to the sums required to be withheld. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the number of Shares which may be withheld with respect to the issuance, vesting, exercise or payment of any Award (or which may be repurchased from the Participant of such Award after such Shares were acquired by the Participant from the Company) in order to satisfy the Participant’s federal, state, local and foreign income and payroll tax liabilities with respect to the issuance, vesting, exercise or payment of the Award shall, unless specifically approved by the Committee, be limited to the number of Shares which have a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding or

 

14


repurchase equal to the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the minimum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income.

12.4 No Right to Employment or Services . Nothing in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Service Recipient to terminate any Participant’s employment or services at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of any Service Recipient.

12.5 Unfunded Status of Awards . The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall give the Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or any Subsidiary.

12.6 Indemnification . To the extent allowable pursuant to applicable law, each member of the Committee or of the Board shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act pursuant to the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her; provided he or she gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled pursuant to the Company’s Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

12.7 Relationship to other Benefits . No payment pursuant to the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits pursuant to any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

12.8 Expenses . The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Subsidiaries.

12.9 Titles and Headings . The titles and headings of the Sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control.

12.10 Fractional Shares . No fractional shares of Share shall be issued and the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional shares or whether such fractional shares shall be eliminated by rounding up or down as appropriate.

 

15


12.11 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Plan, and any Award granted or awarded to any Participant who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

12.12 Government and Other Regulations . The obligation of the Company to make payment of awards in Share or otherwise shall be subject to all Applicable Laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by government agencies as may be required. The Company shall be under no obligation to register any of the Shares paid pursuant to the Plan under the Securities Act or any other similar law in any applicable jurisdiction. If the Shares paid pursuant to the Plan may in certain circumstances be exempt from registration pursuant to the Securities Actor other Applicable Laws the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.

12.13 Governing Law . The Plan and all Award Agreements shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.

12.14 Section 409A . To the extent that the Committee determines that any Award granted under the Plan is or may become subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award shall incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A of the Code. To the extent applicable, the Plan and the Award Agreements shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and the U.S. Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretative guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulation or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that following the Effective Date the Committee determines that any Award may be subject to Section 409A of the Code and related Department of Treasury guidance (including such Department of Treasury guidance as may be issued after the Effective Date), the Committee may adopt such amendments to the Plan and the applicable Award agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Committee determines is necessary or appropriate to (a) exempt the Award from Section 409A of the Code and /or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to the Award, or (b) comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and related U.S. Department of Treasury guidance.

12.15 Appendices . The Committee may approve such supplements, amendments or appendices to the Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for purposes of compliance with applicable laws or otherwise and such supplements, amendments or appendices shall be considered a part of the Plan; provided, however, that no such supplements shall increase the share limitations contained in Sections 3.1 and 3.3 of the Plan.

*    *    *    *    *

 

16

Exhibit 10.2

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of                     , 2009, by and between Daqo New Energy Corp., an exempted company duly incorporated and validly existing under the law of the Cayman Islands (the “ Company ”), and                      (the “ Indemnitee ”), a director of the Company.

WHEREAS, the Indemnitee has agreed to serve as a director of the Company and in such capacity will render valuable services to the Company; and

WHEREAS, in order to induce and encourage highly experienced and capable persons such as the Indemnitee to serve as directors of the Company, the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board of Directors ”) has determined that this Agreement is not only reasonable and prudent, but necessary to promote and ensure the best interests of the Company and its shareholders;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual agreements hereinafter set forth, and other good and valuable consideration, including, without limitation, the service of the Indemnitee, the receipt of which hereby is acknowledged, and in order to induce the Indemnitee to serve as a director of the Company, the Company and the Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

1. Definitions . As used in this Agreement:

(a) Change in Control ” shall mean a change in control of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or in response to any similar item on any similar or successor schedule or form) promulgated under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “ Act ”), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement; provided, however, that, without limitation, such a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred (irrespective of the applicability of the initial clause of this definition) if (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Act, but excluding any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities pursuant to an employee benefit or welfare plan or employee share plan of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or any entity organized, appointed, established or holding securities of the Company with voting power for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities without the prior approval of at least two-thirds of the Continuing Directors (as defined below) in office immediately prior to such person’s attaining such interest; (ii) the Company is a party to a merger, consolidation, scheme of arrangement, sale of assets or other reorganization, or a proxy contest, as a consequence of which Continuing Directors in office immediately prior to such transaction or event constitute less than a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company (or any successor entity) thereafter; or (iii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors of the Company (including for this purpose any new director whose election or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors at the beginning of such period) (such directors being referred to herein as “ Continuing Directors ”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

- 1 -


(b) Disinterested Director ” with respect to any request by the Indemnitee for indemnification or advancement of expenses hereunder shall mean a director of the Company who neither is nor was a party to the Proceeding (as defined below) in respect of which indemnification or advancement is being sought by the Indemnitee.

(c) The term “ Expenses ” shall mean, without limitation, expenses of Proceedings, including attorneys’ fees, disbursements and retainers, accounting and witness fees, expenses related to the preparation or service as a witness, travel and deposition costs, expenses of investigations, judicial or administrative proceedings and appeals, amounts paid in settlement of a Proceeding by or on behalf of the Indemnitee, costs of attachment or similar bonds, any expenses of attempting to establish or establishing a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses, under this Agreement, the Company’s Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association as currently in effect (the “ Articles ”), applicable law or otherwise, and reasonable compensation for time spent by the Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense or appeal of a Proceeding or action for indemnification for which the Indemnitee is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party. The term “Expenses” shall not include the amount of judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, which are actually levied against or sustained by the Indemnitee to the extent sustained after final adjudication.

(d) The term “ Independent Legal Counsel ” shall mean any firm of attorneys reasonably selected by the Board of Directors of the Company, so long as such firm has not represented the Company, the Company’s subsidiaries or affiliates, the Indemnitee, any entity controlled by the Indemnitee, or any party adverse to the Company, within the preceding five (5) years. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Legal Counsel” shall not include any person who, under applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s right to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Agreement, the Company’s Articles, applicable law or otherwise.

(e) The term “ Proceeding ” shall mean any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, or any other proceeding (including, without limitation, an appeal therefrom), formal or informal, whether brought in the name of the Company or otherwise, whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, and whether by, in or involving a court or an administrative, other governmental or private entity or body (including, without limitation, an investigation by the Company or its Board of Directors), by reason of (i) the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as an agent of another enterprise, whether or not the Indemnitee is serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification or reimbursement is to be provided under this Agreement, (ii) any actual or alleged act or omission or neglect or breach of duty, including, without limitation, any actual or alleged error or misstatement or misleading statement, which the Indemnitee commits or suffers while acting in any such capacity, or (iii) the Indemnitee attempting to establish or establishing a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses pursuant to this Agreement, the Company’s Articles, applicable law or otherwise.

 

- 2 -


(f) The phrase “ serving at the request of the Company as an agent of another enterprise ” or any similar terminology shall mean, unless the context otherwise requires, serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, employee benefit or welfare plan or other enterprise, foreign or domestic. The phrase “serving at the request of the Company” shall include, without limitation, any service as a director of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director with respect to the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries, affiliates, employee benefit or welfare plans, such plan’s participants or beneficiaries or any other enterprise, foreign or domestic. In the event that the Indemnitee shall be a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, employee benefit or welfare plan or other enterprise, foreign or domestic, 50% or more of the ordinary shares, combined voting power or total equity interest of which is owned by the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof, then it shall be presumed conclusively that the Indemnitee is so acting at the request of the Company.

2. Services by the Indemnitee . The Indemnitee agrees to serve as a director of the Company under the terms of the Indemnitee’s agreement with the Company for so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected and qualified, appointed or until such time as the Indemnitee tenders a resignation in writing or is removed as a director; provided, however, that the Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or other obligation imposed by operation of law).

3. Proceeding Other Than a Proceeding By or In the Right of the Company . The Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee if the Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company), by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as an agent of another enterprise, against all Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, and excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, which are actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such a Proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law; provided, however, that any settlement of a Proceeding must be approved in advance in writing by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld).

4. Proceedings By or In the Right of the Company . The Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee if the Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as an agent of another enterprise, against all Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, and excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, which are actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense or settlement of such a Proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

- 3 -


5. Indemnification for Costs, Charges and Expenses of Witness or Successful Party . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement (except as set forth in subparagraph 9(a) hereof), and without a requirement for determination as required by Paragraph 8 hereof, to the extent that the Indemnitee (a) has prepared to serve or has served as a witness in any Proceeding in any way relating to (i) the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries, affiliates, employee benefit or welfare plans or such plan’s participants or beneficiaries or (ii) anything done or not done by the Indemnitee as a director of the Company or in connection with serving at the request of the Company as an agent of another enterprise, or (b) has been successful in defense of any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, on the merits or otherwise, including the dismissal of a Proceeding without prejudice or the settlement of a Proceeding without an admission of liability, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection therewith to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

6. Partial Indemnification . If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for a portion of the Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, which are actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any Proceeding, but not, however, for the total amount of the Indemnitee’s Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, then the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, fines, interest penalties or excise taxes to which the Indemnitee is entitled.

7. Advancement of Expenses . The Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in any Proceeding shall be paid promptly by the Company in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding at the written request of the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law; provided, however, that the Indemnitee shall set forth in such request reasonable evidence that such Expenses have been incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such Proceeding, a statement that such Expenses do not relate to any matter described in subparagraph 9(a) of this Agreement, and an undertaking in writing to repay any advances if it is ultimately determined as provided in subparagraph 8(b) of this Agreement that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement.

8. Indemnification Procedure; Determination of Right to Indemnification .

(a) Promptly after receipt by the Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any Proceeding, the Indemnitee shall, if a claim for indemnification or advancement of Expenses in respect thereof is to be made against the Company under this Agreement, notify the Company of the commencement thereof in writing. The omission to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement unless the Company shall have lost significant substantive or procedural rights with respect to the defense of any Proceeding as a result of such omission to so notify.

 

- 4 -


(b) The Indemnitee shall be conclusively presumed to have met the relevant standards of conduct, if any, as defined by applicable law, for indemnification pursuant to this Agreement and shall be absolutely entitled to such indemnification, unless a determination is made that the Indemnitee has not met such standards by (i) the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum thereof consisting of Disinterested Directors, (ii) the shareholders of the Company by majority vote of a quorum thereof consisting of shareholders who are not parties to the Proceeding due to which a claim for indemnification is made under this Agreement, (iii) Independent Legal Counsel as set forth in a written opinion (it being understood that such Independent Legal Counsel shall make such determination only if the quorum of Disinterested Directors referred to in clause (i) of this subparagraph 8(b) is not obtainable or if the Board of Directors of the Company by a majority vote of a quorum thereof consisting of Disinterested Directors so directs), or (iv) a court of competent jurisdiction; provided, however, that if a Change of Control shall have occurred and the Indemnitee so requests in writing, such determination shall be made only by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(c) If a claim for indemnification or advancement of Expenses under this Agreement is not paid by the Company within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of written notice thereof, the rights provided by this Agreement shall be enforceable by the Indemnitee in any court of competent jurisdiction. Such judicial proceeding shall be made de novo. The burden of proving that indemnification or advances are not appropriate shall be on the Company. Neither the failure of the directors or shareholders of the Company or Independent Legal Counsel to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification or advancement of Expenses is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, if any, nor an actual determination by the directors or shareholders of the Company or Independent Legal Counsel that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct shall be a defense to an action by the Indemnitee or create a presumption for the purpose of such an action that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct. The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself (i) create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company and/or its shareholders, and, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that the Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful or (ii) otherwise adversely affect the rights of the Indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of Expenses under this Agreement, except as may be provided herein. The Company further agrees to stipulate in any such judicial proceeding that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement and is precluded from making any assertion to the contrary.

(d) If a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to any indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder, the Company shall pay all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such adjudication (including, but not limited to, any appellate proceedings). The Indemnitee’s Expenses incurred in connection with any Proceeding concerning the Indemnitee’s right to indemnification or advancement of Expenses in whole or in part pursuant to this Agreement shall also be indemnified by the Company, regardless of the outcome of such a Proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Company’s Articles.

 

- 5 -


(e) With respect to any Proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of Expenses is requested, the Company will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense and, except as otherwise provided below, to the extent that it may wish, the Company may assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. After notice from the Company to the Indemnitee of its election to assume the defense of a Proceeding, the Company will not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any Expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense thereof, other than as provided below. The Company shall not settle any Proceeding in any manner which would impose any penalty or limitation on the Indemnitee without the Indemnitee’s written consent. The Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his own counsel in any Proceeding, but the fees and expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Company of its assumption of the defense of the Proceeding shall be at the expense of the Indemnitee, unless (i) the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been authorized by the Company, (ii) the Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of a Proceeding, or (iii) the Company shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of a proceeding, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of the Indemnitee’s counsel shall be advanced by the Company. The Company shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any Proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Company or as to which the Indemnitee has reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and the Indemnitee.

9. Limitations on Indemnification . No payments pursuant to this Agreement shall be made by the Company:

(a) To indemnify or advance funds to the Indemnitee for Expenses with respect to (i) Proceedings initiated or brought voluntarily by the Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect to Proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required under applicable law or (ii) Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with preparing to serve or serving, prior to a Change in Control, as a witness in cooperation with any party or entity who or which has threatened or commenced any action or proceeding against the Company, or any director, officer, employee, trustee, agent, representative, subsidiary, parent corporation or affiliate of the Company, but such indemnification or advancement of Expenses in each such case may be provided by the Company if the Board of Directors finds it to be appropriate;

(b) To indemnify the Indemnitee for any Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, and sustained in any Proceeding for which payment is actually made to the Indemnitee under a valid and collectible insurance policy, except in respect of any excess beyond the amount of payment under such insurance;

(c) To indemnify the Indemnitee for any Expenses, judgments, fines, expenses or penalties sustained in any Proceeding for an accounting of profits made from the purchase or sale by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Act or similar provisions of any foreign or United States federal, state or local statute or regulation;

 

- 6 -


(d) To indemnify the Indemnitee for any Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, for which the Indemnitee is indemnified by the Company otherwise than pursuant to this Agreement;

(e) To indemnify the Indemnitee for any Expenses (including without limitation any Expenses relating to a Proceeding attempting to enforce this Agreement), judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, on account of the Indemnitee’s conduct if such conduct shall be finally adjudged to have been knowingly fraudulent, deliberately dishonest or willful misconduct, including, without limitation, breach of the duty of loyalty; or

(f) If a court of competent jurisdiction finally determines that any indemnification hereunder is unlawful.

10. Continuation of Indemnification . All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period that the Indemnitee is a director of the Company (or is or was serving at the request of the Company as an agent of another enterprise, foreign or domestic) and shall continue thereafter so long as the Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee was a director of the Company or serving in any other capacity referred to in this Paragraph 10.

11. Indemnification Hereunder Not Exclusive . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed to be exclusive of any other rights to which the Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Articles, any agreement, vote of shareholders or vote of Disinterested Directors, provisions of applicable law, or otherwise, both as to action or omission in the Indemnitee’s official capacity and as to action or omission in another capacity on behalf of the Company while holding such office.

12. Successors and Assigns .

(a) This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the Indemnitee and the Indemnitee’s heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, whether or not the Indemnitee has ceased to be a director, and the Company and its successors and assigns. Upon the sale of all or substantially all of the business, assets or share capital of the Company to, or upon the merger of the Company into or with, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other person, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon both the Indemnitee and such purchaser or successor person. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party hereto.

(b) If the Indemnitee is deceased and is entitled to indemnification under any provision of this Agreement, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee’s estate and the Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors, administrators and assigns against, and the Company shall, and does hereby agree to assume, any and all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by or for the Indemnitee or the Indemnitee’s estate, in connection with the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any Proceeding. Further, when requested in writing by the spouse of the Indemnitee, and/or the Indemnitee’s heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, the Company shall provide appropriate evidence of the Company’s agreement set out herein to indemnify the Indemnitee against and to itself assume such Expenses.

 

- 7 -


13. Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

14. Severability . Each and every paragraph, sentence, term and provision of this Agreement is separate and distinct so that if any paragraph, sentence, term or provision thereof shall be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable for any reason, such invalidity, unlawfulness or unenforceability shall not affect the validity, unlawfulness or enforceability of any other paragraph, sentence, term or provision hereof. To the extent required, any paragraph, sentence, term or provision of this Agreement may be modified by a court of competent jurisdiction to preserve its validity and to provide the Indemnitee with the broadest possible indemnification permitted under applicable law. The Company’s inability, pursuant to a court order or decision, to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement.

15. Savings Clause . If this Agreement or any paragraph, sentence, term or provision hereof is invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee as to any Expenses, judgments, fines, interest or penalties, or excise taxes assessed with respect to any employee benefit or welfare plan, which are incurred with respect to any Proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by any (a) applicable paragraph, sentence, term or provision of this Agreement that has not been invalidated or (b) applicable law.

16. Interpretation; Governing Law . This Agreement shall be construed as a whole and in accordance with its fair meaning and any ambiguities shall not be construed for or against either party. Headings are for convenience only and shall not be used in construing meaning. This Agreement shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

17. Amendments . No amendment, waiver, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought. The indemnification rights afforded to the Indemnitee hereby are contract rights and may not be diminished, eliminated or otherwise affected by amendments to the Company’s Articles, or by other agreements, including directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies, of the Company.

18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other.

19. Notices . Any notice required to be given under this Agreement shall be directed to [                                        ], and to the Indemnitee at [                                        ] or to such other address as either shall designate to the other in writing.

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.]

 

- 8 -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Indemnification Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INDEMNITEE

 

Name:  
DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

Exhibit 10.3

FORM OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of                         ,              by and between Daqo New Energy Corp., a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “ Company ”) and                     , an individual (the “ Executive ”). The term “Company” as used herein with respect to all obligations of the Executive hereunder shall be deemed to include the Company and all of its direct or indirect parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, or subsidiaries or affiliates of its parent companies (collectively, the “ Group ”).

RECITALS

A. The Company desires to employ the Executive and to assure itself of the services of the Executive during the term of Employment (as defined below).

B. The Executive desires to be employed by the Company during the term of Employment and under the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

AGREEMENT

The parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. POSITION

The Executive hereby accepts a position of                      (the “ Employment ”) of the Company.

 

2. TERM

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the initial term of the Employment shall be              years, commencing on             ,              (the “ Effective Date ”), until                     ,              unless terminated earlier pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Upon expiration of the initial three-year term, the Employment shall be automatically extended for successive one-year terms unless either party gives the other party hereto a prior written notice to terminate the Employment prior to the expiration of such one-year term or unless terminated earlier pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

 

3. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive’s duties at the Company will include all jobs assigned by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”)[, or if authorized by the Board, by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer].

The Executive shall devote all of his/her/her working time, attention and skills to the performance of his/her duties at the Company and shall faithfully and diligently serve the Company in accordance with this Agreement and the guidelines, policies and procedures of the Company approved from time to time by the Board.

The Executive shall use his/her best efforts to perform his/her duties hereunder. The Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of the Board, become an employee of any entity other than the Company and any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company, and shall not be concerned or interested in the business or entity that competes with that carried on by the Company (any such business or entity, a “ Competitor ”), provided that nothing in this clause shall preclude the Executive from holding any

 

1


shares or other securities of any Competitor that is listed on any securities exchange or recognized securities market anywhere. The Executive shall notify the Company in writing of his/her interest in such shares or securities in a timely manner and with such details and particulars as the Company may reasonably require.

 

4. NO BREACH OF CONTRACT

The Executive hereby represents to the Company that: (i) the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Executive and the performance by the Executive of the Executive’s duties hereunder shall not constitute a breach of, or otherwise contravene, the terms of any other agreement or policy to which the Executive is a party or otherwise bound, except for agreements that are required to be entered into by and between the Executive and any member of the Group pursuant to applicable law of the jurisdiction where the Executive is based, if any; (ii) that the Executive has no information (including, without limitation, confidential information and trade secrets) relating to any other person or entity which would prevent, or be violated by, the Executive entering into this Agreement or carrying out his/her duties hereunder; (iii) that the Executive is not bound by any confidentiality, trade secret or similar agreement (other than this) with any other person or entity except for other member(s) of the Group, as the case may be.

 

5. LOCATION

The Executive will be based in                     , China or any other location as requested by the Company during the term of this Agreement.

 

6. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

 

  (a) Cash Compensation. The Executive’s cash compensation (inclusive of the statutory welfare reserves that the Company is required to set aside for the Executive under applicable law) shall be provided by the Company pursuant to Schedule A hereto, subject to annual review and adjustment by the Company or the compensation committee of the Board (or the Board itself, before the formation of the compensation committee).

 

  (b) Equity Incentives. To the extent the Company adopts and maintains a share incentive plan, the Executive will be eligible for participating in such plan pursuant to the terms thereof as determined by the Company, [and the Company will grant an option to purchase                      ordinary shares of the Company to you at an exercise price to be determined by the Board.]

 

  (c) Benefits. The Executive is eligible for participation in any standard employee benefit plan of the Company that currently exists or may be adopted by the Company in the future, including, but not limited to, any retirement plan, health insurance plan and travel/holiday policy.

 

7. TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT

 

  (a)

By the Company. The Company may terminate the Employment for cause, at any time, without advance notice or remuneration, if (1) the Executive is convicted or pleads guilty to a felony or to an act of fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement, (2) the Executive has been negligent or acted dishonestly to the detriment of the Company, (3) the Executive has engaged in actions amounting to misconduct or failed to perform his/her duties hereunder and such failure

 

2


 

continues after the Executive is afforded a reasonable opportunity to cure such failure, (4) the Executive has died, or (5) the Executive has a disability which shall mean a physical or mental impairment which, as reasonably determined by the Board, renders the Executive unable to perform the essential functions of his/her employment with the Company, even with reasonable accommodation that does not impose an undue hardship on the Company, for more than 180 days in any 12-month period, unless a longer period is required by applicable law, in which case that longer period would apply. In addition, the Company may terminate the Employment without cause, at any time, upon one-month prior written notice to the Executive. Upon termination without cause, the Company shall provide the Executive with a severance payment in cash in an amount equal to the Executive’s one-year salary at the then current rate. Under such circumstance, the Executive agrees not to make any further claims for compensation for loss of office, accrued remuneration, fees, wrongful dismissal or any other claim whatsoever against the Company or its subsidiaries or the respective officers or employees of any of them.

 

  (b) By the Executive. If there is a material and substantial reduction in the Executive’s existing authority and responsibilities, the Executive may resign upon one-month prior written notice to the Company. In addition, the Executive may resign prior to the expiration of the Agreement if such resignation is approved by the Board or an alternative arrangement with respect to the Employment is agreed to by the Board.

 

  (c) Notice of Termination. Any termination of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement shall be communicated by written notice of termination from the terminating party to the other party. The notice of termination shall indicate the specific provision(s) of this Agreement relied upon in effecting the termination.

 

8. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

 

  (a) Confidentiality and Non-disclosure. In the course of the Executive’s services, the Executive may have access to the Company and/or the Company’s customer/supplier’s and/or prospective customer/supplier’s trade secrets and confidential information, including but not limited to those embodied in memoranda, manuals, letters or other documents, computer disks, tapes or other information storage devices, hardware, or other media or vehicles, pertaining to the Company and/or the Company’s customer/supplier’s and/or prospective customer/supplier’s business. All such trade secrets and confidential information are considered confidential. All materials containing any such trade secret and confidential information are the property of the Company and/or the Company’s customer/supplier and/or prospective customer/supplier, and shall be returned to the Company and/or the Company’s customer/supplier and/or prospective customer/supplier upon expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement. The Executive shall not directly or indirectly disclose or use any such trade secret or confidential information, except as required in the performance of the Executive’s duties in connection with the Employment, or pursuant to applicable law.

 

  (b) Trade Secrets. During and after the Employment, the Executive shall hold the Trade Secrets in strict confidence; the Executive shall not disclose these Trade Secrets to anyone except other employees of the Company who have a need to know the Trade Secrets in connection with the Company’s business. The Executive shall not use the Trade Secrets other than for the benefits of the Company.

 

3


Trade Secrets ” means information deemed confidential by the Company, treated by the Company or which the Executive know or ought reasonably to have known to be confidential, and trade secrets, including without limitation designs, processes, pricing policies, methods, inventions, conceptions, technology, technical data, financial information, corporate structure and know-how, relating to the business and affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries, affiliates and business associates, whether embodied in memoranda, manuals, letters or other documents, computer disks, tapes or other information storage devices, hardware, or other media or vehicles. Trade Secrets do not include information generally known or released to public domain through no fault of yours.

 

  (c) Former Employer Information. The Executive agrees that he has not and will not, during the term of his/her employment, (i) improperly use or disclose any proprietary information or trade secrets of any former employer or other person or entity with which the Executive has an agreement or duty to keep in confidence information acquired by Executive, if any, or (ii) bring into the premises of Company any document or confidential or proprietary information belonging to such former employer, person or entity unless consented to in writing by such former employer, person or entity. The Executive will indemnify the Company and hold it harmless from and against all claims, liabilities, damages and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of suit, arising out of or in connection with any violation of the foregoing.

 

  (d) Third Party Information. The Executive recognizes that the Company may have received, and in the future may receive, from third parties their confidential or proprietary information subject to a duty on the Company’s part to maintain the confidentiality of such information and to use it only for certain limited purposes. The Executive agrees that the Executive owes the Company and such third parties, during the Executive’s employment by the Company and thereafter, a duty to hold all such confidential or proprietary information in the strictest confidence and not to disclose it to any person or firm and to use it in a manner consistent with, and for the limited purposes permitted by, the Company’s agreement with such third party.

This Section 8 shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason. In the event the Executive breaches this Section 8, the Company shall have right to seek remedies permissible under applicable law.

 

9. INVENTIONS

 

  (a)

Inventions Retained and Licensed. The Executive has attached hereto, as Schedule B , a list describing all inventions, ideas, improvements, designs and discoveries, whether or not patentable and whether or not reduced to practice, original works of authorship and trade secrets made or conceived by or belonging to the Executive (whether made solely by the Executive or jointly with others) that (i) were developed by Executive prior to the Executive’s employment by the Company (collectively, “ Prior Inventions ”), (ii) relate to the Company’ actual or proposed business, products or research and development, and (iii) are not assigned to the Company hereunder; or, if no such list is attached, the Executive represents that there are no such Prior Inventions. Except to the extent set forth in Schedule B , the Executive hereby acknowledges that, if in the course of his/her service for the Company, the Executive incorporates into a Company product, process or

 

4


 

machine a Prior Invention owned by the Executive or in which he has an interest, the Company is hereby granted and shall have a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right and license (which may be freely transferred by the Company to any other person or entity) to make, have made, modify, use, sell, sublicense and otherwise distribute such Prior Invention as part of or in connection with such product, process or machine.

 

  (b) Disclosure and Assignment of Inventions. The Executive understands that the Company engages in research and development and other activities in connection with its business and that, as an essential part of the Employment, the Executive is expected to make new contributions to and create inventions of value for the Company.

From and after the Effective Date, the Executive shall disclose in confidence to the Company all inventions, improvements, designs, original works of authorship, formulas, processes, compositions of matter, computer software programs, databases, mask works and trade secrets (collectively, the “ Inventions ”), which the Executive may solely or jointly conceive or develop or reduce to practice, or cause to be conceived or developed or reduced to practice, during the period of the Executive’s Employment at the Company. The Executive acknowledges that copyrightable works prepared by the Executive within the scope of and during the period of the Executive’s Employment with the Company are “works for hire” and that the Company will be considered the author thereof. The Executive agrees that all the Inventions shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company and the Executive hereby assign all his/her right, title and interest in and to any and all of the Inventions to the Company or its successor in interest without further consideration.

 

  (c) Patent and Copyright Registration. The Executive agrees to assist the Company in every proper way to obtain for the Company and enforce patents, copyrights, mask work rights, trade secret rights, and other legal protection for the Inventions. The Executive will execute any documents that the Company may reasonably request for use in obtaining or enforcing such patents, copyrights, mask work rights, trade secrets and other legal protections. The Executive’s obligations under this paragraph will continue beyond the termination of the Employment with the Company, provided that the Company will reasonably compensate the Executive after such termination for time or expenses actually spent by the Executive at the Company’s request on such assistance. The Executive appoints the Secretary of the Company as the Executive’s attorney-in-fact to execute documents on the Executive’s behalf for this purpose.

 

  (d) Return of Confidential Material. In the event of the Executive’s termination of employment with the Company for any reason whatsoever, Executive agrees promptly to surrender and deliver to the Company all records, materials, equipment, drawings, documents and data of any nature pertaining to any confidential information or to his/her employment, and Executive will not retain or take with him or her any tangible materials or electronically stored data, containing or pertaining to any confidential information that Executive may produce, acquire or obtain access to during the course of his/her employment.

This Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason. In the event the Executive breaches this Section 9, the Company shall have right to seek remedies permissible under applicable law.

 

5


10. CONFLICTING EMPLOYMENT.

The Executive hereby agrees that, during the term of his/her employment with the Company, he will not engage in any other employment, occupation, consulting or other business activity related to the business in which the Company is now involved or becomes involved during the term of the Executive’s employment, nor will the Executive engage in any other activities that conflict with his/her obligations to the Company without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

11. NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION

In consideration of the compensation provided to the Executive by the Company hereunder, the adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the Executive agree that during the term of the Employment and for a period of two years following the termination of the Employment for whatever reason:

 

  (a) The Executive will not approach clients, customers or contacts of the Company or other persons or entities introduced to the Executive in the Executive’s capacity as a representative of the Company for the purposes of doing business with such persons or entities which will harm the business relationship between the Company and such persons and/or entities;

 

  (b) unless expressly consented to by the Company, the Executive will not assume employment with or provide services as a director or otherwise for any Competitor, or engage, whether as principal, partner, licensor or otherwise, in any Competitor; and

 

  (c) unless expressly consented to by the Company, the Executive will not seek directly or indirectly, by the offer of alternative employment or other inducement whatsoever, to solicit the services of any employee of the Company employed as at or after the date of such termination, or in the year preceding such termination.

The provisions contained in Section 12 are considered reasonable by the Executive and the Company. In the event that any such provisions should be found to be void under applicable laws but would be valid if some part thereof was deleted or the period or area of application reduced, such provisions shall apply with such modification as may be necessary to make them valid and effective.

This Section 11 shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason. In the event the Executive breaches this Section 11, the Executive acknowledges that there will be no adequate remedy at law, and the Company shall be entitled to injunctive relief and/or a decree for specific performance, and such other relief as may be proper (including monetary damages if appropriate). In any event, the Company shall have right to seek all remedies permissible under applicable law.

 

13. WITHHOLDING TAXES

Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the Company may withhold (or cause there to be withheld, as the case may be) from any amounts otherwise due or payable under or pursuant to this Agreement such national, provincial, local or any other income, employment, or other taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

 

6


14. ASSIGNMENT

This Agreement is personal in its nature and neither of the parties hereto shall, without the consent of the other, assign or transfer this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder; provided, however, that (i) the Company may assign or transfer this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder to any member of the Group without such consent, and (ii) in the event of a merger, consolidation, or transfer or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the company with or to any other individual(s) or entity, this Agreement shall, subject to the provisions hereof, be binding upon and inure to the benefit of such successor and such successor shall discharge and perform all the promises, covenants, duties, and obligations of the Company hereunder.

 

15. SEVERABILITY

If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this Agreement which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications and to this end the provisions of this Agreement are declared to be severable.

 

16. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between the Executive and the Company regarding the terms of the Employment and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral or written agreements concerning such subject matter. The Executive acknowledges that he has not entered into this Agreement in reliance upon any representation, warranty or undertaking which is not set forth in this Agreement. Any amendment to this Agreement must be in writing and signed by the Executive and the Company.

 

17. GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York, USA, without regard to the conflicts of law principles.

 

18. AMENDMENT

This Agreement may not be amended, modified or changed (in whole or in part), except by a formal, definitive written agreement expressly referring to this Agreement, which agreement is executed by both of the parties hereto.

 

19. WAIVER

Neither the failure nor any delay on the part of a party to exercise any right, remedy, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise of the same or of any right, remedy, power or privilege, nor shall any waiver of any right, remedy, power or privilege with respect to any occurrence be construed as a waiver of such right, remedy, power or privilege with respect to any other occurrence. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and is signed by the party asserted to have granted such waiver.

 

7


20. NOTICES

All notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given and made if (i) delivered by hand, (ii) otherwise delivered against receipt therefor, (iii) sent by a recognized courier with next-day or second-day delivery to the last known address of the other party; or (iv) sent by e-mail with confirmation of receipt.

 

21. COUNTERPARTS

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original as against any party whose signature appears thereon, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement shall become binding when one or more counterparts hereof, individually or taken together, shall bear the signatures of all of the parties reflected hereon as the signatories. Photographic copies of such signed counterparts may be used in lieu of the originals for any purpose.

 

22. NO INTERPRETATION AGAINST DRAFTER

Each party recognizes that this Agreement is a legally binding contract and acknowledges that such party has had the opportunity to consult with legal counsel of choice. In any construction of the terms of this Agreement, the same shall not be construed against either party on the basis of that party being the drafter of such terms.

[Remainder of this page intentionally has been intentionally left blank.]

 

8


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed as of the date first written above.

 

Daqo New Energy Corp.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
Executive
Signature:  

 

Name:  

 

9


Schedule A

Cash Compensation

 

    

Amount

   Pay Period

Base Salary

     

Cash Bonus

     

 

10


Schedule B

List of Prior Inventions

 

Title

    

Date

    

Identifying Number

or Brief Description

 

 

             No inventions or improvements

             Additional Sheets Attached

 

Signature of Executive:  

 

Print Name of Executive:  

 

Date:  

                         

   

 

11

Exhibit 10.4

English Translation

Lease Agreement

Lessor: Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

Legal address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal representative: Xu Guangfu

Lessee: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd.

Legal address: Xianjia Village, Longdu Neighborhood, Wanzhou District, Chongqing (in the Salt Gasification Industrial Park of Wanzhou District)

Legal representative: Xu Guangfu

In accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China and relevant laws and regulations, the Lessor and the Lessee negotiated and entered into this Agreement to specify the rights and obligations of each party with respect to the lease of land, facilities and equipments based on the principle of equality, free-will, fairness and honesty.

Article One: Name, Model, Specification, Quantity and Site of Utilization of the Leased Equipments

Please refer to the appendix for details.

Article Two: Term of Lease

 

1. The term of lease for equipment shall be five years, starting from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2013. At the expiration of the term of lease, the Lessee shall return the leased equipment to the Lessor in good condition.

 

2. In the event that the Lessee intends to extend the term of lease, it shall deliver a written request for renewal to the Lessor within one month prior to the expiration of this Agreement. If both parties agree to renew this Agreement, the term of lease shall be extended for another five years.

 

3. At the expiration of the term of lease, the Lessee shall have the right of first refusal to lease the equipments upon the same conditions.

Article Three: Title of the Leased Equipment

 

1. Within the term of lease, the title of the leased equipment as set forth in Article 1 of this Agreement shall belong to the Lessor. The Lessee has no title to the leased equipment but only right to use.

 

2. In the event that the Lessor transfers the title of the leased equipment to a third party in accordance with applicable laws or legal procedures, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall continue to be valid toward the new owner of the leased equipment unless otherwise agreed.

 

3. Within the term of lease, the Lessee shall obtain a written consent from the Lessor prior to conducting any improvements or adding any attachments to the leased equipment. Without such consent, the Lessee shall not add or remove any components from the leased equipment, nor shall it mortgage the leased equipment for any reason; otherwise the Lessee shall be liable for all the damages thus caused.

 

1


4. Within the term of lease, without prior written consent of the Lessor, the Lessee shall not sublease or transfer its possession of the leased equipment in any manner. However, if otherwise required or permitted by this Agreement, the Lessee can transfer its possession of the leased equipment accordingly, or deliver the leased equipment to the Lessor for the performance of services, repair, maintenance, examination, renovation, improvements or addition.

Article Four: Rental and Payment

 

1. Rental: the rental shall be RMB 9.95 million per month.

 

2.

Payment of rental: the rental shall be calculated on a monthly basis. The Lessor shall send to the Lessee a monthly rental statement, together with the invoice, on the 25 th day of every month for settlement. The Lessee shall pay the rental to the Lessor within ten business days after receiving the statement and invoice.

 

3. The beginning and ending date for the calculation of the rental:

 

  (1) July 1, 2008 shall be the date from which the rental is calculated. The Lessee shall be obligated to pay the rental after the leased equipment is delivered to the place specified by the Lessee no matter whether or not the Lessee has started operation.

 

  (2) Within the term of lease, the Lessee shall continue to pay the rental during the period of shutdown if such shutdown is caused by the Lessee or natural conditions.

Article Five: Deposit

The parties agree that the Lessee shall pay to the Lessor a deposit of RMB 1. After payment of the deposit, the Lessee may proceed with the formalities for taking delivery of the leased equipment. Within the term of lease, the deposit shall not be used to offset the rental. At the expiration of the term of lease, after deduction of the applicable damages for any impairment to the leased properties, the Lessor shall return any balance of the deposit to the Lessee.

Article Six: Delivery and Inspection of the Leased Equipment

 

1. Place of delivery of the leased equipment: The Lessor shall deliver the leased equipment to the Lessee at the place designated by both parties. The Lessor shall not be liable for any delay caused by unforeseeable, unavoidable and insurmountable objective conditions.

 

2. The Lessee shall inspect the leased equipment at the place of delivery within one hour after receipt of the leased equipment. After inspection, the Lessee shall provide the Lessor with a signed and sealed receipt of leased equipment.

 

3. If the Lessee fails to conduct the inspection within the time limit specified in section 2 of this clause, the leased equipment shall be deemed as inspected and delivered in perfect condition.

 

4. If the Lessee discovers during inspection that the conditions of the leased equipment are inconsistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including but not limited to inconsistencies in respect of the model, specification, quantity and technical performance, the Lessee shall notify the Lessor in writing of such inconsistencies within the same day of delivery or in any event no later than one day thereafter. Should the Lessee fail to notify the Lessor within the aforesaid time limit, the leased equipment shall be deemed as in compliance with the requirements of this Agreement.

 

2


Article Seven: Utilization, Repair, Maintenance and Expenses

 

1. The leased equipment shall be used by the Lessee during the term of lease. The Lessee shall be responsible for and bear the cost of fuel, daily repair and maintenance of the leased equipment and shall keep the leased equipment in desirable conditions.

 

2. In the event that the leased equipment breaks down and cannot be repaired by the Lessee, the Lessee shall notify the Lessor immediately for repair. The Lessor shall repair the leased equipment within three days. If the Lessor is not able to finish the repair within three days, the Lessee shall be exempted from paying the rental for the number of days thereafter until the Lessor finishes the repair.

 

3. The Lessee shall be liable for all the damages in the event that the leased equipment causes any losses to any third party during installation, safekeeping and utilization.

 

4. The Lessee shall be liable for all the expenses and taxes incurred during installation, safekeeping and utilization of the leased equipment.

Article Eight: Return of the Leased Equipments

Upon expiration of the term of lease, if the Lessee does not continue to lease the equipment, the Lessee shall return the leased equipment to the Lessor. At the time of return, the following conditions must be satisfied or the Lessee shall be liable for damages.

 

1. A complete set of documents of the leased equipment shall be returned;

 

2. The key indicators of the leased equipment, including but not limited to performance and precision, shall meet manufacturing requirements;

 

3. The leased equipment shall be in good working order and condition;

Article Nine: Damage or Destruction of the Leased Equipment

 

1. The Lessee shall undertake the risks of damage (other than normal wears) or destruction of the leased equipment caused by the Lessee during the term of lease. If this Agreement cannot be performed or any party suffers losses due to force majeure, both parties shall settle through negotiation based on actual circumstances.

 

2. If the leased equipment is damaged or destroyed, the Lessee shall promptly notify the Lessor of such damage or destruction. The Lessor shall have the right to choose any one of the following methods at the cost and expenses of the Lessee:

 

  (1) Restore or repair the leased equipment to its normal working condition;

 

  (2) Replace the components or accessories of the leased machine with those of the same model and performance in such way that the leased equipment can be restored to normal working condition; or

 

  (3) If the leased equipment is damaged or destroyed to such extent that it cannot be repaired, the Lessee shall compensate the Lessor for its damages as stipulated in Appendix One of this Agreement.

 

3


Article Ten: Obligations and Responsibilities of Both Parties

 

  1. Obligations and responsibilities of the Lessor:

 

  (1) The Lessor shall not interfere with the Lessee’s quiet enjoyment of the right to use, possess and operate the leased equipment during the term of lease. However, Lessor’s proper exercise of the rights under or in relation with this Agreement shall not constitute the aforesaid interference.

 

  (2) The Lessor shall assist the Lessee in construction, manufacturing and operation, including but not limited to satisfying the Lessee’s construction requirements.

 

  (3) The Lessor shall provide assistance to the operation of the leased equipment and train professional repairers and maintainers. The Lessor shall also be responsible for the daily maintenance and resolving any breakdown of the leased equipment so as to ensure that the leased equipment is in a good working condition.

 

  2. The obligations and responsibilities of the Lessee:

 

  (1) Legitimate and safe operation:

The Lessee shall:

(i) not take any action in respect of the operation and maintenance of the leased equipment if the action or inaction in this regard will result in violation of any applicable laws by the Lessor or Lessee;

(ii) not use or allow others to use the leased equipment against the instructions in the operation handbook of the leased equipment. Nor shall the Lessee use the leased equipment in any manner other than designed or reasonably implicated;

(iii) ensure that the engineers and other employees responsible for the utilization, operation and maintenance of the leased equipment have corresponding qualifications and hold the certificates required by the applicable laws;

(iv) only use the leased equipment for commercial purpose or any other purposes authorized by the applicable laws;

(v) not use or allow others to use the leased equipment in any manner that in the judgment of a reasonable person will cause damages to the leased equipment, nor shall the Lessee use or allow others to use the leased equipment in any manner that is not covered by adequate insurance policies. In addition, the Lessee shall use the leased equipments in compliance with regulations or limitative stipulations promulgated by relevant governmental authorities from time to time;

(vi) acquire and maintain all the certificates, licenses, permits and authorizations necessary for the utilization and operation of the leased equipment at all times. The Lessee shall also strictly perform the relevant payment obligations and other relevant obligations under this Agreement; and

(vii) not use or operate or allow others to use or operate the leased equipment during the term of lease in any manner or in any area that is not covered by insurance policies, nor shall the Lessee use or operate or allow others to use or operate the leased equipment in any manner that will impair the interests of the Lessor in respect of insurance, the leased equipment or any components thereof.

 

4


(2) Title and Property Rights

The Lessee shall:

(i) not or allow others to act or neglect to act, whether intentionally or negligently, in any manner that in the judgment of a reasonable person will endanger the interests of the Lessor as the owner of the leased equipment, or the interests of any other beneficiary parties covered by any insurance policies;

(ii) clarify to any third party that the title of the leased equipment belongs to the Lessor in any circumstances that concerns the ownership of the leased equipment or any components thereof;

(iii) not create or allow others to create any security interests on the leased equipment or any components thereof (other than the permitted lien);

(iv) not take or allow others to take any actions that in the judgment of a reasonable person will place the leased equipment or any components thereof under any fine, confiscation, seizure, detainment, appropriation, damage or destruction. Without prejudice to the aforesaid stipulation, if any fine, confiscation, seizure, detainment, appropriation, damage or destruction occurs, the Lessee shall promptly notify the Lessor and exert all commercially reasonable efforts to remove the aforesaid encumbrances from the leased equipment or any components thereof (depending on the actual circumstances); and

(v) not create any security interests for any third party on the land, buildings or facilities on or in which the leased equipment locates without a prior written consent of the Lessor.

 

(3) Protection

The Lessee shall:

(i) maintain the registration of the leased equipment in the name of the Lessor according to the requirements of the applicable laws (or in a manner that maximally reflects the interests of the Lessor as permitted by law for those equipments which cannot be registered in the name of the Lessor), and shall not take or allow others to take any actions that may impair the registration;

(ii) take all actions and measures as may be required by the Lessor (including but not limited to filing records or registrations with relevant governmental authorities or complying with any applicable laws) and sign, deliver, notarize, file, register and keep track of all the documents (including but not limited to any amendments to this Agreement);

(iii) ensure that the rights of the Lessor hereunder and as the owner of the leased equipment are not affected after the Lessee having made any improvements to or permanent replacements of the leased equipment or any components thereof; and

(iv) establish, maintain, reserve, perfect and protect the rights of the Lessor hereunder and the relevant rights and interests of the Lessor as the owner of the leased equipment.

 

(4) Maintenance and Overhaul

The Lessee shall:

(i) ensure that the leased equipment are maintained and overhauled in the same way as similar leased equipments used in commercial operations (except for normal wears and tears);

(ii) not substantially change the maintenance procedures for the leased equipment without prior written consent of the Lessor after signing this Agreement;

(iii) maintain the leased equipment in accordance with the maintenance procedures of the leased equipment;

 

5


(iv) maintain the leased equipment in the same manner and with at least the same degree of care as the Lessee would have exerted for the maintenance of similar equipments the Lessee owns or operates, including but not limited to limitative stipulations, schedule of maintenance, improvements and technical conditions, as if the Lessee would continue to retain and operate the leased equipment after the expiration of the term of lease, including but not limited to ensuring that all the warranties, performance guarantees or service policies which are necessary for the maintenance of the leased equipment or any components thereof are fully effective;

(v) comply with any governmental requirements with respect to obligatory inspections and reforms of the leased equipment or any components thereof;

(vi) comply with all applicable laws and regulations promulgated by any competent governmental authorities with respect to the maintenance, conditions, utilization, operation, reform or replacement of the leased equipment or any components thereof.

 

(5) Replacement and Removal of Components

The Lessee shall immediately replace any lost, stolen, seized, confiscated, destroyed, damaged beyond repair, useless or permanently inapplicable components with the following components:

(i) Durable components which are in good working condition and with same or more advanced workmanship and model than the replaced components. The replacement components shall also have the same exchangeability, value and practicability as the replaced components;

(ii) The replacement components shall become the property of the Lessor and shall have no security interests thereupon (other than permitted lien). The installation of such replacement components on the leased equipment shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and no further action is needed; and

(iii) The Lessee has an integral and detailed set of materials in respect of the source and maintenance records of the replacement components.

 

(6) Alteration of the Leased Equipment

The Lessee shall not make any alteration, including but not limited to modification or addition, to the leased equipment, unless such alteration:

(i) is permitted or required explicitly by this Agreement; or

(ii) will cost less than RMB50,000; or

(iii) has been approved by the Lessor by written consent and that such alteration will not decrease or impair the value, practicability or conditions of the leased equipment.

Absent any default event, the Lessee can remove any altered component of the leased equipment as long as such components can be removed without decreasing or impairing the value, practicability or conditions of the leased equipment.

 

(7) Title to the Altered or Replaced Component

(i) All the components installed on the leased equipment in accordance with the requirements of maintenance and overhaul hereunder (whether in the form of replacement or in any other form) shall belong to the Lessor according to the terms and conditions of this Agreement without requiring any further actions to be taken. The Lessor’s title to such components shall be free from any security interests (other than permitted lien). The Lessee shall take all necessary actions and sign all necessary documents as may be required by the Lessor at its own cost so as to ensure that the title to the components are properly transferred to the Lessor in accordance with the stipulations of all applicable laws. Upon request by the Lessor,

 

6


the Lessee shall provide evidence at any time to the satisfaction of the Lessor that the relevant title has been transferred to the Lessor (including but not limited to sales records and a copy or copies of legal opinions as may be required by the Lessor).

(ii) Any components removed from the leased equipment shall belong to the Lessor unless such removal constitute alteration of the leased equipment hereunder and the title to the replacement components has been transferred to the Lessor without any security interest thereupon (other than permitted lien), in which event absent any default event, the title to the replaced component shall be transferred to the Lessee.

 

(8) Software License

At any time after the occurrence of a default event, the Lessee shall, upon request by the Lessor, promptly transfer to the Lessor or its nominee in a manner satisfactory to the Lessor all the rights, titles and interests of the computer software which is related to the leased equipment and owned by or licensed to the Lessee. The Lessee shall ensure and procure that a copy of authorization letter shall be signed and delivered to the Lessor by the licensor, acknowledging the Lessor or its nominee’s rights and interests with respect to such computer software.

 

(9) Other Information

The Lessee shall:

(i) immediately notify the Lessor of any default event, destruction or damages or any other event that may adversely affect the Lessee’s ability to perform its obligations hereunder;

(ii) upon request, provide the Lessor with its latest financial statements and annual reports;

(iii) immediately provide all the information in relation with the leased equipment, including but not limited to the use, location and conditions of the leased equipment and any components thereof, as may be reasonably required by the Lessor at any time;

(iv) immediately notify the Lessor of the following information:

 

  (A) any loss, theft, damage or destruction of the leased equipment or any components thereof, or any improvements to the leased equipment if the potential cost may exceed the threshold for declaration;

 

  (B) any claims or other events for which the Lessor may be held liable, including any related insurance claims and any negotiations with the agent of the insurance company in respect of such insurance claims (limited to the claims which involve an amount exceeding the minimal amount for notification);

 

  (C) any order issued by any governmental authorities with respect to temporary or permanent suspension of operations, abandonment of any factories or facilities, including but not limited to the leased equipment, or suspension, withdrawal, cancellation of the business license of any factories or facilities which are related to the leased equipment; and

 

  (D) any material environmental accident.

Article Eleven: Liability for Breach

 

1. Rights and Remedies

If any default event occurs and continues, the Lessor shall be entitled to the following remedies without prejudice to any of its other rights under this Agreement.

 

7


  (1) exercise its rights under Section 2 of this Article (early termination); and/or

 

  (2) immediately terminate the lease of the equipment hereunder by sending a notice to the Lessee (without affecting any unfulfilled obligations of the Lessee hereunder), upon the receipt of which all the rights of the Lessee in respect of the leased equipment hereunder shall terminate; and/or

 

  (3) enforce this Agreement or obtain damages through litigation or arbitration.

 

2. Early Termination

If a default event occurs, the Lessor can require the Lessee to return the leased equipment by written notice. Under such circumstance, the Lessee shall pay the aggregated amount of the following items to the Lessor within three (3) days after the default event has occurred (the “Early Termination Date”):

 

  (1) any accumulated outstanding rental until the Early Termination Date;

 

  (2) any other payments owed by the Lessee to the Lessor, including payments that occur on the Early Termination Date or become due according to this Agreement or any other document; and

 

  (3) any other costs and expenses incurred by the Lessor in relation with the return of the leased equipment which were reasonably foreseeable when entering into this Agreement, including attorney’s fees, professional’s fees, examination fees, advancements and any other costs.

This clause, however, shall not prejudice the Lessor’s rights under any other documents or remedies available hereunder.

 

3. Liquidated Damage

In the event of breach of contract, the Lessee shall indemnify the Lessor for any losses directly or indirectly incurred or caused by such breach according to the requirements of the Lessor, including but not limited to:

 

  (1) Any loss of profit incurred by the Lessor or its financer due to the fact that the Lessor fails to lease the equipment to other lessees on the same favorable terms as under this Agreement, or the return (if any) obtained by using the equipment for other purposes, or the proceeds from sale of the equipment or other means of disposition are less than the profits under this Agreement; or

 

  (2) The principal, interests and expenses of the loan borrowed for paying any unpaid amount, or other paid or payable amount;

 

  (3) If the Lessee fails to pay the rental on time or violates any provisions under this Agreement, the Lessor is entitled to take the following measures:

(i) Require the Lessee to pay off the rental and other expenses in time and indemnify the losses;

(ii) Terminate this Agreement, recover the leased equipment, and require the Lessee to indemnify all the losses incurred.

 

4. Sale or Re-lease of the Equipment

In the event of breach of Agreement, the Lessor can decide to lease or re-lease the equipment or dispose the equipment in other ways at its discretion in the appropriate time and manner and on the appropriate condition. The Lessee shall not enjoy any interest as if this Agreement had never been signed.

 

8


Article Twelve: Insurance

 

1. Insurance

 

  (1) On or before the starting date of the lease and during the entire term of lease thereafter, the Lessee shall insure full value insurance (including all risks and liability insurance) for the equipments for the interests of and in the way satisfactory to the Lessor, and completely maintain the validity of the insurance.

 

  (2) Such insurance shall be insured by the insurance company (or through the insurance broker if appropriate) and in the form approved by the Lessor, and shall only include the exclusion clause that conforms to the common practice of the insurance market at any time.

 

2. Beneficiary of the Insurance

The Lessee shall ensure that the first beneficiary is the Lessor, and shall completely waive the subrogation right against the Lessor.

Article Thirteen: Taxation

 

1. The Lessee shall pay:

 

  (1) All the license and registration fees, taxes (other than the taxes imposed on the Lessor’s net income) and other payments of any other nature required by any governmental authorities in respect of the equipment and/or this Agreement, including but not limited to the ownership of the equipment (but only limited to the Lessee’s ownership with regard to or attributable to or as a result of the possession, operation, utilization or maintenance of the equipment), delivery, lease, possession, utilization, operation or reward of the equipment; and

 

  (2) All the rents, expenses, taxes (other than the taxes imposed on the Lessor’s net income) and other payments as a result of storage of relevant equipments or any component thereof from time to time.

 

2. The Lessee shall pay to the Lessor or relevant tax authority any value-added tax required to be imposed with respect to any supply under this Agreement. For the purpose of this clause, “value-added tax” shall refer to the value-added tax, sales or business tax, or any other tax of similar nature of any goods and services, excluding the taxes imposed on the Lessor’s net income. “Supply” shall include anything on which value-added tax can be collected.

Article Fourteen: Representations and Warranties

 

1. The Lessor represents and warrants that:

 

  (1) The Lessor is a duly incorporated and lawfully existing enterprise and has the right to execute and ability to perform this Agreement.

 

  (2) The Lessor has obtained the legitimate and valid approvals, certificates, licenses and qualifications required for execution and performance of this Agreement.

 

  (3) When signing this Agreement, no court, arbitration commission, administrative authority or supervisory organization has made any judgment, ruling, award or specific administrative behavior material enough to adversely affect the Lessor’s performance of this Agreement.

 

  (4) The Lessor has completed its internal authorization procedures necessary for signing this Agreement, and the signatory of this Agreement is the legal representative or authorized representative of the Lessor. This Agreement shall be legally binding upon both parties after coming into effect.

 

9


2. The Lessee represents and warrants that:

(1) The Lessee is a duly incorporated and lawfully existing enterprise and has the right to execute and ability to perform this Agreement.

(2) The Lessee has obtained the legitimate and valid approvals, certificates, licenses and qualifications required for execution and performance of this Agreement.

(3) When signing this Agreement, no court, arbitration commission, administrative authority or supervisory organization has made any judgment, ruling, award or specific administrative behavior material enough to adversely affect the Lessee’s performance of this Agreement.

(4) The Lessee has completed its internal authorization procedures necessary for signing this Agreement, and the signatory of this Agreement is the legal representative or authorized representative of the Lessee. This Agreement shall be legally binding upon both parties after coming into effect.

Article Fifteen: Confidentiality

 

1. Both parties promise to treat the business secrets obtained from the other party which are unable to be obtained from public sources (including but not limited to technical information, operational information and other business information) as confidential. Without consent of the provider of the business secrets, neither party shall disclose all or part of the business secrets to any third party, unless otherwise required by laws and regulations or otherwise agreed upon by both parties. The confidentiality obligation under this article shall remain effective after termination of this Agreement.

 

2. If either party violates the abovementioned confidentiality obligation, it shall assume the corresponding liabilities for breach of this Agreement and indemnify the other party for the losses incurred.

Article Sixteen: Force Majeure

 

1. The force majeure under this Agreement refers to unforeseeable, insurmountable, unavoidable and objective event that materially affects one party, including but not limited to natural disasters such as flood, earthquake, fire and windstorm, as well as social events such as war, turmoil and government behavior.

 

2. If this Agreement cannot be performed as a result of force majeure, the affected party shall immediately notify the event of force mejeure to the other party in writing, as well as provide detailed information of the event and written documents stating that the Agreement cannot be performed or its performance needs to be delayed within three days. After approval of both parties, both parties shall negotiate to terminate or delay performance of this Agreement.

Article Seventeen: Notices

 

1. Unless otherwise stipulated, all the notices under this Agreement or in connection with this Agreement shall be made in the form of a written letter or fax, and shall be regarded as effective if transmitted in the following forms;

 

  (1) In the form of a letter, the notices shall take effect on the day of receipt or the seventh day after transmission (whichever is earlier), and

 

  (2) In the form of a fax, the notices shall take effect when the sending party otherwise notifies the other party of this transmission by phone after the notice is sent out.

 

10


2. The address, fax and telephone number of the Lessor and Lessee are as follows:

Lessee:

Address: Xianjia Village, Longdu Neighborhood, Wanzhou District, Chongqing (in the Salt Gasification Industrial Park of Wanzhou District)

Contact Person: Zhou Qiangmin

Fax: 023-64866688

Telephone: 023-64866666

Lessor:

Address: The Industrial Park of Wanzhou District, Chongqing

Contact person: Li Yuanzhong

Fax: 023-64866529

Telephone: 023-64866508

Article Eighteen: Applicable Law and Dispute Settlement

1. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Any dispute arising from or in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, and abided by the arbitration rules of the commission effective at the time of submission. The arbitral venue is Beijing and Chinese shall be used during arbitration. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties.

Article Nineteen: Interpretation

The understanding and interpretation of this Agreement shall be carried out according to the purposes of contract and the original meanings of the text of this Agreement. The title of this Agreement has been added only for the convenience of reading, without prejudicing the interpretation of this Agreement.

Article Twenty: Exclusiveness and Integrity

This Agreement is the only and complete agreement between the Lessor and the Lessee regarding the lease of the equipment. It shall prevail over all the previous agreements, contracts or understandings with regard to this lease. Any revision to this Agreement shall be made in writing by both parties.

Article Twenty-one: Duplicates

This Agreement is executed in two or more copies, each of which shall be regarded as an original. All the documents shall constitute a same document.

 

11


Lessor (seal): Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

June 30, 2008

Signed at: Wanzhou District, Chongqing

The Lessee (seal): Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd.

June 30, 2008

Signed at: Wanzhou District, Chongqing

 

12


Appendix

1.Land: Located at Xian Jia Village, Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou District, Chongqing (salt and gas chemical industry park, Wanzhou District)

2. Real property

 

Item

  

Property No.

  

Property name and specification

  

Category

  

Amount of liquidated damages

office use
1    TCSBYG00034    office building    premise and building    original construction cost
2    TCSBYG00035    cafeteria, bathroom    premise and building    original construction cost
3    TCSBYG00036    shif dorm    premise and building    original construction cost
4    TCSBYG00025    gateman    premise and building    original construction cost
manufacturing use
5    TCSBYG00001    HCL Synthesis    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
6    TCSBYG00002    TCS Synthesis    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
7    TCSBYG00003    TCS Tail Gas Treatment    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
8    TCSBYG00004    TCS Distillation Still    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
9    TCSBYG00005    TCS Reduction and TET Hydrogenation    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
10    TCSBYG00006    Tail Gas Reclaiming    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
11    TCSBYG00007    Hydrogen Purification    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
12    TCSBYG00008    Waste Treatment    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
13    TCSBYG00009    Post-Treatment Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
14    TCSBYG00010    Central Laboratory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
15    TCSBYG00011    Central Control Room    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
16    TCSBYG00012    Storing and Vaporization of Liquid Nitrogen    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
17    TCSBYG00013    Chlorosilane Tank Field    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
18    TCSBYG00014    TCS Tank Field    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
19    TCSBYG00015    Loading and Unloading Trestle Work    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
20    TCSBYG00016    Raw Material Warehouse    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
21    TCSBYG00017    Nitrogen Station and Air Compression Station    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
22    TCSBYG00018    Refrigeration Station    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
23    TCSBYG00019    Outer Piping of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
24    TCSBYG00020    Water Supply and Sewage of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
25    TCSBYG00021    Electricity Supply of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
26    TCSBYG00022    Telecommunication of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
27    TCSBYG00023    Fire Control of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
28    TCSBYG00024    Illumination of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
29    TCSBYG00026    Ground Weigher    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
30    TCSBYG00027    General Electric Power Substation of the Whole Factory    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
31    TCSBYG00028    Electric Power Substation    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
32    TCSBYG00029    Water Supply and Sewage Device    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
33    TCSBYG00030    Recycled Water    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
34    TCSBYG00031    Pure Water Station    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
35    TCSBYG00032    Draining Pump Room    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost
36    TCSBYG00033    Monitor Device    Buildings and Structures    original construction cost

3. equipment

 

machines
37    JXSBDQ0265    reducing furnace transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
38    JXSBDQ0266    reducing furnace transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
39    JXSBDQ0267    reducing furnace transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
40    JXSBDQ0268    reducing furnace transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
41    JXSBDQ0277    reducing furnace transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
42    JXSBDQ0278    reducing furnace transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
43    JXSBDQ0360    reducing furnace power cube    machinery    original invoice amount
44    JXSBDQ0361    reducing furnace power cube    machinery    original invoice amount
45    JXSBDQ0362    reducing furnace power cube    machinery    original invoice amount
46    JXSBDQ0363    reducing furnace power cube    machinery    original invoice amount
47    JXSBDQ0372    hydrogenation furnace power cube    machinery    original invoice amount
48    JXSBHY080019    X-Series ICP-MS    machinery    original invoice amount
49    JXSBHY080084    zone melting furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
50    JXSBJX080531    reducing furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
51    JXSBJX080543    hydrogenation furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
52    JXSBJX080635    hydrogen compressor    machinery    original invoice amount
53    JXSBJX080636    hydrogen compressor    machinery    original invoice amount
54    JXSBJXG080001    phosphoriser cleaning equipment    machinery    original invoice amount
55    JXSBDQ0001    transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
56    JXSBDQ0002    transformer    machinery    original invoice amount
57    JXSBDQ0009    one circuit 110KV interval    machinery    original invoice amount
58    JXSBDQ0010    two circuit 110KV interval    machinery    original invoice amount
59    JXSBDQ0011    one circuit 110KV interval    machinery    original invoice amount
60    JXSBDQ0012    two circuit 110KV interval    machinery    original invoice amount


Item

  

Property No.

  

Property name and specification

  

Category

  

Amount of liquidated damages

61

   JXSBDQ0013    one circuit 110KV transformer interval    machinery    original invoice amount
62    JXSBDQ0014    two circuit 110KV transformer interval    machinery    original invoice amount
63    JXSBDQ0015    one circuit 110KV voltage transformer interval    machinery    original invoice amount
64    JXSBJX080121    equipment P7001A    machinery    original invoice amount
65    JXSBJX080122    equipment P7001B    machinery    original invoice amount
66    JXSBJX080123    equipment P7002A    machinery    original invoice amount
67    JXSBJX080124    equipment P7002B    machinery    original invoice amount
68    JXSBJX080125    equipment P7003A    machinery    original invoice amount
69    JXSBJX080126    equipment P7003B    machinery    original invoice amount
70    JXSBJX080127    equipment P7004A    machinery    original invoice amount
71    JXSBJX080128    equipment P7004B    machinery    original invoice amount
72    JXSBJX080129    equipment P7005    machinery    original invoice amount
73    JXSBJX080130    equipment P7007    machinery    original invoice amount
74    JXSBJX080262    trichlorosilane synthesis furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
75    JXSBJX080263    trichlorosilane synthesis furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
76    JXSBJX080264    trichlorosilane synthesis furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
77    JXSBJX080265    trichlorosilane synthesis furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
78    JXSBJX080266    trichlorosilane synthesis furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
79    JXSBJX080267    trichlorosilane synthesis furnace    machinery    original invoice amount
80    JXSBJX080293    silica powder desiccator    machinery    original invoice amount
81    JXSBJX080294    silica powder desiccator    machinery    original invoice amount
82    JXSBJX080295    silica powder desiccator    machinery    original invoice amount
83    JXSBJX080296    silica powder desiccator    machinery    original invoice amount
84    JXSBJX080297    silica powder desiccator    machinery    original invoice amount
85    JXSBJX080298    silica powder desiccator    machinery    original invoice amount
86    JXSBJX080443    equipment P4301A    machinery    original invoice amount
87    JXSBJX080444    equipment P4301B    machinery    original invoice amount
88    JXSBJX080445    equipment P4302A    machinery    original invoice amount
89    JXSBJX080446    equipment P4302B    machinery    original invoice amount
90    JXSBJX080447    equipment P4602A    machinery    original invoice amount
91    JXSBJX080448    equipment P4602B    machinery    original invoice amount
92    JXSBJX080449    equipment P4602A    machinery    original invoice amount
93    JXSBJX080450    equipment P4602B    machinery    original invoice amount
94    JXSBJX080451    equipment P4605B    machinery    original invoice amount
95    JXSBJX080452    equipment P4605A    machinery    original invoice amount
96    JXSBJX080453    equipment P4606A    machinery    original invoice amount
97    JXSBJX080454    equipment P4606B    machinery    original invoice amount
98    JXSBJX080455    equipment P4607A    machinery    original invoice amount
99    JXSBJX080456    equipment P4607B    machinery    original invoice amount
100    JXSBJX080820    Hydrogen compressor auxiliary system    machinery    original invoice amount
101    JXSBJX080821    Hydrogen compressor auxiliary system    machinery    original invoice amount
102    BGSB082048    Gree airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
103    BGSB082049    Gree airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
104    BGSB082050    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
105    BGSB082051    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
106    BGSB082052    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
107    BGSB082053    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
108    BGSB082054    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
109    BGSB082055    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
110    BGSB082056    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
111    BGSB082057    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
112    BGSB082058    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
113    BGSB082059    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
114    BGSB082060    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
115    BGSB082061    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
116    BGSB082062    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
117    BGSB082063    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
118    BGSB082064    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
119    BGSB082065    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
120    BGSB082066    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
121    BGSB082067    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
122    BGSB082068    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
123    BGSB082069    Gree airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
124    BGSB082626    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
125    BGSB082627    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
126    BGSB082628    airconditioner    others    original invoice amount
automobile
127    BGSB082044    Buick (Yu FAD866)    transportation equipment    original invoice amount
128    BGSB082045    Buick (Yu FAQ866)    transportation equipment    original invoice amount
129    BGSB082046    Buick MPV (Yu FB9566)    transportation equipment    original invoice amount
130    BGSB082047    Audi (Yu ACA866)    transportation equipment    original invoice amount
office electronic device
131    BGSB080002    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
132    BGSB080003    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
133    BGSB080004    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
134    BGSB080005    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
135    BGSB080006    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
136    BGSB080007    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount


Item

  

Property No.

  

Property name and specification

  

Category

  

Amount of liquidated damages

137

   BGSB080008    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
138    BGSB080009    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
139    BGSB080010    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
140    BGSB080011    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
141    BGSB080012    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
142    BGSB080013    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
143    BGSB080014    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
144    BGSB080015    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
145    BGSB080016    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
146    BGSB080017    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
147    BGSB080019    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
148    BGSB080020    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
149    BGSB080021    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
150    BGSB080022    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
151    BGSB080023    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
152    BGSB080024    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
153    BGSB080025    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
154    BGSB080026    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
155    BGSB080027    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
156    BGSB080028    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
157    BGSB080029    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
158    BGSB080030    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
159    BGSB080031    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
160    BGSB080032    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
161    BGSB080033    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
162    BGSB080034    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
163    BGSB080035    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
164    BGSB080036    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
165    BGSB080037    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
166    BGSB080038    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
167    BGSB080039    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
168    BGSB080044    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
169    BGSB080045    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
170    BGSB080046    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
171    BGSB080047    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
172    BGSB080048    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
173    BGSB080049    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
174    BGSB080050    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
175    BGSB080051    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
176    BGSB080052    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
177    BGSB080053    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
178    BGSB080054    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
179    BGSB080055    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
180    BGSB080056    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
181    BGSB080057    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
182    BGSB080064    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
183    BGSBG080001    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
184    BGSBG080002    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
185    BGSBG080003    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
186    BGSBG080004    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
187    BGSBG080005    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
188    BGSBG080006    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
189    BGSBG080007    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
190    BGSBG080008    desktop computer    office equipment    original invoice amount
191    BGSB081001    laptop    office equipment    original invoice amount
192    BGSB081002    lapton    office equipment    original invoice amount
193    BGSB082012    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
194    BGSB082013    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
195    BGSB082014    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
196    BGSB082015    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
197    BGSB082021    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
198    BGSB082022    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
199    BGSB082023    printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
200    BGSB082010    projector    office equipment    original invoice amount
201    BGSB082011    all-in-one combination copier/printer    office equipment    original invoice amount
202    BGSB082016    all-in-one combination fax    office equipment    original invoice amount
203    BGSB082017    shredder    office equipment    original invoice amount
204    BGSB082037    digital camera    office equipment    original invoice amount
205    BGSB082038    digital camera    office equipment    original invoice amount
206    BGSB082039    digital camera    office equipment    original invoice amount
207    BGSB082040    video camera    office equipment    original invoice amount
208    BGSB082041    encrpytion software    office equipment    original invoice amount
209    BGSB080564~082623    60 sets of cabinets    office equipment    original invoice amount
Total: 209         

Exhibit 10.5

English Translation

Amended and Restated Lease Agreement

This amended and restated lease agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into by and between the following two parties and shall take effect from January 1, 2009:

Lessor: Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Xu Guangfu

Lessee: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Address: Xianjia Village, Longdu Neighborhood, Wanzhou District, Chongqing (in the Salt Gasification Industrial Park of Wanzhou District)

Legal Representative: Xu Guangfu

WHEREAS, the Lessor and the Lessee entered into a Lease Agreement taking effect on July 1, 2008 (the “Agreement of 2008”), in which both parties agreed upon certain issues concerning the lease;

WHEREAS, the Lessor and the Lessee negotiated and decided to revise and restate the Agreement of 2008 and replace the Agreement of 2008 with this Agreement;

NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China and relevant laws and regulations, after negotiation on an equal basis, both parties agree as follows:

Article One: Effective Date

Both parties agree that this Agreement shall take effect from January 1, 2009.

Article Two: Object of Lease

The object of this Agreement includes all the equipments, land, facilities and other buildings located in the Salt Gasification Industrial Park of Wanzhou District that the Lessor owns or has the right to use. (The abovementioned equipments, land, facilities and other buildings all together shall be referred to as the “Object of Lease” and the ownership of the abovementioned equipments, facilities and other buildings and the right to use the land all together shall be referred to as the “Property Right”.)

 

1


Article Three: Lease Term and Lessee’s Purchase Option

 

1. The lease term shall be five years, starting from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2013.

 

2. In the event that the Lessee intends to extend the lease term, it shall deliver to the Lessor a written request for renewal of another five years on the same terms and conditions within one month prior to the expiration of this Agreement, and the Lessor shall agree to such renewal request. If the Lessee delivers to the Lessor a written request for further renewal within one month prior to the expiration of the extended lease term, the Lessor shall continue to lease the Object of Lease to the Lessee.

 

3. The Lessor hereby irrevocably grants the Lessee with the following rights: to the extent permitted by the Chinese laws, the Lessee shall have the right to require the Lessor to sell the Property Right of the Object of Lease to the Lessee or the company or individual designated by the Lessee at a fair price at any time during the lease term and within one year after the expiration of the lease term. The abovementioned fair price of the Property Right of the Object of Lease shall be determined by both parties through negotiation. If the parties are not able to agree upon the fair price through negotiation, such price shall be determined by an independent third party selected by both parties.

Article Four: Property Right

 

1. Within the lease term, the Property Right of the Object of Lease shall belong to the Lessor and the Lessee shall only have the right to use in respect of the Object of Lease.

 

2. If the Lessor transfers the Property Right of the Object of Lease to any third party, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall continue to be valid towards the new owner of the Object of Lease unless otherwise agreed by the Lessee in writing. Moreover, the Lessor shall notify the Lessee within a reasonable period of time before the Property Right is transferred, and the Lessee shall have the right of first refusal upon the same conditions.

Article Five: Rental and Payment

 

1. Rental: the rental shall be RMB6.125 million per month

 

2.

Payment of rental: the rental shall be calculated on a monthly basis. The Lessor shall send to the Lessee a monthly rental statement, together with the invoice, on the 25 th day of every month for settlement. The Lessee shall pay the rental to the Lessor within ten business days after receiving the statement and invoice.

 

3. The beginning and ending date for the calculation of the rental:

 

  (1) January 1, 2009 shall be the date from which the rental is calculated.

 

  (2) Within the lease term, the Lessee shall continue to pay the rental during the period of shutdown if such shutdown is caused by the Lessee or natural conditions.

Article Six: Obligations and Responsibilities of Both Parties

 

  1. Obligations and responsibilities of the Lessor:

 

  (1) The Lessor shall not interfere with the Lessee’s quiet enjoyment of the right to use, possess and operate the Object of Lease during the lease term. However, Lessor’s proper exercise of the rights under or in relation with this Agreement shall not constitute the aforesaid interference.

 

2


  (2) The Lessor shall assist the Lessee in construction, manufacturing and operation, including but not limited to satisfying the Lessee’s requirements in relation with the abovementioned aspects.

 

  2. Obligations and responsibilities of the Lessee:

 

  (1) Legitimate and safe operation:

The Lessee shall:

(i) only use the Object of Lease for legitimate purposes; and

(ii) acquire and maintain all the certificates, licenses, permits and authorizations necessary for the utilization and operation of the Object of Lease at all times. The Lessee shall also strictly perform the relevant payment obligations and other relevant obligations under this Agreement

 

  (2) Property rights and interests:

The Lessee shall:

(i) not take or allow others to take any actions that in the judgment of a reasonable person will place the Object of Lease under any fine, confiscation, seizure, detainment, appropriation, damage or destruction; and

(ii) not create any liens or other third party interests on the Object of Lease without a prior written consent of the Lessor.

 

  (3) Maintenance and overhaul

(i) The Lessee shall maintain the Object of Lease in the same manner and with at least the same degree of care as the Lessee would have exerted for the maintenance of similar equipments and facilities the Lessee owns or operates.

Article Seven: Liability for Breach

 

1. Rights and remedies in the event that the Lessee breaches:

If the Lessee defaults and fails to cure the default within a reasonable period of time, the Lessor shall be entitled to the following remedies without prejudice to any of its other rights under this Agreement.

 

  (1) exercise its rights under Section 2 of this Article (early termination);

 

  (2) immediately terminate the lease by sending a notice to the Lessee (without affecting any unfulfilled obligations of the Lessee hereunder); and/or

 

  (3) enforce this Agreement or obtain damages pursuant to Article Eleven of this Agreement.

 

2. Early Termination

If the Lessee defaults, the Lessor can require the Lessee to return the Object of Lease by written notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Lessee shall pay the aggregated amount of the following items to the Lessor within thirty (30) days (the “Early Termination Date”):

 

  (1) any accumulated outstanding rental until the Early Termination Date;

 

  (2) any other payments owed by the Lessee to the Lessor, including payments that occur on the Early Termination Date or become due according to this Agreement or any other document; and

 

3


  (3) any other costs and expenses incurred by the Lessor in relation with the return of the Object of Lease which were reasonably foreseeable when entering into this Agreement, including attorney’s fees, professional’s fees, examination fees, advancements and any other costs.

 

3. Remedies in the event that the Lessor breaches:

If the Lessor breaches, the Lessor shall, upon request by the Lessee, compensate the Lessee for any losses that the Lessee may suffer or incur as a result of the breach.

Article Eight: Representations and Warranties

 

1. The Lessor represents and warrants that:

 

  (1) The Lessor is a duly incorporated and lawfully existing enterprise and has the right to execute and ability to perform this Agreement.

 

  (2) Except for the disclosures made to the Lessee, the Lessor has obtained the legitimate and valid approvals, certificates, licenses and qualifications required for execution and performance of this Agreement.

 

  (3) When signing this Agreement, no court, arbitration commission, administrative authority or supervisory organization has made any judgment, ruling, award or specific administrative behavior material enough to adversely affect the Lessor’s performance of this Agreement.

 

  (4) The Lessor has completed its internal authorization procedures necessary for signing this Agreement, and the signatory of this Agreement is the legal representative or authorized representative of the Lessor. This Agreement shall be legally binding upon both parties after coming into effect.

 

2. The Lessee represents and warrants that:

(1) The Lessee is a duly incorporated and lawfully existing enterprise and has the right to execute and ability to perform this Agreement.

(2) The Lessee has obtained the legitimate and valid approvals, certificates, licenses and qualifications required for execution and performance of this Agreement.

(3) When signing this Agreement, no court, arbitration commission, administrative authority or supervisory organization has made any judgment, ruling, award or specific administrative behavior material enough to adversely affect the Lessee’s performance of this Agreement.

(4) The Lessee has completed its internal authorization procedures necessary for signing this Agreement, and the signatory of this Agreement is the legal representative or authorized representative of the Lessee. This Agreement shall be legally binding upon both parties after coming into effect.

Article Nine: Force Majeure

 

1. The force majeure under this Agreement refers to unforeseeable, insurmountable, unavoidable and objective event that materially affects one party, including but not limited to natural disasters such as flood, earthquake, fire and windstorm, as well as social events such as war, turmoil and government behavior.

 

2. If this Agreement cannot be performed as a result of force majeure, the affected party shall immediately notify the event of force mejeure to the other party in writing, as well as provide detailed information of the event and written documents stating that the Agreement cannot be performed or its performance needs to be delayed within three days. After approval of both parties, both parties shall negotiate to terminate or delay performance of this Agreement.

 

4


Article Ten: Notices

 

1. Unless otherwise stipulated, all the notices under or in connection with this Agreement shall be made in the form of a written letter or fax, and shall be regarded as effective if transmitted in the following forms;

 

  (1) In the form of a letter, the notices shall take effect on the day of receipt or the seventh day after transmission (whichever is earlier), and

 

  (2) In the form of a fax, the notices shall take effect when the sending party otherwise notifies the other party of this transmission by phone after the notice is sent out.

Article Eleven: Applicable Law and Dispute Settlement

 

  1. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

 

  2. Any dispute arising from or in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, and abided by the arbitration rules of the commission effective at the time of submission. The arbitral venue is Beijing and Chinese shall be used during arbitration. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties.

Article Twelve: Interpretation

The understanding and interpretation of this Agreement shall be carried out according to the purposes of contract and the original meanings of the text of this Agreement. The title of this Agreement has been added only for the convenience of reading, without prejudicing the interpretation of this Agreement.

Article Thirteen: Exclusiveness and Integrity

This Agreement is the only valid and complete agreement between the Lessor and the Lessee regarding the lease of the Object of Lease. It shall prevail over all the previous agreements, contracts or understandings with regard to this lease. Any revision to this Agreement shall be made in writing by both parties.

Article Fourteen: Duplicates

This Agreement is executed in two copies, each of which shall be regarded as an original. All the documents shall constitute a same document.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement. This Agreement shall take effect from January 1, 2009.

 

5


Lessor (seal): Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

Signed on August 19, 2009

The Lessee (seal): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Signed on August 19, 2009

 

6

Exhibit 10.6

English Translation

S UPPLEMENTARY A GREEMENT TO

THE A MENDED AND R ESTATED L EASE A GREEMENT

This supplementary agreement to the amended and restated lease agreement (the “ Supplementary Agreement ”) is entered into by and between the following two parties and shall take effect on November 9, 2009:

Lessor (“ Lessor ”): Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Guangfu Xu

Lessee (“ Lessee ”): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Guangfu Xu

WHEREAS, Lessor and Lessee entered into an Amended and Restated Lease Agreement effective as of January 1, 2009 (the “ 2009 Agreement ”), pursuant to which Lessor leases from Lessee all manufacturing facilities, lands, factories and other buildings in connection with Lessor’s Chongqing Phase 1a facility owned by Lessor (the “ Chongqing Phase 1a Assets ”);

WHEREAS, Lessor has substantially completed all constructions relating to its Chongqing Phase 1b facility (the “ Phase 1b facility ”);

WHEREAS, Lessor wishes to lease and obtained all facilities, factories, buildings and other assets relating to Chongqing Phase 1b and owned by Lessor (the “ Chongqing Phase 1b Assets ”) to Lessee and Lessee wishes to lease the Chongqing Phase 1b Assets from Lessor according to the same terms and conditions as set forth in the 2009 Agreement, except that the subject matter of the leasehold, the amount of rental payment and the initial lease term shall be governed by this Supplementary Agreement;

NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China and relevant laws and regulations, after negotiation on an equal basis, parties agree as follows:

Article One: Subject Matter

The subject matter of this Supplementary Agreement shall be the Chongqing Phase 1b Assets, comprising of all facilities, factories, buildings and other assets relating to Chongqing Phase 1b and owned by Lessor.

 

1


Article Two: Initial Lease Term

The initial lease term: from the effective date of this Supplementary Agreement to December 31, 2013.

Article Three: Rental

The rental for the Chongqing Phase 1b Assets shall be RMB2,950,000 per month. For the avoidance of doubt, the amount of rental payment specified in the foregoing sentence is the rental payment for the Chongqing Phase 1b Assets only, and this Supplementary Agreement does not increase, decrease or otherwise alter in any manner the amount of rental payment for the Chongqing Phase 1a Assets under the 2009 Agreement.

Article Four: Other Lease Terms

Other than the above three provisions, namely, Subject Matter, Initial Lease Term and Rental, all other provisions of the 2009 Agreement, including but not limited to the extension of the lease term, Lessee’s purchase option, property right and rental and payment, shall apply to the lease of the Chongqing Phase 1b Assets.

Article Five: Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

1. This Supplementary Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Any dispute arising from or in connection with this Supplementary Agreement shall be submitted to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, and abided by the arbitration rules of the commission effective at the time of submission. The arbitral venue is Beijing and the Chinese language shall be used during arbitration. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties.

Article Six: Counterparts

This Supplementary Agreement shall be executed in two counterparts, each of which shall be regarded as an original. All the documents shall constitute a same document.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Supplementary Agreement as of November 9, 2009.

Lessor (seal): Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

Lessee (seal): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

 

2

Exhibit 10.7

English Translation

Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon

 

       No.: 2007007
       Date: 31-10-2007
       Address: Shanghai

Party A: Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.

Address: No. 8 Baoqun Road, Yaozhuang Town, Jiashan, Zhejiang, China

Tel: 0573-84773058            Fax: 0573-84773383

Party B: Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.

Address: Chemical Industry Park, Wanzhou District, Chongqing 404000, China

Tel: 023-58820766            Fax: 023-58820788

Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Party A”) and Daqo New Material Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Party B”), on the basis of equality, free will and fairness, abiding by the principle of long-term cooperation and mutual development and through friendly negotiations, hereby enter into this Contract, on and subject to the terms and conditions as set forth below:

1. Subject matter

Solar grade polysilicon (hereinafter referred to as “Goods”).

2. Quantity (ton), unit price (RMB), total amount (RMB), supply time

 

Year

  

2008

  

2009

  

2010

  

2011

  

2012

Quantity (ton)    150-200    300    500    500    500
Unit price    The unit price is RMB 1,700 /kg during the first half year and RMB 1,650 during the second half year.    The parties shall negotiate the price every three months.    The parties shall negotiate the price every three months.    The parties shall negotiate the price every three months.    The parties shall negotiate the price every three months.
Goods supply   

Jul.~ Dec.,

25-33 ton/month

  

Jan.~ Dec.,

25 ton/month

  

Jan.~ Dec.,

42 ton/month

  

Jan.~ Dec.,

42 ton/month

  

Jan.~ Dec.,

42 ton/month

Total quantity: 1,950~2,000

Total amount: subject to actual amount dominated in RMB

Notes:

1. The above prices include value-added tax.

2. Definition of market price: The transaction price of batch goods (more than ten tons) on current domestic spot market.

 

1


3. Time of determining price: The price is determined on a quarterly basis. The price of the following quarter shall be determined during the 20 th to 30 th days of the last month of each quarter. The price shall be confirmed in the form of Price Confirmation through friendly negotiation by both parties in good faith. If no agreement is reached through negotiation, the price at which a third party agrees to purchase goods of the same quality (over 10 tons) from Party B in the current period shall prevail.

4. Party A and Party B shall give priority to guaranteeing the quantity under this contract. If Party B has goods in excess of the agreed quantity, Party B shall give priority to supplying them to Party A under the same conditions.

5. Both parties have taken into adequate consideration the impact of the floating factors of market energy price upon the contract price. Once the price is determined, during each corresponding performing period, neither party shall delay the performance of or refuse to perform this Contract due to change of market price.

3. Technical requirements and quality specification

Please refer to Attachment I.

4. Price, document and transportation requirements

4.1 The Price is described in Article 2 hereunder and denominated in RMB. The prices for the goods delivered in and after 2009 which have not been determined hereunder shall be determined by both parties when signing the subcontract through friendly negotiation based on the prevailing market price.

4.2 Document requirements: value-added invoice shall be issued.

4.3 Price: Ex-works price.

5. Payment terms

Party A shall make payment to Party B in accordance with the following terms.

5.1 Advance payment: the total advance payment for the first year of this Contract is RMB 200 million (RMB two hundred million). The amount of the advance payment for each following year shall be determined by both parties through friendly negotiation in the third quarter of the previous year.

5.2 After this Contract becomes effective, Party A shall remit RMB 100 million (RMB one hundred million) of the aforesaid advance payment by wire transfer to the account designated by Party B before November 30, 2007, the remaining RMB 100 million shall be remitted by wire transfer to the account designated by Party B before December 31, 2007.

5.3 Payment: Party B shall supply goods according to the delivery schedule hereunder. Party A shall make payment by wire transfer to the account designated by Party B in advance according to the quantity and amount information provided by Party B. Party B shall arrange delivery upon receipt of payment. Payment for the current goods will be deducted from the advance payment item by item, until the advance payment is used up. Corresponding VAT invoice shall be provided by Party B.

6. Packaging, Marking, Lead Time and Delivery Condition

6.1 Package: Party B shall provide packages to the delivered goods suitable for long-distance transportation and ensure that the goods are free from damage and contamination upon arrival at the warehouse designated by Party A, excluding those caused by force

 

2


majeure or due to the carrier or insurance company’s responsibility. Goods shall be packaged in both inner and outer package (every 5kg shall be packaged in an inner package and every 30kg shall be packaged in an outer package). The inner package is PE bag with double layer of air-proof and outer package is carton (paper barrel).

6.2 Marking: indicate manufacturer, production batch number, specifications, weight and date of production on the outer package and inner package according to Party A’s requirements.

6.3 Place of delivery: the place of delivery shall be the warehouse of Party B’s plant. Party A is entitled to designate people to inspect the goods at the warehouse before shipment.

6.4 Transfer of ownership: upon departure from Party B’s warehouse, ownership of the goods shall be transferred to Party A. As for incidents such as loss, shortage and damage during the transportation, Party A shall claim against the carrier for compensation. Party B shall actively provide related materials upon request.

6.5 Delivery date: please refer to Article 2 of this contract for specific delivery date.

7. Quality guarantee

Quality of goods means that the goods shall meet the provisions hereunder as well as domestic and overseas industry standards in terms of performance, specifications, appearance, material, manufacturing, workmanship, etc. Please refer to Attachment I for relevant quality standards. Party B shall provide its formal test report for each batch of goods, which includes at least the specifications in Attachment I and shall be affixed with Party B’s official seal. Party B shall also provide its test report for trial-production and initial batch of products.

8. Inspection

8.1 Upon arrival of the goods at Party A’s warehouse, Party A will make inspection based on the quality standards in Attachment I. Inspection method, inspection instruments and reagents are in conformity with the domestic and overseas industry standards. In case of any quality objection, Party A shall inform Party B by fax within 15 days from the day the goods leave Party B’s warehouse. If no written notice is received Party A within 15 days, the goods are deemed qualified. Upon receipt of such notice, Party B shall forthwith assign persons to take the sample together with Party A’s representative and deliver them through express mail to an independent inspection institution acceptable to both parties for re-inspection, which shall be the final result. The expenses thus incurred shall be borne by the party whose opinion is untenable. If the inspection result upholds Party A’s opinion, Party A shall be entitled to request for return or replacement of goods and Party B shall bear the direct expenses arising therefrom, including freight, warehousing expenses, labor cost, etc.

8.2 Since the inspection by Party A is a sample inspection, which means inspection over part of the goods or inspection and/or test over part of the performances of part of the goods, passing such inspection and/or test does not mean that all the products comply with all quality requirements and does not exempt Party B from its responsibility for quality compliance.

9. Validation, term and termination

9.1 This Contract shall be effective after signed and affixed with seal by the representatives of both parties until December 31, 2012. Neither party shall terminate this Contract for any reason other than those as set forth in Articles 9 and 10. The extension of this Contract and new transaction conditions may be reached through negotiation by both parties three months prior to the expiry of this Contract.

 

3


9.2 Should either party be prevented from performing its obligations hereunder for more than two months due to force majeure, the other party may give a written notice to terminate this Contract.

9.3 This Contract can be terminated through negotiations by both parties.

9.4 If Party A or Party B fails to perform the obligations stipulated under this Contract and doesn’t make any remedy for the failure to perform or the breach of obligations within 15 days after the other party makes the demand, the other party is entitled to terminate the Contract by written notice.

9.5 If the contract is terminated for reasonable cause, such as bankruptcy, application for bankruptcy, company reorganization or similar applications and liquidation, Party B shall refund the remaining advance payment to Party A within 7 working days after the receipt of Party A’s written termination notice based on reasonable cause.

9.6 Confidentiality, quality, liability for breach of contract and dispute resolution provisions under this Contract shall survive expiration, termination or invalidity.

10. Liabilities for breach of contract

10.1 The defaulting party shall be liable to the other party for breach of contract and pay the liquidated damages. If the other party suffers damages and the liquidated damages are not enough to cover, the defaulting party shall compensate the amount gap. If the liquidated damages are too higher or too lower than the incurred damages, either party may apply to the people’s court or the arbitration authority for proper reduction or addition on the amount.

10.2 Should either party fail to perform or fully perform this contract (except Party B’s delays in delivery or that the delivered amount is less than the required amount ,which are stipulated in Article 10.2 ), the defaulting party shall pay the other party liquidated damages, which are 5‰ of the amount of the breached contract. However, if the two parties negotiate to amend or terminate this contract, it is deemed as breach of contract.

10.3 If Party B delays in delivery or delivers the goods less than the required amount, Party B shall pay Party A liquidated damages, which are 1% of the total invoice amount of this batch. If Party A doesn’t accept goods according to the delivery schedule or reject the qualified goods, Party A shall Party B liquidated damages, which are 1% of the total invoice amount of this batch. Either party shall inform the other party 10 days in advance and get the approval if it wants to increase or reduce the contract quantity or change the delivery time, otherwise the defaulting party shall assume economical responsibility.

10.4 Actual expenses incurred by Party A for Party B’s mistake in delivery to Party A during the period of custody shall be borne by Party B. In case of Party A’s overdue payment, Party A shall, in accordance with the People’s Bank of China’s related provisions on overdue payment, pay liquidated damages for overdue payment to Party B.

10.5 All the liquidated damages, compensations, custody fee, maintenance fee and other economical cost shall be remitted to the other party within 10 days after the responsibility has been specified, otherwise it is treated as overdue payment, but neither party can recoup it by retaining the products or payment at its own discretion.

10.6 Since 2008 is the first year Party B starts production, the actual supply amount for every month may be adjusted according to the actual production status of Party B, but the total amount for the year shall remain unchanged. Therefore, the adjustment of the supply amount for 2008 shall not be deemed as breach of contract and doesn’t fall under the breach of contract clause.

 

4


10.7 Other matters shall be in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China

11. Confidentiality

11.1 Each party shall keep strictly confidential of the other party’s business secrets which have not been publicly disclosed but have been known by the party during cooperation, and shall not disclose to any third party without the other party’s written consent except as otherwise required by law. Besides, neither party shall use it in any inappropriate way for purposes not provided in this Contract; otherwise the disclosing party shall bear all the responsibilities arised therefrom and compensate for the loss.

11.2 Each party shall keep confidential of both parties’ business information mentioned in this Contract, and shall not disclose to a third party.

11.3 Each party’s obligations under this Contract shall survive upon termination of this Contract. Each party shall continue to abide by the confidentiality clause under this Contract and perform its confidentiality obligations, until released by the other party or no damage is caused to the other party as a result of breaching the confidentiality clause hereunder.

12. Force Majeure

12.1 Force Majeure refers to unforeseable, unpreventable or unavoidable events after this Contract takes effect, such as earthquake, typhoon, flood, fire and war, directly affecting the performance of this Contract or performance according to stipulated requirements.

12.2 The affected party shall notify the other party about the event of force majeure immediately and provide detailed information of the event and proof of evidence within fifteen days.

12.3 In the event of force majeure, both parties shall seek a reasonable solution to minimize the effects of the event.

12.4 If force majeure lasts thirty (30) days, both parties shall, through friendly consultations, determine whether to terminate this Contract or continue performance of this Contract.

13. Dispute Settlement

13.1 The validity, interpretation and performance of this Contract and its amendment as well as all the matters arising from this Contract and its amendment shall be governed by relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China.

13.2 Any dispute arising from the interpretation or the performance of the contract shall be settled primarily through friendly negotiation between both parties. The negotiation should be completed within thirty (30) days.

13.3 If no settlement can be reached through negotiation, the disputes shall be submitted to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission Shanghai Branch by either party.

13.4 During the occurrence and settlement of the disputes, both parties shall continue to exercise their rights and perform their obligations under this Contract.

14. Miscellaneous

14.1 This Contract is executed in two originals in Chinese, one of which shall be held by each party.

 

5


14.2 This Contract and its attachments constitute all the agreement between both parties regarding the subject matter under this contract and prevail over all the previous negotiations, discussions and agreements which reached between the two parties.

14.3 Anything not included herein may be negotiated by both parties in the form of agreement, which is also regarded as attachments to this Contract. The attachments to this Contract shall enjoy the same legal effect as this Contract. All the letters, faxes and emails confirmed by both parties shall be deemed an integral part of this Contract and enjoy the same legal effect.

14.4 This Contract shall take effect upon execution (Note: This Contract shall be signed and sent back to the other party. It is deemed as effective if no objection was raised and no contract is sent back again within 24 hours).

14.5 Any amendment to this Contract shall become effective upon entering into a written agreement between both parties. Any manual supplementation, alteration or cutting of this Contract by either party shall be invalid and illegal.

14.6 Failure by either party in compulsorily requiring the other party to abide by any term or condition hereunder does not constitute a waiver thereof.

14.7 If any clause of this Contract is deemed as invalid, illegal or unenforceable to any extent, such clause shall be segregated from the main contract and the remaining clauses shall remain effective to the maximum extent permitted by law.

14.8 Failure or delay by either party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Contract shall not constitute a waiver thereof, solely or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege does not interfere the party with exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

14.9 The attachments hereto shall form an integral part of this Contract and enjoy the same legal effect as the clauses of the main contract. In case of any discrepancy between the main contract and the attachments, the former shall prevail.

 

Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.   Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.
(Seal)   (Seal)
Representative signature:   Representative signature:
/s/ Li Xianshou   /s/ Xu Xiangkai

Note: The following is intentionally left blank.

 

6


Attachment I

 

Item

  

Specification

Acceptor (B)    <1 ppba
Donor (P)    <2 ppba
Carbon (C)    <1 ppma
Specific resistance    P type    ³ 200 W .cm
   N type    ³ 60 W .cm
Minority carrier life    ³ 300 W .cm
Metal impurities    <0.1 ppm
Size    Bar-shaped or irregular briquets. Diameter of bars £ 150mm. Length of briquets shall be determined by both parties through negotiation. Diameter of briquets shall be less than 100mm.
Package method    The goods shall be packed in an inner package and an outer package. Each 5-kilo of the goods shall be packed in an inner package, and each 30-kilo of the goods shall be packed in an outer package. The inner package is PE bag with double layer of air-proof and outer package is carton (paper barrel).

 

7

Exhibit 10.8

English Translation

Supplementary Agreement to Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon

No.: 2007007-02

Date: December 5, 2008

Address: Wanzhou, Chongqing

Party A: Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.

Address: No. 8 Baoqun Road, Yaozhuang Town, Jiashan, Zhejiang, China

Tel: 0573-84773058             Fax: 0573-84773383

Party B: Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.

Address: Chemical Industry Park, Wanzhou District, Chongqing 404000, China

Tel: 023-58820766               Fax: 023-58820788

Party A and Party B entered into Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon (Contract No.:2007007) (hereunder referred to as the “Original Contract”) on October 31, 2007. In response to the performance status of the Original Contract in 2008, both parties, on the basis of equality, free will and fairness, make changes to the Original Contract through negotiation and agree to the following:.

1. Both parties confirm that as of December 5, 2008, Party B has supplied 38,763.284 kgs of polysilicon to Party A (excluding silicon cores returned by Party A to Party B) at the price of RMB 1,650/kg, totaling to RMB 63,959,418.6 . Before December 15, 2008, Party A shall continue to purchase 27,723.5 kgs of polysilicon from Party B at the price of RMB 1,300/kg, totaling to RMB 36,040,581.4 , and take delivery on schedule. The sum shall be RMB 100,000,000.

2. The remaining advance payment of RMB 100 million will be fully used by Party A to continue purchasing 90,909.1 kilograms of polysilicon from Party B at the price of RMB 1,100/kilogram. Party A will take delivery of 14,000 kilograms of polysilicon before December 15, 2008, 40,000 kilograms before December 25, 2008, 24,000 kilograms before January 5, 2009 and 12,909.1 kilograms before January 25, 2008, totaling to 90,909.1 kilograms.

3. The aforesaid payment shall be deducted from the advance payment.

4. The place of delivery shall be the warehouse in Party B’s factory.

5. Upon execution of this Supplementary Agreement, both parties do not have any other disputes regarding performance of the Original Contract (Contract No.:2007007) on the precondition of strict performance of the foregoing.

6. Disputes arising from interpretation or performance of the contract shall be settled by both parties through friendly negotiation.

 

1


As amendment and supplement to the Original Contract, this Supplementary Agreement constitutes an integral part of the Original Contract. In case of any conflict with the Original Contract, understanding memorandum dated October 26, 2008 and meeting minutes dated November 25, 2008, this Supplementary Agreement shall prevail.

This Supplementary Agreement shall take effect upon being signed and affixed with seal by both parties.

 

Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.     Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.
(Contract seal)     (Contract seal)

Representative signature:

 

/s/ Li Xianshou

   

Representative signature:

 

/s/ Zhu Xujun

 

2

Exhibit 10.9

English Translation

Agreement on Changing the Contracting Party of Sales and

Purchase Contract of Polysilicon

Party A: Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co., Ltd.

Address: No. 8, Baoqun Road, Yaozhuang Town, Jiashan, Zhejiang

Tel: 0573-84773058, Fax: 0573-84773383

Party B: Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

Address: Wanzhou Salt and Gas Chemical Industrial Park of Chongqing

Tel: 023-64866666, Fax: 023-64846688

Party C: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Address: Wanzhou Salt and Gas Chemical Industrial Park of Chongqing

Tel: 023-64866666, Fax: 023-64846688

Party A and Party B entered into the Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon (Contract No.:2007007) on October 31, 2007, and later entered into the Supplementary Agreement to Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon (Contract No.:2007007-02) on December 5, 2008. Since the performing party has changed during performance of the contract, Party A, Party B and Party C reach the following through negotiation:

I. All parties agree to change Party B in the two aforesaid contracts between Party A and Party B from Daqo New Material Co., Ltd. into Party C of this Agreement, Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

II. Other terms and conditions of the two original contracts shall remain unchanged, unless otherwise agreed in this Agreement.

III. Upon change of a contracting party, the rights and obligations under Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon (Contract No.:2007007) and Supplementary Agreement to Sales and Purchase Contract of Polysilicon (No.:2007007-02) shall be continuously performed by Party A and Party C. The performance made by Party C on behalf of Party B is acknowledged by all parties and regarded as the performance made by Party B, no party raises any objection in this regard.

IV. This agreement shall take effect upon being signed and affixed with seal by the three parties.

V. Disputes arising from interpretation or performance thereof and hereof shall be settled by all parties through friendly negotiation.

 

1


Party A (Seal)

Seal: Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co., Ltd.

December 11, 2008

Party B: (Seal)

Seal: Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

December 11, 2008

Party C: (Seal)

Seal: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

December 11, 2008

 

2

Exhibit 10.10

English Translation

Sale and Purchase Framework Contract

Between

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

AND

Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.

(No. YHX20090804)

Signed at: Jiashan, Zhejiang

 

1


Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Enterprise form: Limited Liability Company

Registered address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal representative: Xu Guangfu

Account opening bank: Business Department, Wanzhou Branch, China Construction Bank

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Tel: 023-64866666

Fax: 023-64866688

Party B: Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.

Enterprise form: Limited Liability Company

Registered address: Yaozhuang Town Industrial Park, Jiashan

Legal representative: Li Xianshou

Account opening bank: Industry and Commerce Bank, Jiashan

Account No.: 1204070009242025955

Tel: 0573-84739053

Fax: 0573-84773331

 

2


Party A and Party B, in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China, on the basis of equality, free will and fairness, abiding by the principle of long-term cooperation and mutual development and through friendly negotiations, hereby enter into this Contract in relation with the sale and purchase of solar grade polysilicon, on and subject to the terms and conditions as set forth below:

 

1. Subject Matter

Solar grade polysilicon (hereinafter referred to as “Goods”).

 

2. Quantity (ton), Price (RMB) and Time of Supply

 

  (a) Quantity and Time of Supply

 

Time of Supply

  

Average Supply Amount (ton)

  

Total

  

Remark

August, 2009    no less than 20 tons      
September, 2009    no less than 20 tons      
October,2009    no less than 20 tons      
November, 2009    no less than 20 tons      
December, 2009    no less than 20 tons      

 

  (b) Price

The price of the following month is negotiated by both parties at the end of each month.

 

3. Payment terms

The Goods will be delivered upon receipt of payment. The corresponding VAT invoice will be provided by Party A within seven (7) working days after Party B receives the Goods, confirms the quantity and inspects to be qualified.

 

4. Packaging, Marking and Delivery Condition

 

  (a) Packaging: Party A shall bear the packaging fees and the packages shall be suitable for long-distance transportation;

 

3


  (b) Marking: Party A shall indicate manufacturer, production batch number, specifications, weight and date of production on the outer package and inner package according to Party B’s requirements;

 

  (c) Place of delivery: the place of delivery shall be the warehouse of Party B’s plant.

 

  (d) Means of delivery: Party A shall be responsible to deliver the Goods to the warehouse of Party B’s plant and bear the transportation and insurance fees therefrom.

 

5. Quality Guarantee

 

  (a) The quality of the solar grade polysilicon hereunder is subject to the quality requirements of industry standard.

 

  (b) Party A shall submit an official testing report to Party B for each patch of goods.

 

  (c) Party B shall make inspection within 15 days upon receiving the goods and shall raise objections in writing within the same period in case of any quality problem. Otherwise, the Goods are deemed qualified.

 

6. Effectiveness, Term and Termination

 

  (a) This Contract shall be effective after signed and affixed with seal by the representatives of both parties. This Contract can be signed by fax.

 

  (b) Should either party fail to perform its obligations hereunder and fail to make remedies within 15 days after being required by the other party, the other party may give a written notice to terminate this Contract.

 

7. Miscellaneous

 

  (a) This Contract is written in Chinese and signed in two copies, each of which shall be held by each party. This Contract is a polysilicon sale and purchase framework contract between Party A and Party B, and a separate sale and purchase contract will be signed for each single transaction. This Contract together with the separate sale and purchase contracts shall constitute all the contracts with regard to the subject matter of this Contract.

 

4


  (b) This Contract shall become effective upon execution.

 

  (c) Anything not included herein shall be subject to the separate sale and purchase contracts otherwise executed between both parties. This Contract and the separate sale and purchase contracts shall enjoy the same legal validity.

 

5


Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Seal

Date: August 4, 2009

Party B: Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source Co. Ltd.

Seal

Date: August 4, 2009

 

6

Exhibit 10.11

English Translation

Sales and Purchase Contract

Between

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

And

Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd

Signed at: Wanzhou, Chongqing


Procurement and Supply Contract

 

Party A: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

Company’s Form: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: No. 3055 Middle Fuxin Road, Baoding

(Baoding Tianwei Yingli New Energy Sources Co., Ltd)

Legal Representative: Miao Liansheng

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank of Baoding City, Tianwei West Road Sub-branch

(Baoding Tianwei Yingli New Energy Sources Co., Ltd)

Account No.: 13001665608050500212

Tel: 0312 8929868

Fax: 0312 8929800

Party A includes subsidiaries controlled by Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, Baoding Tianwei Yingli New Energy Sources Co., Ltd and Yingli (China) New Energy Sources Co., Ltd.

Party B: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd (The company plans to change its name to “Chongqing Daqo New

Energy Co., Ltd”.)

Company’s Form: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: Wanzhou Industry Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Xu Guangfu

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank, Business Department of Wanzhou Branch

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Tel: 023-64866666

Fax: 023-64866688

Pursuant to the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China , on the basis of equality, voluntariness and fairness, under the principle of long-term cooperation and mutual development, Party A and Party B, through friendly negotiation, reach the following agreement regarding the procurement of solar grade polysilicon.

 

1


Procurement and Supply Contract

 

 

Article 1: Subject Matter

Solar grade polysilicon (hereinafter referred to as “Goods”).

Article 2: Quantity (ton), Price (ten-thousand Yuan (RMB)) and Time of Supply

 

Year

  

2008

  

2009

  

2010

Supply Quantity of Polysilicon (ton)

   50    400~500    600~800

Unit Price of Polysilicon (including 17% value-added tax ) (ten-thousand RMB/ton)

   290    240    120

Amount (ten-thousand RMB)

   14500    96000~120000    72000~96000

Advance Payment

   Please refer to Article 3.1

Notes:

The supply price for 2008 is fixed and no adjustment shall be made; while the supply prices for 2009 and 2010 are tentative ones, and both parties may adjust the supply price for the next period every six months through negotiation if the deviation between the then market price and the supply price exceeds ±5%. The market price refers to the spot polysilicon sales price of domestic main-stream manufacturers.

The supply for 2008 shall be delivered within the fourth quarter of 2008. Party B shall supply to Party in priority according to its actual monthly output.

33 to 42 tons shall be delivered each month throughout 2009.

50 to 67 tons shall be delivered each month throughout 2010.

Article 3: Payment Terms

Party A shall make payment to Party B in accordance with the following:

3.1 Advance payment:

After this contract takes effect, Party A shall make payment to the account designated by Party B through T/T before the 15 th day of the month of payment according to the following schedule.

Advance payment schedule

 

Advance Payment Items

   Advance
Payment
for 2008
   Advance
Payment
for the 1 st
quarter of
2009
   Advance
Payment
for the 2 nd
quarter of
2009
   Advance
Payment

for the 3 rd
quarter of
2009
   Advance
Payment
for the 4 th
quarter of
2009
   Advance
Payment
for the 1 st
quarter of
2010
   Advance
Payment
for the 2 nd
quarter of
2010
   Advance
Payment
for the 3 rd
quarter of
2010
   Advance
Payment
for the 4 th
quarter of
2010

Time of Payment

   June
2008
   Dec. 2008    March
2009
   June
2009
   Sep. 2009    Dec. 2009    March
2010
   June
2010
   Sep. 2010

Amount of Payment (ten-thousand RMB)

   14,500    12,000    12,000    12,000    12,000    9,000    9,000    9,000    9,000

3.2 Payment of Goods

Party A shall make payment to the account designated by Party B in advance through T/T according to the actual quantity and amount of supply notified by Party B. Party B shall arrange delivery within 5 working days upon receipt of payment and shall provide corresponding value-added tax receipt within one week after Party A receives the goods and confirm the quantity and quality.

 

2


Procurement and Supply Contract

 

 

3.3 Offset of advance payment

The advance payment made by Party A for 2008 shall be used to offset the payment for goods purchased in 2008, and Party A doesn’t need to make more payments. The advance payment made by Party A for 2009 and 2010 shall be used to offset part of payment for goods according to the ratio of amount delivered in that month and the total amount in that quarter. The remaining payment shall be made in accordance with Article 3.2 hereunder.

3.4 Settlement

All the businesses in the full year shall be settled before December 31 of each year. The delivery plan for the following year shall be carried out after the settlement of payment.

Article 4: Packing and marking requirements and delivery terms

4.1 Packing:

The package shall be suitable for long-distance highway transportation and Party B shall bear the cost of package.

4.2 Marking:

Mark the name of manufacturer, lot No., specification, weight and date of production on the outer package and inner package as required by Party A.

4.3 Place of Delivery:

Warehouse at the place of Party B’s factory

4.4 Method of Delivery:

Pick up by Party A.

4.5 Transfer of ownership

The ownership shall transfer to Party A upon delivery. Meanwhile, Party A shall take the risks of damage or loss of goods.

Article 5: Quality Guarantee

5.1 The quality standard of solar grade polysilicon sold by Party B to Party A under this contract is as follows: P-type resistivity shall exceed 200 ohm.cm, while N-type resistivity shall exceed 20 ohm.cm. Anything not included herein shall refer to the quality requirements of industry standard.

5.2 Party B shall submit a formal test report of each batch of goods to Party A.

5.3 Party A shall inspect the quality of goods within 15 days after receipt of goods and notify Party B in writing of its objection within such period in the event of any quality deficiency. Otherwise, goods supplied by Party B shall be deemed to have met the quality requirements agreed upon by both parties.

Article 6: Effectiveness, Term and Termination of the Contract

6.1 The contract shall take effect after being executed and affixed with seal by the representatives of both parties.

6.2 If either party fails to perform its obligation under this contract and fails to make remedies for its non-performance or breach of obligation within 15 days after being required by the other party, the other party can terminate this contract with a written notice.

6.3 The confidentiality, liability for breach of contract and dispute settlement terms shall survive termination, cancellation or invalidation of this contract.

Article 7: Liability for Breach of Contract

¨ Party A’s Liability for Breach of Contract

 

3


Procurement and Supply Contract

 

 

7.1 If Party A fails to perform this contract after taking effect, Party A will assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract.

7.2 If Party A fails to make payment according to the schedule under this contract and delays for 10 days, Party A is deemed to have breached this contract and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the unpaid amount each day to the supplier, but shall not exceed 5% of the unpaid amount.

    Party B’s Liability for Breach of Contract

7.3 If Party B fails to make delivery according the stipulations of this contract, Party B shall assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract.

7.4 If Party B fails to make delivery according to the schedule as set forth in the delivery notice letter and delays for 10 days, Party B is deemed to have breached this contract and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the unpaid amount each day to Party A, but shall not exceed 5% of the unpaid amount.

    Others

7.5 If both parties change or terminate this contract through negotiation, no breach of contract shall occur.

7.6 For economic indemnifications such as liquidated damages and compensations, the breaching party shall make remittance to the other party within 10 days after the liability is clearly allocated.

7.7 In consideration of the fact that Party B began its trial production since 2008, both parties understand and accept that the actual supply amount in 2008 shall not exceed ±10% of the contract amount. Party B shall not be held responsible for breach of contract.

7.8 Other matters shall be in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China .

Article 8: Confidentiality

8.1 Both parties shall keep strict confidential of the following information:

(1) Existence of the business relationship under this contract;

(2) Various terms of this contract and its negotiation;

(3) The subject matter and quantity of this contract;

(4) All the commercial and technical information involved in the performance of this contract.

The matters that can be disclosed under Article 8.2 shall be excluded.

8.2 The information under Article 8.1 can be disclosed upon request of both parties in the following circumstances:

(1) Compulsory requirements under applicable laws;

(2) Compulsory requirements of any competent government agency or supervisory authority;

(3) Disclosed by either party to the professional consultant or lawyer under the premise that the latter undertakes to keep confidential;

(4) The information enters the public domain due to the fault of neither party; or

(5) Both parties give a written consent in advance.

Article 9 Force Majeure

9.1 Force Majeure refers to unforeseeable, unpreventable or unavoidable events after this contract takes effect, such as earthquake, typhoon, flood, fire, snowstorm and war, directly affecting the continuous performance of this Contract.

9.2 The affected party shall notify the other party about the reason of non-performance or and provide detailed information of the event and proof of evidence within fifteen days.

The affected party shall inform the other party of the reason for non-performance or incomplete performance of this contract

 

4


Procurement and Supply Contract

 

 

immediately so as to alleviate the losses that may be caused to the other party; the affected party shall also provide the detailed information of the force majeure and the evidence of proof issued by a competent authority within fifteen days. The breaching party shall thereafter be allowed to delay performance, partial performance or non performance of this contract and shall be partially or completely exempt from the liability for breach of contract according to the actual situations.

9.3 If the event of force majeure lasts for over thirty days, both parties shall determine whether to continue or terminate this contract through friendly negotiation. If either party fails to perform this contract for more than two months due to the event of force majeure, the other party may terminate this contract with a written notice.

Article 10 Dispute Settlement

10.1 All the matters in relation to this contract shall be subject to the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Any dispute shall only be governed by the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

10.2 Any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance of the contract between both parties shall be settled through friendly negotiation first. If such negotiation fails to reach an agreement within thirty days, either party may bring arbitration to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission.

10.3 Except for the matters under dispute, both parties shall continue to exercise other rights and perform other obligations under the contract during the period of occurrence and settlement of dispute.

Article 11 Miscellaneous

11.1 This contract shall be executed in two counterparts in Chinese, each of which shall be held by each party. This contract, together with its appendices, shall constitute the entire agreement between both parties concerning the subject matter of the contract.

11.2 The contract shall take effect upon execution.

11.3 The appendices hereto shall constitute an integral part of this contract and enjoy the same legal validity as the text of the contract. The text of the contract shall prevail in case of any discrepancies between the text of the contract and the appendices.

11.4 Anything not included herein shall be supplemented with supplemental contracts through friendly negotiation of both parties. The supplemental contracts shall enjoy the same legal validity as this contract.

 

5


Procurement and Supply Contract

 

 

Party A: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

(Seal)

Signature of the representative: /s/ Wang Yiyu

May 28, 2008

Party B: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd

(Seal)

Signature of the representative: /s/ Zhu Yawei

May 28, 2008

[Note: The following is intentionally left blank]

 

6

Exhibit 10.12

English Translation

 

YINGLI SOLAR

   DAQO GROUP        

Supplemental Agreement

Contract No.: 2008YGE40004-1

Party A: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

Party B: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd

The parties hereby make the following revisions to the contract dated May 28, 2008 (Contract No.: 2008YGE40004, the “Original Contract”) through friendly negotiation.

1. The unit price of polysilicon for the year 2008 stipulated in Article 2 of the Original Contract is RMB2.9 million/ton (17% VAT included). However, due to the change of market conditions and in consideration of the long-term friendly cooperation between the parties, Party B agrees to modify the unit price of the undelivered part of polysilicon for the year 2008 stipulated in the Original Contract to RMB2.15 million/ton (17% VAT included).

2. According to Article 3 of the Original Contract, the advance payment by Party A in June 2008 is RMB145 million and Party B shall supply 50,000 kg of goods, of which 28941.19 kg have been delivered while 21,058.81 kg remain undelivered, with the advancement balance being RMB61.0705 million . As the unit price is hereby adjusted to RMB2.15 million/ton, Party B shall supply 28,404.91 kg of silicon materials to Party A, all of which shall be delivered prior to November 30, 2008 , and the corresponding tax receipt shall be issued therewith.

3. Other terms and conditions of the Original Contract shall remain the same.

Party A: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

(Seal)

Date: November 21, 2008

Party B: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd

(Seal)

Date: November 21, 2008

Exhibit 10.13

English Translation

 

Sales and Purchase Contract

Between

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

And

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Contract No.: 2008YGE40004-5

Date: August 12, 2009


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

 

Party A: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

Company’s Form: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: No. 3055 Middle Fuxin Road, Baoding

(Baoding Tianwei Yingli New Energy Sources Co., Ltd)

Legal Representative: Miao Liansheng

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank of Baoding City, Tianwei West Road Sub-branch

(Baoding Tianwei Yingli New Energy Sources Co., Ltd)

Account No.: 13001665608050500212

Tel: 0312 8929868

Fax: 0312 8929800

Party A includes subsidiaries controlled by Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, Baoding Tianwei Yingli New Energy Sources Co., Ltd. and Yingli (China) New Energy Sources Co., Ltd.

Party B: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Company’s Form: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Xu Guangfu

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank, Business Department of Wanzhou Branch

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Tel: 023-64866658

Fax: 023-64866688

Pursuant to the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China, on the basis of equality, voluntariness and fairness, under the principle of long-term cooperation and mutual development, Party A and Party B, through friendly negotiation, reached the following agreement regarding the procurement of solar grade polysilicon.

This Contract is the supplementary agreement to the agreement signed on May 28, 2008 (Contract No.: 2008YGE40004).

Party A shall perform its obligations hereunder in respect of quantity and price of the goods. In the event that Party A fails to perform its obligations in terms of quantity and price, both parties shall re-negotiate and solve the unperformed part.

 

1


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

 

Article 1: Subject Matter

Solar grade polysilicon (hereinafter referred to as “Goods”).

Article 2: Quantity (ton), Price (ten-thousand Yuan (RMB)) and Time of Supply

2.1 Quantity, Time of Supply and Unit Price

The total quantity of solar grade polysilicon shall be 242.88088 ton, which shall be all supplied during August through December in accordance with the following schedule:

 

Time of Supply   Quantity Per Month (ton)   Unit Price (including tax,
RMB Ten Thousand per Ton)
  Total Amount
(including tax, RMB
Ten Thousand)
August 2009   50   55   2750
September 2009   50   55   2750
October 2009   50   54.1   2707.3221
November 2009   50   54.1   2707.3221
December 2009   42.88088   54.1   2321.8471
Total   242.88088     13236.4913

Total Amount under the Contract: RMB132,364,913.00 (including 17% tax)

Article 3: Payment Terms

3.1 Party A shall inspect the quantity of Goods within 2 days of receipt of the Goods and deliver to Party B a receipt after inspection. Party B shall provide Party A with the VAT invoice within 7 working days after Party A receives and confirms the quantity of the Goods.

Both parties agree to negotiate and select one of the following payment methods for settlement at the time of each payment:

1) Party A shall make payment to Party B through Rong Yi Da within 7 business days after Party A issues the receipt of the Goods and repay the bank within the effective time limit after payment;

2) Domestic Letter of Credit;

3) Bank Acceptance Bill; or

4) T/T.

Article 4: Requirements of Packing and Marking and Delivery Terms

4.1 Packing: the package shall be suitable for long-distance highway transportation and Party B shall bear the cost of package.

4.2 Marking: Party B shall mark the name of manufacturer, lot number, specification, weight and date of production on the outer package and inner package as required by Party A.

4.3 Place of Delivery: the place of delivery shall be the warehouse at the location of Party A’s factory

4.4 Method of Delivery: Party B shall deliver the Goods to Party A.

4.5 Transfer of title: title to the Goods, together with the risk of damage or loss, shall transfer to Party A upon delivery.

Article 5: Quality Guarantee

5.1 The quality standard of solar grade polysilicon sold by Party B to Party A under this Contract is as follows: P-type resistivity shall exceed 200 ohm.cm and N-type resistivity shall exceed 20 ohm.cm. Anything not specified herein shall refer to the quality requirements of industry standard.

 

2


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

 

5.2 Party B shall submit a formal test report of each batch of Goods to Party A.

5.3 Party A shall inspect the quality of Goods within 15 days after receipt of Goods and notify Party B in writing of its objection within such period in the event of any quality deficiency. Otherwise, Goods supplied by Party B shall be deemed to have met the quality requirements agreed upon by both parties.

Article 6: Effectiveness, Term and Termination of the Contract

6.1 This Contract shall take effect after signed and affixed with seal by the representatives of both parties.

6.2 If either party fails to perform its obligation under this Contract and fails to make remedies for its non-performance or breach of obligation within 15 days after being required by the other party, the other party can terminate this Contract by written notice.

6.3 The Articles of Confidentiality, Liability for Breach of Contract and Dispute Settlement shall survive termination, cancellation or invalidation of this Contract.

Article 7: Liability for Breach of Contract

(1) Party A’s Liability for Breach of Contract

7.1 If Party A fails to perform its obligations hereunder after the Contract takes effect, Party A will assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract.

7.2 If Party A fails to make payment according to the schedule under this contract and delays for 10 days, Party A shall be deemed to have breached this Contract and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the unpaid amount each day to Party B, but such liquidated damages shall not exceed 5% of the unpaid amount.

(2) Party B’s Liability for Breach of Contract

7.3 If Party B fails to make delivery pursuant to the terms of this Contract, Party B shall assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract.

7.4 If Party B fails to make delivery according to the schedule as set forth in the delivery notice letter and delays for 10 days, Party B shall be deemed to have breached this Contract and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the total amount of the undelivered Goods each day to Party A, but such liquidated damages shall not exceed 5% of the total amount of the undelivered Goods.

(3) Miscellaneous

7.5 If both parties change or terminate this Contract through negotiation, no breach of contract shall occur.

7.6 For economic indemnifications such as liquidated damages and compensations, the breaching party shall make remittance to the other party within 10 days after the liability is clearly allocated.

7.7 Other matters shall be solved in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 8: Confidentiality

8.1 Both parties shall keep strict confidential of the following information:

(1) Existence of the business relationship under this Contract;

(2) The terms and conditions of this Contract and its negotiation;

(3) The subject matter and quantity hereunder; and

(4) All the commercial and technical information involved in the performance of this Contract.

However, information disclosed pursuant to Article 8.2 hereof shall be excluded.

8.2 The information set forth in Article 8.1 can only be disclosed in the following circumstances:

(1) Compulsory requirements under applicable laws;

(2) Compulsory requirements of any competent government agency or supervisory authority;

 

3


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

 

(3) Disclosed by either party to the professional consultant or lawyer under the premise that the latter undertakes to keep confidential;

(4) The information enters the public domain due to the fault of neither party; or

(5) Both parties give a written consent in advance.

Article 9 Force Majeure

9.1 Force Majeure refers to unforeseeable, unpreventable or unavoidable events after this Contract takes effect, such as earthquake, typhoon, flood, fire, snowstorm and war, directly affecting the continuous performance of this Contract.

9.2 The affected party shall inform the other party of the reason for non-performance or incomplete performance of this Contract immediately so as to alleviate the losses that may be caused to the other party; the affected party shall also provide the detailed information of the force majeure and the evidence of proof issued by a competent authority within fifteen days. The breaching party shall thereafter be allowed to delay performance, partial performance or non performance of this Contract and shall be partially or completely exempted from the liability for breach of contract according to the actual situations.

9.3 If the event that force majeure lasts for over thirty days, both parties shall determine whether to continue or terminate this Contract through friendly negotiation. If either party fails to perform its obligations hereunder for more than two months due to the event of force majeure, the other party may terminate this Contract by written notice.

Article 10 Dispute Settlement

10.1 All matters in relation to this Contract shall be subject to the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Any dispute shall be exclusively governed by the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

10.2 Any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance of this Contract between both parties shall be settled through friendly negotiation first. If such negotiation fails to reach an agreement within thirty days, either party may bring arbitration to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission.

10.3 Except for the matters under dispute, both parties shall continue to exercise other rights and perform other obligations under the Contract during the period of occurrence and settlement of dispute.

Article 11 Miscellaneous

11.1 This Contract shall be executed in two counterparts in Chinese, each of which shall be held by each party. This Contract, together with its appendices, shall constitute the entire agreement between both parties concerning the subject matter of the Contract.

11.2 The Contract shall take effect upon execution.

11.3 The Sales and Purchase Contract signed on May 28, 2008 (Contract No.: 2008YGE40004) and the amendment agreements in relation therewith (Contract No.: 2008YGE40004-1, 2008YGE40004-2, 2008YGE40004-3, 2008YGE40004-4 and 2008YGE40004-5) are integral part of the contract. If there is any conflict between this Contract and the previous contracts, the terms and conditions of this Contract shall prevail.

11.4 Anything not included herein shall be supplemented with supplemental contracts through friendly negotiation by both parties. The supplemental contracts shall enjoy the same legal effect as this Contract.

 

4


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

 

Party A: (Seal) Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

Date: August 12, 2009

Party B: (Seal) Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd

Date: August 12, 2009

 

5

Exhibit 10.15

English Translation

Sales and Purchase

Contract

By and Among

Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd.

Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd.

Glory Silicon Energy (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd.

Place of Signing: Yangzhong, Jiangsu


Party A: Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd.

Enterprise type: Limited Liability Company

Registered address: 17-6#, Changjiang South Road, Wuxi National Hi-Tech Development Zone

Legal representative: Shi Zhengrong

Tel: 86-510-85318426

Bank of deposit:

Account No.:

Party B: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd.

Enterprise type: Limited Liability Company

Registered address: Chemical Industrial Park, Wanzhou District, Chongqing

Legal representative: Xu Guangfu

Tel: 86-023-58820766

Bank of deposit: Operational Department of Wanzhou Branch, China Construction Bank

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Party C: Glory Silicon Energy (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd.

Enterprise type: Limited Liability Company

Registered address: Youfang Town, Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province

Legal representative: Wang Lubao

Tel: 86-511-88520486

Bank of deposit: Changwang Banking Office, Yangzhong Sub-branch of Agricultural Bank of China

Account No.: 333601040008818

Pursuant to the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China, based on the principles of long-term cooperation and common development, and on the basis of equality, free will and fairness, the parties, after amicable negotiation, hereby enter into this agreement in respect of the sales and purchase of solar grade polysilicon and silicon wafer.

Article 1 Recital

1.1 Solar grade polysilicon (“polysilicon”) and silicon wafer (monocrystalline silicon wafer or polycrystalline silicon wafer):

Party B, as the manufacturer and supplier of solar grade polysilicon, agrees to supply Party C with solar grade polysilicon and Party C agrees to sell solar grade polysilicon procured from Party B to Party A after processing and manufacturing the same into silicon wafers as finished products.

 

1


1.2 The supply relationship between Party B and Party C hereunder shall be independent from that between Party A and Party C. The relationship between Party B and Party C and that between Party A and Party C shall be independent supply relationships, respectively.

1.3 The party supplying products shall be referred to as “Supplier” and the party procuring products shall be referred to as “Purchaser” hereinafter.

Article 2 Quantity (ton), Price (RMB) and Time of Supply

 

Year

   2008    2009    2010    2011    2012    2013

Quantity of polysilicon (ton) to be supplied

   150    800-1,000    1,200-1,500    1,500    1,600    1,600

Unit price of polysilicon (ten thousand Yuan/ ton)

   246               

Description:

1) The price specified in the table above is the price ex-works for qualified products of Supplier, including 17% VAT.

2) The parties shall review the price every six months (i.e., before June 1 and December 1 of each year). If the deviation of the price then in effect exceeds ±5% of the market prevailing price of the same product, the parties shall adjust the supply price for the next period through negotiation. The supply price for 2008 shall be as specified in the table above and no adjustment shall be made.

3) If the parties hereto fail to reach an agreement on the market average price for the current period within fifteen (15) days prior to the expiry of each new bargaining period as agreed herein, Party C shall have the right to request Party B to return the prepayment balance paid by Party C that has not been directly offset within ten (10) business days following the issuance of a refund request in writing.

4) The supply quantity specified in the table above is temporary; however, the supply and procurement quantity of Party B and Party C shall be no less than 50% of the actual annual production output of Party B. The actual supply quantity, supply price and payment method for the next year shall be determined by Party B and Party C through amicable negotiation in the fourth quarter of the current year, and Supplier shall provide a detailed monthly delivery plan for the current year. Supply plan for 2008 is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.

5) Supplier represents and warrants that it has title and disposal right to the products sold hereunder and its sale of the products is legal and valid.

6) Party B represents and warrants that the products sold hereunder shall not infringe the intellectual property rights and other rights and interests of any third party.

 

2


Article 3 Payment Terms

Party C shall make payment to Party B for the products in accordance with the following terms:

3.1 Advance payment: The total advance payment for the first year of the term hereof shall be RMB500,000,000 (in words: five hundred million Yuan). Schedules of payment and supply for the following year shall be determined by the parties through amicable negotiation in the fourth quarter of the current year. After this contract comes into effect, Party C shall make payment to the account designated by Party B through T/T before the 15 th day of the month of payment pursuant to the schedule specified in the table below.

Schedule of advance payment for 2008:

 

Time

   March    April    May    June    July

Amount (ten thousand Yuan)

   10,000    10,000    10,000    10,000    10,000

3.2 Payment for products: Party C shall make payment for products to the account designated by Party B through T/T three (3) business days in advance according to the actual supply quantity and amount notified by Party B. Party B shall arrange for delivery of products upon receipt of such payment, and shall provide corresponding VAT invoice.

3.3 Offset of advance payment: The advance payment paid by Party C to Party B (RMB500,000,000 in total) shall be used to offset the products payment for 2008. As of August 1, 2008, the payable amount of Party C for the current period shall be deducted on a monthly basis from the advance payment paid by Party C to Party B until all of the advance payment is deducted.

Article 4 Packaging and Labeling Requirements and Delivery Terms

4.1 Packaging: The package shall be suitable for long-distance highway transportation and the package costs shall be borne by Supplier.

4.2 Labeling: Supplier shall mark the outer and inner packages with name of the manufacturer, manufacturing batch number, specification, weight, manufacturing date etc. as required by Purchaser.

4.3 Place of delivery: The place of delivery shall be the warehouse at the place of Supplier’s factory. Purchaser has the right to appoint relevant personnel to conduct an onsite inspection before delivery.

4.4 Method of delivery: Purchaser shall pick up the products on its own.

4.5 Transfer of title: Title to the products shall be transferred to Purchaser upon delivery to Purchaser in good condition and Purchaser shall take the risk of products damages and losses.

4.6 Supplier shall notify Purchaser seven (7) business days in advance for each delivery. If the products fails to be delivered on schedule or the delivery quantity is insufficient due to Supplier’s causes, Supplier shall be liable for the breach of this contract in accordance with provisions of Article 7 hereof as of the date of such breach.

4.7 Purchaser shall finish picking up the products within seven (7) business days following receipt of the notice of Supplier. If the pickup is delayed due to Purchaser’s causes, Purchaser shall be liable for the breach of this contract in accordance with provisions of Article 7 hereof as of the date of such breach and take the risk of products damages and losses.

 

3


Article 5 Quality Guarantee

5.1 Solar grade polysilicon sold by Party B to Party C hereunder shall be subject to the quality standards specified in Exhibit 1 hereto.

5.2 Supplier shall provide Purchaser with a formal test and inspection report for each batch of products.

5.3 Purchaser shall conduct an inspection of the products within thirty days (30) upon its receipt of the products and notify Supplier in writing of its objection within such period in case of any quality deficiency. Otherwise, it shall be deemed that the products delivered by Supplier have met the quality requirements agreed upon by the parties.

Article 6 Effectiveness, Term and Termination

6.1 The contract shall come into effect upon being signed and affixed with seals by the representatives of the parties, respectively.

6.2 If either Party B or Party C fails to perform its obligations hereunder for over two months due to force majeure, the other party may terminate this contract by giving written notice.

6.3 If either Party B or Party C fails to perform its obligations hereunder and fails to make remedies for its non-performance or breach within fifteen (15) days upon its receipt of notice given by the other party, the other party may terminate this contract by giving written notice.

6.4 Provisions of confidentiality, liability for breach, and dispute resolution herein shall survive the termination, cancellation or invalidation of this contract.

Article 7 Liability for Breach

(1) Purchaser’s liability for breach of contract:

7.1 Upon Supplier’s confirmation of purchase orders submitted by Purchaser, Purchaser shall be liable for breach of contract if it fails to perform its obligations hereunder.

7.2 If Purchaser fails to make payment according to the schedule as agreed upon and delays for 10 days, Purchaser shall be deemed to have breached this contract and shall pay a late fee amounting to 0.1% of the unpaid amount for each day to Supplier, which shall not exceed 5% of the unpaid amount.

(2) Supplier’s liability for breach of contract:

7.3 Supplier shall be liable for breach of contract if it fails to deliver the products or the products is returned by Purchaser due to quality deficiencies.

7.4 If Supplier fails to deliver the products according to the schedule specified in its delivery notice and delays for 10 days, Supplier shall be deemed to have breached this contract and shall pay a late fee amounting to 0.1% of the unpaid amount for each day to Purchaser, which shall not exceed 5% of the unpaid amount.

 

4


7.5 Supplier shall be liable for any claim against Purchaser in connection with infringement of any third party’s rights and interests in violation of this contract.

(3) Other matters

7.6 It shall not be deemed as a breach if Party B and Party C modify or terminate this contract through negotiation.

7.7 Indemnifications such as breach penalty or liquidated damages (if any) shall be remitted to the non-breaching party within ten (10) days after the liability is clearly allocated.

7.8 Party B will commence the trial production in 2008 and it shall not be deemed as in breach hereof if the supply quantity in 2008 is no less than 143 tons (about 95% of the amount specified in the plan for the current year); if the supply quantity is less than 143 tons, Party C agrees that Party B is not in breach of the contract as long as Party B makes up the shortages in January 2009. Products supplied for making up the shortages of 2008 shall not be calculated into the supply plan for 2009 and the price for such products shall be calculated according to price for 2009. Party B will be deemed as in breach hereof should it fail to supply products as stipulated above.

7.9 Other matters shall be settled pursuant to provisions of the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 8 Confidentiality

8.1 The parties shall keep the following information strictly confidential:

(1) Existence of business relationship hereunder;

(2) Terms herein and the negotiation of this contract;

(3) Subject matter of the contract and its quantity;

(4) All commercial and technical information in connection with the performance of the contract.

Disclosure in accordance with Article 8.2 shall be excluded.

8.2 Information specified in Article 8.1 above shall only be disclosed by the parties in the following circumstances:

(1) Mandatory requirements under applicable laws;

(2) Mandatory requirements of any governmental or regulatory authority with jurisdiction;

(3) Disclosure by either party to the professional consultant or lawyer (if any) under the premise that the latter undertakes to keep such information confidential;

(4) The information enters into public domain without the fault of either party; or

(5) Written consent of the parties in advance.

Article 9 Force Majeure

9.1 Force Majeure refers to unforeseeable, unpreventable or unavoidable events occurred after this contract comes into effect, such as earthquake, typhoon, flood, fire, snowstorm and war etc., which directly affects the performance hereof.

 

5


9.2 The party so affected shall promptly notify the other parties and provide detailed information of such force majeure event as well as relevant evidential documents within fifteen (15) days.

9.3 Upon the occurrence of any force majeure event, the parties shall seek to resolve such situation through friendly consultation and shall use their best efforts to mitigate the impact of such force majeure event.

9.4 If the force majeure event lasts for more than thirty (30) days, the parties shall decide whether to continue or terminate this contract through friendly consultation.

Article 10 Dispute Settlement

10.1 All matters related to this contract shall be governed by the laws of the People’s Republic of China, which shall solely apply to any dispute arising from this contract.

10.2 Any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance hereof shall be settled through friendly negotiation first. If such negotiation fails to result in an agreement within thirty (30) days, any party hereto may file a lawsuit with Yangzhong People’s Court.

10.3 Except for the matters under dispute, the parties shall continue to exercise its rights and perform its obligations hereunder during the period of dispute settlement.

Article 11 Miscellaneous

11.1 The contract shall be executed in three counterparts in Chinese, each shall be held by each party. This contract and the exhibits hereto shall constitute the entire agreement by the parties concerning the subject matter hereof.

11.2 The contract shall come into effect as of the date of execution.

11.3 Exhibits hereto shall constitute an integral part of this contract and have the same legal effect as the terms of this contract. If there is any discrepancy between terms of this contract and exhibits hereto, the terms of this contract shall prevail.

11.4 Matters not specified herein shall be set forth in a supplemental contract through friendly negotiation of the parties, which shall have the same legal effect as this contract.

11.5 Representations made by any party hereunder shall not constitute the guarantee for other parties’ non-performance or other obligations.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

6


Party A: Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. (seal)

Signature of the representative: /s/ Shi Zhengrong

Date: March 11, 2008

Party B: Chongqing Sailing New Energy Co., Ltd. (seal)

Signature of the representative: /s/ Xu Guangfu

Date: March 11, 2008

Party C: Glory Silicon Energy (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd. (seal)

Signature of the representative: /s/ Wang Lubao

Date: March 11, 2008

Note: Remaining of this page is intentionally left blank.

 

7


Exhibit 1:

Specification of Solar Grade Silicon Materials

 

Impurity type

   Content    Content    Content
     ppba    ppma    ppb wt.    ppm wt.    at/cm 3    at/g

*Acceptor: boron

   <10    <0.01    <3.85    <0.0038    5.00E+14    2.14E+14

**Donor: phosphorus

   <5    <0.005    <5.51    <0.0055    2.5E+14    1.07E+14

Aggregate amount of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and chlorine

   <2,000    <2    <2,536    <2.536    1E+17    4.29E+16

Carbon content

   <1,000    <1    <428    <0.428    5E+16    2.15E+16

Aggregate amount of internal and surface metal impurities (ferrum, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc and natrium, etc.)

   <0.01ppma

ppba Parts per billion atoms (x 10 -9 )

ppma Parts per million atoms (x 10 -6 )

Resistivity shall be higher than 20 ohm-cm.

Note:

 

* Acceptor includes gallium, indium and aluminum in addition to boron.
** Donor includes arsenic and antimony in addition to phosphorus.

 

8


Exhibit 2:

Polysilicon Supply Plan of Party B for 2008

 

Month

   Monthly supply quantity of polysilicon (ton)

August 2008

   10

September 2008

   20

October 2008

   30

November 2008

   40

December 2008

   50

Total

   150

 

9

Exhibit 10.16

English Translation

Strategic Cooperation Agreement

Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Party B: SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd.

Party A and Party B, abiding by the principles of cooperation, win-win, equality and mutual benefit, after friendly negotiation, hereby enter into this agreement for the purpose of establishing an upstream-downstream strategic cooperation relationship in the solar energy industry with an aim to create a competitive photovoltaic industrial chain.

Article 1: Term of Cooperation

The term of cooperation shall be five years, commencing on the date of execution of this Agreement by both parties. The term of this agreement can be extended upon mutual agreement of both parities.

Article 2: Scope of Cooperation

Party A and Party B shall cooperate to expand the domestic and overseas markets of photovoltaic products and to share the result of such expansion. If Party B receives any overseas purchase orders of its products, it will purchase from Party A silicon chips or photovoltaic cells to fulfill such purchase orders. Party A shall provide Party B with silicon chips or photovoltaic cells on a preferential basis.

Article 3: Rights and Obligations of Party A and Party B

3.1 Party B, upon receiving an overseas purchase order, shall promptly enter into a silicon chip or photovoltaic cell purchase agreement with Party A. The purchase price shall be calculated based on the price as indicated in the purchase order received by Party B, after deducting Party B’s actual costs and reasonable profits.

3.2 Party B shall purchase a minimum amount of 100MW silicon chips or photovoltaic cells from Party A in 2009. Such minimal purchase amount will increase by 15% each year after 2009. Party B shall pay Party A an advance payment of RMB30 million within a week after the effective date of this Agreement.

3.3 Party A agrees to use its best efforts to support Party B’s market expansion and to provide Party B with silicon chips or photovoltaic cells at a preferential price except for special circumstances under which the prices will be subject to further negotiations.

3.4 Party A has subsidiaries/branches in Europe and the United States that engage in research and development as well as sales of photovoltaic products. Party B agrees to assist Party A in obtaining overseas purchase orders and exporting Party A’s products. Both parties will enter into a separate exporting agency agreement for any export of Party A’s products.

 

1


3.5 Party A and Party B shall designate a price negotiation team to determine the benchmark purchase price for the following quarters. Such team shall meet at the end of each quarter to determine benchmark purchase price for the coming quarter. The benchmark purchase price for the early part of 2009 shall be determined prior to December 10, 2008 and attached hereto as an exhibit.

Article 4: Liabilities for Breach

No party can dismiss or terminate this Agreement prior to its expiration date without the other party’s written consent. In the event of breach, the breaching party shall compensate the other party for any losses incurred as the result of such breach.

Article 5: Confidentiality

Neither party shall disclose to any third party of any information in relation to this Agreement or any purchase contracts contemplated hereunder, including but not limited to any information of the contract parties, without the other party’s prior consent, unless the disclosed information is publicly available. Any party in breach of this article shall bear corresponding liabilities.

Article 6: No-competition

Party A undertakes that neither Party A nor any of its affiliates will enter into any business relationship with Party B’s customers, including but not limited to, the sales and processing of the relevant raw materials or products, if such business relationship relates to the cooperation contemplated under this Agreement.

Article 7: Miscellaneous

7.1 This Agreement shall be executed in two counterparts with the same legal effect. Each party shall hold one counterpart.

7.2 Both parties shall communicate with each other for any matters related to this Agreement. Any matters that are not specified in this Agreement shall be settled by negotiation and execution of supplementary agreements.

7.3 This Agreement shall come into effect upon execution by both parties.

 

Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.     Party B: SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd.
Signature:   /s/ Xiang Xu     Signature:   /s/ Jibo Cai
(company seal)     (company seal)
Date: December 3, 2008     Date: December 3, 2008

 

2

Exhibit 10.17

 

English Translation    CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

REQUESTED PURSUANT TO RULE 406

Supplemental Agreement

Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Party B: SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd.

Pursuant to the principles set forth in the Strategic Cooperation Agreement dated December 3, 2008, Party A and Party B negotiated on certain matters not specified therein, such as price lock-up and its implementation procedures, on December 12, 2008 and agreed as follows:

1. Party B’s Profit Margin

The parties, abiding by the principles of mutual benefit, win-win and mutual development, have reached an agreement on the principles to determine pricing for photovoltaic modules after thorough due diligence on the market conditions of upstream and downstream markets of the photovoltaic industry. Given that the benchmark price of a standard photovoltaic module is * * * and Party B’s benchmark profit margin is * * *, Party B’s profit margins corresponding to the sales prices of modules shall be as follows:

 

Price of Modules

(€/W)

 

* * *

(exclusive of

both numbers)

  * * *  

* * *

(exclusive of

both numbers)

  * * *
         

Party B’s Profit

Margin

  * * *   * * *   * * *   * * *

If Party B needs to lower the price of its module products in order to obtain purchase orders with a larger volume and in the event that sales price of the modules may be lower than €2.0/W, Party B shall not enter into any module sales agreements without the prior consent of Party A. Otherwise, Party A will not be bind by any obligations. If Party A gives its prior consent under such circumstances, both parties will agree on Party B’s profit margin on a case-by-case basis.

2. Scope and Rate of Party B’s Fees

Scope and rate of Party B’s fees shall be calculated as follow:

0.1% of damages from breakage incurred in unpacking;

0.3% of damages from breakage incurred in processing;

1% of difference between the actual output power of a cell and the theoretical power of such cells;

* * * of financial costs;

 

1


0.05% of product liability insurance for modules;

Calculation of profit margin shall be based on the table above and process cost of modules includes expenses of other raw materials, labor and utilities, etc. at the amount of * * *.

During the valid period of this Agreement, where the breakage rate of unpacking is higher than 0.1%, such additional costs shall be borne by Party A and shall be deducted from the amount of products delivered; where the breakage rate of processing is higher than 0.3%, such additional costs shall be borne by Party B.

3. Conversion between Prices of Cells and Prices of Modules

Prices of cells (A) and modules (B) shall be converted in accordance with the following formula:

* * *

C% refers to the relevant profit margin, which shall be determined pursuant to sales price of modules set forth in Article 1; R refers to the exchange rate of Euro against RMB at the time of export.

Given the current exchange rate (€1=RMB8.6), price of cells corresponding to modules shall be as follows:

price of cells corresponding to €2.0 shall be RMB15.02/W;

price of cells corresponding to €2.1 shall be RMB15.76/W;

price of cells corresponding to €2.2 shall be RMB16.48/W; and

price of cells corresponding to €2.3 shall be RMB17.18/W.

Considering the risk arising from fluctuation of exchange rates, the parties will mutually agree on a future exchange rate of Euro against RMB within the term of overseas purchase orders, and Party B shall be responsible to enter into foreign exchange forwarding arrangements to lock-up the agreed future exchange rate. If either party disagrees with such lock-up arrangement, such party shall be responsible for any exchange rate loss that may incur.

4. Performance of Cells Purchase Agreement

The parties shall enter into a cell purchase agreement within 3 days after Party B confirms purchase orders from an overseas customer and gives notice to Party A, provided the sales price is within the price range provided in Article 1, or after Party B obtains consent from Party A (if the price is lower than the minimal price provided in Article 1). Sales price of cells shall be determined in accordance with provisions set forth above, and the cells shall be delivered no later than one month after the execution of a cells purchase agreement. Payment shall be made within three days upon delivery. The advance payment from Party B to Party A at the amount of RMB30 million as set forth in the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between the parties dated December 3, 2008 will be deducted from Party B’s payment to Party A in the amount equaling to 10% of each purchase price. Such deduction arrangement does not apply to the initial installment to be returned by Party A to Party B in the amount of RMB50 million. The settlement date of each cells purchase agreement shall be the day on which the refund is deducted accordingly.

 

2


This agreement is to supplement the Strategic Cooperation Agreement dated December 3, 2008 and shall have the same legal effect therewith. Matters that are not provided herein shall be resolved by the parties through negotiation.

This agreement shall be executed in two counterparts, each of which shall be held by each party, and shall come into effect upon execution by both parties.

 

Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.       Party B: SUMEC Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd.
Signature:  

/s/

      Signature:   

/s/

(company seal)       (company seal)
Date: December 12, 2008       Date: December 12, 2008

 

 

Note:

 

* Indicates where text has been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment under Rule 406 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The omitted materials have been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

3

Exhibit 10.18

English Translation

Sales and Purchase Agreement

Between

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

And

China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing) Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd.

 

Party A:    Party B:
Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.   

China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing)

Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd.

(Seal)    (Seal)
Signature of the representative: /s/ Zhou Tianqun    Signature of the representative: /s/ Sun Qiquan
Date: December 18, 2009    Date: December 18, 2009


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

Party A: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Contract No.: DQZD091215

Company’s Form: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Xu Guangfu

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank, Business Department of Wanzhou Branch

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Tel: 023-64866666

Fax: 023-64866688

Party B: China Electric Equipment Group (Nanjing) Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd.

Contract No.: CSMI091218

Company’s Form: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: No. 6, Shuige Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiangning, Nanjing

Legal Representative: He Aoxi

Bank of Deposit: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Nanjing Jiangning Economic and Technological Development Zone Sub-branch

Account No.: 4301021119100121497

Tel: 025-52095640

Fax: 025-52095953

Pursuant to the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China, on the basis of equality, voluntariness and fairness, under the principle of long-term cooperation and mutual development, Party A and Party B, through friendly negotiation, reached the following agreement regarding the purchase and sales of solar grade polysilicon.

Article 1: Subject Matter

Solar-grade polysilicon.

Article 2: Quantity (ton), Price (RMB) and Time of Supply

2.1 Quantity, Time of Supply and Price

The parties agree that from December 2009 through December 2010, the estimated quantity to be purchased shall be 50 tons per month. The sales price shall be RMB460 per kilogram (tax included) for December 2009 through June 2010. The parties shall negotiate and determine the sales price for the second half of 2010 prior to May 30, 2010.

Based on its manufacturing needs, Party B shall determine the actual quantity to be purchased and deliver to Party A, in the form of purchase orders, written estimations of requirement. Party A shall reply in writing within 2 days upon receiving such purchase orders and make arrangements for delivery of goods.

Article 3: Payment Terms

3.1 Party A grants Party B two-month credit (payment due two months after the goods arrive in Party B’s factory).

3.2 Party A shall provide corresponding VAT invoices within 7 business days after Party B receives and confirms the quantity of goods.

 

1


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

Article 4: Requirements of Packing and Marking and Delivery Terms

4.1 Packing: the package shall be suitable for long-distance highway transportation and Party A shall bear the cost of package.

4.2 Marking: Party A shall mark the name of manufacturer, lot number, specification, weight and date of production on the outer package and inner package as required by Party B.

4.3 Place of Delivery: the place of delivery shall be Party B’s factory or another place agreed upon by both parties.

4.4 Method of Delivery: Party A shall deliver the goods by truck via highway transportation at Party A’s cost.

4.5 Transfer of title: title to the goods, together with the risk of damage or loss, shall transfer to Party B upon delivery.

Article 5: Quality Guarantee

5.1 The quality standard of solar grade polysilicon sold by Party A to Party B under this Agreement is as follows: N-type resistivity shall exceed 40 ohm.cm. Anything not specified herein shall refer to the quality requirements of industry standard.

5.2 Party A shall submit a test report of each batch of goods to Party B.

5.3 Party B shall inspect the quality of goods within 30 days after receipt of goods and notify Party A in writing of its objection within such period in the event of any quality deficiency. Otherwise, goods supplied by Party A shall be deemed to have met the quality requirements agreed upon by both parties.

5.4 In the event that the goods supplied by Party A fail to meet the specifications set forth herein (see Annex 1), Party B shall be entitled to refund or discount at Party B’s choice.

Article 6: Effectiveness, Term and Termination of the Agreement

6.1 This Agreement shall take effect after it is signed and affixed with seal by the representatives of both parties.

6.2 If either party fails to perform its obligation under this Agreement and fails to make remedies for its non-performance or breach of obligation within 15 days after being required by the other party, the other party can terminate this Agreement by written notice.

6.3 The Articles of Confidentiality, Liability for Breach of Agreement and Dispute Settlement shall survive termination, cancellation or invalidation of this Agreement.

6.4 The designated contact person for the business under this Agreement shall be as follows:

 

Contact Person Designated by Party A: Chang Zhixiang (Manager)    Contact Person Designated by Party B: Sun Qiquan

Address: Daqo Industrial Park, No.28, Yinglong Road,

Economic and Technological Development Zone,

Jiangning, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

  

Address: No. 6, Shuige Road, Economic and

Technological Development Zone, Jiangning, Nanjing,

Jiangsu Province

Tel: 86-25-6698-0570; 151-5183-2179    Tel: 86-25-5209-5988; 186-0619-7098
Fax: 86-25-6698-0590    Fax: 86-5209-5953
Email: changzhixiang@daqo.com    Email: mss@ceeg.cn

In the event of any changes to the designated contact person, the party shall notify the other party in writing of the changes and information of the replacement contact person the next day after the occurrence of such changes.

Article 7: Liability for Breach of Contract

(1) Party A’s Liability for Breach of Contract

7.1 If Party A fails to make delivery pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, Party A shall assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract.

 

2


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

7.2 If Party A fails to make delivery according to the schedule as set forth in the delivery notice letter and delays for 10 days, Party A shall be deemed to have breached this Agreement and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the total amount of the undelivered goods each day to Party B, but such liquidated damages shall not exceed 5% of the total amount of the undelivered goods.

(2) Party B’s Liability for Breach of Contract

7.3 If Party B fails to perform its obligations hereunder after the Agreement takes effect, Party B will assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract.

7.4 If Party B fails to take the delivered goods according to the schedule under this Agreement and delays for 10 days, Party B shall be deemed to have breached this Agreement and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the total price of the untaken goods each day to Party A, but such liquidated damages shall not exceed 5% of the total price of the untaken goods.

(3) Miscellaneous

7.5 If both parties modify or terminate this Agreement through negotiation, no breach of contract shall occur.

7.6 For economic indemnifications such as liquidated damages and compensations, the breaching party shall make remittance to the other party within 10 days after the liability is clearly allocated.

7.7 Other matters shall be solved in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 8: Confidentiality

8.1 Both parties shall keep strict confidential of the following information:

(1) Existence of the business relationship under this Agreement;

(2) The terms and conditions of this Agreement and its negotiation;

(3) The subject matter and quantity hereunder; and

(4) All the commercial and technical information involved in the performance of this Agreement.

However, information disclosed pursuant to Article 8.2 hereof shall be excluded.

8.2 The information set forth in Article 8.1 can only be disclosed in the following circumstances:

(1) Compulsory requirements under applicable laws;

(2) Compulsory requirements of any competent government agency or supervisory authority;

(3) Disclosed by either party to the professional consultant or lawyer under the premise that the latter undertakes to keep confidential (if any);

(4) The information enters the public domain due to the fault of neither party; or

(5) Both parties give a written consent in advance.

Article 9 Force Majeure

9.1 Force Majeure refers to unforeseeable, unpreventable and unavoidable events after this Agreement takes effect, such as earthquake, typhoon, flood, fire, snowstorm and war, directly affecting the continuous performance of this Agreement.

9.2 The affected party shall inform the other party of the reason for non-performance or incomplete performance of this Agreement immediately so as to alleviate the losses that may be caused to the other party; the affected party shall also provide the detailed information of the force majeure and the evidence of proof issued by a competent authority within fifteen days. The breaching party shall thereafter be allowed to delay performance, partial performance or non performance of this Agreement and shall be partially or completely exempted from the liability for breach of contract according to the actual situations.

9.3 If the event of force majeure lasts for over thirty days, both parties shall determine whether to continue or terminate this Agreement through friendly negotiation. If either party fails to perform its obligations hereunder for more than two months due to the event of force majeure, the other party may terminate this Agreement by written notice.

 

3


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

Article 10 Dispute Settlement

10.1 All matters in relation to this Agreement shall be subject to the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Any dispute shall be exclusively governed by the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

10.2 Any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance of this Agreement between both parties shall be settled through friendly negotiation first. If such negotiation fails to reach an agreement within thirty days, either party may file a lawsuit with the People’s Court at the location of the plaintiff.

10.3 Except for the matters under dispute, both parties shall continue to exercise other rights and perform other obligations under the Agreement during the period of occurrence and settlement of dispute.

Article 11 Miscellaneous

11.1 This Agreement shall be executed in two counterparts in Chinese, each of which shall be held by each party. This Agreement, together with its annex, shall constitute the entire agreement between both parties concerning the subject matter of the Agreement.

11.2 The Agreement shall take effect upon execution.

11.3 The annex attached hereto is integral part of the Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as the terms of this Agreement. If the terms of this Agreement contradict with the terms of the annex, the terms of the Agreement shall prevail.

11.4 Anything not included herein shall be supplemented with supplemental agreements through friendly negotiation by both parties. The supplemental agreements shall enjoy the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

4


Sales and Purchase Contract

 

Annex 1

Quality Specifications of the Semiconductor Solar Grade Polysilicon

1. Specifications

 

Specifications

   Unit   Target

Boron Test Resistivity (P-Type)

   W cm   ³ 200

Acceptor Impurity Density

   ppba   £ 2.7

Phosphorus Test Resistivity (N-Type)

   W cm   ³ 40

Donor Impurity Density

   ppba   £ 5.4

Minority Carrier Lifetime

   µs   ³ 50

Carbon Content

   x10 16   £ 4

Oxygen Content

   x10 17   £ 1

Total Body Metal Content

   ppmw   £ 0.1

Remark: body metal – ferrum, nickel, chromium, cuprum, zinc

 

5

Exhibit 10.19

English Translation

Loan Contract

(in RMB)

China Construction Bank

Chongqing Branch


Contract No.: 2007 (1270) 20

Type of Loan: Capital construction loan

 

The Borrower (Party A): Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.   
Domicile: Wanzhou Industry Park, Chongqing, China    Post code: 404000
Legal representative (principal): Xu Guangfu   
Fax: 023-58820788    Tel: 023-58820766

 

The Lender (Party B): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch
Domicile: No.86 Gaosuntang, Wanzhou District, Chongqing    Post code: 404000
Principal: Zhou Jipei   
Fax: 023-58236821    Tel: 023-58235802

 

1


Party A applies to Party B for a loan and Party B agrees to grant a loan to Party A. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the parties hereby enter into this Contract after negotiations.

Article 1 Amount

Party A borrows RMB four hundred million (In words) from Party B.

Article 2 Purpose of Use

Party A shall use the loan for the purpose of constructing the polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,500 tons , and shall not use such loan for any other purposes without the written consent of Party B.

Article 3 Loan Term

The loan term agreed upon hereunder is seven years , namely from October 8, 2007 to October 7, 2014 .

In the event that the commencing date of the loan term hereunder is not consistent with the date indicated on the loan transfer certificate (i.e. loan receipt, hereinafter the same), the actual loan granting date indicated on the loan transfer certificate for the first installment of the loan shall prevail, and the loan maturity date stipulated by the first subparagraph of this Article shall be adjusted accordingly.

The loan transfer certificate shall constitute an integral part hereof and shall have the same legal effect as this Contract.

Article 4 Lending Rate, Penalty Interest Rate, Interest Calculation and Interest Settlement

I. Lending rate

The lending rate hereunder shall be annual interest rate, and shall be calculated as the third of the following:

(1) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(2) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date (This space is intentionally left blank) (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(3) Floating interest rate, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date increased (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by 0 %, which shall be adjusted in accordance with the benchmark interest rate on the interest rate adjustment date and such increase/decrease percentage every twelve months from the value date to the day on which the principal and interest hereunder are paid off. The interest rate adjustment date shall be the corresponding day of the value date in the month of adjustment. Where the value date has no corresponding day in the month of adjustment, the last day of such month shall be the interest rate adjustment date.

II. Penalty interest rate

(1) Where Party A fails to use the loan for the purposes provided herein, the penalty interest rate shall be the lending rate increased by 100 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section I of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(2) The penalty interest rate of overdue loan hereunder shall be the lending rate increased by 50 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section 1 of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

 

2


(3) Where the loan is overdue and used for other purposes, penalty interest and compound interest shall be calculated and collected at the higher rate.

III. The value date in this Article shall be the date on which the first installment of the loan granted hereunder is transferred to the account designated by Party A.

Where the first installment of the loan hereunder is granted, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the value date. Where the lending rate is adjusted as per the abovementioned terms and conditions subsequently, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the adjustment date. Where the People’s Bank of China no longer announces the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period, unless the parties agree otherwise, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period generally accepted by the banking industry or generally adopted as of the adjustment date.

IV. Calculation of lending rate shall commence as of the date on which the loan is transferred to the account designated by Party A. The lending rate hereunder shall be calculated on a daily basis and the daily interest rate equals to annual interest rate divided by 360. In the event that Party A fails to pay interest on the interest settlement date provided herein, compound interest shall be calculated and collected as of the next day following such interest settlement date.

V. Interest settlement

(1) Where fixed loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate agreed hereunder at the time of interest settlement. Where floating loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate determined for each floating period. Where multiple interest rate floats incur during a single interest settlement period, the interest shall be calculated by first calculating the interest for each floating period and then adding the interest of all the floating periods on the interest settlement date.

(2) The interest of the loan hereunder shall be settled as per the first of the following:

1. The interest is settled on a monthly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of each month;

2. The interest is settled on a quarterly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of the last month of each quarter;

3. Other methods: (This space is intentionally left blank) .

Article 5 Granting and Drawing of Loan

I. Preconditions for granting loan

Unless Party B waives in entirety or in part, Party B shall be obligated to grant the loan only if the following preconditions are satisfied consistently:

1. Party A has obtained approval, and has made relevant registration, delivery, insurance procedures and other statutory procedures related to the loan hereunder;

2. Where a security is created hereunder, such security to the satisfaction of Party B takes effect and remains in effect;

3. Party A has opened the account for drawing and repayment of the loan per Party B’s request;

4. No default event or circumstance that may jeopardize Party B’s rights as a creditor provided herein has occurred on the part of Party A;

 

3


5. There are no relevant laws, regulations, rules or competent authorities prohibiting or restricting Party B from granting the loan hereunder;

6. Other conditions:

 

(This space is intentionally left blank)

 

II. Plan on use of loan

The plan on use of loan shall be determined by the second of the following:

(1) Plan on use of loan is as follows:

1. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) .

(2) Subject to the Notice on Drawing Loan .

III. Party A shall use the loan as per the plan stipulated in Section II above, and shall not draw the loan in advance, nor delay or cancel such drawing.

IV. Where Party A uses the loan in installments, the maturity date of which shall also be determined pursuant to Article 3 hereof.

Article 6 Repayment

I. General principle

Party A shall repay the loan hereunder pursuant to the following principles:

Party B has the right to first use the repayments made by Party A for repaying expenses advanced by Party B which shall be borne by Party A and expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor. The remaining repayments shall be made in accordance with the principle that interest shall be repaid first and interest shall be cleared with the principal. Nevertheless, for loans that the principal or interest of which is overdue for more than 90 days or loans otherwise prescribed by relevant laws, regulations or rules, Party A shall repay such loans according to the principle that the principal shall be repaid first.

II. Interest payment

Party A shall pay interest due and payable to Party B on the interest settlement date. The first interest payment date shall be the first interest settlement date following the grant of the loan. The interest shall be cleared with the principal upon the last repayment.

III. Principal repayment plan

The principal repayment plan shall be determined by the second of the following:

(1) The principal repayment plan is as follows:

1. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) .

 

4


(2) Subject to the Notice on Drawing Loan .

IV. Repayment method

Party A shall, before the repayment date provided herein, transfer to the account opened by Party B sufficient payables for the current period and transfer such fund for repaying the loan on its own (Party B also has the right to transfer fund from such account for repayment of the loan), or transfer fund from other accounts for repayment on the repayment date provided herein.

V. Repayment in advance

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, it shall apply to Party B in writing thirty business days in advance, and may repay the principal in part or entirety in advance with the consent of Party B.

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, the interest shall be calculated as per the actual days of use and the lending rate provided herein.

Where Party B agrees that Party A repay the principal in advance, it may request Party A to make compensatory payment, the amount of which shall be determined by the first of the following:

1. The amount of compensatory payment = the amount of the principal repaid in advance × the number of months for which the principal is repaid in advance (calculated as one month in case of less than one month) × 1 ‰;

2. (This space is intentionally left blank) .

The loan shall be repaid in the order reverse to which of the repayment plan in the event that Party A repays the loan in installments and repays part of the principal in advance. The lending rate provided herein still applies to the loan outstanding.

Article 7 Rights and Obligations of Party A

I. Rights of Party A

(1) Party A has the right to request Party B to grant the loan as agreed hereby;

(2) Party A has the right to use the loan for purposes provided herein;

(3) Party A has the right to apply to Party B for extension provided that conditions set forth by Party B are satisfied;

(4) Party A has the right to request Party B to keep relevant financial information and trade secrets with respect to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations and rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

(5) Party A has the right to refuse to offer the bribe extorted by Party B and its staff, and has the right to report such acts and other acts of Party B in violation of national laws and regulations with regard to credit interest rate, service charges, etc. to relevant authorities.

II. Obligations of Party A

(1) Party A shall draw the loan as provided herein, repay the principal and interest in full and bear various expenses provided herein;

(2) Party A shall, as required by Party B, provide to Party B relevant financial and accounting information as well as information about manufacturing and operation conditions, including but not limited to balance sheet and income statement (statement of revenues and expenditures in case of a public institution) as of the end of the previous quarter within the first fifteen business days of the first month of each quarter, provide statement of cash flow of relevant year at the year end in a timely manner, and shall be responsible for authenticity, entirety and validity of information provided by Party A and shall not provide false materials or conceal material operational and financial information from Party B;

 

5


(3) In the event that Party A changes its registration information such as name, legal representative (principal), domicile, business of scope, registered capital or articles of association etc., it shall give written notice with updated information attached to Party B within five business days following such change;

(4) Party A shall use the loan for purposes provided herein and shall not appropriate or use the loan for illegal purposes or transactions not in compliance with regulations; Party A shall cooperate with and allow Party B’s inspection and supervision of its manufacturing, operation and financial activities as well as the use of the loan hereunder; Party A shall not move funds, transfer assets or otherwise enter into related party transactions for the purposes of avoidance of liability to Party B; nor shall it obtain bank loans or credits by using phantom contracts with related parties or by pledging or cashing-out unsubstantiated trade receivables or account receivables;

(5) Party A shall comply with relevant national provisions with respect to environmental protection in the event that it uses the loan hereunder for production, manufacturing and project construction;

(6) Party A, without the consent of Party B, shall not provide security for loans of a third party with assets derived from the loan hereunder before repayment of the principal and interest in full;

(7) In the event that Party A is a group customer, it shall report to Party B the information with respect to related-party transactions accounting for more than 10% of its net assets in a timely manner, which includes (a) affiliated relationship between parties to the transaction, (b) items and nature of the transaction, (c) amount or corresponding proportion of the transaction and (d) pricing policy (including transactions without consideration or with nominal consideration);

(8) In the event that the loan to be granted hereunder is fixed asset loan or project loan, Party A shall ensure that the proposed project has obtained the approval of relevant governmental authorities, does not violate any laws or rules, and the capital fund or other funds to be raised for which shall be fully raised at the time and in the proportion as specified; Party A shall ensure that the project is completed as planned.

Article 8 Rights and Obligations of Party B

I. Party B has the right to request Party A to repay the principal, interest and charges of the loan on time, to exercise other rights hereunder and to request Party A to perform other obligations hereunder;

II. Party B shall grant the loan as agreed hereby, except for delay caused by Party A or due to other causes not attributable to Party B;

III. Party B shall keep relevant financial information, trade secrets with regard to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations, rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

IV. Party B shall not offer bride to Party A and its staff, and shall not extort or accept bride offered by Party A or its staff;

V. Party B shall act in good faith and shall not jeopardize legitimate interests of Party A.

Article 9 Liabilities for Breach and Remedies for Circumstances Impairing Party B’s Rights as a Creditor

I. Default events and liabilities of Party B

(1) In the event that Party B does not grant the loan as provided herein without a proper cause, Party A may request it to grant such loan as provided herein;

(2) In the event that Party B charges interests and expenses in violation of prohibitive provisions of national laws and regulations, Party A may request Party B to return the same.

 

6


II. Default events of Party A

(1) Party A breaches any provision herein or any statutory obligation;

(2) Party A expressly states or indicates with its behavior that it will not perform any of its obligations hereunder.

III. Circumstances impairing Party B’s rights as a creditor

(1) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

(2) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: Party A fails to repay other debts due and payable (including debts owed to agencies of all levels of China Construction Bank), transfers property at lower price or for free, reduce or exempt debts of a third party, delays in exercising its rights as a creditor or other rights, or provides guarantee for a third party;

(3) Party A abuses the independent position of the corporation or limited liabilities of the shareholders to avoid liabilities, and Party B deems that such acts may impair its rights hereunder as a creditor;

(4) Any of the preconditions herein for granting the loan is not satisfied consistently;

(5) Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The guarantor breaches any provision of the guarantee contract or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the guarantee contract;

2. Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that may impair its ability of guarantee: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

3. Other circumstances of loss or potential loss of its guarantee ability;

(6) Any of the following circumstances occurred to mortgage and pledge that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The mortgaged or pledged property is damaged, lost, or decreases in value due to acts of a third party, national expropriation, confiscation, requisition, withdrawal without compensation, demolishment and relocation, change in market conditions or other causes;

2. The mortgaged or pledged property is sealed up, seized, blocked, deducted, retained, auctioned or kept in custody by administrative authorities or the ownership of which is being challenged;

3. The mortgagor or the pledgor breaches any provision of the mortgage or pledge contract, or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the mortgage or pledge contract;

 

7


4. Any other circumstance that may impair the realization of Party B’s rights to the mortgage or pledge;

(7) The guarantee has not been created, come into effect, or is invalid, revoked or rescinded, the guarantor breaches the contract or expressly states or indicates with its acts that it will not perform its guarantee obligations, or the guarantor loses its guarantee ability in part or in entirety, or the collaterals decrease in value or other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor; or

(8) Other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor.

IV. Remedies of Party B

In case of any circumstance provided in Section 2 or 3 of this Article, Party B may exercise the following rights:

(1) Ceasing the granting of the loan;

(2) Declaring the loan to be immediately due and requiring Party A to forthwith repay all principal, interest and expenses of the debts hereunder, whether due and payable or not;

(3) In the event that Party A fails to draw the loan as provided herein, Party B may request Party A to pay a breach penalty equaling to 10 % of the loan not so drawn and may refuse to allow Party A to draw the remaining of the loan hereunder;

(4) In the event that Party A fails to use the loan for purposes provided herein, interest and compound interest of the part of the loan appropriated by Party A shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which provisions on purposes of use herein are breached to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid;

(5) In the event that the loan is overdue, the interest and compound interest of the principal and interest overdue (including the principal and interest declared to be due in part or in entirety by Party B in advance) shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which the loan becomes overdue to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid. Overdue means that Party A fails to repay the loan within specified term or repays the loan beyond the period of the plan for repayment of principal in installments provided herein.

Before the loan becomes due, compound interest shall be applied to the interest overdue and shall be calculated and collected at the lending rate and by the interest settlement method provided herein.

(6) Other remedies include but not limit to:

1. Deducting relevant amount of fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice;

2. Exercising its rights to the guarantee;

3. Requiring Party A to provide a new guarantee for all the debts hereunder to the satisfaction of Party B; and

4. Earlier termination of this Contract.

Article 10 Other Provisions

I. Assumption of expenses

Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, attorney, insurance, evaluation, registration, keeping, appraisal, notarization fees and other expenses with respect to this Contract and the guarantee hereunder shall be borne by Party A.

All expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor (including but not limited to litigation, arbitration, property preservation, traveling, execution, evaluation, auction, notarization, serving, public announcement and attorney fees, etc.) shall be borne by Party A.

 

8


II. Use of Party A’s information

Party A agrees that Party B inquires about Party A’s credit standing through the credit database established upon the approval of the People’s Republic of China and department of credit information or other competent authorities, and agrees that Party B provides Party A’s credit information to such credit database. Party A also agrees that Party B may reasonably use and disclose Party A’s information for business purposes.

III. Collection of overdue debts through announcement

With respect to Party A’s delay in repaying the principal and interest and other default events, Party B may report to relevant authorities and may collect the overdue debts through announcements to press.

IV. Evidentiary effect of Party B’s records

Unless there is reliable and solid evidence to the contrary, Party B’s internal accounting records with respect to the principal, interest, expenses and repayment, notes and vouchers prepared or retained by Party B during Party A’s drawing, repayment and interest payment, and records and vouchers related to Party B’s collection of loan constitute definite evidences of the credit relationship between Party A and Party B. Party A shall not challenge such relationship merely on the ground that the said records, notes and vouchers are prepared or retained by Party B.

V. Reservation of rights

Party B’s rights hereunder shall have no effect on, nor exclude any other rights in accordance with laws, regulations and other contracts. Any tolerance, extension, preference or postponed exercise of any right hereunder with respect to any default or delay shall neither constitute waiver of the rights and interests hereunder, or consent or recognition of any violation hereof, nor restrict, prevent or impair its exercise of such rights or any other right, without being held liable to Party A for the above reason.

VI. In the event that there is other outstanding debts of Party A due and payable to Party B in addition to the debts hereunder, Party B may deduct fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank to repay any of such debts, and Party A shall not challenge such deduction made by Party B.

VII. Party A shall give written notice to Party B immediately in case of any change in its mail address or contact information. Losses arising from the failure of such notice shall be solely borne by Party A.

VIII. Deduction of payables

With respect to all payables of Party A hereunder, Party B may deduct relevant fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice. Party A shall be responsible to assist with Party B to handle exchange settlement and sales or foreign exchange trading procedures where necessary, and shall take risks of exchange rate on its own.

IX. Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising from the performance hereof may be settled through negotiation. In the event that no agreement is reached through negotiation, such disputes shall be settled by the first of the following:

1. Filing a lawsuit to the people’s court located in Party B’s domicile;

2. Submitting such dispute to (This space is intentionally left blank) Arbitration Commission (arbitration to be held in: (This space is intentionally left blank) ) for arbitration in accordance with its rules then in effect. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

 

9


During the term of lawsuit or arbitration, provisions herein that are not involved in the dispute shall be performed by the parties.

X. Conditions precedent to effectiveness

This Contract shall come into effect upon it is signed by the parties or its authorized representative and affixed with corporate seals of the parties, respectively.

XI. This Contract shall be signed in four counterparts.

XII. Miscellaneous

(1) The Notice on Drawing Loan constitutes any integral part hereof and shall have the same legal effect as this Contract.

Article 11 Representations

I. Party A is fully aware of Party B’s business scope and its authorization.

II. Party A has read all the provisions herein. Per Party A’s request, Party B has clarified relevant provisions herein and Party A fully understands and is aware of he meaning and corresponding legal consequences of provisions herein.

III. Party A’s execution and performance of this Contract are in compliance with provisions of laws, administrative regulations, rules and its articles of association or internal documents, and have been approved by its internal competent department and/or competent governmental authorities.

Party A (corporate seal): Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Xu Guangfu

Date: September 30, 2007

Party B (corporate seal): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Zhou Jipei

Date: September 30, 2007

 

10

Exhibit 10.20

English Translation

Loan Contract

(in RMB)

China Construction Bank

Chongqing Branch


Contract No.: 2008 (1270) 5

Type of Loan: Capital construction loan

 

The Borrower (Party A): Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.   
Domicile: Wanzhou Industry Park, Chongqing, China    Post code: 404000
Legal representative (principal): Xu Guangfu   
Fax: 58820788    Tel: 58820766
The Lender (Party B): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch
Domicile: No.86 Gaosuntang, Wanzhou District, Chongqing    Post code: 404000
Principal: Zhou Jipei   
Fax: 58236821    Tel: 58235802

 

1


Party A applies to Party B for a loan and Party B agrees to grant a loan to Party A. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the parties hereby enter into this Contract after negotiations.

Article 1 Amount

Party A borrows RMB one hundred and thirty million (In words) from Party B.

Article 2 Purpose of Use

Party A shall use the loan for the purpose of constructing the polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,500 tons, and shall not use such loan for any other purposes without the written consent of Party B.

Article 3 Loan Term

The loan term agreed upon hereunder is from February 29, 2008 to October 7, 2014 .

In the event that the commencing date of the loan term hereunder is not consistent with the date indicated on the loan transfer certificate (i.e. loan receipt, hereinafter the same), the actual loan granting date indicated on the loan transfer certificate for the first installment of the loan shall prevail, and the loan maturity date stipulated by the first subparagraph of this Article shall be adjusted accordingly.

The loan transfer certificate shall constitute an integral part hereof and shall have the same legal effect as this Contract.

Article 4 Lending Rate, Penalty Interest Rate, Interest Calculation and Interest Settlement

I. Lending rate

The lending rate hereunder shall be annual interest rate, and shall be calculated as the third of the following:

(1) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(2) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date (This space is intentionally left blank) (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(3) Floating interest rate, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date increased (fill in              “increased” or “decreased”) by 0 %, which shall be adjusted in accordance with the benchmark interest rate on the interest rate adjustment date and such increase/decrease percentage every twelve months from the value date to the day on which the principal and interest hereunder are paid off. The interest rate adjustment date shall be the corresponding day of the value date in the month of adjustment. Where the value date has no corresponding day in the month of adjustment, the last day of such month shall be the interest rate adjustment date.

II. Penalty interest rate

(1) Where Party A fails to use the loan for the purposes provided herein, the penalty interest rate shall be the lending rate increased by 100 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section I of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(2) The penalty interest rate of overdue loan hereunder shall be the lending rate increased by 50 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section 1 of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

 

2


(3) Where the loan is overdue and used for other purposes, penalty interest and compound interest shall be calculated and collected at the higher rate.

III. The value date in this Article shall be the date on which the first installment of the loan granted hereunder is transferred to the account designated by Party A.

Where the first installment of the loan hereunder is granted, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the value date. Where the lending rate is adjusted as per the abovementioned terms and conditions subsequently, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the adjustment date. Where the People’s Bank of China no longer announces the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period, unless the parties agree otherwise, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period generally accepted by the banking industry or generally adopted as of the adjustment date.

IV. Calculation of lending rate shall commence as of the date on which the loan is transferred to the account designated by Party A. The lending rate hereunder shall be calculated on a daily basis and the daily interest rate equals to annual interest rate divided by 360. In the event that Party A fails to pay interest on the interest settlement date provided herein, compound interest shall be calculated and collected as of the next day following such interest settlement date.

V. Interest settlement

(1) Where fixed loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate agreed hereunder at the time of interest settlement. Where floating loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate determined for each floating period. Where multiple interest rate floats incur during a single interest settlement period, the interest shall be calculated by first calculating the interest for each floating period and then adding the interest of all the floating periods on the interest settlement date.

(2) The interest of the loan hereunder shall be settled as per the first of the following:

1. The interest is settled on a monthly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of each month;

2. The interest is settled on a quarterly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of the last month of each quarter;

3. Other methods: (This space is intentionally left blank) .

Article 5 Granting and Drawing of Loan

I. Preconditions for granting loan

Unless Party B waives in entirety or in part, Party B shall be obligated to grant the loan only if the following preconditions are satisfied consistently:

1. Party A has obtained approval, and has made relevant registration, delivery, insurance procedures and other statutory procedures related to the loan hereunder;

2. Where a security is created hereunder, such security to the satisfaction of Party B takes effect and remains in effect;

3. Party A has opened the account for drawing and repayment of the loan per Party B’s request;

4. No default event or circumstance that may jeopardize Party B’s rights as a creditor provided herein has occurred on the part of Party A;

 

3


5. There are no relevant laws, regulations, rules or competent authorities prohibiting or restricting Party B from granting the loan hereunder;

6. Other conditions:

 

(This space is intentionally left blank)

 

II. Plan on use of loan

The plan on use of loan shall be determined by the first of the following:

(1) Plan on use of loan is as follows:

1. February 29, 2008, the amount being RMB130 million ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being                ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

(2) (This space is intentionally left blank) .

III. Party A shall use the loan as per the plan stipulated in Section II above, and shall not draw the loan in advance, nor delay or cancel such drawing.

IV. Where Party A uses the loan in installments, the maturity date of which shall also be determined pursuant to Article 3 hereof.

Article 6 Repayment

I. General principle

Party A shall repay the loan hereunder pursuant to the following principles:

Party B has the right to first use the repayments made by Party A for repaying expenses advanced by Party B which shall be borne by Party A and expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor. The remaining repayments shall be made in accordance with the principle that interest shall be repaid first and interest shall be cleared with the principal. Nevertheless, for loans that the principal or interest of which is overdue for more than 90 days or loans otherwise prescribed by relevant laws, regulations or rules, Party A shall repay such loans according to the principle that the principal shall be repaid first.

II. Interest payment

Party A shall pay interest due and payable to Party B on the interest settlement date. The first interest payment date shall be the first interest settlement date following the grant of the loan. The interest shall be cleared with the principal upon the last repayment.

III. Principal repayment plan

The principal repayment plan shall be determined by the second of the following:

(1) The principal repayment plan is as follows:

1. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

 

4


4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                ;

(2) Refer to the Principal Repayment Schedule for details .

IV. Repayment method

Party A shall, before the repayment date provided herein, transfer to the account opened by Party B sufficient payables for the current period and transfer such fund for repaying the loan on its own (Party B also has the right to transfer fund from such account for repayment of the loan), or transfer fund from other accounts for repayment on the repayment date provided herein.

V. Repayment in advance

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, it shall apply to Party B in writing thirty business days in advance, and may repay the principal in part or entirety in advance with the consent of Party B.

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, the interest shall be calculated as per the actual days of use and the lending rate provided herein.

Where Party B agrees that Party A repay the principal in advance, it may request Party A to make compensatory payment, the amount of which shall be determined by the first of the following:

1. The amount of compensatory payment = the amount of the principal repaid in advance × the number of months for which the principal is repaid in advance (calculated as one month in case of less than one month) × 1 ‰;

2. (This space is intentionally left blank) .

The loan shall be repaid in the order reverse to which of the repayment plan in the event that Party A repays the loan in installments and repays part of the principal in advance. The lending rate provided herein still applies to the loan outstanding.

Article 7 Rights and Obligations of Party A

I. Rights of Party A

(1) Party A has the right to request Party B to grant the loan as agreed hereby;

(2) Party A has the right to use the loan for purposes provided herein;

(3) Party A has the right to apply to Party B for extension provided that conditions set forth by Party B are satisfied;

(4) Party A has the right to request Party B to keep relevant financial information and trade secrets with respect to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations and rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

(5) Party A has the right to refuse to offer the bribe extorted by Party B and its staff, and has the right to report such acts and other acts of Party B in violation of national laws and regulations with regard to credit interest rate, service charges, etc. to relevant authorities.

II. Obligations of Party A

(1) Party A shall draw the loan as provided herein, repay the principal and interest in full and bear various expenses provided herein;

(2) Party A shall, as required by Party B, provide to Party B relevant financial and accounting information as well as information about manufacturing and operation conditions, including but not limited to balance sheet and income statement (statement of revenues

 

5


and expenditures in case of a public institution) as of the end of the previous quarter within the first fifteen business days of the first month of each quarter, provide statement of cash flow of relevant year at the year end in a timely manner, and shall be responsible for authenticity, entirety and validity of information provided by Party A and shall not provide false materials or conceal material operational and financial information from Party B;

(3) In the event that Party A changes its registration information such as name, legal representative (principal), domicile, business of scope, registered capital or articles of association etc., it shall give written notice with updated information attached to Party B within five business days following such change;

(4) Party A shall use the loan for purposes provided herein and shall not appropriate or use the loan for illegal purposes or transactions not in compliance with regulations; Party A shall cooperate with and allow Party B’s inspection and supervision of its manufacturing, operation and financial activities as well as the use of the loan hereunder; Party A shall not move funds, transfer assets or otherwise enter into related party transactions for the purposes of avoidance of liability to Party B; nor shall it obtain bank loans or credits by using phantom contracts with related parties or by pledging or cashing-out unsubstantiated trade receivables or account receivables;

(5) Party A shall comply with relevant national provisions with respect to environmental protection in the event that it uses the loan hereunder for production, manufacturing and project construction;

(6) Party A, without the consent of Party B, shall not provide security for loans of a third party with assets derived from the loan hereunder before repayment of the principal and interest in full;

(7) In the event that Party A is a group customer, it shall report to Party B the information with respect to related-party transactions accounting for more than 10% of its net assets in a timely manner, which includes (a) affiliated relationship between parties to the transaction, (b) items and nature of the transaction, (c) amount or corresponding proportion of the transaction and (d) pricing policy (including transactions without consideration or with nominal consideration);

(8) In the event that the loan to be granted hereunder is fixed asset loan or project loan, Party A shall ensure that the proposed project has obtained the approval of relevant governmental authorities, does not violate any laws or rules, and the capital fund or other funds to be raised for which shall be fully raised at the time and in the proportion as specified; Party A shall ensure that the project is completed as planned.

Article 8 Rights and Obligations of Party B

I. Party B has the right to request Party A to repay the principal, interest and charges of the loan on time, to exercise other rights hereunder and to request Party A to perform other obligations hereunder;

II. Party B shall grant the loan as agreed hereby, except for delay caused by Party A or due to other causes not attributable to Party B;

III. Party B shall keep relevant financial information, trade secrets with regard to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations, rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

IV. Party B shall not offer bride to Party A and its staff, and shall not extort or accept bride offered by Party A or its staff;

V. Party B shall act in good faith and shall not jeopardize legitimate interests of Party A.

Article 9 Liabilities for Breach and Remedies for Circumstances Impairing Party B’s Rights as a Creditor

I. Default events and liabilities of Party B

(1) In the event that Party B does not grant the loan as provided herein without a proper cause, Party A may request it to grant such loan as provided herein;

 

6


(2) In the event that Party B charges interests and expenses in violation of prohibitive provisions of national laws and regulations, Party A may request Party B to return the same.

II. Default events of Party A

(1) Party A breaches any provision herein or any statutory obligation;

(2) Party A expressly states or indicates with its behavior that it will not perform any of its obligations hereunder.

III. Circumstances impairing Party B’s rights as a creditor

(1) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

(2) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: Party A fails to repay other debts due and payable (including debts owed to agencies of all levels of China Construction Bank), transfers property at lower price or for free, reduce or exempt debts of a third party, delays in exercising its rights as a creditor or other rights, or provides guarantee for a third party;

(3) Party A abuses the independent position of the corporation or limited liabilities of the shareholders to avoid liabilities, and Party B deems that such acts may impair its rights hereunder as a creditor;

(4) Any of the preconditions herein for granting the loan is not satisfied consistently;

(5) Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The guarantor breaches any provision of the guarantee contract or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the guarantee contract;

2. Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that may impair its ability of guarantee: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

3. Other circumstances of loss or potential loss of its guarantee ability;

(6) Any of the following circumstances occurred to mortgage and pledge that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The mortgaged or pledged property is damaged, lost, or decreases in value due to acts of a third party, national expropriation, confiscation, requisition, withdrawal without compensation, demolishment and relocation, change in market conditions or other causes;

2. The mortgaged or pledged property is sealed up, seized, blocked, deducted, retained, auctioned or kept in custody by administrative authorities or the ownership of which is being challenged;

 

7


3. The mortgagor or the pledgor breaches any provision of the mortgage or pledge contract, or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the mortgage or pledge contract;

4. Any other circumstance that may impair the realization of Party B’s rights to the mortgage or pledge;

(7) The guarantee has not been created, come into effect, or is invalid, revoked or rescinded, the guarantor breaches the contract or expressly states or indicates with its acts that it will not perform its guarantee obligations, or the guarantor loses its guarantee ability in part or in entirety, or the collaterals decrease in value or other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor; or

(8) Other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor.

IV. Remedies of Party B

In case of any circumstance provided in Section 2 or 3 of this Article, Party B may exercise the following rights:

(1) Ceasing the granting of the loan;

(2) Declaring the loan to be immediately due and requiring Party A to forthwith repay all principal, interest and expenses of the debts hereunder, whether due and payable or not;

(3) In the event that Party A fails to draw the loan as provided herein, Party B may request Party A to pay a breach penalty equaling to 10 % of the loan not so drawn and may refuse to allow Party A to draw the remaining of the loan hereunder;

(4) In the event that Party A fails to use the loan for purposes provided herein, interest and compound interest of the part of the loan appropriated by Party A shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which provisions on purposes of use herein are breached to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid;

(5) In the event that the loan is overdue, the interest and compound interest of the principal and interest overdue (including the principal and interest declared to be due in part or in entirety by Party B in advance) shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which the loan becomes overdue to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid. Overdue means that Party A fails to repay the loan within specified term or repays the loan beyond the period of the plan for repayment of principal in installments provided herein.

Before the loan becomes due, compound interest shall be applied to the interest overdue and shall be calculated and collected at the lending rate and by the interest settlement method provided herein.

(6) Other remedies include but not limit to:

1. Deducting relevant amount of fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice;

2. Exercising its rights to the guarantee;

3. Requiring Party A to provide a new guarantee for all the debts hereunder to the satisfaction of Party B; and

4. Earlier termination of this Contract.

Article 10 Other Provisions

I. Assumption of expenses

Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, attorney, insurance, evaluation, registration, keeping, appraisal, notarization fees and other expenses with respect to this Contract and the guarantee hereunder shall be borne by Party A.

All expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor (including but not limited to litigation, arbitration, property preservation, traveling, execution, evaluation, auction, notarization, serving, public announcement and attorney fees, etc.) shall be borne by Party A.

 

8


II. Use of Party A’s information

Party A agrees that Party B inquires about Party A’s credit standing through the credit database established upon the approval of the People’s Republic of China and department of credit information or other competent authorities, and agrees that Party B provides Party A’s credit information to such credit database. Party A also agrees that Party B may reasonably use and disclose Party A’s information for business purposes.

III. Collection of overdue debts through announcement

With respect to Party A’s delay in repaying the principal and interest and other default events, Party B may report to relevant authorities and may collect the overdue debts through announcements to press.

IV. Evidentiary effect of Party B’s records

Unless there is reliable and solid evidence to the contrary, Party B’s internal accounting records with respect to the principal, interest, expenses and repayment, notes and vouchers prepared or retained by Party B during Party A’s drawing, repayment and interest payment, and records and vouchers related to Party B’s collection of loan constitute definite evidences of the credit relationship between Party A and Party B. Party A shall not challenge such relationship merely on the ground that the said records, notes and vouchers are prepared or retained by Party B.

V. Reservation of rights

Party B’s rights hereunder shall have no effect on, nor exclude any other rights in accordance with laws, regulations and other contracts. Any tolerance, extension, preference or postponed exercise of any right hereunder with respect to any default or delay shall neither constitute waiver of the rights and interests hereunder, or consent or recognition of any violation hereof, nor restrict, prevent or impair its exercise of such rights or any other right, without being held liable to Party A for the above reason.

VI. In the event that there is other outstanding debts of Party A due and payable to Party B in addition to the debts hereunder, Party B may deduct fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank to repay any of such debts, and Party A shall not challenge such deduction made by Party B.

VII. Party A shall give written notice to Party B immediately in case of any change in its mail address or contact information. Losses arising from the failure of such notice shall be solely borne by Party A.

VIII. Deduction of payables

With respect to all payables of Party A hereunder, Party B may deduct relevant fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice. Party A shall be responsible to assist with Party B to handle exchange settlement and sales or foreign exchange trading procedures where necessary, and shall take risks of exchange rate on its own.

IX. Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising from the performance hereof may be settled through negotiation. In the event that no agreement is reached through negotiation, such disputes shall be settled by the first of the following:

1. Filing a lawsuit to the people’s court located in Party B’s domicile;

 

9


2. Submitting such dispute to (This space is intentionally left blank) Arbitration Commission (arbitration to be held in: (This space is intentionally left blank) ) for arbitration in accordance with its rules then in effect. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

During the term of lawsuit or arbitration, provisions herein that are not involved in the dispute shall be performed by the parties.

X. Conditions precedent to effectiveness

This Contract shall come into effect upon it is signed by the parties or its authorized representative and affixed with corporate seals of the parties, respectively.

XI. This Contract shall be signed in four counterparts.

XII. Miscellaneous

 

(1)  

        (This space is intentionally left blank)

(2)  

 

(3)  

 

(4)  

 

Article 11 Representations

I. Party A is fully aware of Party B’s business scope and its authorization.

II. Party A has read all the provisions herein. Per Party A’s request, Party B has clarified relevant provisions herein and Party A fully understands and is aware of he meaning and corresponding legal consequences of provisions herein.

III. Party A’s execution and performance of this Contract are in compliance with provisions of laws, administrative regulations, rules and its articles of association or internal documents, and have been approved by its internal competent department and/or competent governmental authorities.

Party A (corporate seal): Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Xu Guangfu

Date: February 28, 2008

Party B (corporate seal): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Zhou Jipei

Date: February 28, 2008

 

10

Exhibit 10.21

English Translation

Loan Contract

(in RMB)

China Construction Bank

Chongqing Branch


Contract No.: 2008 (1270) 19

Type of Loan: Capital construction loan

The Borrower (Party A): Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.

Domicile: Wanzhou Industry Park, Chongqing, China    Post code: 404000
Legal representative (principal): Xu Guangfu   
Fax: 64866688    Tel: 64866606

The Lender (Party B): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Domicile: No.86 Gaosuntang, Wanzhou District, Chongqing    Post code: 404000
Principal: Zhou Jipei   
Fax: 58236821    Tel: 58235802

 

1


Party A applies to Party B for a loan and Party B agrees to grant a loan to Party A. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the parties hereby enter into this Contract after negotiations.

Article 1 Amount

Party A borrows RMB seventy million (In words) from Party B.

Article 2 Purpose of Use

Party A shall use the loan for the purpose of constructing the polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,500 tons, and shall not use such loan for any other purposes without the written consent of Party B.

Article 3 Loan Term

The loan term agreed upon hereunder is 2,259 days , namely from July 31, 2008 to October 7, 2014             .

In the event that the commencing date of the loan term hereunder is not consistent with the date indicated on the loan transfer certificate (i.e. loan receipt, hereinafter the same), the actual loan granting date indicated on the loan transfer certificate for the first installment of the loan shall prevail, and the loan maturity date stipulated by the first subparagraph of this Article shall be adjusted accordingly.

The loan transfer certificate shall constitute an integral part hereof and shall have the same legal effect as this Contract.

Article 4 Lending Rate, Penalty Interest Rate, Interest Calculation and Interest Settlement

I. Lending rate

The lending rate hereunder shall be annual interest rate, and shall be calculated as the third of the following:

(1) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely,     %;

(2) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date          (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by     %;

(3) Floating interest rate, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date increased (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by 0 %, which shall be adjusted in accordance with the benchmark interest rate on the interest rate adjustment date and such increase/decrease percentage every twelve months from the value date to the day on which the principal and interest hereunder are paid off. The interest rate adjustment date shall be the corresponding day of the value date in the month of adjustment. Where the value date has no corresponding day in the month of adjustment, the last day of such month shall be the interest rate adjustment date.

II. Penalty interest rate

(1) Where Party A fails to use the loan for the purposes provided herein, the penalty interest rate shall be the lending rate increased by 100 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section I of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(2) The penalty interest rate of overdue loan hereunder shall be the lending rate increased by 50 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section 1 of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(3) Where the loan is overdue and used for other purposes, penalty interest and compound interest shall be calculated and collected at the higher rate.

 

2


III. The value date in this Article shall be the date on which the first installment of the loan granted hereunder is transferred to the account designated by Party A.

Where the first installment of the loan hereunder is granted, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the value date. Where the lending rate is adjusted as per the abovementioned terms and conditions subsequently, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the adjustment date. Where the People’s Bank of China no longer announces the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period, unless the parties agree otherwise, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period generally accepted by the banking industry or generally adopted as of the adjustment date.

IV. Calculation of lending rate shall commence as of the date on which the loan is transferred to the account designated by Party A. The lending rate hereunder shall be calculated on a daily basis and the daily interest rate equals to annual interest rate divided by 360. In the event that Party A fails to pay interest on the interest settlement date provided herein, compound interest shall be calculated and collected as of the next day following such interest settlement date.

V. Interest settlement

(1) Where fixed loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate agreed hereunder at the time of interest settlement. Where floating loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate determined for each floating period. Where multiple interest rate floats incur during a single interest settlement period, the interest shall be calculated by first calculating the interest for each floating period and then adding the interest of all the floating periods on the interest settlement date.

(2) The interest of the loan hereunder shall be settled as per the first of the following:

1. The interest is settled on a monthly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of each month;

2. The interest is settled on a quarterly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of the last month of each quarter;

3. Other methods:                         .

Article 5 Granting and Drawing of Loan

I. Preconditions for granting loan

Unless Party B waives in entirety or in part, Party B shall be obligated to grant the loan only if the following preconditions are satisfied consistently:

1. Party A has obtained approval, and has made relevant registration, delivery, insurance procedures and other statutory procedures related to the loan hereunder;

2. Where a security is created hereunder, such security to the satisfaction of Party B takes effect and remains in effect;

3. Party A has opened the account for drawing and repayment of the loan per Party B’s request;

4. No default event or circumstance that may jeopardize Party B’s rights as a creditor provided herein has occurred on the part of Party A;

 

3


5. There are no relevant laws, regulations, rules or competent authorities prohibiting or restricting Party B from granting the loan hereunder;

6. Other conditions:

 

 

 

 

II. Plan on use of loan

The plan on use of loan shall be determined by the first of the following:

(1) Plan on use of loan is as follows:

1. July 31, 2008, the amount being RMB seventy million ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

(2)                                                                       .

III. Party A shall use the loan as per the plan stipulated in Section II above, and shall not draw the loan in advance, nor delay or cancel such drawing.

IV. Where Party A uses the loan in installments, the maturity date of which shall also be determined pursuant to Article 3 hereof.

Article 6 Repayment

I. General principle

Party A shall repay the loan hereunder pursuant to the following principles:

Party B has the right to first use the repayments made by Party A for repaying expenses advanced by Party B which shall be borne by Party A and expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor. The remaining repayments shall be made in accordance with the principle that interest shall be repaid first and interest shall be cleared with the principal. Nevertheless, for loans that the principal or interest of which is overdue for more than 90 days or loans otherwise prescribed by relevant laws, regulations or rules, Party A shall repay such loans according to the principle that the principal shall be repaid first.

II. Interest payment

Party A shall pay interest due and payable to Party B on the interest settlement date. The first interest payment date shall be the first interest settlement date following the grant of the loan. The interest shall be cleared with the principal upon the last repayment.

III. Principal repayment plan

The principal repayment plan shall be determined by the second of the following:

(1) The principal repayment plan is as follows:

1. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

 

4


5. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

(2) Subject to the Repayment Schedule .

IV. Repayment method

Party A shall, before the repayment date provided herein, transfer to the account opened by Party B sufficient payables for the current period and transfer such fund for repaying the loan on its own (Party B also has the right to transfer fund from such account for repayment of the loan), or transfer fund from other accounts for repayment on the repayment date provided herein.

V. Repayment in advance

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, it shall apply to Party B in writing thirty business days in advance, and may repay the principal in part or entirety in advance with the consent of Party B.

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, the interest shall be calculated as per the actual days of use and the lending rate provided herein.

Where Party B agrees that Party A repay the principal in advance, it may request Party A to make compensatory payment, the amount of which shall be determined by the first of the following:

1. The amount of compensatory payment = the amount of the principal repaid in advance × the number of months for which the principal is repaid in advance (calculated as one month in case of less than one month) × 1 ‰;

2.                                                                          .

The loan shall be repaid in the order reverse to which of the repayment plan in the event that Party A repays the loan in installments and repays part of the principal in advance. The lending rate provided herein still applies to the loan outstanding.

Article 7 Rights and Obligations of Party A

I. Rights of Party A

(1) Party A has the right to request Party B to grant the loan as agreed hereby;

(2) Party A has the right to use the loan for purposes provided herein;

(3) Party A has the right to apply to Party B for extension provided that conditions set forth by Party B are satisfied;

(4) Party A has the right to request Party B to keep relevant financial information and trade secrets with respect to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations and rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

(5) Party A has the right to refuse to offer the bribe extorted by Party B and its staff, and has the right to report such acts and other acts of Party B in violation of national laws and regulations with regard to credit interest rate, service charges, etc. to relevant authorities.

II. Obligations of Party A

(1) Party A shall draw the loan as provided herein, repay the principal and interest in full and bear various expenses provided herein;

(2) Party A shall, as required by Party B, provide to Party B relevant financial and accounting information as well as information about manufacturing and operation conditions, including but not limited to balance sheet and income statement (statement of revenues and expenditures in case of a public institution) as of the end of the previous quarter within the first fifteen business days of the first

 

5


month of each quarter, provide statement of cash flow of relevant year at the year end in a timely manner, and shall be responsible for authenticity, entirety and validity of information provided by Party A and shall not provide false materials or conceal material operational and financial information from Party B;

(3) In the event that Party A changes its registration information such as name, legal representative (principal), domicile, business of scope, registered capital or articles of association etc., it shall give written notice with updated information attached to Party B within five business days following such change;

(4) Party A shall use the loan for purposes provided herein and shall not appropriate or use the loan for illegal purposes or transactions not in compliance with regulations; Party A shall cooperate with and allow Party B’s inspection and supervision of its manufacturing, operation and financial activities as well as the use of the loan hereunder; Party A shall not move funds, transfer assets or otherwise enter into related party transactions for the purposes of avoidance of liability to Party B; nor shall it obtain bank loans or credits by using phantom contracts with related parties or by pledging or cashing-out unsubstantiated trade receivables or account receivables;

(5) Party A shall comply with relevant national provisions with respect to environmental protection in the event that it uses the loan hereunder for production, manufacturing and project construction;

(6) Party A, without the consent of Party B, shall not provide security for loans of a third party with assets derived from the loan hereunder before repayment of the principal and interest in full;

(7) In the event that Party A is a group customer, it shall report to Party B the information with respect to related-party transactions accounting for more than 10% of its net assets in a timely manner, which includes (a) affiliated relationship between parties to the transaction, (b) items and nature of the transaction, (c) amount or corresponding proportion of the transaction and (d) pricing policy (including transactions without consideration or with nominal consideration);

(8) In the event that the loan to be granted hereunder is fixed asset loan or project loan, Party A shall ensure that the proposed project has obtained the approval of relevant governmental authorities, does not violate any laws or rules, and the capital fund or other funds to be raised for which shall be fully raised at the time and in the proportion as specified; Party A shall ensure that the project is completed as planned.

Article 8 Rights and Obligations of Party B

I. Party B has the right to request Party A to repay the principal, interest and charges of the loan on time, to exercise other rights hereunder and to request Party A to perform other obligations hereunder;

II. Party B shall grant the loan as agreed hereby, except for delay caused by Party A or due to other causes not attributable to Party B;

III. Party B shall keep relevant financial information, trade secrets with regard to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations, rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

IV. Party B shall not offer bride to Party A and its staff, and shall not extort or accept bride offered by Party A or its staff;

V. Party B shall act in good faith and shall not jeopardize legitimate interests of Party A.

Article 9 Liabilities for Breach and Remedies for Circumstances Impairing Party B’s Rights as a Creditor

I. Default events and liabilities of Party B

(1) In the event that Party B does not grant the loan as provided herein without a proper cause, Party A may request it to grant such loan as provided herein;

(2) In the event that Party B charges interests and expenses in violation of prohibitive provisions of national laws and regulations, Party A may request Party B to return the same.

 

6


II. Default events of Party A

(1) Party A breaches any provision herein or any statutory obligation;

(2) Party A expressly states or indicates with its behavior that it will not perform any of its obligations hereunder.

III. Circumstances impairing Party B’s rights as a creditor

(1) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

(2) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: Party A fails to repay other debts due and payable (including debts owed to agencies of all levels of China Construction Bank), transfers property at lower price or for free, reduce or exempt debts of a third party, delays in exercising its rights as a creditor or other rights, or provides guarantee for a third party;

(3) Party A abuses the independent position of the corporation or limited liabilities of the shareholders to avoid liabilities, and Party B deems that such acts may impair its rights hereunder as a creditor;

(4) Any of the preconditions herein for granting the loan is not satisfied consistently;

(5) Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The guarantor breaches any provision of the guarantee contract or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the guarantee contract;

2. Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that may impair its ability of guarantee: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

3. Other circumstances of loss or potential loss of its guarantee ability;

(6) Any of the following circumstances occurred to mortgage and pledge that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The mortgaged or pledged property is damaged, lost, or decreases in value due to acts of a third party, national expropriation, confiscation, requisition, withdrawal without compensation, demolishment and relocation, change in market conditions or other causes;

2. The mortgaged or pledged property is sealed up, seized, blocked, deducted, retained, auctioned or kept in custody by administrative authorities or the ownership of which is being challenged;

3. The mortgagor or the pledgor breaches any provision of the mortgage or pledge contract, or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the mortgage or pledge contract;

 

7


4. Any other circumstance that may impair the realization of Party B’s rights to the mortgage or pledge;

(7) The guarantee has not been created, come into effect, or is invalid, revoked or rescinded, the guarantor breaches the contract or expressly states or indicates with its acts that it will not perform its guarantee obligations, or the guarantor loses its guarantee ability in part or in entirety, or the collaterals decrease in value or other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor; or

(8) Other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor.

IV. Remedies of Party B

In case of any circumstance provided in Section 2 or 3 of this Article, Party B may exercise the following rights:

(1) Ceasing the granting of the loan;

(2) Declaring the loan to be immediately due and requiring Party A to forthwith repay all principal, interest and expenses of the debts hereunder, whether due and payable or not;

(3) In the event that Party A fails to draw the loan as provided herein, Party B may request Party A to pay a breach penalty equaling to 10 % of the loan not so drawn and may refuse to allow Party A to draw the remaining of the loan hereunder;

(4) In the event that Party A fails to use the loan for purposes provided herein, interest and compound interest of the part of the loan appropriated by Party A shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which provisions on purposes of use herein are breached to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid;

(5) In the event that the loan is overdue, the interest and compound interest of the principal and interest overdue (including the principal and interest declared to be due in part or in entirety by Party B in advance) shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which the loan becomes overdue to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid. Overdue means that Party A fails to repay the loan within specified term or repays the loan beyond the period of the plan for repayment of principal in installments provided herein.

Before the loan becomes due, compound interest shall be applied to the interest overdue and shall be calculated and collected at the lending rate and by the interest settlement method provided herein.

(6) Other remedies include but not limit to:

1. Deducting relevant amount of fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice;

2. Exercising its rights to the guarantee;

3. Requiring Party A to provide a new guarantee for all the debts hereunder to the satisfaction of Party B; and

4. Earlier termination of this Contract.

Article 10 Other Provisions

I. Assumption of expenses

Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, attorney, insurance, evaluation, registration, keeping, appraisal, notarization fees and other expenses with respect to this Contract and the guarantee hereunder shall be borne by Party A.

All expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor (including but not limited to litigation, arbitration, property preservation, traveling, execution, evaluation, auction, notarization, serving, public announcement and attorney fees, etc.) shall be borne by Party A.

 

8


II. Use of Party A’s information

Party A agrees that Party B inquires about Party A’s credit standing through the credit database established upon the approval of the People’s Republic of China and department of credit information or other competent authorities, and agrees that Party B provides Party A’s credit information to such credit database. Party A also agrees that Party B may reasonably use and disclose Party A’s information for business purposes.

III. Collection of overdue debts through announcement

With respect to Party A’s delay in repaying the principal and interest and other default events, Party B may report to relevant authorities and may collect the overdue debts through announcements to press.

IV. Evidentiary effect of Party B’s records

Unless there is reliable and solid evidence to the contrary, Party B’s internal accounting records with respect to the principal, interest, expenses and repayment, notes and vouchers prepared or retained by Party B during Party A’s drawing, repayment and interest payment, and records and vouchers related to Party B’s collection of loan constitute definite evidences of the credit relationship between Party A and Party B. Party A shall not challenge such relationship merely on the ground that the said records, notes and vouchers are prepared or retained by Party B.

V. Reservation of rights

Party B’s rights hereunder shall have no effect on, nor exclude any other rights in accordance with laws, regulations and other contracts. Any tolerance, extension, preference or postponed exercise of any right hereunder with respect to any default or delay shall neither constitute waiver of the rights and interests hereunder, or consent or recognition of any violation hereof, nor restrict, prevent or impair its exercise of such rights or any other right, without being held liable to Party A for the above reason.

VI. In the event that there is other outstanding debts of Party A due and payable to Party B in addition to the debts hereunder, Party B may deduct fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank to repay any of such debts, and Party A shall not challenge such deduction made by Party B.

VII. Party A shall give written notice to Party B immediately in case of any change in its mail address or contact information. Losses arising from the failure of such notice shall be solely borne by Party A.

VIII. Deduction of payables

With respect to all payables of Party A hereunder, Party B may deduct relevant fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice. Party A shall be responsible to assist with Party B to handle exchange settlement and sales or foreign exchange trading procedures where necessary, and shall take risks of exchange rate on its own.

IX. Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising from the performance hereof may be settled through negotiation. In the event that no agreement is reached through negotiation, such disputes shall be settled by the first of the following:

1. Filing a lawsuit to the people’s court located in Party B’s domicile;

 

9


2. Submitting such dispute to                  Arbitration Commission (arbitration to be held in: )          for arbitration in accordance with its rules then in effect. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

During the term of lawsuit or arbitration, provisions herein that are not involved in the dispute shall be performed by the parties.

X. Conditions precedent to effectiveness

This Contract shall come into effect upon it is signed by the parties or its authorized representative and affixed with corporate seals of the parties, respectively.

XI. This Contract shall be signed in four counterparts.

XII. Miscellaneous

 

(1)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
(2)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
(3)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
(4)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Article 11 Representations

I. Party A is fully aware of Party B’s business scope and its authorization.

II. Party A has read all the provisions herein. Per Party A’s request, Party B has clarified relevant provisions herein and Party A fully understands and is aware of he meaning and corresponding legal consequences of provisions herein.

III. Party A’s execution and performance of this Contract are in compliance with provisions of laws, administrative regulations, rules and its articles of association or internal documents, and have been approved by its internal competent department and/or competent governmental authorities.

Party A (corporate seal): Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd.

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Xu Guangfu

Date: July 31, 2008

Party B (corporate seal): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Zhou Jipei

Date: July 31, 2008

 

10

Exhibit 10.22

English Translation

Loan Contract

(in RMB)

China Construction Bank

Chongqing Branch


Contract No.: 2009 (1270) 3

Type of Loan: Capital construction loan

The Borrower (Party A): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Domicile: XianJia Village, Longdu Neighborhood, Wanzhou District, Chongqing, China

Post code: 404000

Legal representative (principal): Xu Guangfu

 

Fax: 02364866688    Tel: 02364866688      

The Lender (Party B): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Domicile: No.86 Gaosuntang, Wanzhou District, Chongqing             Post code: 404000

Principal: Zhou Jipei

 

Fax: 02358236821    Tel: 02358236821      

 

1


Party A applies to Party B for a loan and Party B agrees to grant a loan to Party A. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the parties hereby enter into this Contract after negotiations.

Article 1 Amount

Party A borrows RMB four hundred million (In words) from Party B.

Article 2 Purpose of Use

Party A shall use the loan for the purpose of constructing the polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,800 tons , and shall not use such loan for any other purposes without the written consent of Party B.

Article 3 Loan Term

The loan term agreed upon hereunder is 72 months , namely from January 21, 2009 to January 20, 2015 . In the event that the commencing date of the loan term hereunder is not consistent with the date indicated on the loan transfer certificate (i.e. loan receipt, hereinafter the same), the actual loan granting date indicated on the loan transfer certificate for the first installment of the loan shall prevail, and the loan maturity date stipulated by the first subparagraph of this Article shall be adjusted accordingly.

The loan transfer certificate shall constitute an integral part hereof and shall have the same legal effect as this Contract.

Article 4 Lending Rate, Penalty Interest Rate, Interest Calculation and Interest Settlement

I. Lending rate

The lending rate hereunder shall be annual interest rate, and shall be calculated as the third of the following:

(1) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(2) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date (This space is intentionally left blank) (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(3) Floating interest rate, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date increased (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by 0 %, which shall be adjusted in accordance with the benchmark interest rate on the interest rate adjustment date and such increase/decrease percentage every twelve months from the value date to the day on which the principal and interest hereunder are paid off. The interest rate adjustment date shall be the corresponding day of the value date in the month of adjustment. Where the value date has no corresponding day in the month of adjustment, the last day of such month shall be the interest rate adjustment date.

II. Penalty interest rate

(1) Where Party A fails to use the loan for the purposes provided herein, the penalty interest rate shall be the lending rate increased by 100 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section I of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(2) The penalty interest rate of overdue loan hereunder shall be the lending rate increased by 50 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section 1 of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(3) Where the loan is overdue and used for other purposes, penalty interest and compound interest shall be calculated and collected at the higher rate.

 

2


III. The value date in this Article shall be the date on which the first installment of the loan granted hereunder is transferred to the account designated by Party A.

Where the first installment of the loan hereunder is granted, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the value date. Where the lending rate is adjusted as per the abovementioned terms and conditions subsequently, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the adjustment date. Where the People’s Bank of China no longer announces the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period, unless the parties agree otherwise, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period generally accepted by the banking industry or generally adopted as of the adjustment date.

IV. Calculation of lending rate shall commence as of the date on which the loan is transferred to the account designated by Party A. The lending rate hereunder shall be calculated on a daily basis and the daily interest rate equals to annual interest rate divided by 360. In the event that Party A fails to pay interest on the interest settlement date provided herein, compound interest shall be calculated and collected as of the next day following such interest settlement date.

V. Interest settlement

(1) Where fixed loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate agreed hereunder at the time of interest settlement. Where floating loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate determined for each floating period. Where multiple interest rate floats incur during a single interest settlement period, the interest shall be calculated by first calculating the interest for each floating period and then adding the interest of all the floating periods on the interest settlement date.

(2) The interest of the loan hereunder shall be settled as per the first of the following:

1. The interest is settled on a monthly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of each month;

2. The interest is settled on a quarterly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of the last month of each quarter;

3. Other methods:   (This space is intentionally left blank) .

Article 5 Granting and Drawing of Loan

I. Preconditions for granting loan

Unless Party B waives in entirety or in part, Party B shall be obligated to grant the loan only if the following preconditions are satisfied consistently:

1. Party A has obtained approval, and has made relevant registration, delivery, insurance procedures and other statutory procedures related to the loan hereunder;

2. Where a security is created hereunder, such security to the satisfaction of Party B takes effect and remains in effect;

3. Party A has opened the account for drawing and repayment of the loan per Party B’s request;

4. No default event or circumstance that may jeopardize Party B’s rights as a creditor provided herein has occurred on the part of Party A;

 

3


5. There are no relevant laws, regulations, rules or competent authorities prohibiting or restricting Party B from granting the loan hereunder;

6. Other conditions:

(This space is intentionally left blank)

(This space is intentionally left blank)

II. Plan on use of loan

The plan on use of loan shall be determined by the second of the following:

(1) Plan on use of loan is as follows:

1. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

(2) The loan will be granted on a lump-sum basis .

III. Party A shall use the loan as per the plan stipulated in Section II above, and shall not draw the loan in advance, nor delay or cancel such drawing.

IV. Where Party A uses the loan in installments, the maturity date of which shall also be determined pursuant to Article 3 hereof.

Article 6 Repayment

I. General principle

Party A shall repay the loan hereunder pursuant to the following principles:

Party B has the right to first use the repayments made by Party A for repaying expenses advanced by Party B which shall be borne by Party A and expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor. The remaining repayments shall be made in accordance with the principle that interest shall be repaid first and interest shall be cleared with the principal. Nevertheless, for loans that the principal or interest of which is overdue for more than 90 days or loans otherwise prescribed by relevant laws, regulations or rules, Party A shall repay such loans according to the principle that the principal shall be repaid first.

II. Interest payment

Party A shall pay interest due and payable to Party B on the interest settlement date. The first interest payment date shall be the first interest settlement date following the grant of the loan. The interest shall be cleared with the principal upon the last repayment.

III. Principal repayment plan

The principal repayment plan shall be determined by the second of the following:

(1) The principal repayment plan is as follows:

1. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

 

4


5. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy) , the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

(2) Refer to the Principal Repayment Schedule attached hereto for details .

IV. Repayment method

Party A shall, before the repayment date provided herein, transfer to the account opened by Party B sufficient payables for the current period and transfer such fund for repaying the loan on its own (Party B also has the right to transfer fund from such account for repayment of the loan), or transfer fund from other accounts for repayment on the repayment date provided herein.

V. Repayment in advance

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, it shall apply to Party B in writing thirty business days in advance, and may repay the principal in part or entirety in advance with the consent of Party B.

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, the interest shall be calculated as per the actual days of use and the lending rate provided herein.

Where Party B agrees that Party A repay the principal in advance, it may request Party A to make compensatory payment, the amount of which shall be determined by the first of the following:

1. The amount of compensatory payment = the amount of the principal repaid in advance × the number of months for which the principal is repaid in advance (calculated as one month in case of less than one month) × 0.01 ‰;

2. (This space is intentionally left blank) .

The loan shall be repaid in the order reverse to which of the repayment plan in the event that Party A repays the loan in installments and repays part of the principal in advance. The lending rate provided herein still applies to the loan outstanding.

Article 7 Rights and Obligations of Party A

I. Rights of Party A

(1) Party A has the right to request Party B to grant the loan as agreed hereby;

(2) Party A has the right to use the loan for purposes provided herein;

(3) Party A has the right to apply to Party B for extension provided that conditions set forth by Party B are satisfied;

(4) Party A has the right to request Party B to keep relevant financial information and trade secrets with respect to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations and rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

(5) Party A has the right to refuse to offer the bribe extorted by Party B and its staff, and has the right to report such acts and other acts of Party B in violation of national laws and regulations with regard to credit interest rate, service charges, etc. to relevant authorities.

II. Obligations of Party A

(1) Party A shall draw the loan as provided herein, repay the principal and interest in full and bear various expenses provided herein;

(2) Party A shall, as required by Party B, provide to Party B relevant financial and accounting information as well as information about manufacturing and operation conditions, including but not limited to balance sheet and income statement (statement of revenues and expenditures in case of a public institution) as of the end of the previous quarter within the first fifteen business days of the first

 

5


month of each quarter, provide statement of cash flow of relevant year at the year end in a timely manner, and shall be responsible for authenticity, entirety and validity of information provided by Party A and shall not provide false materials or conceal material operational and financial information from Party B;

(3) In the event that Party A changes its registration information such as name, legal representative (principal), domicile, business of scope, registered capital or articles of association etc., it shall give written notice with updated information attached to Party B within five business days following such change;

(4) Party A shall use the loan for purposes provided herein and shall not appropriate or use the loan for illegal purposes or transactions not in compliance with regulations; Party A shall cooperate with and allow Party B’s inspection and supervision of its manufacturing, operation and financial activities as well as the use of the loan hereunder; Party A shall not move funds, transfer assets or otherwise enter into related party transactions for the purposes of avoidance of liability to Party B; nor shall it obtain bank loans or credits by using phantom contracts with related parties or by pledging or cashing-out unsubstantiated trade receivables or account receivables;

(5) Party A shall comply with relevant national provisions with respect to environmental protection in the event that it uses the loan hereunder for production, manufacturing and project construction;

(6) Party A, without the consent of Party B, shall not provide security for loans of a third party with assets derived from the loan hereunder before repayment of the principal and interest in full;

(7) In the event that Party A is a group customer, it shall report to Party B the information with respect to related-party transactions accounting for more than 10% of its net assets in a timely manner, which includes (a) affiliated relationship between parties to the transaction, (b) items and nature of the transaction, (c) amount or corresponding proportion of the transaction and (d) pricing policy (including transactions without consideration or with nominal consideration);

(8) In the event that the loan to be granted hereunder is fixed asset loan or project loan, Party A shall ensure that the proposed project has obtained the approval of relevant governmental authorities, does not violate any laws or rules, and the capital fund or other funds to be raised for which shall be fully raised at the time and in the proportion as specified; Party A shall ensure that the project is completed as planned.

Article 8 Rights and Obligations of Party B

I. Party B has the right to request Party A to repay the principal, interest and charges of the loan on time, to exercise other rights hereunder and to request Party A to perform other obligations hereunder;

II. Party B shall grant the loan as agreed hereby, except for delay caused by Party A or due to other causes not attributable to Party B;

III. Party B shall keep relevant financial information, trade secrets with regard to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations, rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

IV. Party B shall not offer bride to Party A and its staff, and shall not extort or accept bride offered by Party A or its staff;

V. Party B shall act in good faith and shall not jeopardize legitimate interests of Party A.

Article 9 Liabilities for Breach and Remedies for Circumstances Impairing Party B’s Rights as a Creditor

I. Default events and liabilities of Party B

(1) In the event that Party B does not grant the loan as provided herein without a proper cause, Party A may request it to grant such loan as provided herein;

(2) In the event that Party B charges interests and expenses in violation of prohibitive provisions of national laws and regulations, Party A may request Party B to return the same.

 

6


II. Default events of Party A

(1) Party A breaches any provision herein or any statutory obligation;

(2) Party A expressly states or indicates with its behavior that it will not perform any of its obligations hereunder.

III. Circumstances impairing Party B’s rights as a creditor

(1) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

(2) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: Party A fails to repay other debts due and payable (including debts owed to agencies of all levels of China Construction Bank), transfers property at lower price or for free, reduce or exempt debts of a third party, delays in exercising its rights as a creditor or other rights, or provides guarantee for a third party;

(3) Party A abuses the independent position of the corporation or limited liabilities of the shareholders to avoid liabilities, and Party B deems that such acts may impair its rights hereunder as a creditor;

(4) Any of the preconditions herein for granting the loan is not satisfied consistently;

(5) Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The guarantor breaches any provision of the guarantee contract or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the guarantee contract;

2. Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that may impair its ability of guarantee: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

3. Other circumstances of loss or potential loss of its guarantee ability;

(6) Any of the following circumstances occurred to mortgage and pledge that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The mortgaged or pledged property is damaged, lost, or decreases in value due to acts of a third party, national expropriation, confiscation, requisition, withdrawal without compensation, demolishment and relocation, change in market conditions or other causes;

2. The mortgaged or pledged property is sealed up, seized, blocked, deducted, retained, auctioned or kept in custody by administrative authorities or the ownership of which is being challenged;

3. The mortgagor or the pledgor breaches any provision of the mortgage or pledge contract, or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the mortgage or pledge contract;

 

7


4. Any other circumstance that may impair the realization of Party B’s rights to the mortgage or pledge;

(7) The guarantee has not been created, come into effect, or is invalid, revoked or rescinded, the guarantor breaches the contract or expressly states or indicates with its acts that it will not perform its guarantee obligations, or the guarantor loses its guarantee ability in part or in entirety, or the collaterals decrease in value or other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor; or

(8) Other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor.

IV. Remedies of Party B

In case of any circumstance provided in Section 2 or 3 of this Article, Party B may exercise the following rights:

(1) Ceasing the granting of the loan;

(2) Declaring the loan to be immediately due and requiring Party A to forthwith repay all principal, interest and expenses of the debts hereunder, whether due and payable or not;

(3) In the event that Party A fails to draw the loan as provided herein, Party B may request Party A to pay a breach penalty equaling to 10 % of the loan not so drawn and may refuse to allow Party A to draw the remaining of the loan hereunder;

(4) In the event that Party A fails to use the loan for purposes provided herein, interest and compound interest of the part of the loan appropriated by Party A shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which provisions on purposes of use herein are breached to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid;

(5) In the event that the loan is overdue, the interest and compound interest of the principal and interest overdue (including the principal and interest declared to be due in part or in entirety by Party B in advance) shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which the loan becomes overdue to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid. Overdue means that Party A fails to repay the loan within specified term or repays the loan beyond the period of the plan for repayment of principal in installments provided herein.

Before the loan becomes due, compound interest shall be applied to the interest overdue and shall be calculated and collected at the lending rate and by the interest settlement method provided herein.

(6) Other remedies include but not limit to:

1. Deducting relevant amount of fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice;

2. Exercising its rights to the guarantee;

3. Requiring Party A to provide a new guarantee for all the debts hereunder to the satisfaction of Party B; and

4. Earlier termination of this Contract.

Article 10 Other Provisions

I. Assumption of expenses

Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, attorney, insurance, evaluation, registration, keeping, appraisal, notarization fees and other expenses with respect to this Contract and the guarantee hereunder shall be borne by Party A.

All expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor (including but not limited to litigation, arbitration, property preservation, traveling, execution, evaluation, auction, notarization, serving, public announcement and attorney fees, etc.) shall be borne by Party A.

 

8


II. Use of Party A’s information

Party A agrees that Party B inquires about Party A’s credit standing through the credit database established upon the approval of the People’s Republic of China and department of credit information or other competent authorities, and agrees that Party B provides Party A’s credit information to such credit database. Party A also agrees that Party B may reasonably use and disclose Party A’s information for business purposes.

III. Collection of overdue debts through announcement

With respect to Party A’s delay in repaying the principal and interest and other default events, Party B may report to relevant authorities and may collect the overdue debts through announcements to press.

IV. Evidentiary effect of Party B’s records

Unless there is reliable and solid evidence to the contrary, Party B’s internal accounting records with respect to the principal, interest, expenses and repayment, notes and vouchers prepared or retained by Party B during Party A’s drawing, repayment and interest payment, and records and vouchers related to Party B’s collection of loan constitute definite evidences of the credit relationship between Party A and Party B. Party A shall not challenge such relationship merely on the ground that the said records, notes and vouchers are prepared or retained by Party B.

V. Reservation of rights

Party B’s rights hereunder shall have no effect on, nor exclude any other rights in accordance with laws, regulations and other contracts. Any tolerance, extension, preference or postponed exercise of any right hereunder with respect to any default or delay shall neither constitute waiver of the rights and interests hereunder, or consent or recognition of any violation hereof, nor restrict, prevent or impair its exercise of such rights or any other right, without being held liable to Party A for the above reason.

VI. In the event that there is other outstanding debts of Party A due and payable to Party B in addition to the debts hereunder, Party B may deduct fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank to repay any of such debts, and Party A shall not challenge such deduction made by Party B.

VII. Party A shall give written notice to Party B immediately in case of any change in its mail address or contact information. Losses arising from the failure of such notice shall be solely borne by Party A.

VIII. Deduction of payables

With respect to all payables of Party A hereunder, Party B may deduct relevant fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice. Party A shall be responsible to assist with Party B to handle exchange settlement and sales or foreign exchange trading procedures where necessary, and shall take risks of exchange rate on its own.

IX. Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising from the performance hereof may be settled through negotiation. In the event that no agreement is reached through negotiation, such disputes shall be settled by the first of the following:

1. Submitting such dispute to Chongqing Arbitration Commission for arbitration in accordance with its rules then in effect with the summary procedures chosen;

 

9


2. Submitting such dispute to Chongqing Arbitration Commission for arbitration in accordance with its rules then in effect with the ordinary procedures chosen;

3. Filing a lawsuit to the people’s court located in (This space is intentionally left blank) .

During the term of lawsuit or arbitration, provisions herein that are not involved in the dispute shall be performed by the parties.

X. Conditions precedent to effectiveness

This Contract shall come into effect upon it is signed by the parties or its authorized representative and affixed with corporate seals of the parties, respectively.

XI. This Contract shall be signed in four counterparts.

XII. Miscellaneous

(1) (This space is intentionally left blank)

(2) (This space is intentionally left blank)

(3) (This space is intentionally left blank)

(4) (This space is intentionally left blank)

Article 11 Representations

I. Party A is fully aware of Party B’s business scope and its authorization.

II. Party A has read all the provisions herein. Per Party A’s request, Party B has clarified relevant provisions herein and Party A fully understands and is aware of he meaning and corresponding legal consequences of provisions herein.

III. Party A’s execution and performance of this Contract are in compliance with provisions of laws, administrative regulations, rules and its articles of association or internal documents, and have been approved by its internal competent department and/or competent governmental authorities.

Party A (corporate seal): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Xu Guangfu

Date: January 21, 2009

Party B (corporate seal): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Zhou Jipei

Date: January 21, 2009

 

10


Principal Repayment Schedule

 

  (1) March 15, 2010 , the amount being 19,800,000 ;

 

  (2) June 15, 2010 , the amount being 19,800,000 ;

 

  (3) September 15, 2010 , the amount being 19,800,000 ;

 

  (4) December 15, 2010 , the amount being 19,800,000 ;

 

  (5) March 15, 2011 , the amount being 25,700,000 ;

 

  (6) June 15, 2011 , the amount being 25,700,000 ;

 

  (7) September 15, 2011 , the amount being 25,700,000 ;

 

  (8) December 15, 2011 , the amount being 25,700,000 ;

 

  (9) March 15, 2012 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (10) June 15, 2012 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (11) September 15, 2012 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (12) December 15, 2012 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (13) March 15, 2013 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (14) June 15, 2013 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (15) September 15, 2013 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (16) December 15, 2013 , the amount being 25,000,000 ;

 

  (17) March 15, 2014 , the amount being 4,500,000 ;

 

  (18) June 15, 2014 , the amount being 4,500,000 ;

 

  (19) September 15, 2014 , the amount being 4, 500,000 ;

 

  (20) January 20, 2015 , the amount being 4, 500,000 .

 

11

Exhibit 10.23

English Translation

Loan Contract

(in RMB)

China Construction Bank

Chongqing Branch


Contract No.: 2009 (1230) 24

Type of Loan: Industrial Working Capital Loan

The Borrower (Party A): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Domicile: Wanzhou Salt Gasification Industrial Park, Chongqing, China             Post code: 404000

Legal representative (principal): Xu Guangfu

Fax: 023-64866688   Tel: 023-64866666

The Lender (Party B): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Domicile: No.86 Gaosuntang, Wanzhou District, Chongqing                                Post code: 404000

Principal: Zhou Jipei

Fax: 023-58248091   Tel: 023-58220003

 

1


Party A applies to Party B for a loan and Party B agrees to grant a loan to Party A. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the parties hereby enter into this Contract after negotiations.

Article 1 Amount

Party A borrows RMB one hundred million (In words) from Party B.

Article 2 Purpose of Use

Party A shall use the loan for the purpose of working capital , and shall not use such loan for any other purposes without the written consent of Party B.

Article 3 Loan Term

The loan term agreed upon hereunder is two years , namely from July 7, 2009 to July 6, 2011 .

In the event that the commencing date of the loan term hereunder is not consistent with the date indicated on the loan transfer certificate (i.e. loan receipt, hereinafter the same), the actual loan granting date indicated on the loan transfer certificate for the first installment of the loan shall prevail, and the loan maturity date stipulated by the first subparagraph of this Article shall be adjusted accordingly.

The loan transfer certificate shall constitute an integral part hereof and shall have the same legal effect as this Contract.

Article 4 Lending Rate, Penalty Interest Rate, Interest Calculation and Interest Settlement

I. Lending rate

The lending rate hereunder shall be annual interest rate, and shall be calculated as the third of the following:

(1) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(2) Fixed interest rate, which remains the same during the loan term, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date (This space is intentionally left blank) (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by (This space is intentionally left blank) %;

(3) Floating interest rate, namely, the benchmark interest rate on the value date (This space is intentionally left blank) (fill in “increased” or “decreased”) by (This space is intentionally left blank) %, which shall be adjusted in accordance with the benchmark interest rate on the interest rate adjustment date and such increase/decrease percentage every twelve months from the value date to the day on which the principal and interest hereunder are paid off. The interest rate adjustment date shall be the corresponding day of the value date in the month of adjustment. Where the value date has no corresponding day in the month of adjustment, the last day of such month shall be the interest rate adjustment date.

II. Penalty interest rate

(1) Where Party A fails to use the loan for the purposes provided herein, the penalty interest rate shall be the lending rate increased by 100 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section I of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

(2) The penalty interest rate of overdue loan hereunder shall be the lending rate increased by 50 %; where the lending rate is adjusted as per the third subparagraph of Section 1 of this Article, the penalty interest rate shall be accordingly adjusted as per the adjusted lending rate and the abovementioned increase range.

 

2


(3) Where the loan is overdue and used for other purposes, penalty interest and compound interest shall be calculated and collected at the higher rate.

III. The value date in this Article shall be the date on which the first installment of the loan granted hereunder is transferred to the account designated by Party A.

Where the first installment of the loan hereunder is granted, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the value date. Where the lending rate is adjusted as per the abovementioned terms and conditions subsequently, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period as announced and implemented by the People’s Bank of China on the adjustment date. Where the People’s Bank of China no longer announces the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period, unless the parties agree otherwise, the benchmark interest rate shall be the lending rate for loans of the same level for the same period generally accepted by the banking industry or generally adopted as of the adjustment date.

IV. Calculation of lending rate shall commence as of the date on which the loan is transferred to the account designated by Party A. The lending rate hereunder shall be calculated on a daily basis and the daily interest rate equals to annual interest rate divided by 360. In the event that Party A fails to pay interest on the interest settlement date provided herein, compound interest shall be calculated and collected as of the next day following such interest settlement date.

V. Interest settlement

(1) Where fixed loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate agreed hereunder at the time of interest settlement. Where floating loan interest rate is adopted, interest shall be calculated as per the interest rate determined for each floating period. Where multiple interest rate floats incur during a single interest settlement period, the interest shall be calculated by first calculating the interest for each floating period and then adding the interest of all the floating periods on the interest settlement date.

(2) The interest of the loan hereunder shall be settled as per the first of the following:

1. The interest is settled on a monthly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of each month;

2. The interest is settled on a quarterly basis and the interest settlement date shall be the 20 th day of the last month of each quarter;

3. Other methods: (This space is intentionally left blank) .

Article 5 Granting and Drawing of Loan

I. Preconditions for granting loan

Unless Party B waives in entirety or in part, Party B shall be obligated to grant the loan only if the following preconditions are satisfied consistently:

1. Party A has obtained approval, and has made relevant registration, delivery, insurance procedures and other statutory procedures related to the loan hereunder;

2. Where a security is created hereunder, such security to the satisfaction of Party B takes effect and remains in effect;

 

3


3. Party A has opened the account for drawing and repayment of the loan per Party B’s request;

4. No default event or circumstance that may jeopardize Party B’s rights as a creditor provided herein has occurred on the part of Party A;

5. There are no relevant laws, regulations, rules or competent authorities prohibiting or restricting Party B from granting the loan hereunder;

6. Other conditions:

(This space is intentionally left blank)

 

 

 

II. Plan on use of loan

The plan on use of loan shall be determined by the first of the following:

(1) Plan on use of loan is as follows:

1. July 7, 2009, the amount being RMB one hundred million ;

2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

(2) ( This space is intentionally left blank) .

III. Party A shall use the loan as per the plan stipulated in Section II above, and shall not draw the loan in advance, nor delay or cancel such drawing.

IV. Where Party A uses the loan in installments, the maturity date of which shall also be determined pursuant to Article 3 hereof.

Article 6 Repayment

I. General principle

Party A shall repay the loan hereunder pursuant to the following principles:

Party B has the right to first use the repayments made by Party A for repaying expenses advanced by Party B which shall be borne by Party A and expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor. The remaining repayments shall be made in accordance with the principle that interest shall be repaid first and interest shall be cleared with the principal. Nevertheless, for loans that the principal or interest of which is overdue for more than 90 days or loans otherwise prescribed by relevant laws, regulations or rules, Party A shall repay such loans according to the principle that the principal shall be repaid first.

II. Interest payment

Party A shall pay interest due and payable to Party B on the interest settlement date. The first interest payment date shall be the first interest settlement date following the grant of the loan. The interest shall be cleared with the principal upon the last repayment.

III. Principal repayment plan

The principal repayment plan shall be determined by the first of the following:

(1) The principal repayment plan is as follows:

1. July 6, 2011, the amount being RMB one hundred million ;

 

4


2. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being (This space is intentionally left blank) ;

3. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

4. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

5. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

6. (dd) (mm) (yy), the amount being                 ;

(2) (This space is intentionally left blank) .

IV. Repayment method

Party A shall, before the repayment date provided herein, transfer to the account opened by Party B sufficient payables for the current period and transfer such fund for repaying the loan on its own (Party B also has the right to transfer fund from such account for repayment of the loan), or transfer fund from other accounts for repayment on the repayment date provided herein.

V. Repayment in advance

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, it shall apply to Party B in writing thirty business days in advance, and may repay the principal in part or entirety in advance with the consent of Party B.

Where Party A repays the principal in advance, the interest shall be calculated as per the actual days of use and the lending rate provided herein.

Where Party B agrees that Party A repay the principal in advance, it may request Party A to make compensatory payment, the amount of which shall be determined by the first of the following:

1. The amount of compensatory payment = the amount of the principal repaid in advance × the number of months for which the principal is repaid in advance (calculated as one month in case of less than one month) × 0 ‰;

2. (This space is intentionally left blank) .

The loan shall be repaid in the order reverse to which of the repayment plan in the event that Party A repays the loan in installments and repays part of the principal in advance. The lending rate provided herein still applies to the loan outstanding.

Article 7 Rights and Obligations of Party A

I. Rights of Party A

(1) Party A has the right to request Party B to grant the loan as agreed hereby;

(2) Party A has the right to use the loan for purposes provided herein;

(3) Party A has the right to apply to Party B for extension provided that conditions set forth by Party B are satisfied;

(4) Party A has the right to request Party B to keep relevant financial information and trade secrets with respect to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations and rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

(5) Party A has the right to refuse to offer the bribe extorted by Party B and its staff, and has the right to report such acts and other acts of Party B in violation of national laws and regulations with regard to credit interest rate, service charges, etc. to relevant authorities.

II. Obligations of Party A

(1) Party A shall draw the loan as provided herein, repay the principal and interest in full and bear various expenses provided herein;

 

5


(2) Party A shall, as required by Party B, provide to Party B relevant financial and accounting information as well as information about manufacturing and operation conditions, including but not limited to balance sheet and income statement (statement of revenues and expenditures in case of a public institution) as of the end of the previous quarter within the first ten business days of the first month of each quarter, provide statement of cash flow of relevant year at the year end in a timely manner, and shall be responsible for authenticity, entirety and validity of information provided by Party A and shall not provide false materials or conceal material operational and financial information from Party B;

(3) In the event that Party A changes its registration information such as name, legal representative (principal), domicile, business of scope, registered capital or articles of association etc., it shall give written notice with updated information attached to Party B within five business days following such change;

(4) Party A shall use the loan for purposes provided herein and shall not appropriate or use the loan for illegal purposes or transactions not in compliance with regulations; Party A shall cooperate with and allow Party B’s inspection and supervision of its manufacturing, operation and financial activities as well as the use of the loan hereunder; Party A shall not move funds, transfer assets or otherwise enter into related party transactions for the purposes of avoidance of liability to Party B; nor shall it obtain bank loans or credits by using phantom contracts with related parties or by pledging or cashing-out unsubstantiated trade receivables or account receivables;

(5) Party A shall comply with relevant national provisions with respect to environmental protection in the event that it uses the loan hereunder for production, manufacturing and project construction;

(6) Party A, without the consent of Party B, shall not provide security for loans of a third party with assets derived from the loan hereunder before repayment of the principal and interest in full;

(7) In the event that Party A is a group customer, it shall report to Party B the information with respect to related-party transactions accounting for more than 10% of its net assets in a timely manner, which includes (a) affiliated relationship between parties to the transaction, (b) items and nature of the transaction, (c) amount or corresponding proportion of the transaction and (d) pricing policy (including transactions without consideration or with nominal consideration);

(8) In the event that the loan to be granted hereunder is fixed asset loan or project loan, Party A shall ensure that the proposed project has obtained the approval of relevant governmental authorities, does not violate any laws or rules, and the capital fund or other funds to be raised for which shall be fully raised at the time and in the proportion as specified; Party A shall ensure that the project is completed as planned.

Article 8 Rights and Obligations of Party B

I. Party B has the right to request Party A to repay the principal, interest and charges of the loan on time, to exercise other rights hereunder and to request Party A to perform other obligations hereunder;

II. Party B shall grant the loan as agreed hereby, except for delay caused by Party A or due to other causes not attributable to Party B;

III. Party B shall keep relevant financial information, trade secrets with regard to manufacturing and operation provided by Party A confidential, unless otherwise required by laws, regulations, rules and competent authorities or otherwise agreed by the parties;

IV. Party B shall not offer bride to Party A and its staff, and shall not extort or accept bride offered by Party A or its staff;

V. Party B shall act in good faith and shall not jeopardize legitimate interests of Party A.

Article 9 Liabilities for Breach and Remedies for Circumstances Impairing Party B’s Rights as a Creditor

I. Default events and liabilities of Party B

 

6


(1) In the event that Party B does not grant the loan as provided herein without a proper cause, Party A may request it to grant such loan as provided herein;

(2) In the event that Party B charges interests and expenses in violation of prohibitive provisions of national laws and regulations, Party A may request Party B to return the same.

II. Default events of Party A

(1) Party A breaches any provision herein or any statutory obligation;

(2) Party A expressly states or indicates with its behavior that it will not perform any of its obligations hereunder.

III. Circumstances impairing Party B’s rights as a creditor

(1) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

(2) Any of the following circumstances occurred to Party A that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor: Party A fails to repay other debts due and payable (including debts owed to agencies of all levels of China Construction Bank), transfers property at lower price or for free, reduce or exempt debts of a third party, delays in exercising its rights as a creditor or other rights, or provides guarantee for a third party;

(3) Party A abuses the independent position of the corporation or limited liabilities of the shareholders to avoid liabilities, and Party B deems that such acts may impair its rights hereunder as a creditor;

(4) Any of the preconditions herein for granting the loan is not satisfied consistently;

(5) Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The guarantor breaches any provision of the guarantee contract or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the guarantee contract;

2. Any of the following circumstances occurred to guarantor that may impair its ability of guarantee: contracting, trust (take-over), lease, shareholding reform, decrease of registered capital, investment, cooperative joint venture, amalgamation, merger, acquisition and restructuring, division, joint venture, application of business suspension for rectification, application of dissolution, being revoked, application of bankruptcy, change of control, transfer of major assets, halt of production, discontinuation of business, being levied of a fine of large amount by competent authorities, being deregistered, revoke of business license, involvement in material legal proceedings, severe difficulty in production and operation or severe aggravation of financial conditions, failure of performance of legal representative or principal;

3. Other circumstances of loss or potential loss of its guarantee ability;

(6) Any of the following circumstances occurred to mortgage and pledge that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor:

1. The mortgaged or pledged property is damaged, lost, or decreases in value due to acts of a third party, national expropriation, confiscation, requisition, withdrawal without compensation, demolishment and relocation, change in market conditions or other causes;

 

7


2. The mortgaged or pledged property is sealed up, seized, blocked, deducted, retained, auctioned or kept in custody by administrative authorities or the ownership of which is being challenged;

3. The mortgagor or the pledgor breaches any provision of the mortgage or pledge contract, or there are any false statements, mistakes or omissions in its representations and warranties of the mortgage or pledge contract;

4. Any other circumstance that may impair the realization of Party B’s rights to the mortgage or pledge;

(7) The guarantee has not been created, come into effect, or is invalid, revoked or rescinded, the guarantor breaches the contract or expressly states or indicates with its acts that it will not perform its guarantee obligations, or the guarantor loses its guarantee ability in part or in entirety, or the collaterals decrease in value or other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor; or

(8) Other circumstances that Party B deems to impair its rights hereunder as a creditor.

IV. Remedies of Party B

In case of any circumstance provided in Section 2 or 3 of this Article, Party B may exercise the following rights:

(1) Ceasing the granting of the loan;

(2) Declaring the loan to be immediately due and requiring Party A to forthwith repay all principal, interest and expenses of the debts hereunder, whether due and payable or not;

(3) In the event that Party A fails to draw the loan as provided herein, Party B may request Party A to pay a breach penalty equaling to 20 % of the loan not so drawn and may refuse to allow Party A to draw the remaining of the loan hereunder;

(4) In the event that Party A fails to use the loan for purposes provided herein, interest and compound interest of the part of the loan appropriated by Party A shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which provisions on purposes of use herein are breached to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid;

(5) In the event that the loan is overdue, the interest and compound interest of the principal and interest overdue (including the principal and interest declared to be due in part or in entirety by Party B in advance) shall be calculated and collected at the penalty interest rate and with the interest settlement method provided herein for the period from the date on which the loan becomes overdue to the date on which all principal and interest are repaid. Overdue means that Party A fails to repay the loan within specified term or repays the loan beyond the period of the plan for repayment of principal in installments provided herein.

Before the loan becomes due, compound interest shall be applied to the interest overdue and shall be calculated and collected at the lending rate and by the interest settlement method provided herein.

(6) Other remedies include but not limit to:

1. Deducting relevant amount of fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice;

2. Exercising its rights to the guarantee;

3. Requiring Party A to provide a new guarantee for all the debts hereunder to the satisfaction of Party B; and

4. Earlier termination of this Contract.

Article 10 Other Provisions

I. Assumption of expenses

Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, attorney, insurance, evaluation, registration, keeping, appraisal, notarization fees and other expenses with respect to this Contract and the guarantee hereunder shall be borne by Party A.

 

8


All expenses incurred by Party B to realize its rights as a creditor (including but not limited to litigation, arbitration, property preservation, traveling, execution, evaluation, auction, notarization, serving, public announcement and attorney fees, etc.) shall be borne by Party A.

II. Use of Party A’s information

Party A agrees that Party B inquires about Party A’s credit standing through the credit database established upon the approval of the People’s Republic of China and department of credit information or other competent authorities, and agrees that Party B provides Party A’s credit information to such credit database. Party A also agrees that Party B may reasonably use and disclose Party A’s information for business purposes.

III. Collection of overdue debts through announcement

With respect to Party A’s delay in repaying the principal and interest and other default events, Party B may report to relevant authorities and may collect the overdue debts through announcements to press.

IV. Evidentiary effect of Party B’s records

Unless there is reliable and solid evidence to the contrary, Party B’s internal accounting records with respect to the principal, interest, expenses and repayment, notes and vouchers prepared or retained by Party B during Party A’s drawing, repayment and interest payment, and records and vouchers related to Party B’s collection of loan constitute definite evidences of the credit relationship between Party A and Party B. Party A shall not challenge such relationship merely on the ground that the said records, notes and vouchers are prepared or retained by Party B.

V. Reservation of rights

Party B’s rights hereunder shall have no effect on, nor exclude any other rights in accordance with laws, regulations and other contracts. Any tolerance, extension, preference or postponed exercise of any right hereunder with respect to any default or delay shall neither constitute waiver of the rights and interests hereunder, or consent or recognition of any violation hereof, nor restrict, prevent or impair its exercise of such rights or any other right, without being held liable to Party A for the above reason.

VI. In the event that there is other outstanding debts of Party A due and payable to Party B in addition to the debts hereunder, Party B may deduct fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank to repay any of such debts, and Party A shall not challenge such deduction made by Party B.

VII. Party A shall give written notice to Party B immediately in case of any change in its mail address or contact information. Losses arising from the failure of such notice shall be solely borne by Party A.

VIII. Deduction of payables

With respect to all payables of Party A hereunder, Party B may deduct relevant fund in Renminbi or any other currency from the account opened by Party A at China Construction Bank, without prior notice. Party A shall be responsible to assist with Party B to handle exchange settlement and sales or foreign exchange trading procedures where necessary, and shall take risks of exchange rate on its own.

 

9


IX. Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising from the performance hereof may be settled through negotiation. In the event that no agreement is reached through negotiation, such disputes shall be settled by the first of the following:

1. Filing a lawsuit to the people’s court located in Party B’s domicile;

2. Submitting such dispute to              Arbitration Commission (arbitration to be held in:             ) for arbitration in accordance with its rules then in effect. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

During the term of lawsuit or arbitration, provisions herein that are not involved in the dispute shall be performed by the parties.

X. Conditions precedent to effectiveness

This Contract shall come into effect upon it is signed by the parties or its authorized representative and affixed with corporate seals of the parties, respectively.

XI. This Contract shall be signed in five counterparts.

XII. Miscellaneous

(1) (This space is intentionally left blank)

(2) (This space is intentionally left blank)

(3) (This space is intentionally left blank)

(4) (This space is intentionally left blank)

Article 11 Representations

I. Party A is fully aware of Party B’s business scope and its authorization.

II. Party A has read all the provisions herein. Per Party A’s request, Party B has clarified relevant provisions herein and Party A fully understands and is aware of he meaning and corresponding legal consequences of provisions herein.

III. Party A’s execution and performance of this Contract are in compliance with provisions of laws, administrative regulations, rules and its articles of association or internal documents, and have been approved by its internal competent department and/or competent governmental authorities.

Party A (corporate seal): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Xu Guangfu

Date: July 7, 2009

Party B (corporate seal): China Construction Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Legal representative (principal) or authorized representative (signature): /s/ Zhou Jipei

Date: July 7, 2009

 

10

Exhibit 10.24

English Translation

Loan Agreement

with

Huaxia Bank

 

1


Loan Agreement

Contract No.: CQ091011090117

Party A (the Borrower): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Domicile: Xian Jia Village, Longdu , Wanzhou District, Chongqing, China

Post code: 404000   Legal representative: Xu Guangfu
Tel: 023-64866606   Fax:                     

Bank of principal account: Construction Bank Wanzhou Branch

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Party B (the Lender): Huaxia Bank, Wanzhou Branch

Domicile: No. 318 Bai Yan Road, Wanzhou District, Chongqing, China

Post code: 404000

Legal representative (principal): Xiang Jianping

Tel: 023-87680769   Fax: 023-87680776

In accordance with relevant laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China, the Parties hereby enter into this Agreement after negotiations based on the principle of fairness.

Article 1 Type of Loan

 

1.1 The loan hereunder shall be mid-term loan .

Article 2 Amount and Currency of Loan

 

2.1 The currency of the loan hereunder shall be RMB .

 

2.2 The amount of the loan hereunder shall be RMB Seventy Million Yuan (In word) .

Article 3 Purpose of Loan

 

3.1 Party A shall use the loan hereunder for the sole purpose of working capital turnover, such as procurement of raw materials, payment of electricity bills, etc. , and shall not use such loan for any other purposes without written consent of Party B.

Article 4 Term of Loan

 

4.1 The term of the loan hereunder is two years , starting from December 30, 2009 to December 30, 2011 .

 

4.2 Party A shall drawdown the loan hereunder on December 30, 2009 in a lump sum.

 

4.3 Party A shall repay the principal of the loan hereunder on December 30, 2011 in a lump sum.

 

4.4 In the event that the actual drawdown date and the maturity date of the last installment are not consistent with the dates specified as above, the date indicated on the loan certificate hereunder shall prevail, and the maturity date for each outstanding installment shall be subject to the date agreed upon herein.

 

2


Article 5 Interest Rate

 

5.1 The interest rate hereunder shall be an annual interest rate of 5.40% . In the event that the People’s Bank of China adjusts the benchmark interest rate after the execution of this Contract and prior to the granting of the loan, the interest rate hereunder shall be adjusted pursuant to the floating range provided in Article 5.4 based on the benchmark interest rate for the corresponding period.

 

5.2

The interests of the loan hereunder shall be settled on a monthly basis and shall be paid on the 20 th day of each month, with the last interest payment date being the expiry date of this Contract.

 

5.3 In the event that the People’s Bank of China adjusts the benchmark interest rate for the corresponding period after the granting of the loan, the interest rate hereunder shall be adjusted on a monthly basis, and the adjusted interest rate shall apply as of the first interest payment date upon the adjustment.

 

5.4 In case of adjustment pursuant to Article 5.1 and 5.3, the interest rate shall be determined according to the adjusted benchmark interest rate for the corresponding period as published by the People’s Bank of China.

 

5.5 In the event of adjusted interest rate, the penalty interest rate hereunder shall be adjusted accordingly and shall apply concurrently with the interest rate. The penalty shall be calculated in installments according to different rates applied.

 

5.6 Party A’s consent is not required for Party B to make the above adjustments.

Article 6 Conditions for Drawdown

 

6.1 Party A may not drawdown the loan unless the following conditions are satisfied:

 

6.1.1 Party A has obtained governmental approvals, licenses and has completed relevant registrations and other statutory procedures related to the loan hereunder pursuant to the laws and regulations;

 

6.1.2 Party A has provided relevant documents as required by Party B;

 

6.1.3 Where a security is created hereunder, the Parties have completed all procedures as agreed upon, and such procedures/security/pledge have come into effect;

 

6.1.4 No event of default has occurred on part of Party A;

 

6.1.5 As of the drawdown date, all Party A’s representations and warranties hereunder remain true, accurate and valid; and

 

6.1.6 As of the drawdown date, operational and financial conditions of Party A remain substantially the same as those as of the execution hereof, and no major adverse changes have occurred.

 

6.2 Party A shall handle drawdown procedures at Party B’s office upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth above, and shall sign the loan certificate with Party B. The loan certificate shall constitute an integral part of this Contract with same legal effect.

 

6.3 The granting of the loan prior to satisfaction of conditions set forth in Article 6.1 shall not constitute a flaw in Party B’s performance.

 

3


Article 7 Repayment of Loan

 

7.1 The sources of repayment by Party A include but not limited to sales revenue . Party A undertakes in no case shall it refuse to perform the repayment obligation hereunder by invoking the above provisions.

 

7.2 Party A shall deposit the repayment (interest and principal) in full in the account opened with Party B prior to the close of business (Beijing Time) on the repayment day (interest payment day, principal repayment day), and Party B has the right to debit the account. In the event that the repayment day is a public holiday, it shall be deferred to the first working day that follows.

 

7.3 Party B shall have the right to deduct any due and payable amount unpaid by Party A from any account maintained by Party A with all branches of Huaxia Bank. If the currency of the account so deducted is different from that of the loan, an exchange rate shall be applied according to the exchange rate published by Party B on the date of deduction.

 

7.4 Any payment made by Party A (including payment deducted by Party B hereunder) shall be used for repayment of the loan in the following order, subject to any changes made by Party B: expenses incurred in realizing the creditor’s rights and security interest, compensation for damages, default penalty, compound interest, overdue interest, penalty interest, interest of the loan, and principal.

 

7.5 If Party A desires to repay the loan in advance, it shall submit an application in writing to Party B 10 days in advance. With Party B’s written consent, the interests shall be collected according to the interest rate agreed upon hereunder and the actual days of use.

Article 8 Loan Guarantee

 

8.1 If the creditor’s right hereunder is secured by the guarantee under the debt ceiling, the following guarantee shall apply:

The guarantors Daqo Group Co., Ltd. and Daqo New Materials Co., Ltd. shall enter into a contract of guarantee under the debt ceiling with Party B, respectively.

The guarantor Guangfu Xu shall enter into a contract of individual guarantee under the debt ceiling with Party B.

Article 9 Party A’s Rights and Obligations

 

9.1 Party A undertakes that it is a company duly incorporated and validly existing under relevant laws, and it has the power to dispose of the property operated and managed by it, to run the businesses in line with the purpose of the loan hereunder, and to enter into and perform this Contract.

 

9.2 Party A undertakes that it has obtained necessary approvals from regulatory agencies and its board of directors, etc., as well as necessary authorizations to enter into this Contract.

 

9.3 Party A undertakes that its execution and performance of this Contract do not violate any provision or agreement that is binding upon Party A or its assets, any guarantee agreement or other agreements signed with other party, or any other instrument, agreement or covenant that is binding upon Party A.

 

4


9.4 Party A undertakes to provide the documents and materials as required by Party B, which shall be true, accurate, legitimate and valid.

 

9.5 Party A shall have the right to drawdown and use the loan pursuant to this Contract.

 

9.6 Party A shall have the right to use the loan for purposes provided herein.

 

9.7 Party A shall cooperate with Party B with respect to the inspections conducted prior to, during and after the granting of the loan as required by Party B, which include but not limited to the provision of the following materials:

 

9.7.1 The business license with annual inspections passed; the corporation code certificate; the ID card of the legal representative and necessary personal information; a list of members of the board of directors, principals, and the financial controller; the licenses for conduction of the business; tax registration certificate with annual inspections passed; a copy of evidence of tax clearance for the period specified by Party B; and the loan certificate (card);

 

9.7.2 Information of all banks of deposit, account numbers and amounts of deposits and loans;

 

9.7.3 Audited balance sheet, income statement, change in shareholder’s equity, and sales information, cash flow sheet, financial statements together with its notes and remarks for the period specified by Party B;

 

9.7.4 Production plans, statistical forms, budget and final accounts of projects;

 

9.7.5 Information on external guarantee (including guarantee for Party B’s any institution);

 

9.7.6 Information on all affiliates and relationship therewith, existing and potential related party transactions accounting for 10% of its net assets, and internal guarantee within the group;

 

9.7.7 Information on lawsuit, arbitration, administrative penalty, dispute over debt obligations with other parties, and prosecution of criminal liability against any management personnel; and

 

9.7.8 Information on use of the loan hereunder.

 

9.8 Party A shall repay the interest and principal of the loan as agreed upon hereunder.

 

9.9 Party A shall provide a 30 days’ prior notice in writing to Party B under the following circumstances that may change its operations, systems and legal status: contracting, leasing, trusteeship, reorganization of assets, restructuring of debts and equity, joint operation, merger (merger and acquisition), division, joint venture, decrease of registered capital or application for cessation or cancellation of operation, dissolution or reorganization, settlement, and bankruptcy, and Party A shall clarify the repayment liability hereunder or provide new guarantee for the loan hereunder (both subject to Party B’s acknowledgement in writing); otherwise all activities mentioned in this clause shall not be conducted unless and until the loan hereunder is fully repaid.

 

9.10 In the event of being ordered to cease business operations, shut down, dissolve (cancel), and application of reorganization or bankruptcy filed by other parties, which may change its systems and legal status, Party A shall provide a written notice to Party B within 3 days upon the occurrence of such circumstances, and shall take adequate and effective measures to secure Party B’s rights as the creditor.

 

9.11 In the event of any circumstance that may jeopardize Party A’s ordinary operation or Party B’s rights as the creditor, Party A shall provide a written notice to Party B within 3 days upon the occurrence of such circumstance, and shall take adequate and effective measures to secure Party B’s rights as the creditor.

 

5


9.12 In the event of any change to Party A’s domicile, name, legal representative, or substantial changes to Party A’s senior management, Party A shall provide a written notice to Party B within 7 days upon the occurrence of such change.

 

9.13 Before Party A fully repays the interest and principal of the loan hereunder, Party A shall not sell any specific assets, repay other debts in advance, or provide guarantee to third parties without Party B’s consents.

 

9.14 Party A shall not enter into any contract with any third party that may jeopardize rights and interests of Party B hereunder.

 

9.15 In the event that a guarantee is provided, Party A shall forthwith provide new guarantee as accepted by Party B or repay the loan hereunder in advance if the guarantor violates any obligations or covenants set forth in the guarantee contract.

Article 10 Party B’s Rights and Obligations

 

10.1 Party B shall have the right to request Party A to provide documents in connection with the loan hereunder.

 

10.2 Party B shall have the right to monitor and inspect the use of the loan hereunder, and to understand Party A’s operation activities, financial conditions, provision of guarantee and dispute over debt obligation, etc.

 

10.3 Party B shall fully grant the loan to Party A on time if Party A fully performs its obligations hereunder and fully satisfies the conditions for drawdown.

 

10.4 Party B shall keep confidential all information related to Party A’s debt, financial conditions, production, and operation, etc. provided thereby unless otherwise required by the laws and regulations.

 

10.5 Party B shall publish an announcement if it changes its domicile during the term hereof.

Article 11 Liabilities for Breach of Contract

 

11.1 After the effectiveness of this Contract, both Parties shall perform their obligations under this Contract, failure to perform or partial performance shall constitute breach of contract, and both Parties shall assume relevant liabilities.

 

11.2 If relevant security procedures under this Contract are not completed due to Party A or the guarantor’s reason, or Party A fails to carry out the drawdown procedures at the time stipulated under this Contract for a time in excess of 30 days (including public holidays and weekends) after the stipulated time for granting the loan, Party B is entitled to terminate this Contract and request repayment of the loan granted.

 

11.3 If Party A fails to repay the principal when due (including accelerated maturity) according to this Contract, the overdue interests shall be calculated from the overdue date by increasing 50% of the interest rate as penalty. If Party A fails to pay the interests on time within the term of the loan, compound interests shall be collected according to the interest rate stipulated hereunder. For any unpaid interests of the loan overdue, compound interests shall be collected according to the penalty interest rate under this clause.

 

6


11.4 If Party A fails to use the loan according to the purpose stipulated hereunder, penalty interests will be collected by increasing 100% of the stipulated interest rate from the date of breach with respect to the principal and interest, and compound interests will also be collected.

 

11.5 If the loan is overdue or is not used according to the stipulated purposes, overdue interests, penalty interests and compound interests shall be collected by month.

 

11.6 Where Party B’s rights as the creditor is realized through litigation due to Party A’s breach, Party A shall borne the fees paid by Party B, such as the litigation fees, arbitration fees, preservation fees, announcement fees, evaluation fees, appraisal fees, auction fees, traveling expenses, attorney fees and other fees incurred for the realization of the creditor’s rights.

 

11.7 If any of the following occurs, Party B is entitled to announce the accelerated maturity of all the loans granted, collect the principal and interests, cease granting additional loans, and take legitimate measures:

 

11.7.1 Party A fails to use the loan according to the purpose stipulated hereunder or fails to pay the principal, interests and other payables in full and on time;

 

11.7.2 Party A provides false balance sheet, income statement and other loan materials or conceals important facts thereof or any other substantial financial facts;

 

11.7.3 Party A refuses Party B to supervise or examine its loan use and its productions, operations, and financial activities.

 

11.7.4 Party A uses the loan to make equity investments;

 

11.7.5 Party A uses the loan to speculate in equities, futures and real estate, or conduct other illegal or non-compliance actions;

 

11.7.6 Party A obtains the loan to grant loans and seeks illegal incomes;

 

11.7.7 Party A obtains the loan by fraud;

 

11.7.8 Party A arbitrages money from Party B by using a fake contract with related parties and providing mortgage to Party B with notes receivable and accounts receivable without true trading background;

 

11.7.9 Party A evades repayment of bank debts through related party transactions;

 

11.7.10 Party A breaches any contract or agreement entered into between Party A and other parties (including Party B) or breaches any representations or warranties made by Party A unilaterally, which constitutes material breach.

 

7


11.7.11 There is a change to Party A’s operation, system or legal status, including but not limited to contracting, leasing, trusteeship, reorganization of assets, restructuring of debts and equity, joint operation, merger (merger and acquisition), division, transfer of assets, joint venture, decrease of registered capital or application for cessation or cancellation of operation, dissolution, reorganization, settlement and bankruptcy, provided that Party A has not obtained Party B’s written consent, clarified repayment obligation hereunder, or provided new guarantee acceptable to Party B;

 

11.7.12 There is a change to the guarantee hereunder that has an adverse impact on Party B’s rights as the creditor, including but not limited to the damage, loss and decrease in value of the collateral and pledge, or the guarantor violates any obligation under the guarantee contract while Party A fails to provide new guarantee per Party B’s request;

 

11.7.13 The guarantee contract or other guarantee provided fails to come into effect or is held void or revoked, the guarantor loses part or all of its ability to provide guarantee or expressly indicates that it will not perform its guarantee obligation, or the guarantor violates any obligation or covenants under the guarantee contract or other contracts with third party, while Party A fails to provide new guarantee per Party B’s request;

 

11.7.14 Representations and warranties made by Party A are untrue, inaccurate or there is omission of material facts;

 

11.7.15 Party A expressly indicates or indicates by its performance that it will not perform its obligations hereunder; and

 

11.7.16 Party A violates any other obligation or covenant agreed upon hereunder, which in Party B’s view will affect the realization of Party B’s rights as the creditor.

 

11.8 If Party B fails to make loans upon Party A’s request within seven (7) working days after Party A meets all the drawdown conditions and submits drawdown requirement to Party B, Party A is entitled to collect liquidated damages from Party B based on the interest rate specified in Article 11.3 according to the amount and actual days of overdue.

Article 12 Effectiveness

 

12.1 This Contract shall take effect upon execution by both Parties.

Article 13 Transfer, Change and Termination of Contract

 

13.1 After this Contract takes effect, Party B may transfer all or part of its rights as the creditor under this Contract to a third party without Party A’s consent.

 

13.2 After this Contract takes effect, Party A shall not transfer all or part of its obligations as the debtor under this Contract to a third party unless Party B receives from the guarantor a written document consenting to continue to assume the guarantee liability after the transfer or a new guarantee is provided to Party B. In addition, Party B’s written consent is also required for such transfer.

 

8


13.3 After this Contract takes effect, neither party shall make changes without consent of the other party. Any change to this Contract shall be made by Party A and Party B in writing.

 

13.4 If Party A requires extension under this Contract, an extension agreement shall be signed upon Party B’s approval. If Party B refuses to extend, Party A is obliged to perform its repayment obligation according to this Contract.

 

13.5 During the term of this Contract, if any of the following event happens, Party B is entitled to terminate the Contract, collect the outstanding loan and interests in advance and stop granting loans:

 

13.5.1 Party A’s operational and financial conditions deteriorates and becomes unable to repay matured debt; or Party A gets involved in major litigation or arbitration or other legal proceedings which severely impacts or jeopardizes Party B’s realization of its rights as the creditor;

 

13.5.2 The overall credit, operational and financial status of Party A is in severe crisis, which poses a severe threat to Party B’s rights as the creditor;

 

13.5.3 Party A suspends or ceases operation or dissolves, or the business license of Party A is revoked or cancelled; and

 

13.5.4 Other circumstances that may pose threat or cause severe damage to Party B’s rights as the creditor under this Contract.

Article 14 Dispute Resolution

 

14.1 Any dispute arising from the performance hereof shall be settled through negotiation. In the event that no agreement is reached through negotiation, such disputes shall be settled by filing a lawsuit to the people’s court where Party B is located.

Article 15 Miscellaneous

 

15.1 If Party A and Party B have entered into the Maximal Financing Agreement (Contract No.: CQ09(RONG ZI)20090018), this Contract shall be regarded as a specific business contract under the Maximal Financing Agreement.

 

15.2 Within the term of this Contract, if Party A fails to notify Party B in writing with regard to the change of company name, the legal representative and the address, all the documents delivered by Party B to Party A according to the information under this Contract shall be deemed to have been delivered.

 

9


15.3 Fees for registration, insurance, notarization, appraisal, transportation and all other relevant fees with respect to this Contract and its guarantee contract shall be borne by Party A. If the fees are paid by Party B upfront, Party B is entitled to withhold the amount from Party A’s account.

 

15.4 Party A undertakes to wire 20% of the quarterly revenue to the settlement account (account No.: 839100002938) opened with Party B. If Party A fails to do so, Party B is entitled to raise the interest rate by 10%.

 

15.5 This Contract shall be executed in four counterparts with each party holding two copies.

 

15.6 Relevant exhibits shall form an integral part of this Contract and shall enjoy the same legal effect as this Contract.

 

15.7 Party B has made reasonable efforts to notify Party A of the clauses regarding waiver or limitation of Party B’s liability under this Contract and has made full clarification of relevant clauses as per Party A’s request. Party A and Party B have no disagreement over the interpretation of the terms of this Contract.

 

10


Signature page follows

Party A: (Seal) Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Legal Representative: /s/ Guangfu Xu                        

(or Authorized Agent)

Date: December 30, 2009

Party B: (Seal) Huaxia Bank Wanzhou Branch, Chongqing

Legal Representative: /s/ Jianping Xiang                  

(or Authorized Agent)

Date: December 30, 2009

 

11

Exhibit 10.27

English Translation

Trademark License Agreement

Licensor (Party A): Daqo Group Co., Ltd.

Licensee (Party B): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Date: May 8, 2009

In accordance with the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “Trademark Law”) and the Rules for the Implementation of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “Implementation Rules”), in order to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties, the Licensor and the Licensee hereby enter into this Trademark License Agreement after negotiated in good faith.

Scope of Grant

 

1. Party A hereby grants to Party B a license to use the trademarks listed in Appendix 1 hereto.

 

2. This license shall be a permanent license.

 

3. Geographical Scope: Party B may use the trademarks in China and all the other countries worldwide.

 

4. Party A may use the trademarks for all ordinary commercial purposes in the abovementioned Geographical Scope.

 

5. Provision of the logo of the registered trademark: Party A hereby authorizes Party B to print the logo of the licensed trademarks on its own.

Rights and obligations of both parties:

 

6. This trademark license shall be royalty free.

 

7. Party A shall have the right to supervise the quality of Party B’s commodities on which the licensed trademarks are used, and Party B shall ensure that the aforesaid commodities are of good quality.

 

8. Party B shall not change the characters, pictures or the combination thereof of the registered trademarks of Party A. Nor shall Party B use the registered trademarks of Party A on products which are beyond the licensed scope.

 

9. Without Party A’s authorization, Party B shall not permit any third party to use the registered trademarks of Party A in any form or for any reason.

 

10. In compliance with the Trademark Law, Party B must clearly indicate the name of Party B and the place of production on the commodities on which the licensed trademarks are used.

 

11. Party A shall file this agreement with the Trademark Office, and Party B shall submit a copy of this agreement to the local Administrative Bureau for Industry and Commerce of Party B’s domicile for record.

 

12. Both parties shall negotiate two months prior to the expiration of this agreement and decide whether or not this agreement shall be renewed. In the event that both parties agree to renew this agreement, both parties shall execute and file a new Trademark License Agreement. In the event that no agreement on renewal is reached, this agreement shall terminate automatically upon expiration.


Commencement and termination of this agreement

 

13. This agreement shall take effect on the day on which both parties sign and seal this agreement.

 

14. This agreement shall terminate:

 

  1) Upon expiration of the term of license if no agreement on renewal is reached;

 

  2) If Party B violates the stipulations of the Trademark Law and the Implementation Rules and materially impaired Party A’s reputation through improper use of the licensed trademarks.

Applicable law and dispute settlement

 

15. The conclusion, interpretation, validity and dispute settlement of this agreement shall be governed by relevant laws and regulations such as the Trademark Law and the Implementation Rules.

 

16. Amendment to this agreement shall only be made by both parties in writing. Any amendment to this agreement shall also be filed with the Trademark Office where this agreement is filed.

 

17. In the event that either party incurs any loss due to the other party’s failure to perform its obligations hereunder or material breach hereof, such party shall have the right to demand damages from the default party. After paying the damages, the parties may negotiate and decide to continue the performance of this agreement.

 

18. In the event that a dispute cannot be settled through negotiation, both parties agree to submit such dispute to the Arbitration Committee of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade for arbitration in accordance with Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties.

Miscellaneous:

 

19. Both parties may negotiate and enter into supplementary agreement in respect of matters uncovered by this agreement in accordance with the Trademark Law. Supplementary agreement shall have same effect as this agreement.

 

20. This agreement is executed in four copies. According to the Trademark Law and the Implementation Rules, within three months of execution of this agreement, Party A shall file a copy of this agreement with the Trademark Office of State Administration of Industry and Commerce, and Party B shall submit a copy of this agreement to the local Administrative Bureau for Industry and Commerce of the Party B’s domicile for record.

Licensor (seal): Daqo Group Co., Ltd.

/s/ Guangfu Xu


Licensee (seal): Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

/s/ Gongda Yao

Licensee (seal): Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

/s/ Gongda Yao

Date: May 8, 2009


Appendix One:

 

Serial number

  

Registered
trademark

  

Trademark
registrant

  

Place of registration

  

Type of
commodities
permitted to use the
trademark

  

Number of
certificate of
trademark
registration

  

Valid until

1

   Logo               

Exhibit 10.28

NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT

THIS NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of July 1, 2008, by and among Daqo Group Co., Ltd. (“ Daqo Group ”), Mega Stand International Limited (“ Mega Stand ”) and Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. (“ New Energy ”).

The parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1. Non-competition Undertaking of Daqo Group . During the period commencing at the date hereof and as long as Mega Stand or Daqo New Energy is in existence (the “ Restricted Period ”), Daqo Group shall not directly or indirectly (whether for compensation or otherwise) or cause any of its Affiliates (other than Mega Stand, New Energy and other subsidiaries of Mega Stand) to (i) engage in the business of manufacturing, marketing or distributing polysilicon, solar wafer, solar module or any other solar-power products anywhere in the world or (ii) competes in any way or manner with any businesses of New Energy, as such business or businesses may be conducted from time to time during the Restricted Period ((i) and (ii) collectively referred to as “ Competitive Activities ”). Furthermore, during the Restricted Period, Daqo Group shall not directly or indirectly (whether for compensation or otherwise) own or hold any proprietary interest in, manage, operate, or control, or join or participate in, the ownership, management, operation, or control of, or furnish any capital to or be connected in any manner with, any party that engages in the Competitive Activities. For the purposes of this Non-Competition Agreement, “proprietary interest” means legal or equitable ownership, whether through stock holding or otherwise, of an equity interest in a business, firm, or entity. For purposes of this Non-Competition Agreement, “ Affiliate ” means any individual or entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, another individual or entity.

2. Injunctive Relief; Reasonableness . Daqo Group acknowledges and agrees that the non-competition and other covenants and agreements made by Daqo Group herein each are of substantial value and that a breach of any of those covenants and agreements would cause irreparable harm to Mega Stand and New Energy. Therefore, in addition to any other remedies that may be available under this Agreement, Mega Stand and New Energy shall be entitled to seek temporary restraining orders, injunctions and/or other equitable relief. The parties expressly agree that the character, duration and geographical scope of this Agreement are reasonable in light of the circumstances as they exist on the date upon which this Agreement has been executed.

3. Severability . All provisions of this Non-Competition Agreement are intended to be severable. In the event any provision or restriction contained herein is held to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, in whole or in part, such finding will in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Non-Competition Agreement. The parties hereto further agree that any such invalid or unenforceable provision shall be deemed modified so that it shall be enforced to the greatest extent permissible under law, and to the extent that any court of competent jurisdiction determines any restriction herein to be unreasonable in any respect, such court may limit this Non-Competition Agreement to render it reasonable in the light of the circumstances in which it was entered into and specifically enforce this Non-Competition Agreement as limited.

4. Construction . This Non-Competition Agreement and all questions relating to its validity, interpretation, performance, and enforcement (including, without limitation, provisions concerning limitations of actions), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with laws of the People’s Republic of China. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding brought by any of the parties that arises out of or is based upon this Non-Competition Agreement shall be instituted in the courts of Chongqing, China.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Non-Competition Agreement as of the date above.

 

Daqo Group Co., Ltd.
Signed by:   /s/ Xu Xiang
Name:   Xu Xiang
Title :   President

 

Mega Stand International Limited
Signed by:   /s/ Gongda Yao
Name:   Gongda Yao
Title :   Authorized Signatory

 

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.
Signed by:   /s/ Gongda Yao
Name:   Gongda Yao
Title :   General Manager

Exhibit 10.29

CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

REQUESTED PURSUANT TO RULE 406

Contract No.:DJG-HT20080615

Technology License and Engineering Services Contract

Between

Chongqing DAQO New Energy Co., LTD

Wanzhou Industrial Park

404000 Wanzhou, Chongqing P.R. China

and

Poly Engineering S.r.l

Via Galileo Ferraris 13

Monza / Milano Italy

June 15th, 2008

 

1


Catalogue

 

1    Definitions    3
2    License    4
3    Services    5
4    Remuneration and Terms of Payment    6
5    Procedure for Acceptance of Documentation    7
6    Representation and warranties    7
7    Confidentiality    7
8    Indemnification    8
9    Term and Termination    9
10    Governance    9
11    Applicable Law    9
12    Dispute Resolution    10
13    Force Majeure    10
14    Miscellaneous    11
Annex No.1    13
Annex No.2    14
Annex No.3    22

 

2


Technology License and Engineering Services Contract

Contract No.: DJG-HT20080615

Date of Signature: June 15 th , 2008

WHEREAS

Chongqing DAQO New Energy Co., LTD (“ Customer ” or “ DAQO ”), a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China with the registered address at Wanzhou Industrial Park, Wanzhou, Chongqing, intends to erect a facility in the People’s Republic of China for the production of silicon polycrystal for use in the semiconductor and solar energy industry.

Poly Engineering S.r.l. (“ Contractor” or “PE ”) , a company incorporated under the laws of Italy with the registered address at Via Galileo Ferraris 13 Monza, Milano, has the know-how and experience for the erection of such facility for the production of silicon polycrystal for use in the semiconductor and solar energy industry. Thus, PE is in a position to provide DAQO with the respective know-how for the erection and operation of such plant and is, furthermore, in a position to supervise the respective construction as well as the start-up of the production.

Now, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. Definitions

The following words and expressions will have the meaning specified here below:

(a) “ Applicable Law ” shall be understood to mean any and all local, regional, and national laws, regulations, ordinances, pronouncements, judicial decrees, and similar governmental declarations, which are applicable to a Party, this Contract, the subject of this Contract, or the design, construction and operation of the Plant.

(b) “ Basic Engineering Package (“ BEP ”)” shall be understood to mean the set of documents and services specified in Annex No.2.

(c) “ Contract ” shall be understood to mean the present Contract including its annexes.

(d) “ Confidential Information ” shall be understood to have the meaning given to it in Section 7.1.

(e) “ Contractor ” shall be understood to mean Poly Engineering S.r.l.

(f) “ Contractor Services ” shall be understood to have the meaning given to it in Section 4(B) of Annex No.2.

(g) “ Customer ” shall be understood to mean DAQO.

(h) “ Effective Date ” shall be understood to mean the date this Contract is signed by both Parties.

 

3


(i) “ Equipment ” shall be understood to mean any equipment necessary for implementation the process for the production of the Product.

(j) “ Including ,” whether or not capitalized, shall be understood to mean “including, but not limited to.”

(k) “ Intellectual Property Rights ” shall be understood to have the meaning given it in Section 6.2.

(1) “ Know-how ” shall be understood to mean all know-how, show-how, processes, designs, specifications, drawings, blue-prints, documentation, and confidential and proprietary information required to be provided, or provided, by Contractor to Customer under this Contract, including the BEP and CED, and any Intellectual Property Rights embodied in any of the foregoing.

(m) “ Parties ” shall be understood to mean the Customer and the Contractor.

(n) “ Plant ” shall be understood to mean a plant for the production of the Product using the Process and the Equipment; all as specified in more detail in Annex No. 2.

(o) “ Process ” shall be understood to mean all the technological operations necessary for the production of the Product based on the raw materials having the characteristics specified in Annex No. 1; all as specified in more detail in Annex No. 2.

(p) “ Product ” shall be understood to mean silicon polycrystal (“ SP ”) having the characteristics specified in Annex No.2.

(q) “ Project Start ” is defined as the moment, when the down payment has been paid by DAQO; all schedules and times in Section 6 of Annex No.2 are measured from Project Start.

(r) “ Services ” shall be understood to have the meaning set forth in Section 3.1 of this Contract.

2. License

2.1 Contractor hereby grants to Customer a perpetual, irrevocable, fully paid and royalty free license to use, reproduce, modify, prepare derivatives works of, and otherwise practice and exploit the Know-how:

 

  (a) to manufacture, produce and process silicon polycrystal in their plant described in annex No. 2, having a nominal capacity of 3,300 Tons/year silicon polycrystal, including the Product.

 

  (b) to distribute and sell silicon polycrystal , including the Product.

 

  (c) to develop, design, engineer construct and operate the Plant, that enable the manufacturing , production and processing of silicon polycrystal, including the Product, and to have any of the foregoing done for Customer’s account (which shall not be deemed to be a sublicense) to third parties.

 

4


2.2 The license granted hereabove includes the right to sublicense the rights enunciated to affiliates of Customer without Contractor’s approval. Customer may sublicense such rights to one or more unaffiliated third parties only with Contractor’s prior approval which shall be not unreasonably withheld

2.3 The license granted to the Customer according to Section 2.1 is exclusive for the territory of the People’s Republic of China including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau and Taiwan (“Exclusive Territory”) until December 31, 2011 (the “Exclusivity Period”).

Contractor, Mr. Marangoni and Mr. Ragaini, will not, and will cause any affiliate of Contractor, Mr. Marangoni or Mr. Ragaini not to, directly or indirectly, through any representative or otherwise, solicit or entertain offers from, negotiate with or in any manner encourage, discuss, accept, or consider any proposal of any person or execute any contract relating to the transfer of the Know-how to the Exclusive Territory, in whole or in part (including but not limited to the installation of (in whole or in part) a production plant for polycrystal silicon in the Exclusive Territory), whether directly or indirectly, through sale, merger, consolidation, or otherwise.

Furthermore during the Exclusivity Period, for all contracts of Contractor, Mr. Marangoni or Mr. Ragaini or any affiliate of Contractor, Mr. Marangoni and/or Mr. Ragaini for the transfer of the Basic Engineering to places outside the Exclusive Territory, Contractor, Mr. Marangoni and Mr. Ragaini will apply contracts where the customer is not allowed to transfer the Basic Engineering and its plant to the Exclusive Territory; in particular, but not limited to, Contractor, Mr. Marangoni and Mr. Ragaini will insert and will cause any affiliate of Contractor, Mr. Marangoni and/or Mr. Ragaini to insert appropriate wording (i) expressly prohibiting such transfer of the Basic Engineering to the Exclusive Territory as set forth above and (ii) requiring any contractor to insert such wording in its respective contracts.

3. Services

3.1 The Contractor shall perform the functions and tasks specified, or referred to, in this Section 3.1 as well as any functions and tasks not specifically named but reasonably required to perform the functions and tasks specified, or referred to, in this Section 3.1 (the “ Services ”).

(a) Contractor shall transfer to the Customer the Know-how and submit to the Customer the associated technical documentation, and perform the services, specified in Annex No, 2.

(b) Contractor shall provide to the Customer the BEP, perform the Construction Services, and submit to the Customer the associated technical documentation as specified in Annex No. 2.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, and without limiting Contractor’s obligations as otherwise set forth in this Contract, at Customer’s request Contractor shall, as part of the Services, provide at Customer’s site an appropriate number of suitably qualified and experienced engineers to advise Customer during construction, commissioning, start-up, and testing of the Plant, and supply training services to Customer and Customer’s designees.

 

5


3.2 The Contractor shall perform the Services in accordance with the timeline set forth in Section 6 of Annex 2.

3.3 Customer may propose a change to be made to the Services or the BEP. In such event, Contractor shall promptly prepare a written analysis of the change including the rationale for and consequences of the change. Such consequences shall not include any changes to the Total Remuneration unless the implementation of the change requires material additional resources or efforts on the part of Contractor. If upon receipt and review of Contractor’s analysis, Customer is interested in further considering such change, Contractor shall develop for Customer to review and approve a detailed implementation plan. With Customer approval, Contractor shall implement the change in accordance with such plan.

4. Remuneration and terms of payment

4.1 The Customer should pay to the Contractor according to the payment schedule. The total remuneration for the Know How, the BEP , the Construction Services and the exclusive fee consists of four parts:

Part 1: payment for 2008 is * * *

Part 2: payment for 2009: * * *

Part 3: payment for 2010: * * *

Part 4: payment for 2011: * * *

4.2 Customer’s payments will be due pursuant to the following time schedule:

For Part 1:

 

(a) * * * : Till June 30,2008

 

(b) * * * : Till August 31,2008

 

(c) * * * : Till December 31,2008

 

(d) * * * : after delivery of a first lot of the following documentation including Process Flow diagrams and Major equipment specifications

 

(e) * * * : after the completion of the delivery of PE technical documentation

For Part 2:

100% of the payment for 2009 within the first three months of the year 2010

For Part 3:

100% of the payment for 2010 within the first three months of the year 2011

For Part 4:

100% of the payment for 2011 within the first three months of the year 2012

4.3 All taxes and duties to be paid by the Customer in the territory of the People’s Republic of China shall be borne by the Customer and all other taxes and duties shall be borne by the Contractor.

 

6


4.4 Each Party shall be solely responsible for all expenses and the costs of all resources, including all software, hardware, personnel, and travel expenses, used in performing its obligations under this Contract unless otherwise specified herein.

5. Procedure for acceptance of documentation

5.1 All documentation will be delivered to Customer in English and in electronic format as specified in Annex No. 2.

5.2 Customer is not obliged to inspect the documentation upon receipt.

6. Representation and warranties

6.1 The Contractor represents and warrants that the Know-How and the BEP are correct, complete, adequate and without defects and will enable the Customer to erect and operate the Plant for the production of the Product in compliance with Applicable Law. The Contractor represents that it will perform the Services in a professional and workmanlike manner in accordance with widely recognized professional standards in the civil engineering industry.

6.2 The Contractor represents and warrants that it has the right to grant Customer the licenses under Section 2 of this Contract and that Customer’s exercise of such licenses in accordance with the terms of this Contract will not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the patents, copyrights, trade secret rights or other intellectual property rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights” of any third party.

6.3 In case of any violation of the Contractor’s representations or warranties set forth in this Section 6, the Customer will notify the Contractor in writing. The Contractor will, within a reasonable time (but no later than three weeks after receipt of Customer’s notification) remedy such violation accordingly or explain why it believes that there has not been a violation of a representation or warranty. In the event that the Contractor fails to remedy the notified violation within a reasonable time (but no later than three weeks after receipt of Customer’s notification) or if Customer determines that any delay caused by such violation is not acceptable, Customer may – in its sole discretion – engage a third party to remedy such violation; all costs and expenses of such third party will be borne by the Contractor. The Customer’s right to claim additional remedies pursuant to this Contract or the provisions of Applicable Law remains unaffected.

7. Confidentiality

7.1 Each Party will keep confidential all non-public information belonging to the other Party and clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL” or “PROPRIETARY” by such Party, as well as all such information that, by reason of its nature or context, should reasonably be construed as the confidential information of the other Party (e.g., technical, business, and financial information, including business plans and customer and supplier lists). (collectively, the “ Confidential Information ”). Each Party will use, and make Confidential

 

7


Information available to his own employees and third parties, only to the extent necessary for the performance of its obligations or exercise of its rights under this Contract. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, nothing in this Section 7 shall restrict or prohibit Customer from exercising its licenses in accordance with Section 2 of this Contract.

7.2 Notwithstanding Section 7.1, the following shall not be considered Confidential Information:

 

  - such information as was known to a Party prior to its transmission by the furnishing Party;

 

  - such information as was in the public domain at the time of disclosure or later is available in the public domain but not through any act or fault of the receiving Party;

 

  - such information as is received by a Party independently from a third party and in disclosing such information the third party does not violate any confidentiality agreement executed by such third party with the furnishing Party; and

 

  - such information as is required to be disclosed by law court order or stock exchange, provided that in such event the Party required to disclose such information shall give the furnishing Party prompt written notice of such requirement so as to permit the furnishing Party to seek a protective order or similar relief.

7.3 Upon termination of this Agreement, a Party receiving Confidential Information from the furnishing Party shall return to the furnishing Party all written or electronic copies of the Confidential Information of the furnishing Party in the receiving Party’s possession.

8. Indemnification

8.1 Each Party will, at such Party’s sole cost and expense, indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other Party and the other Party’s directors, officers, partners, employees, representatives, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, liabilities, expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees), encumbrances, or other obligations arising from a claim, action, proceeding or suit by third party, which directly or indirectly, arises out of or is alleged to arise out of the Party’s (i) breach of any representation, warranty, or covenant in this Contract; (iii) negligent, reckless, or wilful acts or omissions in the performance of this Contract; or (iii) violation of Applicable Law.

8.2 Promptly the commencement or threatened commencement of any claim, action, proceeding or suit involving an indemnified claim, the indemnitee shall notify the indemnitor of such claim in writing. No failure to so notify the indemnitor shall relieve the indemnitor of the indemnitor’s obligations under this Contract except to the extent that it can demonstrate damages attributable to such failure. The indemnitor shall assume control of the defense or settlement of any such claim, action, proceeding or suit, except that the indemnitor shall obtain the prior written approval of the indemnitee before entering into any settlement or agreement that purports to bind the indemnitee, and the indemnitee may participate in any such defense or settlement at its sole cost and expense.

 

8


9. Term and termination

9.1 The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date.

9.2 Either Party may, upon written notice, terminate this Contract for material breach of the Contract by the other Party if such material breach remains uncured for more than 90 days after the breaching Party’s receipt of notice thereof from the non-breaching Party.

9.3 If Customer is overdue with the related payments for more than 3 months Contractor has the right to terminate this contract with immediate effect.

10. Governance

10.1 Contractor shall provide to Customer with such periodic reports and information related to the Know-how and Services as Customer reasonably requests, but in any event Contractor shall provide Customer not less than three months written updates relating the progress of Know-how and document transfers and the provision of Services.

10.2 Contractor shall meet with Customer, whether in person or by teleconference, as often as reasonably requested by Customer to discuss such topics related to the Contract as designated by Customer.

10.3 Within 10 days of the Effective Date, the Parties shall each designate and so inform the other party, in writing of: (i) a lead contact within their respective organizations for technical matters relating to the transfer of Know-how and the provision or receipt of Services; and (ii) a lead contact within their respective organizations for accounting and contracting matters.

11. Applicable Law

This Contract is governed by the Italian law excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG).

 

9


12. Dispute resolution

12.1 In the event that any dispute or controversy should arise in connection with this Contract, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to resolve such dispute or controversy. However, in the event that the Parties are unable to resolve such dispute within 30 days of its commencement, either Party may refer such dispute to arbitration under Section 12.2.

12.2 All disputes arising out of or in connection with this Contract shall be finally settled under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by three arbitrators appointed in accordance with said Rules, the Chairman being appointed by the two other arbitrators or, in the event of their failure to reach an agreement, in accordance with said Rules. The seat of the arbitration will be Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The language of the arbitration will be English. Notwithstanding Section 12.1 and 12.2, either Party may at any time apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for interim or conservatory relief, and will not by doing so be held to have breached this arbitration agreement or to have infringed upon the powers of the arbitrators. The arbitral award may be enforced by any court having jurisdiction over the award, the applicable Party or its assets.

12.3 During any arbitration pursuant to this Contract, Customer and Contractor shall continue to fulfill their respective obligations under this Contract, unless the subject matter of the dispute is of such a nature that this is by no means possible until the dispute has been finally settled.

13. Force majeure

13.1 Neither Party shall be liable to the other for any failure to perform or delay in performance of its obligations hereunder caused by: (i) Act of God; (ii) outbreak of hostilities, riot, civil disturbance, or acts of terrorism; (iii) the act of any government or authority; (iv) fire, explosion, flood, fog or bad weather; or (v) any cause or circumstance whatsoever beyond its reasonable control.

13.2 If a Party is or will be prevented from performing any of its obligations due to force majeure as set forth in Section 13.1 above, it will give notice to the other Party of the event or circumstances constituting such force majeure. Such notice shall be given within 3 days after the Party became aware (or should have become aware) of the relevant event or circumstances constituting such force majeure. However, each Party shall at all times use its best efforts to minimize any delay in the performance of its obligations as a result of force majeure.

 

10


14. Miscellaneous

14.1 The Contractor shall not assign or otherwise transfer, subcontract, or delegate any of its rights and obligations under this Contract to any third party without the prior written approval of the Customer. Customer may assign or otherwise transfer, subcontract or delegate all or part of its rights and obligations under this Contract without the Contractor’s approval to an affiliate, to a third party providing financing, or to a successor of all of substantially all of Customer’s relevant business or assets in the event of a merger or acquisition.

14.2 As indicated in Section 9.1, this Contract comes into force at the date of signing by both Parties.

14.3 This Contract, including its Annexes, sets forth the entire and sole understanding between Customer and Contractor with respect to the subject matter hereof. No change in, addition to, or waiver of the provisions of this Contract shall be binding upon Customer or Contractor unless approved in writing by authorized representatives of both Parties and with express reference to this Contract.

14.4 If any provision of this Contract should be invalid, illegal or unenforceable under any existing or future law, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Contract shall not be affected or impaired thereby, and in such event the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a provision which best meets the purpose of the replaced provision; the same applies in the event of omissions.

14.5 Contractor is an independent contractor, and neither Contractor nor any of its employees may be considered be the employees or agents of Customer.

14.6 All remedies available to either Party for breach of this Contract are cumulative and may be exercised concurrently or separately, and the exercise of any one remedy will not be deemed an election of such remedy to the exclusion of other remedies.

14.7 The following provisions of this Contract will survive the expiration or termination thereof: 1, 4.2 (only to the extent that any remuneration remains due at upon the date of terminator or expiration of this Contract), 6, 7, 8, 11, and 14.

14.8 This Contract may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which will together constitute one and the same Contract. Each Party shall authorize a person (s) for signature of contractual documents:

For Customer, Mr. Zhu Jian (President Assistant) is authorized to sign.

For Contractor, Mario Ragaini (Managing Director) and Giovanni Marangoni (Managing Director) are authorized to sign.

14.9 All notices under this Contract must be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered by hand, fax or internationally recognized overnight courier addressed as set forth below or at such other address as a Party may have furnished to the other in writing. Such notices shall be effective (a) if sent by overnight courier, three days after mailing, and (b) if sent otherwise, upon receipt.

 

11


If to Contractor:

Poly Engineering S.r.1

Via Galileo Ferraris 13

Monza / Milano Italy

If to Customer:

Chongqing DAQO New Energy Co., LTD

Wanzhou Industrial Park

404000 Wanzhou, Chonqing

People’s Republic of China

14.10 The following annexes are enclosed to this Contract and are an integral part of it:

 

- Annex No. 1 – TCS specifications, as raw material purchased by DAQO

 

- Annex No. 2 – Technical specifications and time schedule of the contractor package (Know-how and BEP) delivered from PE to DAQO

 

- Annex No. 3 – Specification of the final product (Polysilicon)

 

The Customer :       The Contractor :   
Chongqing DAQO New Energy Co., LTD       Poly Engineering S.r.l

Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park,

Chongqing, P.R. China

      Address: Via Galileo Ferraris 13 Monza / Milano Italy
Post Code: 404000       Post Code:
Telephone: +86 23-64866666       Telephone: +39 0473 244242
Fax: +86 23-64866688       Fax:
Authorized Signature:   

/s/    Zhu Jian

      Authorized Signature:   

/s/    Mario Ragaini

   Mr. Zhu Jian          Mario Ragaini
           

/s/    Giovanni Marangoni

            Giovanni Marangoni
Signing Date: 2008/6/15       Signing Date: 2008/6/15   

 

12


Annex 1

TRICHLOROSILANE - TECHNICAL GRADE SPECIFICATION

(Incoming pre-purified TCS)

ANALYSIS OF LIQUID TCS:

 

Purity (SiHC13)   * * * minimum by weight
Appearance   clear, colorless
IMPURITY   CONTENT
Dichlorosilane   max * * * w
Silicon Tetrachloride   max * * * w

C-H (as Transmittance from

3.37 to 3.42 = cel1path = 10 mm)

  min * * *
All Methylsilanes (total)   max * * * ppmw
Phosphorous   max * * * ppbw
Boron   max * * * ppbw
Arsenic   max * * * ppbw
Iron   max * * * ppbw
Magnesium   max * * * ppbw
Aluminium   max * * * ppbw
Calcium   max * * * ppbw
Copper   max * * * ppbw

REMARKS : each TCS incoming lot must be supplied with a Quality Conformity Certificate

 

13


Annex No. 2

Technical Specifications and time schedule

Note: Capitalized terms have the same meaning as defined in the main contract.

1. INTRODUCTION

DAGQ GROUP has decided to install a plant to produce Silicon Polycrystal which can be used for semiconductor and solar energy industry as defined in Annex 4.

Poly Engineering S.r.1. will provide the Know How, complete Basic Engineering Package of the new plant to DAQO GROUP and perform certain Contractor Services.

In particular, Poly Engineering S.r.1. will provide the know-how, design, supervision of construction, and managing the start up phase in a way, that DAQO GROUP and/or a third party nominated by DAQO GROUP - including an engineering design’ company providing detailed design engineering - are enabled to perform the final design of the Plant and to operate the Plant successfully in order to produce the Product, i.e., silicon polycrystal, which can be used for semiconductor and solar energy industry as defined in Annex 4. The raw material of the Plant is the TCS specified in Annex 1; the Product is specified in Annex No. 4.

The Know How and the Basic Engineering Package provided by Poly Engineering S.r.1. will include the following parameters:

 

 

The Plant will be designed for a initial production capacity of 1500 T/y; however, the design of the Plant will allow all extension of the production capacity to 3.000 Ton/year;

 

 

TET by-product will be reconverted to TCS through hydrogenation inside the plant;

 

 

The basic design of the off-gas treatment section will be developed by a specialized company nominated and supervised by the Contractor;

 

 

Electrical power will be supplied by a local producer;

 

 

Detail design engineering will be provided by all experienced engineering company nominated by DAQO Group with assistance of the Contractor;

 

 

The Plant should be designed comply with all regulations and standards applicable in the Italy.

2. PLANT UNITS

The Plant will consist of the following technical units, which are complete to operate the technical and chemical process to produce polysilicon when TCS raw material is supplied by DAQO.

[Note: A short description of each unit will be in the package delivered by contractor]

 

14


Unit 100 - * * *

Unit 200 - * * *

Unit 300 - * * *

Unit 400 - * * *

Unit 500 - * * *

Unit 600 - * * *

Unit 700 - * * *

Unit 800 - * * *

Unit 1000 - * * *

Unit 1100 - * * *

Unit 1200 - * * *

Unit 1300 - * * *

Unit 1400 - * * *

Unit 1500 - * * *

Unit 1600 - * * *

Unit 1700 - * * *

Unit 1800 - * * *

Unit 1900 - * * *

3. KNOW HOW AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

The Contractor will transfer to the Customer all know how required for the erection and operation of the Plant, including the following (“Know How”):

3.1 TCS final purification

- TCS purification (removal of dopants, carbon, other)

3.2 CVD chemical vapour deposition process & TET chemical hydrogenation process

- Metal electrical connections

 

15


- Graphite chucks or rods

- Graphite Hot-Zone

- Feeding gas nozzles

- Downloading system

- Bell-jar washing station

3.3 TCS/TET/H2 safe handling practice

3.4 TCS/TET purification and impurities removal

3.5 Quality test

- TCS, TET, H2, poly

3.6 DCS & ESD Control System (conceptual specifications)

3.7 Nuggets crushing and packaging

3.8 Conceptual Operating Manual

- Description of each plant section:

- Start-up, normal operation and shut down procedures

- Trouble shooting procedures

- Emergency Procedures

- Emergency Response Plan

- Chlorosilanes Safe Handling

The preliminary operating manual will provide all the conceptual rules to safely and effectively manage the Plant and will be the initial base for the training of the personnel. This manual will be finalized and customized, with the co-operation of the Plant management, in the final version at the end of the start-up phase.

4. SCOPE OF THE BASIC ENGINEERING PACKAGE

The Basic Engineering Package provided by the Contractor to the Customer includes all documentation and technical services which comprise the Know-how, technical data and all additional information (all in English and, to the extent applicable, in writing) required to enable DAQO Group and/or a third party nominated by DAQO GROUP - including an engineering design company providing detailed design engineering (“CED”) - to perform the final design of the Plant and to operate the Plant.

The Basic Engineering Package includes the following:

A - Supply the Know-how to design and operate the plant:

 

 

Polysilicon CVD reactors (to be supplied by GT Equipment Inc applying Contractor’s Know How)

 

 

TET converters (to be supplied by GT Equipment Inc applying Contractor’s Know How)

 

 

Other ancillaries know-how related to CVD reactor & IET converters

 

 

CS final purification

 

16


 

 

TET/TCS/H2/poly handling& control practice (including quality and acceptance test)

 

 

DCS & ESD Control System (conceptual specifications)

 

 

Conceptual operating manual (each section operating instruction should include

 

   

Shut-down procedure

 

   

Start-up procedure

 

   

Trouble-shooting)

 

 

Emergency response manual

B - Delivery of the basic engineering of the Plant and all related technical services, (“Contractor Services”)

 

 

Complete definition the operating conditions of the production, including process control procedures and safety procedures

 

 

Identification of any and all technical details for the production of the Product

 

 

Attendance at the design kick-off conference with the DAQO GROUP and CED; attendance at the project meetings once a month for the first four months as scheduled by DAQO GROUP and PE in Milan

 

 

In cooperation with CED: Preparation of an overall project development schedule

 

 

If any question rises from the subcontractors that the CED and/or DAQO can not answer, the contractor should give the support to solve the problem

5. TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF THE BASIC ENGINEERING PACKAGE

The Basic Engineering Package will include - without limitation - the following information and documentation:

A - Basic engineering

Al - Products, raw materials and utilities specifications

 

- Raw material & product characteristics, including:

Chemical composition

Physical characteristics

Temperature and pressure at plant B.L:

 

- Utilities characteristics, including:

 

Electric power:    Voltage
Cooling water:    Chemical analysis
   Pressure and temperature at plant B.L
Steam or hot oil:    Flow rate
   Pressure and temperature at plant B.L.

 

- Wastes characteristics, including:

 

Gaseous wastes:    Chemical analysis
   Flow rate
Liquid wastes:    Chemical analysis
   Flow rate
Solid wastes:    Chemical analysis
   Quantity

 

17


A2 - General description of the plant operation

A3 - Process design and data

(1) - Basis of design

The plant shall be designed to produce 3000 (initial 1500) Tons/year of the Product using TCS as raw material.

(2) - Block diagrams

(3) - Process flow diagrams

For each process and utilities unit the process flow diagrams (PFD) will be prepared All Equipment will be shown and itemized

In each PFD the following data will be indicated for all Processes and utility lines:

- Flow rate (normal - peak or minimum when applicable)

- Chemical composition (when applicable)

- Pressure

- Temperature

(4) - Equipment specifications

(a) Specifications for the manufacturing of the Equipment

A sketch of the Equipment will include the following information:

- Design conditions: Pressure

            Temperature

- Main dimensions

- Materials of construction

- Specific details (when applicable)

(b) Heat exchangers specifications

- Process data sheet with operating requirements

- Design conditions: Pressure

              Temperature

- Materials of construction

(c) Pumps specifications

- Data sheets including: Type of pump

                    Design data

                    Materials of construction

(d) Miscellaneous equipment

- Data sheet with data for full identification of type and operating requirements

(5) - Field mounted and control valves specifications

Process specifications with indication of the type of instrument or valve recommended

(6) - Effluents data summary

For each plant effluent (liquid, gaseous or solid) the characteristics and the quantities will be indicated.

 

18


(7) - Indication of the materials of construction of plant components not already specified in the equipment specifications:

Preparation of piping classes, based on ANSI standards, for process lines.

The piping components (piping and fittings, valves, gaskets and the like) will be specified.

B - Layout and Plot Plans (equipment arrangement)

B1 - General layout

A draft of the general layout will be prepared on the basis of the area available and the operating conditions of the plant.

In a report the adopted criteria will be specified as well as any constraint which is mandatory for a proper plant operation.

B2 - Plot plans (plan view and elevations)

(1) - Main production building

A final plot plan for the deposition reactors & converters area (the production area inside the building) will be prepared

(2) - Other plant sections

The plot plans prepared by the CED will be reviewed to verify their adequacy to the plant operation.

C - Engineering flow diagrams (P&IDs)

C1 - Process units

In each P&ID the following data will be supplied:

 

- For each line   Size
  Piping class
  Fluid (process or identified utility)
  Thermal insulation class (when applicable)
- Instrumentation   Local instruments, control and safety valves
  Instruments loops
  Each instrument will be tagged
- In line accessories   Steam traps
  Valves
  Line filters

C2 - Utilities P&IDs

The Contractor will review the P&IDs prepared by the CED to verify their adequacy to ensure a proper operation of the Plant.

 

19


D - Engineering details

D1 - Piping

(1) - Piping specifications

The standard piping specifications will be prepared by the Contractor and the Contractor will in particular review the final piping specifications prepared by the CED.

(2) - Piping assembly drawings

A draft of the piping assembly drawings of the deposition reactor inside the production building will be prepared by the Contractor.

D2 - Utilities Equipment and Machinery specifications

The specifications prepared by the CED will be reviewed by the Contractor to will their adequacy to ensure a proper operation of the Plan.

D3 - Electrical work

(1) - One line diagram

A draft of the one line diagram will be prepared.

D4 - Instrumentation

(1)- DCS and ESD conceptual specifications

Criteria to be developed into specifications for purchase will be prepared.

(2) - Functional design specifications

A description of the operation of each plant unit, with reference to the P&ID’s, and a list of the blocks will be prepared to enable the suppliers of the DCS and ESD systems to develop the software of both systems

D5 - Buildings, structural steel work and civil work

An outline of the main production building will be prepared, and the following items will be specified:

 

   

Location of deposition reactors & converters with loads

 

   

Overhead crane location and load

6. TIME SCHEDULE AND DEADLINES

All schedules and time are related on the project start. The project start is defined as the moment, when the down payment has been done by DAQO.

1 - Documentation of Know How and knowledge transfer

All documentation of the Know How described in Section 3 above will be delivered by the Contractor to the Customer within 4 (four) months after project start.

Note: The supply of the documentation will take place progressively in coordination with the preparation of the documentation of the Basic Engineering Package (as set forth in Section 4 and 5 above) as the availability of several elements of the basic engineering is necessary for the preparation of the documentation of the Know How. However, this process of preparation of the documentation will in no event extend the time period set forth above.

 

20


2 - Basic Engineering Package and Construction Services according to Sections 4 and 5

Note: The dates indicated below are depending on the availability of information from DAQO Group. However, the dates will be extended only if the Contractor has notified the Customer in writing about the information required by the Contractor and the time by which the Contractor requires such information; the dates will be extended only by the time by which information from the DAQO GROUP is delayed. Partial deliveries will be in accordance to the project development.

 

- Documentation according to Section 5 Al    within 1 month
- Documentation according to Section 5 A 3 Items (1), (2), (3)    within 2 months

- Documentation according to Section 5 A 3 Item (4)

  Critical equipment (with long delivery term)

  Other equipment

  

within 2 months

within 4 months

- Documentation according to Section 5 A 2 Items (6) and (7)    within 2 months
- Documentation according to Section 5 A 3 Item (5)    within 5 months
- Documentation according to Section 5 B 1    within 2 months
- Documentation according to Section 5 B 2 Item (1)    within 3 months

- Documentation according to Section C Item (1)

  Preliminary issue

  Final issue

  

within 2 months

within 4 months after

- Documentation according to Section D 1 Item (2)    within 5 months
- Documentation according to Section D 3 Item (1)    within 2 months
- Documentation according to Section D 4 Item (1)    within 3 months
- Documentation according to Section D 4 Item (2)    within 5 months
- Documentation according to Section D 5 Item (1)    within 3 months

 

21


Annex 3

POLY PV specification

 

PARAMETER/IMPURITY

  

SPEC limit

  

TEST LOCATION

  

INSTRUMENT

RESISTIVITY - N/TYPE    * * *    * * *    * * *
RESISTIVITY - P/TYPE    * * *    * * *    * * *

ACCEPTORS TOTAL

(BORON)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

DONORS TOTAL

(PHOSPHOROUS)

   * * *    * * *    * * *
CARBON    * * *    * * *    * * *

IRON

(SURFACE)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

METALS TOTAL

(SURFACE)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

 

22


POLY EG specification

 

PARAMETER/IMPURITY

  

SPEC limit

  

TEST LOCATION

  

INSTRUMENT

RESISTIVITY – N/TYPE

   * * *    * * *    * * *

RESISTIVITY – P/TYPE

   * * *    * * *    * * *

ACCEPTORS TOTAL (BORON)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

DONORS TOTAL (PHOSFHOROUS)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

CARBON

   * * *    * * *    * * *

IRON (SURFACE)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

ZINC (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

CUPPER (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

NICKEL (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

SODIUM (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

CROMIUM (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

ARSENIC (BULK)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

CUPPER (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

MOLIBDENUMN (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

TUNGSTENUM (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

COBALT (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

CROMIUM (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

IRON (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

NICKEL (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

ANTIMONY (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

SODIUM (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

ZINC (“ ”)

   * * *    * * *    * * *

 

Note:

 

* Indicates where text has been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment under Rule 406 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The omitted materials have been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Exhibit 10.30

English Summary

Construction Contract

This Contract is entered into by and between Daqo New Material Co., Ltd. as the owner (hereinafter the “Owner”) and China Tianchen Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. as the general contractor (hereinafter the “Contractor”) on June 27, 2007 for the purpose of constructing a polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,500 tons.

GENERAL PROVISION

1. The Contractor shall construct for the Owner a polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,500 tons in the Salt and Gas Industrial Park at Wanzhou, Chongqing (hereinafter the “Project”). The Contractor’s responsibilities include design and construction as well as repair of the Project within the warranty period.

2. The Owner shall make payment to the Contractor pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof.

PRICE AND PAYMENT

3. The total price of this Contract shall be RMB895,000,000.

4. The Owner shall make advance payments to the Contractor at an amount equal to 5% of the total Contract price in two installments within 10 and 20 business days after the execution of this Contract, respectively.

5. The Owner shall make monthly payments to the Contractor in accordance with the progress of the project.

6. The Owner shall pay 30% of the equipment purchase price to the Contractor upon execution of any equipment purchase agreement, 40% prior to the delivery of the equipment and the remaining 30% upon receipt and inspection of the equipment.

7. The Owner shall pay 40% of the material purchase price upon execution of any material purchase agreement and the remaining 60% upon receipt and inspection of the materials.

8. The Owner shall pay construction fees and miscellaneous fees (i.e. fees such as management fees and taxes that are not included in the design fees, purchase fees and construction fees) to the Contractor once a month in accordance with the progress of the project, at the amount equal to the result of the total amount of construction fees or miscellaneous fees multiplied by the percentage of work completed within the month.

9. If the Owner delays in payment, the Owner shall pay the Contractor a liquidated damage calculated using the same lending interest rate of bank loan published by the Chinese central bank for the same amount and same period with respect to the delayed amount on a monthly basis.

 

1


OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR

10. The Contractor shall complete the construction of the Project in accordance with the agreed design and ensure that the completed Project satisfies the designed commercial purposes.

11. The warranty period of the Project shall be one year from the manufacturing of the first batch of polysilicon, but in no event shall be shorter than 6 months after the whole Project is put into operation. In the event that the Project fails to manufacture polysilicon for reasons other than Contractor’s fault, the warranty period shall automatically terminate after 18 months of delivery of the Project.

12. The Contractor shall provide the necessary equipments, materials, documents, personnel and services in connection with the construction of the Project.

13. The Contractor shall ensure that none of its sub-contractors sub-contracts the Project to any third parties except for labor outsourcing. The Contractor shall remain liable for all the work completed by any of its sub-contractors or their agents or employees, as if such work were completed by the Contractor on its own. The Contractor shall notify and obtain the consent of the Owner at least 28 days prior to: (i) the proposed hiring of any sub-contractors (the Contractor shall provide the Owner with detailed information of such sub-contractors); (ii) the proposed commencement date of any sub-contractors; and (iii) the proposed commencement date of the site work of the sub-contractors.

14. The Contractor shall, subject to the inspection of the Owner, establish a quality control system to ensure the quality of the Project.

15. The Contractor shall adopt all necessary measures to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT BY THE OWNER

16. In the event that the Contractor fails to perform any of its obligations hereunder, the Owner may notify and request the Contractor to make remedies within a reasonable period of time.

17. The Owner may terminate this Contract by giving 14 days’ notice to the Contractor if: (i) the Contractor fails to make remedies within a reasonable period of time after receipt of the notice; (ii) the Contractor abandons the Project or expressly manifests an intention to abandon the Project; (iii) the Contractor sub-contracts the whole Project or assigns this Contract to a third- party without the Owner’s consent; (iv) the Contractor becomes insolvent or (v) any material construction quality accident and/or safety accident occurs. In the event of (iv) and (v), the Owner may terminate this Contract immediately.

18. The Owner may also terminate this Contract at any time by giving the Contractor a notice which shall take effect on the 28 th day after the Contractor receives the notice. Under such circumstance, the Owner shall pay the Contractor: (i) the price for any completed work; (ii) the prices for equipments or materials purchased for the purpose of this Contract (after payment, the title to such equipments or materials, together with risks of damage or loss, will be transferred to the Owner; (iii) any other reasonable costs incurred by the Contractor in anticipation of completing the Project; (iv) the cost for removal of the Contractor’s equipments from the construction site; and (v) the cost for dismissing any employees of the Contractors who are hired solely for the purpose of this Contract.

 

2


TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT BY THE CONTRACTOR

19. The Contractor may suspend the construction of the Project by giving a 21 days’ notice to the Owner if the Owner fails to make payment in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof until the Contractor receives proper payment.

20. The Contractor may terminate this Contract by giving a 14 days’ notice to the Owner if: (i) the Owner delays the payment for more than 42 days; (ii) the Owner assigns this Contract to any third party; or (iii) the Owner becomes insolvent. In the event of (iii), the Contractor may terminate this Contract immediately.

LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

21. The target completion date for the Project shall be June 30, 2008. If the Contractor completes the Project prior to the target completion date, the Owner shall pay a bonus equal to 0.05% of the Contract price per day for each day between the actual completion date and the target completion date. If the Contractor fails to complete the Project on the target completion date, the Contractor shall enjoy a one month grace period during which it shall expedite the construction. If the Contractor fails to complete the Project on or prior to July 31, 2008, the Contractor shall pay the Owner a liquidated damage equal to 0.05% of the Contract price per day for each day after July 31, 2008 until the Project is completed.

22. In the event that the Contractor or the sub-contractor replaces the agreed key personnel without prior consent of the Owner, the Contractor shall pay a liquidated damage to the Owner ranging from RMB100,000 to RMB1 million per replacement depending on the importance and position of the replaced person.

23. In no event shall the above-mentioned bonus or liquidated damages exceed 5% of the Contract price.

CLAIMS AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

24. In the event that the Contractor believes that it is entitled to any additional payment or extension in time of delivery, it shall give the Owner a notice within 28 days’ notice of the event which it believes gives arise to such additional payment or extension. If the Contractor fails to give the aforesaid notice within 28 days, no additional payment shall be made and no extension in time of delivery shall be granted.

25. In the event that the Owner believes that it is entitled to any damages from the Contractor or any extension for notice period, it shall notify the Contractor as soon as possible and in the event of extension for notice period, prior to the expiration of the notice period.

 

3


26. In the event of potential disputes, the parties shall try to resolve the disputes through friendly negotiation. In the event that the parties are not able to resolve the disputes through negotiation, either party may bring an arbitration with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. The place of arbitration shall be Nanjing.

 

4

Exhibit 10.31

English Summary

Amendment to Construction Contract

This Amendment is entered into by and between Daqo New Material Company Limited as the owner (hereinafter the “Owner”) and China Tianchen Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. as the general contractor (hereinafter the “Contractor”) on July 10, 2007 for the purpose of amending the Construction Contract dated June 27, 2007 (hereinafter the “Original Contract”). The parties hereby agree as follows:

An equipment fee of RMB199,713,800 shall be deducted from the total contract price of the Original Contract. The contract price after deduction shall be RMB695,286,200.

 

1

Exhibit 10.32

English Summary

Construction Contract

This Contract is entered into by and between Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. as the owner (hereinafter the “Owner”) and China Tianchen Engineering Co., Ltd. as the general contractor (hereinafter the “Contractor”) on August 28, 2008 for the purpose of constructing a polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,800 tons.

GENERAL PROVISION

1. The Contractor shall construct for the Owner a polysilicon project with an annual output of 1,800 tons in the Salt and Gas Industrial Park at Wanzhou, Chongqing (hereinafter the “Project”). The Contractor’s responsibilities include design and construction as well as repair of the Project within the warranty period.

2. The Owner shall make payment to the Contractor pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof.

PRICE AND PAYMENT

3. The total price of this Contract shall be RMB932,300,200.

4. The Owner shall make advance payments to the at an amount equal to 5% of the total Contract price in two installments within 10 and 20 business days after the execution of this Contract, respectively.

5. The Owner shall make monthly payments to the Contractor in accordance with the progress of the project.

6. The Owner shall pay 30% of the equipment purchase price to the Contractor upon execution of any equipment purchase agreement, 40% prior to the delivery of the equipment and the remaining 30% upon receipt and inspection of the equipment.

7. The Owner shall pay 40% of the material purchase price upon execution of any material purchase agreement and the remaining 60% upon receipt and inspection of the materials.

8. The Owner shall pay construction fees and miscellaneous fees (i.e. fees such as management fees and taxes that are not included in the design fees, purchase fees and construction fees) to the Contractor once a month in accordance with the progress of the project, at the amount equal to the result of the total amount of construction fees or miscellaneous fees multiplied by the percentage of work completed within the month.

9. If the Owner delays in payment, the Owner shall pay the Contractor a liquidated damage calculated using the same lending interest rate of bank loan published by the Chinese central bank for the same amount and same period with respect to the delayed amount on a monthly basis.

 

1


OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR

10. The Contractor shall complete the construction of the Project in accordance with the agreed design and ensure that the completed Project satisfies the designed commercial purposes.

11. The warranty period of the Project shall be one year from the manufacturing of the first batch of polysilicon, but in no event shall be shorter than 6 months after the whole Project is put into operation. In the event that the Project fails to manufacture polysilicon for reasons other than Contractor’s fault, the warranty period shall automatically terminate after 18 months of delivery of the Project.

12. The Contractor shall provide the necessary equipments, materials, documents, personnel and services in connection with the construction of the Project.

13. The Contractor shall ensure that none of its sub-contractors sub-contracts the Project to any third parties except for labor outsourcing. The Contractor shall remain liable for all the work completed by any of its sub-contractors or their agents or employees, as if such work were completed by the Contractor on its own. The Contractor shall notify and obtain the consent of the Owner at least 28 days prior to: (i) the proposed hiring of any sub-contractors (the Contractor shall provide the Owner with detailed information of such sub-contractors); (ii) the proposed commencement date of any sub-contractors; and (iii) the proposed commencement date of the site work of the sub-contractors.

14. The Contractor shall, subject to the inspection of the Owner, establish a quality control system to ensure the quality of the Project.

15. The Contractor shall adopt all necessary measures to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT BY THE OWNER

16. In the event that the Contractor fails to perform any of its obligations hereunder, the Owner may notify and request the Contractor to make remedies within a reasonable period of time.

17. The Owner may terminate this Contract by giving 14 days’ notice to the Contractor if: (i) the Contractor fails to make remedies within a reasonable period of time after receipt of the notice; (ii) the Contractor abandons the Project or expressly manifests an intention to abandon the Project; (iii) the Contractor sub-contracts the whole Project or assigns this Contract to a third- party without the Owner’s consent; (iv) the Contractor becomes insolvent or (v) any material construction quality accident and/or safety accident occurs. In the event of (iv) and (v), the Owner may terminate this Contract immediately.

18. The Owner may also terminate this Contract at any time by giving the Contractor a notice which shall take effect on the 28 th day after the Contractor receives the notice. Under such circumstance, the Owner shall pay the Contractor: (i) the price for any completed work; (ii) the prices for equipments or materials purchased for the purpose of this Contract (after payment, the title to such equipments or materials, together with risks of damage or loss, will be transferred to the Owner; (iii) any other reasonable costs incurred by the Contractor in anticipation of completing the Project; (iv) the cost for removal of the Contractor’s equipments from the construction site; and (v) the cost for dismissing any employees of the Contractors who are hired solely for the purpose of this Contract.

 

2


TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT BY THE CONTRACTOR

19. The Contractor may suspend the construction of the Project by giving a 21 days’ notice to the Owner if the Owner fails to make payment in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof until the Contractor receives proper payment.

20. The Contractor may terminate this Contract by giving a 14 days’ notice to the Owner if: (i) the Owner delays the payment for more than 42 days; (ii) the Owner assigns this Contract to any third party; or (iii) the Owner becomes insolvent. In the event of (iii), the Contractor may terminate this Contract immediately.

LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

21. The target completion date for the Project shall be April 30, 2009. If the Contractor completes the Project prior to the target completion date, the Owner shall pay a bonus equal to 0.03% of the Contract price per day for each day between the actual completion date and the target completion date. If the Contractor fails to complete the Project on the target completion date, the Contractor shall enjoy a two-month grace period during which it shall expedite the construction. If the Contractor fails to complete the Project on or prior to June 30, 2009, the Contractor shall pay the Owner a liquidated damage equal to 0.03% of the Contract price per day for each day after June 30, 2009 until the Project is completed.

22. In the event that the Contractor or the sub-contractor replaces the agreed key personnel without prior consent of the Owner, the Contractor shall pay a liquidated damage to the Owner ranging from RMB100,000 to RMB1 million per replacement depending on the importance and position of the replaced person.

23. In no event shall the above-mentioned bonus or liquidated damages exceed 3% of the Contract price.

CLAIMS AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

24. In the event that the Contractor believes that it is entitled to any additional payment or extension in time of delivery, it shall give the Owner a notice within 28 days’ notice of the event which it believes gives arise to such additional payment or extension. If the Contractor fails to give the aforesaid notice within 28 days, no additional payment shall be made and no extension in time of delivery shall be granted.

25. In the event that the Owner believes that it is entitled to any damages from the Contractor or any extension for notice period, it shall notify the Contractor as soon as possible and in the event of extension for notice period, prior to the expiration of the notice period.

 

3


26. In the event of potential disputes, the parties shall try to resolve the disputes through friendly negotiation. In the event that the parties are not able to resolve the disputes through negotiation, either party may bring an arbitration with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. The place of arbitration shall be Nanjing.

 

4

Exhibit 10.33

SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

THIS SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of November 11, 2009, by and among:

 

(1) Daqo New Energy Corp., a company duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the Cayman Islands (the “ Company ”),

 

(2) Daqo Solar Energy North America, a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under the Laws of the State of California (“ Daqo North America ”),

 

(3) Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the Laws of the People’s Republic of China (“ Chongqing Daqo ”),

 

(4) Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the Laws of the People’s Republic of China (“ Nanjing Daqo ”),

 

(5) Daqo New Material Co., Ltd., a company organized and existing under the Laws of the People’s Republic of China (“ Daqo New Material ”),

 

(4) the individuals listed in Schedule I-A attached hereto (the “ Major Shareholders ,” and each a “ Major Shareholder ”),

 

(5) the entities listed in Schedule I-B attached hereto (the “ Major Shareholder Holdcos ,” and each a “ Major Shareholder Holdcos ”),

 

(6) Granite Global Ventures III L.P., a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware,

 

(7) NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the Cayman Islands (together with Granite Global Ventures III L.P., the “ Lead Investors ” and each, a “ Lead Investor ”), and

 

(8) the other investors listed in Schedule II attached hereto (together with the Lead Investors, the “ Investors ” and each an “ Investor ”).

Each of the Company, Daqo North America, Chongqing Daqo, Nanjing Daqo, Daqo New Material, the Major Shareholders, the Major Shareholder Holdcos and the Investors is referred to herein individually as a “ Party ” and collectively as the “ Parties .”

RECITALS

A. The Investors wish to invest in the Company by subscribing for Series A Preferred Shares (as defined below), to be issued by the Company pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement.

B. The Company wishes to issue and sell Series A Preferred Shares to the Investors pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement.

 

1


C. The Parties desire to enter into this Agreement and make the respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties intending to be legally bound hereto hereby agree as follows:

1. Definitions. the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them below:

Applicable Accounting Principles ” means the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, applied on a consistent basis.

Action ” means any notice, charge, claim, action, complaint, petition, investigation, suit or other proceeding, whether administrative, civil or criminal, whether at Law or in equity, and whether or not before any mediator, arbitrator or Governmental Authority.

Affiliate ” means, with respect to a Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, Controls, is Controlled by or is under common Control with such Person.

Agreement ” means this Share Purchase Agreement and for the avoidance of doubt, shall include the Disclosure Schedule.

Ancillary Agreements ” means, collectively, the Investor Rights Agreement and the Indemnification Agreements, each as defined herein.

Approval ” means any approval, authorization, license, permit, release, order, or consent required to be obtained from, or any registration, qualification, designation, declaration, filing, notice, statement or other communication required to be filed with or delivered to, any Governmental Authority or any other Person, or any waiver of any of the foregoing.

Auditor ” means Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.

Audited Financials ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3 hereof.

Board ” or “ Board of Directors ” means the board of directors of the Company.

Business Day ” means a day (i) other than Saturday or Sunday, and (ii) on which commercial banks are open for business in the PRC, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.

CFC ” means a controlled foreign corporation as defined in the Code.

Charter Documents ” means, as to a Person, such Person’s certificate of incorporation, formation or registration (including, if relevant, certificates of change of name), memorandum of association, articles of association or incorporation, charter, by-laws, trust deed, trust instrument, partnership, operating agreement, limited liability company, joint venture or shareholders’ agreement or equivalent documents, and business license, in each case as amended.

 

2


Chongqing Daqo ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Circular 75 ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10(i) hereof.

Closing ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(i) hereof.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Company Account ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(ii) hereof.

Company Intellectual Property ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.19(i) hereof.

Company Registered IP ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.19(i) hereof.

Company Security Holder ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10(i) hereof.

Compliance Laws ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.9(ii) hereof.

Contract ” means, as to any Person, any contract, agreement, undertaking, understanding, indenture, note, bond, loan, instrument, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, franchise, or license to which such Person is a party or by which such Person or any of its property is bound, whether oral or written.

Control ” of a given Person means the power or authority, whether exercised or not, to direct the business, management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, which power or authority shall conclusively be presumed to exist upon possession of beneficial ownership or power to direct the vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes entitled to be cast at a meeting of the members or shareholders of such Person or power to control the composition of a majority of the board of directors of such Person; the term “Controlled” has the meaning correlative to the foregoing.

Conversion Shares ” means Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of any Series A Preferred Shares.

Daqo North America ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Daqo New Material ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Disclosing Party ” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3 hereof.

Disclosure Schedule ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.

Draft Financials ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.14 hereof.

Employment Agreements ” means the executed employment agreements with each of the Key Employees.

 

3


Environmental, Health and Safety Laws ” means any and all applicable Laws that: (i) relate to the pollution or protection of the environment (including air; surface water; groundwater and water in pipe, drainage or sewerage systems; land surface or sub-surface strata); (ii) prohibit, regulate, or control any Hazardous Material or any Hazardous Material Activity; or (iii) relate to the health or safety of employees, workers, occupiers, invitees or other Persons, including the public, as such of the foregoing are enacted or in effect, prior to or on the date of Closing.

Environmental Permits ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.24(ii) hereof.

Equity Securities ” means, with respect to a Person, any shares, share capital, registered capital, ownership interest, equity interest, or other securities of such Person, and any option, warrant, or right to subscribe for, acquire or purchase any of the foregoing, or any other security or instrument convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any of the foregoing, or any equity appreciation, phantom equity, equity plans or similar rights with respect to such Person, or any Contract of any kind for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of any of the foregoing, either directly or indirectly.

FCPA ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.9(ii)(b) hereof.

Financial Statements ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.14 hereof.

Financing Terms ” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.1 hereof.

Foreign Exchange Authorization ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10(i) hereof.

Governmental Authority ” means any nation or government or any federation, province or state or any other political subdivision thereof; any entity, authority or body exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, including any government authority, agency, department, board, commission or instrumentality of the PRC, the Cayman Islands or any other country, or any political subdivision thereof, any court, tribunal or arbitrator, and any self-regulatory organization.

Governmental Order ” means any applicable order, ruling, decision, verdict, decree, writ, subpoena, mandate, precept, command, directive, consent, approval, award, judgment, injunction or other similar determination or finding by, before or under the supervision of any Governmental Authority.

Group Company ” means each of the Company, the WFOEs, Daqo North America and Daqo New Material, together with, if any, each Subsidiary of any of the foregoing, and each Person (other than a natural person) that is, directly or indirectly, Controlled by any of the foregoing, including but not limited to each joint venture in which any of the foregoing holds more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power, and “ Group ” refers to all of Group Companies collectively. The particulars of the Company and other Group Companies are set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto.

Hazardous Materials ” means any radioactive, infectious, flammable, toxic or hazardous substance, chemical, material, waste, pollutant, or contaminant which poses a present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment, including

 

4


without limitation (i) those chemicals, substances, materials and wastes defined as “hazardous substances” or “hazardous waste”, prohibited or regulated under any applicable Law; and (ii) any petrochemical or petroleum products, radioactive materials, asbestos in any form that is or could become friable, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, transformers or other equipment that contain dielectric fluid containing polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, and toxic mold.

Hazardous Material Activity ” means the transportation, transfer, recycling, storage, use, labeling, treatment, manufacture, removal, disposal, remediation, Release, exposure of others to, sale, distribution, import, or export of any Hazardous Materials or any product containing a Hazardous Materials.

Hong Kong ” means the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC.

Improvements ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.18(ii)(c) hereof.

Indemnifiable Loss ” means, with respect to any Person, any action, claim, cost, damage, deficiency, diminution in value, disbursement, expense, liability, loss, obligation, penalty, settlement, suit, or Tax of any kind or nature, together with all interest or other carrying costs, penalties, legal, accounting and other professional fees and expenses incurred in the investigation, collection, prosecution and defense of claims and amounts paid in settlement, that may be imposed on or otherwise incurred or suffered by such Person.

Indemnification Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.8 hereof.

Indemnified Party ” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1 hereof.

Investor ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Investor Rights Agreement ” means the Investor Rights Agreement to be entered into by and among the parties thereto at the Closing, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C .

Intellectual Property ” means any and all (i) patents, all patent rights and all applications therefor and all reissues, reexaminations, continuations, continuations-in-part, divisions, and patent term extensions thereof, (ii) inventions (whether patentable or not), discoveries, improvements, concepts, innovations and industrial models, (iii) registered and unregistered copyrights, copyright registrations and applications, author’s rights and works of authorship (including artwork of any kind and software of all types in whatever medium, inclusive of computer programs, source code, object code and executable code, and related documentation), (iv) URLs, domain names, web sites, web pages and any part thereof, (v) technical information, know-how, trade secrets, drawings, designs, design protocols, specifications for parts and devices, quality assurance and control procedures, design tools, manuals, research data concerning historic and current research and development efforts, including the results of successful and unsuccessful designs, databases and proprietary data, (vi) proprietary processes, technology, engineering, formulae, algorithms and operational procedures, (vii) trade names, trade dress, trademarks, domain names, and service marks, and registrations and applications therefor, and (viii) the goodwill of the business symbolized or represented by the foregoing, customer lists and other proprietary information and common-law rights.

 

5


Key Employees ” means each of the president, chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, the chief operating officer, the chief technology officer, the chief sales and marketing officer, the general manager, any other manager with the title of “senior vice president” or higher or any other employee with responsibilities similar to any of the foregoing, of each Group Company and “ Key Employees ” mean such Persons collectively.

Knowledge ” means, with respect to a Person, the actual knowledge of such Person, or if such Person is an entity, any of its directors and executive officers (and in the case of a Group Company, any of its other Key Employees, if any), and that knowledge which should have been acquired by each such individual after making such due inquiry and exercising such due diligence as a prudent business person would have made or exercised in the management of his or her business affairs, including but not limited to due inquiry of officers, directors, employees, consultants and professional advisers (including attorneys, accountants and auditors) of such entity who could reasonably be expected to have knowledge of the matters in question, and where any statement in the representations and warranties hereunder is expressed to be given or made to a Person’s Knowledge, or so far as a Party is aware, or is qualified in some other manner having a similar effect, the statement shall be deemed to be supplemented by the additional statement that such Party has made such due inquiry and due diligence.

Land Use Rights ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.18(ii)(a) hereof.

Law ” or “ Laws ” means any constitutional provision, statute or other law, rule, regulation, official policy or interpretation of any Governmental Authority and any Governmental Order.

Lead Investors ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Lease ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.18(ii)(b) hereof.

Lease Agreement ” means the amended and restated lease with effect from January 1, 2009 by and between Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo.

Liabilities ” means, with respect to any Person, all debts, obligations, liabilities owed by such Person of any nature, whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise, and whether due or to become due.

Licensed IP ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.19(i) hereof.

Lien ” means any mortgage, pledge, claim, security interest, encumbrance, title defect, lien, charge, easement, adverse claim, restrictive covenant, or other restriction or limitation of any kind whatsoever, including any restriction on the use, voting, transfer, receipt of income, or exercise of any attributes of ownership.

Major Shareholders ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Major Shareholder Holdcos ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

 

6


Material Adverse Effect ” means any (i) event, occurrence, fact, condition, change or development that has had, has, or could reasonably be expected to have, either alone or together with other events, occurrences, facts, conditions, changes or developments, a material adverse effect on the business, properties, assets, employees, operations, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, assets or liabilities of any Group Company taken as a whole or (ii) material impairment of the ability of any Group Company or Major Shareholder to perform the obligations of such Person hereunder or under any other Transaction Documents, as applicable.

Material Contracts ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17 hereof.

Memorandum and Articles ” means the amended and restated memorandum of association of the Company and the amended and restated articles of association of the Company attached hereto as Exhibit B , to be adopted in accordance with applicable Law on or before the Closing and which shall be in full force and effect as of the Closing.

Mortgages ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.18(ii)(d) hereof.

Nanjing Daqo ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Offshore Co-signatory Account ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(i) hereof.

Ordinary Shares ” means the Company’s ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share.

Party ” or “ Parties ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble of this Agreement.

Permitted Liens ” means (i) Liens for Taxes not yet delinquent or the validity of which are being contested in good faith and (ii) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business, which (x) do not individually or in the aggregate materially detract from the value, use, or transferability of the assets that are subject to such Liens and (y) were not incurred in connection with the borrowing of money.

Permits ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8 hereof.

Person ” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, proprietorship, association, limited liability company, firm, trust, estate or other enterprise or entity.

PFIC ” means a passive foreign investment company as defined in the Code.

PRC ” means the People’s Republic of China, but solely for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, excluding Hong Kong, the Macau Special Administrative Region and the islands of Taiwan.

Proceeds ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(i) hereof.

Prohibited Person ” means any Person that is (i) a national or resident of any U.S. embargoed or restricted country, (ii) included on the United States Commerce Department’s Denied Parties List, Entities and Unverified Lists; the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals, Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers or Specially Designated

 

7


Terrorists, or the Annex to Executive Order No. 13224; the Department of State’s Debarred List; UN Sanctions, or (iii) a Person with whom business transactions, including exports and re-exports, are restricted by a U.S. Governmental Authority, including, in each clause above, any updates or revisions to the foregoing and any newly published rules.

Public Official ” means any employee of a Governmental Authority, an active member of a political party engaged in political or governmental activities, a political candidate, officer of a public international organization, or officer or employee of a state-owned enterprise, including a PRC state-owned enterprise.

Qualified Exchange ” means the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Market System or the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Qualified IPO ” means the closing of the first firm commitment fully underwritten public offering of Ordinary Shares or securities representing such Ordinary Shares of the Company (i) with gross proceeds to the Company of at least US$80 million and that reflects a pre-money market valuation (based on the price per share offered to the public in the offering) of the Company of at least US$275 million and that results in such securities being listed on a Qualified Exchange, or (ii) otherwise approved by the Board, including the affirmative votes of both Series A Directors.

Real Property ” means (i) the land which any Group Company has Land Use Rights and (ii) the Improvements.

Related Party ” means a director or Key Employee of any Group Company or any Affiliate or any “associate” (as those terms are defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) of any of them (each of the foregoing, a “ Related Party ”).

Related Party Contract ” means a contract between any Group Company and any Related Party.

Release ” means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, injecting, depositing, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping or disposing into or through the environment, including ambient air, surface water, soil, sediment, groundwater, or sewage systems of any substance, material or waste (whether solid, liquid or gaseous), including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, and other receptacles.

SAFE ” means the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC.

SAFE Rules and Regulations ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10(ii) hereof.

Securities Act ” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Series A Director ” means the director(s) to be appointed by Lead Investors pursuant to Section 2.1(i) of the Investor Rights Agreement.

Series A Preferred Shares ” means the Series A Preferred Shares of the Company, par value US$0.0001 per share, with the rights and privileges as set forth in the Memorandum and Articles.

 

8


Share Incentive Plan ” means the Company’s 2009 share incentive plan adopted in August 2009, as such plan may be amended and restated from time to time.

Social Insurance ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.20(ii) hereof.

Statement Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.14 hereof.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any Person of which the specified Person, directly or indirectly, owns or Controls more than fifty percent (50%) of the issued and outstanding share capital, voting interests or registered capital.

Tax ” means (i) in the PRC: (a) any national, provincial, municipal, or local taxes, charges, fees, levies, or other assessments, including, without limitation, all net income (including enterprise income tax and individual income withholding tax), turnover (including value-added tax, business tax, and consumption tax), resource (including urban and township land use tax), special purpose (including land value-added tax, urban maintenance and construction tax, and additional education fees), property (including urban real estate tax and land use fees), documentation (including stamp duty and deed tax), filing, recording, tariffs (including import duty and import value-added tax), and estimated and provisional taxes, charges, fees, levies, or other assessments of any kind whatsoever, (b) all interest, penalties (administrative, civil or criminal), or additional amounts imposed by any Government Authority in connection with any item described in clause (a) above, and (c) any form of transferee liability imposed by any Government Authority in connection with any item described in clauses (a) and (b) above, and (ii) in any jurisdiction other than the PRC: all similar liabilities as described in clause (i) above.

Tax Return ” means any return, report or statement showing Taxes, used to pay Taxes, or required to be filed with respect to any Tax (including any elections, declarations, schedules or attachments thereto, and any amendment thereof), including any information return, claim for refund, amended return or declaration of estimated or provisional Tax.

Transaction Documents ” means this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements, the Memorandum and Articles and the exhibits attached to any of the foregoing.

U.S. ” means the United States of America.

Warrantors ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.

WFOE ” means each of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo and “ WFOEs ” means both of the foregoing entities collectively.

2. Purchase and Sale of Series A Preferred Shares.

2.1 Sale and Issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, at the Closing, each Investor, severally and not jointly, agrees to subscribe for and purchase, and the Company agrees to issue and sell to each Investor, that number of Series A Preferred Shares set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Schedule II attached hereto, with each Investor to pay as consideration for such Series A Preferred Shares the aggregate purchase price set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Schedule II attached hereto.

 

9


2.2 Closing

(i) Closing. The consummation of the sale and issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares pursuant to Section 2.1 (the “ Closing ”) shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures as soon as practicable, but in no event later than five (5) Business Days after all closing conditions (except for such conditions that will be satisfied at the Closing) specified in Section 5 and Section 6 hereof have been waived or satisfied, or at such other time and place as the Company and both Lead Investors shall mutually agree in writing.

(ii) Closing Deliveries. At the Closing, the Company shall deliver to each Investor (a) a copy of the updated register of members of the Company, certified by the registered agent of the Company, reflecting the issuance to the Investor of the Series A Preferred Shares being purchased by such Investor at the Closing, (b) share certificate or certificates representing the Series A Preferred Shares being purchased by such Investor at the Closing against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of U.S. funds by such Investor to a bank account designated in writing by the Company prior to the Closing.

2.3 Long-Stop Date. If the Closing fails to occur on or prior to November 20, 2009, each Party shall have the right (but not the obligation) to terminate this Agreement and the transaction contemplated hereunder.

3. Representations and Warranties of the Warrantors. Subject to such exceptions as may be specifically set forth in the Disclosure Schedule, of even date herewith, executed and delivered by the Company, the WFOEs, Daqo North America, Daqo New Material, the Major Shareholders and the Major Shareholder Holdcos (collectively, the “ Warrantors ”) to the Investors (the “ Disclosure Schedule ”), each of Warrantors, jointly and severally, represents, warrants and covenants to the Investors that each of the statements contained in this Section 3 is true and complete as of the date of this Agreement and the date of the Closing as follows (provided that, in the case of Major Shareholders and Major Shareholder Holdcos, their representations, warranties and covenants to the Investors and their joint liability with other Warrantors are limited to statements contained in Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16, 3.23 and 3.24 being true and complete as of the date of this Agreement and the date of the Closing):

3.1 Organization, Good Standing and Qualification. The Company is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the Cayman Islands. Each of the WFOEs and Daqo New Material is validly existing and in good standing with its business license and articles of association in full force and effect under, and in compliance with, the Laws of the PRC. Daqo North America is validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of California. Each other Group Company, if any, is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation. Each Group Company has all requisite legal and corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now conducted, and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required.

3.2 Capitalization and Voting Rights.

(i) Company. Immediately prior to the Closing, the Company shall be authorized to issue a maximum of 500,000,000 shares divided into 500,000,000 shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.0001 comprising of (i) 460,000,000 Ordinary Shares of

 

10


US$0.0001 each, of which 100,000,000 are issued and outstanding, and (ii) 40,000,000 Series A Preferred Shares of US$0.0001 each, none of which are issued and outstanding. As of the Closing, the Company shall have reserved (a) 15,000,000 Ordinary Shares for issuance to officers, directors, employees, consultants or service providers of the Company pursuant to the Share Incentive Plan, of which 5,350,000 Ordinary Shares shall be subject to existing awards and 9,650,000 Ordinary Shares are available for grant, and (b) 40,000,000 Ordinary Shares for issuance upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares. The rights, privileges and preferences of the Ordinary Shares and Series A Preferred Shares are as set out in the Memorandum and Articles. Section 3.2(i) of the Disclosure Schedule set forth as of (1) the date hereof and immediately prior to the Closing, and (2) immediately after the Closing, the issued and outstanding Equity Securities of the Company and the record holders thereof.

(ii) No Other Securities . Except as (a) set out in Section 3.2(i), (b) the conversion privileges of the Series A Preferred Shares and (c) certain rights provided in the Investor Rights Agreement, there are no and at the Closing there will not be any authorized or outstanding Equity Securities of the Company. Except for the Transaction Documents, no Group Company is a party or subject to any agreement that affects or relates to the voting or giving of written consents with respect to, or the right to cause the registration, redemption, or repurchase of, any Equity Security of such Group Company.

(iii) Issuance and Status . All presently outstanding Equity Securities of each Group Company were duly and validly issued (or subscribed for) in compliance with all applicable Laws, preemptive rights of any Person, and are fully paid and non-assessable. All share capital of each Group Company is and as of the Closing shall be free of any and all Liens (except for any restrictions on transfer under the Ancillary Agreements or applicable securities laws). There are no (a) resolutions (except as contemplated hereby) pending to change the share capital of any Group Company or cause the liquidation, winding up, or dissolution of any Group Company or (b) dividends which have accrued but are unpaid by any Group Company.

3.3 Corporate Structure; Subsidiaries. The corporate particulars of each Group Company and Major Shareholder Holdcos as set forth in Exhibit A are true, correct and complete. No Group Company owns or Controls, directly or indirectly, any interest or share in any other Person or is a participant in any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement. No Group Company is obligated to make any investment in or capital contribution in any other Person.

3.4 Authorization. Each Warrantor has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and to carry out and perform its obligations thereunder. All actions on the part of each Warrantor (and, as applicable, its officers, directors and shareholders) necessary for the authorization, execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the performance of all obligations of each Warrantor thereunder, and, in the case of the Company, the authorization, issuance (or reservation for issuance), sale and delivery of the Series A Preferred Shares, have been taken or will be taken prior to the Closing. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each Warrantor. This Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents are, or when executed and delivered by such Warrantor will be, valid and legally binding obligations of such Warrantor (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Investors of such Transaction Document to which they are parties),

 

11


enforceable against such Warrantor in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other Laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) as limited by Laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.

3.5 Valid Issuance of Securities. The Series A Preferred Shares, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement for the consideration expressed herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free from any Liens (except for any restrictions on transfer under applicable securities Laws, the Ancillary Agreements and any Liens imposed by the holders thereof). The Conversion Shares have been reserved for issuance and, upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Memorandum and Articles, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free from any Liens (except for any restrictions on transfer under applicable securities Laws, the Ancillary Agreements and any Liens imposed by the holders thereof). The issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights.

3.6 Approvals. No Approval with respect to or on the part of any Group Company, any Major Shareholder or any Major Shareholder Holdco is required in connection with its valid execution, delivery, or performance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or the offer, sale, issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares or reservation for issuance of the Conversion Shares, except those Approvals that have been obtained or will be obtained prior to the Closing.

3.7 Offering. Subject to the truth and accuracy of the Investors’ representations set forth in Section 4, the offer, sale and issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares and the Conversion Shares, as contemplated by the Transaction Documents, are exempt from the qualification, registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and, to the Knowledge of the Warrantors, any other applicable securities Laws.

3.8 Permits. Each Group Company has all material franchises, authorizations, approvals, permits, certificates and licenses, including without limitation any special approvals or permits required under applicable Laws (“ Permits ”) necessary for its respective business and operations as now conducted. Each such material Permit is valid and in full force and effect. No Group Company is in default or violation of any material Permit. No Group Company has received any written notice from any Governmental Authority regarding any actual or possible default or violation of any material Permit. To the Knowledge of the Warrantors, no suspension, cancellation or termination of any such material Permits is pending, threatened or imminent.

3.9 Compliance with Laws and Governmental Orders.

(i) Except as otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each Group Company (including the ownership thereof, the operation of its business, and the ownership and use of its assets) has been and is in compliance with all applicable Laws.

(ii) Each Group Company and each of their respective directors, executive officers and other persons authorized to act on his or its behalf (collectively, “ Representatives ”), are in compliance with and have complied with all applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, recordkeeping and internal controls Laws (collectively, the “ Compliance Laws ”) in all

 

12


material aspects. Without limiting the foregoing, no Warrantor nor any Representative has offered, authorized, promised, condoned, participated in, or received notice of any allegation of:

(a) the making of any gift or payment of anything of value to any Public Official by any Person to obtain any improper advantage, affect or improperly influence any act or decision of any such Public Official, or assist any Group Company in obtaining or retaining business for, or with, or directing business to, any Person, in each case, in violation of the Compliance Laws;

(b) the taking of any action by any Person which would violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States of America (“ FCPA ”), as amended, in any material respect if taken by an entity subject to the FCPA; or

(c) the making of any false or fictitious entries in the books or records of any Group Company by any Person in any material respect.

(iii) No Group Company or Representative is a Prohibited Person. No Group Company has conducted or agreed to conduct any material business, or entered into or agreed to enter into any material transaction with a Prohibited Person.

(iv) The business of each Group Company as now conducted is in compliance with Laws of the PRC with respect to mergers, acquisitions, foreign investment and foreign exchange transactions in all material respects.

(v) To the Knowledge of the Warrantors and except as otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, no event has occurred and no circumstance exists that (with or without notice or lapse of time) (a) may constitute or result in a violation by any Group Company of, or a failure on the part of such Group Company to comply with, any applicable Law that is currently existing or (b) may give rise to any obligation on the part of a Group Company to undertake, or to bear all or any portion of the cost of, any remedial action of any nature under any applicable Law that is currently existing.

(vi) No Group Company has received any notice from any Governmental Authority regarding (a) any actual, alleged, possible or potential violation of, or failure to comply with, any applicable Law that is material or (b) any actual, alleged, possible or potential obligation on the part of such Group Company to undertake, or to bear all or any portion of the cost of, any remedial action of any nature that is material. To the Knowledge of the Warrantors, the Company is not under investigation with respect to a material violation of any applicable Law.

(vii) None of the Warrantors and other Group Companies has been subject to any indictment, convicted in any criminal case or subject to government investigation for bribery.

3.10 Certain Regulatory Matters.

(i) The Major Shareholders, the Major Shareholder Holdcos and the Group Companies have obtained and complied with any and all Approvals from applicable Governmental Authorities necessary in respect of the Major Shareholders’ and the Major Shareholder Holdcos’ investment in the Group Companies in all material aspects.

 

13


(ii) Each holder or beneficiary owner of Equity Securities of the Company (each, a “ Company Security Holder ”), who is a “Domestic Resident” as defined in Circular 75 issued by the SAFE on October 21, 2005 (as supplemented by implementing rules and regulations, including without limitation the implementing rule issued by SAFE on May 31, 2007 and known as Notice 106, and by any successor rule or regulation under PRC law, including but not limited to any rule or regulation interpreting or setting forth provisions for implementation of any of the foregoing, “ Circular 75 ”) has complied with any applicable reporting and registration requirements under Circular 75 and any other applicable SAFE rules and regulations, (collectively, the “ SAFE Rules and Regulations ”) in all material aspects. Neither the Warrantors nor, to the Knowledge of the Warrantors, any of the Company Security Holders has received any written inquiries, notifications, orders or any other forms of official correspondence from SAFE or any of its local branches with respect to any actual or alleged non-compliance with the SAFE Rules and Regulations that are material and the Company and the Company Security Holders have made all material filings, registrations, reporting or any other communications required by SAFE or any of its local branches. Each WFOE has obtained all material certificates, approvals, permits, licenses, registration receipts and any similar authorization necessary under PRC Laws to conduct foreign exchange transactions (collectively, the “ Foreign Exchange Authorization ”) as now being conducted by it. All material existing Foreign Exchange Authorization held by each WFOE is valid and such WFOE is not in default under any of such Foreign Exchange Authorization.

3.11 Compliance with Other Instruments. No Group Company is in violation, breach or default of its Charter Documents. The execution, delivery and performance by each Group Company and the Major Shareholders of and compliance with each of the Transaction Documents, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, will not result in (i) any such violation, breach or default, or be in conflict with or constitute, with or without the passage of time or the giving of notice or both, a default under (a) the Charter Documents of any Group Company, (b) any Material Contract, or (c) any applicable Law in any material respect, (ii) the creation or imposition of any Lien upon, or with respect to, any of the properties, assets or rights of any Group Company (other than pursuant to the Transaction Documents), or (iii) any termination, modification, cancellation, or suspension of any right of, or any augmentation or acceleration of any obligation of, any Group Company.

3.12 Actions and Governmental Orders. There is no Action pending or, to the Knowledge of any Warrantor, threatened against any Group Company. To the Knowledge of any Warrantor, there is no Action pending or threatened against any of the officers, directors or employees of any Group Company in connection with such Person’s relationship with, or actions taken on behalf of, such Group Company that is material. There is no Action by any Group Company pending or which such Person intends to initiate against any third party that is material.

3.13 Charter Documents; Books and Records. The Charter Documents of each Group Company are in the form provided to the Investors. Each Group Company has made available to the Investors or its counsel copy of its minutes. Such copy is true, correct and complete, and contains all amendments and all minutes of meetings and actions taken by its shareholders and directors since the time of formation through the date hereof and reflects all transactions referred to in such minutes accurately in all material respects. Each

 

14


Group Company maintains its books of accounts and records in the usual, regular and ordinary manner, on a basis consistent with prior practice and in compliance with applicable Laws, and which permits its Financial Statements (as defined below) to be prepared in accordance with Applicable Accounting Principles.

3.14 Financial Statements. The Company has delivered to the Investors true, correct and complete copies of (A) the audited consolidated balance sheet for the Group as of December 31, 2007 and 2008, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity and cash flows for the period from November 22, 2007 to December 31, 2007 and for the year ended December 31, 2008, as audited by the Auditor and (B) the consolidated balance sheet for the Group as of September 30, 2009 (the “ Statement Date ”) and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity and cash flows for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2009, in the form of final draft prepared by the Company and reviewed by the Auditor (the “ Draft Financials ”) (collectively, the financial statements referred to in clauses (A) and (B) above, the “ Financial Statements ”). The Financial Statements (i) have been prepared in accordance with the books and records of the Group, (ii) fairly present in all material respects the financial condition and position of the Group as of the dates indicated therein and the results of operations and cash flows of the Group for the periods indicated therein, and (iii) were prepared in accordance with the Applicable Accounting Principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.

3.15 Changes. Since the Statement Date, the Group has operated its business in the ordinary course consistent with its past practice, there has not been any Material Adverse Effect, and there has not been by any Group Company:

(i) any purchase, acquisition, sale, lease, disposal of or other transfer of any assets that are material to its business taken as a whole, whether tangible or intangible, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with its past practice, or any acquisition (by merger, consolidation or other combination, or acquisition of stock or assets, or otherwise) of any business or other Person or division thereof;

(ii) any waiver, termination, settlement or compromise of a material right or of a material debt (other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with its past practice);

(iii) any incurrence, creation, assumption, repayment, satisfaction, or discharge of (1) any material Lien (other than Permitted Liens or incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with its past practice) or (2) any material indebtedness or guarantee, or the making of any loan or advance (other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with its past practice), or the making of any material investment or capital contribution;

(iv) any amendment or termination of any Material Contract, any entering into of any new Material Contract, or any amendment to any Charter Document, or any amendment to or waiver under any Charter Document;

(v) any declaration, setting aside or payment or other distribution in respect of any Equity Securities, or any direct or indirect redemption, purchase or other acquisition of any Equity Securities;

 

15


(vi) any material damage, destruction or loss, whether or not covered by insurance;

(vii) any material change in accounting methods or practices or any revaluation of any of its material assets;

(viii) except in the ordinary course of business consistent with its past practice, entry into any material closing agreement in respect of Taxes, settlement of any material claim or material assessment in respect of any Taxes, or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any material claim or material assessment in respect of any Taxes, entry or change of any Tax election, change of any method of accounting resulting in an amount of additional Tax;

(ix) any commencement or settlement of any Action; or

(x) any agreement or binding commitment to do any of the things described in this Section 3.15 .

For purposes of this Section 3.15 , a “material” change means any such change in an amount over US$2 million.

3.16 Liabilities. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16 of the Disclosure Schedule, no Group Company has any Liabilities except for (i) liabilities set forth in the Financial Statements that have not been satisfied since the Statement Date, and (ii) liabilities incurred since the Statement Date which do not exceed US$2 million in the aggregate.

3.17 Material Contracts. A true, fully-executed copy of each Material Contract has been delivered to the Investors. Each Material Contract is a valid and binding agreement of the Group Company that is a party thereto, the performance of which does not and will not violate any applicable Law or Governmental Order in any material respects, and is in full force and effect according to its terms. Except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) such Group Company has duly performed all of its obligations under each Material Contract to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued, and no breach or default, alleged breach or alleged default, or event which would (with the passage of time, notice or both) constitute a breach or default thereunder by such Group Company or, to the Knowledge of the Warrantors, any other party or obligor with respect thereto, has occurred, or as a result of the execution, delivery, and performance of the Transaction Documents will occur; (ii) no Group Company has given notice (whether or not written) that it intends to terminate a Material Contract or that any other party thereto has breached, violated or defaulted under any Material Contract; and (iii) no Group Company has received any written notice that it has breached, violated or defaulted under any Material Contract or that any other party thereto intends to terminate such Material Contract. For the purpose of this Agreement, the term “ Material Contract ” means any Contract to which a Group Company is a party that (a) involves obligations (contingent or otherwise) or payments in excess of US$2 million per annum, (b) involves Intellectual Property that any Group Company’s business is substantially relied upon (other than generally-available “off-the-shelf” shrink-wrap software licenses obtained by the Group on non-exclusive and non-negotiated terms), (c) materially restricts the ability of a Group Company to compete or to conduct or engage in any business or activity or in any territory, (d) relates to the sale, issuance, grant, exercise, award, purchase, repurchase or redemption of any Equity Securities, (e) involves any provisions providing exclusivity, “change in control”, “most favored nations”, rights of first refusal or first negotiation or similar rights, or grants a power of attorney, agency or similar authority, (f) is with a Key Employee, director, shareholder or Affiliate (other than in the ordinary

 

16


course of business consistent with past practice), (g) involves indebtedness, an extension of credit, a guaranty or assumption of any obligation, or the grant of a Lien, in each case, in an amount exceeding US$2 million, (h) involves the lease, license, sale, use, disposition or acquisition of a material amount of assets or of a business in an amount exceeding US$2 million, (i) involves the waiver, compromise, or settlement of any material dispute, claim, litigation or arbitration, (j) involves the ownership or lease of, title to, use of, or any leasehold or other interest in, any real property (except for leases involving payments of less than US$2 million per annum), (k) involves the establishment, contribution to, or operation of a partnership, joint venture or involving a sharing of profits or losses, or any investment in, loan to or acquisition or sale of the securities, equity interests or assets of any Person, (l) is with a Governmental Authority (other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), (m) is the Lease Agreement or (n) the termination of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. A true and correct list of the Material Contracts is set forth in Schedule 3.17 of the Disclosure Schedule.

3.18 Title; Properties.

(i) Title . Except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Group Companies have good and valid title to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all of their assets, whether real, personal or mixed, purported to be owned by them, free and clear of any Liens, other than Permitted Liens. The foregoing assets collectively represent in all material respects all assets, rights and properties necessary for the conduct of the business of the Group in the manner conducted during the periods covered by the Financial Statements.

(ii) Real Property .

(a) None of the Group Companies owns or has legal or other right or interest in any land other than the land use rights (the “ Land Use Rights ”) as set forth in Section 3.18(ii)(a) of the Disclosure Schedule or as held pursuant to the Leases. Any land grant premium required under Applicable Laws in connection with securing such Land Use Rights has been fully paid. Except as otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, none of the land with respect to which the Land Use Rights relate constitute arable land that has been converted to other uses, except as permitted by Laws. The particulars of the Land Use Rights as set out in Section 3.18(ii)(a) of the Disclosure Schedule are true and complete in all material respects.

(b) Section 3.18(ii)(b) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth each leasehold interest held by any Group Company relating to any material real property (a “ Lease ”), indicating the parties to such Lease, the address of the property demised under the Lease, the rent payable under the Lease and the term of the Lease. The particulars of the Leases as set out in Section 3.18(ii)(b) of the Disclosure Schedule are true and complete in all material respects.

(c) Each Group Company, has obtained property ownership certification for any material plants, buildings, improvements and fixtures (if any) located on land with respect to which it holds Land Use Rights (collectively, the “ Improvements ”) as required by applicable Laws. All of the Improvements are in good operating condition and in a state of reasonable maintenance and repair (except for ordinary wear and tear) and are adequate for the conduct of the business of such Group Company as currently conducted in all material respects.

 

17


(d) The Real Property is free and clear of any and all material Liens except for those identified in Section 3.18(ii)(d) of the Disclosure Schedule (the “ Mortgages ”).

(e) Except as disclosed in Section 3.18 of the Disclosure Schedule and except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) none of the Group Companies uses any Real Property in the conduct of its business except insofar as it holds valid Land Use Rights and property ownership certification of the Improvements, or has secured a Lease with respect thereto; (B) no default or event of default on the part of any Group Company, or event which, with the giving of notice or passage of time or both, would constitute a material default or event of default has occurred and is continuing unremedied or unwaived under the terms of any of the Land Use Rights, property ownership certification of the Improvements, the Leases or Mortgages.

(f) Except as disclosed in Section 3.18 of the Disclosure Schedule and except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) the use and operation of the Real Property is in compliance with all applicable Laws, including, without limitation, all applicable building codes, environmental, zoning, subdivision, and land use laws; (B) none of the Group Companies has received notice from any Governmental Authority advising it of a violation (or an alleged violation) of any such laws or regulations; (C) there are no condemnation, environmental, zoning or other proceedings, either instituted or planned to be instituted, which would detrimentally affect the value of the Real Property or the use and operation of the Real Property for its intended purpose.

(iii) Personal Property . Except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all machinery, vehicles, equipment and other tangible personal property owned or leased by a Group Company are (A) in good condition and repair in all material respects (reasonable wear and tear excepted) and (B) not obsolete or in need in any material respect of renewal or replacement, except for renewal or replacement in the ordinary course of business.

3.19 Intellectual Property Rights.

(i) Company Intellectual Property . Except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Group owns, has the sufficient rights (including but not limited to the rights of development, maintenance, licensing and sale) to, or otherwise has the licenses to use all Intellectual Property (“ Company Intellectual Property ”) necessary to conduct its business without any conflict with or infringement of the rights of any other Person. Section 3.19(i)(A) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete list of all material patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, domain names and copyrights (“ Company Registered IP ”) for which registrations have been obtained throughout the world (and all applications for, or extensions or reissues of, any of the foregoing throughout the world) that are owned by, or registered or applied for in the name of, any Group Company. Section 3.19(i)(B) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete list of all material Intellectual

 

18


Property used by any Group Company through license from third parties (other than generally available “off-the-shelf” shrink-wrap software licenses obtained by the Group on non-exclusive and non-negotiated terms)(“ Licensed IP ”).

(ii) IP Ownership . Except as otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) all of Company Registered IP are owned by, registered or applied for solely in the name of a Group Company, are valid and all necessary registration, maintenance and renewal fees with respect thereto and currently due have been satisfied; (B) no Group Company or any of its employees, officers or directors has taken any actions or failed to take any actions that would cause any of Company Intellectual Property to be invalid or unenforceable; and (C) no material Company Intellectual Property is the subject of any security interest, Lien, license or other Contract granting rights therein to any other Person.

(iii) Infringement, Misappropriation and Claims . Except as otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) no Group Company has violated, infringed or misappropriated in any material respect any Intellectual Property of any other Person, nor has any Group Company received any written notice alleging any of the foregoing; (B) no Person has violated, infringed or misappropriated any Company Intellectual Property, and no Group Company has given any written notice to any other Person alleging any of the foregoing; and (C) no Group Company has agreed to indemnify any Person for any infringement, violation or misappropriation of any Intellectual Property.

(iv) Protection of IP . Except as otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Group has taken any and all reasonable and appropriate steps to register, protect, maintain and safeguard Company Intellectual Property and has had executed appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements and made all appropriate filings, registrations and payments of fees in connection with the foregoing.

3.20 Labor and Employment Matters.

(i) Key Employees . Section 3.20(i) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth each Key Employee, along with each such individual’s title. To the Knowledge of the Warrantors, each Key Employee is currently devoting all of his or her business time to the conduct of the business of the Group. No Key Employee has given any notice of an intent to resign, and no Group Company has any intention of terminating the employment of any Key Employee. Except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, to the Knowledge of the Warrantors, no Key Employee of any Group Company is obligated under, or in violation of any term of, any Contract or any Governmental Order that would interfere with the right of any such individual to be employed by, or to contract with, such Group Company, and no Group Company has received any notice alleging that any such violation has occurred.

(ii) Actions; Compliance . Except that otherwise would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (a) no employee of the Group Companies is owed any back wages or other compensation for services rendered (except for the current pay period or as otherwise set forth on the Financial Statements); (b) there is no, and there has not been in the last three

 

19


(3) years, any Action relating to the violation or alleged violation of any Law by any Group Company pertaining to labor relations or employment matters, including any charge or complaint filed by an employee with any Governmental Authority or any Group Company; (c) each Group Company has complied in all material respects with all Laws relating to employment, wages, hours, overtime, working conditions, benefits, retirement, termination, and health and safety; (d) each Group Company is in compliance with each Law relating to its provision of any form of social insurance (“ Social Insurance ”), and has paid, or made provision for the payment of, all Social Insurance contributions required under applicable Law; (e) there has not been, and there is not now any pending or, to the Knowledge of the Warrantors, threatened strike, union organization activity, lockout, slowdown, picketing, or work stoppage with respect to the employees of any Group Company or any unfair labor practice charge against any Group Company; and (f) there is no pending internal investigation related to any employee or consultant of any Group Company.

3.21 Insurance. (i) Each Group Company has in full force and effect fire, casualty and other insurance policies, with extended coverage, sufficient in amount (subject to reasonable deductibles) to allow it to reasonably replace any of its properties and material assets that might be damaged or destroyed and in amounts customary for companies similarly situated; (ii) there is no material claim pending thereunder as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed; (iii) all premiums due and payable under all such policies and bonds have been timely paid, and each Group Company is otherwise in compliance in all material respects with the terms of such policies and bonds; (iv) all such policies and bonds are in full force and effect according to their terms, except in the case of each of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, for any such matter, that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.22 Tax Matters.

(i) Each Group Company (a) has timely filed all material Tax Returns that are required to have been filed by it with any Governmental Authority, (b) has timely paid all material Taxes owed by it which are due and payable (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) and withheld and remitted to the appropriate Governmental Authority all material Taxes which it is obligated to withhold and remit from amounts owing to any employee, creditor, customer or third party, and (c) has not waived any statute of limitations with respect to any material Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to a material Tax assessment or deficiency other than, in the case of clauses (a) and (b), unpaid Taxes that are in contest with Tax authorities by Group Company in good faith or nonmaterial in amount.

(ii) Each Tax Return referred to in paragraph (i) above was properly prepared in compliance with applicable Law and was true, correct and complete in all material respects. All material records relating to such Tax Returns or to the preparation thereof required by applicable Law to be maintained by applicable Group Company have been duly maintained. To the Knowledge of the Warrantors, no written claim has been made by a Government Authority in a jurisdiction where the Group does not file Tax Returns that any Group Company is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.

 

20


(iii) No Group Company has been the subject of any examination or investigation by any Tax authority relating to the conduct of its business or the payment or withholding of Taxes that has not been resolved and is material or is currently the subject of any examination or investigation by any Tax authority relating to the conduct of its business or the payment or withholding of Taxes that is material.

(iv) No Group Company is or has ever been a PFIC or CFC. No Group Company anticipates that it will become a PFIC or CFC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2009.

(v) No Group Company is or has ever been a US real property holding corporation.

(vi) Each Group Company is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

(vii) Any preferential Tax treatment enjoyed by any Group Company on or prior to the date of the Closing has been in compliance with all applicable Laws in all material aspects.

3.23 Related Party Transactions . Each Related Party Contract is on terms and conditions at least as favorable to the applicable Group Company as would have been obtainable by it at the time in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with an unrelated party. Except as otherwise disclosed in Section 3.23 of the Disclosure Schedule, no Related Party has any direct or indirect ownership interest in any Person (other than a Group Company) that competes with any Group Company (except that a Related Party may have a passive investment of less than 1% of the stock of any publicly traded company that engages in the foregoing). Except as disclosed in Section 3.23 of the Disclosure Schedule, no Related Party has any ownership interest, either directly or indirectly, in (i) any Person which purchases from or sells, licenses or furnishes to a Group Company any goods, property, intellectual or other property rights or services in excess of US$1 million or (ii) any Material Contract to which a Group Company is a party or by which it may be bound or affected.

3.24 Environmental, Health and Safety Laws.

(i) Except as set forth in Section 3.24(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, each Group Company has complied and is in compliance with all the Environmental, Health and Safety Laws and Environmental Permits in all material aspects. Except as set forth in Section 3.24(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, no Action, Governmental Order, settlement or other Contract is in progress, pending or, to the Knowledge of the Warrantors, threatened in relation to an actual or alleged violation of any Environmental, Health and Safety Laws or Environmental Permits against any Group Company that is material. No Group Company has owned or operated its business, the Real Property or any other property or facility in a manner that has given rise to material Liabilities, including any material Liability for response costs, corrective action costs, personal injury, property damage, natural resources damages or attorney fees, or any material investigative, corrective or remedial obligations, pursuant to any Environmental, Health and Safety Laws.

(ii) Each Group Company has all material authorizations, approvals, permits, certificates and licenses required under the Environmental, Health and Safety Laws (“ Environmental Permits ”) necessary for its respective business and operations as now conducted and the use of, or any activities or operations carried out at, the Real Property owned or occupied by such Group Company.

 

21


(iii) Each Group Company has at all times carried out Hazardous Material Activity in accordance with Environmental, Health and Safety Laws in all material aspects.

3.25 Suppliers, Vendors and Customers.

(i) Section 3.25(i) of the Disclosure Schedule is a correct list of each of the top five (5) customers (with related or affiliated Persons aggregated for purposes hereof) of the Group and a correct list of each of the top five (5) suppliers (with related or affiliated Persons aggregated for purposes hereof) to the Group as well as any material sole-source suppliers to the Group, in each case for the year ended December 31, 2008 and for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2009, together with the aggregate amount of the purchases made from each such supplier, and the aggregate amount of the revenues received from each such customer during such periods. There is not currently any dispute pending between the Group and any Person listed on such Disclosure Schedule.

(ii) Except as set forth on Section 3.25(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule, no Group Company has experienced or been notified of any material shortage in goods or services provided by any of its suppliers set forth on Section 3.25(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, and none of the customers and suppliers set forth on Section 3.25(i) of the Disclosure Schedule has threatened or has notified such Group Company that it intends to terminate its relationship and dealings with such Group Company.

3.26 No Brokers. None of the Group Companies has any Contract with any broker, finder or similar agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by any of the other Transaction Documents, and none of them has incurred any Liability for any brokerage fees, agents’ fees, commissions or finders’ fees in connection with any of the Transaction Documents or the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein.

3.27 Disclosure. The Company has provided each Investor with all the information regarding the Group Companies requested by any Investor for deciding whether to purchase the Series A Preferred Shares. No representation or warranty of the Warrantors contained in this Agreement or any certificate furnished or to be furnished to any Investor at the Closing under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained herein or therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.

4. Representations and Warranties of the Investors. Each Investor hereby represents and warrants to the Company, severally and not jointly, that each of the statements contained in this Section 4 is true and complete as of the date of this Agreement and the date of the Closing as follows:

4.1 Status. To the extent that such Investor is not a natural person, such Investor is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation.

 

22


4.2 Authorization. Such Investor has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and to carry out and perform its obligations thereunder. All action on the part of such Investor (and, as applicable, its officers, directors and shareholders) necessary for the authorization, execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, and the performance of all obligations of such Investor thereunder, has been taken or will be taken prior to the Closing. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Investor. This Agreement and each of the Transaction Documents are, or when executed and delivered by such Investor will be, valid and legally binding obligations of such Investor (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by other parties thereto), enforceable against such Investor in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other Laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) as limited by Laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.

4.3 Purchase for Own Account. The Series A Preferred Shares purchased hereunder, and to be received by such Investor, if any, will be acquired for investment purposes for such Investor’s own account or the account of one or more of such Investor’s Affiliates, not as a nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof, and such Investor does not have any present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same. By executing this Agreement, such Investor further represents that it does not have any Contract with any Person to, directly or indirectly, sell, transfer or grant participations, with respect to any of the Series A Preferred Shares, and has not solicited any Person for such purpose, and if such Investor is not a natural person then it further represents that it has not been organized for the purpose of acquiring the Series A Preferred Shares.

4.4 Status of Investor . Such Investor is either (i) an “accredited investor” within the meaning of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“ SEC ”) Rule 501 of Regulation D, as presently in effect, under the Securities Act, or (ii) not a “U.S. person” as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S of the Securities Act and that any transfer or resale of the Series A Preferred Shares and the underlying Ordinary Shares will be in accordance with the provisions of said Regulation S or pursuant to an available exemption therefrom.

4.5 No Conflict; Certain Proceedings . Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the Transaction Documents to which such Investor is a party by such Investor nor the consummation or performance of the transaction contemplated hereby and thereby will give any Person the right to prevent, delay, or otherwise interfere with the transaction contemplated hereby pursuant to any provision of such Investor’s Charter Documents, any legal requirement or order to which Investor may be subject, or any Contract to which such Investor is a party or by which such Investor may be bound. There is no pending Proceeding that has been commenced against the Investor and that challenges, or may have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal, or otherwise interfering with the transaction contemplated hereby. To such Investor’s Knowledge, no such Proceeding has been threatened.

4.6 Access to Information; Independent Investment Decision . Such Investor acknowledges that it has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Series A Preferred Shares and the merits and risks of investing in the Series A Preferred Shares; (ii) access to information about the Group Companies and their financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain

 

23


such additional information that the Group Companies possess or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Neither such inquiries nor any other investigation conducted by or on behalf of such Investor or its representatives or counsel shall modify, amend or affect such Investor’s right to rely on the truth, accuracy and completeness of the disclosure materials provided by the Warrantors under Section 3 of this Agreement.

4.7 Restricted Securities. Such Investor understands that the Series A Preferred Shares are characterized as “restricted securities” under U.S. federal securities Laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such Laws and applicable regulations such securities may be resold without registration under the Securities Act only in certain limited circumstances. Such Investor understands that the Securities have not been qualified or registered under the Laws of any other jurisdiction and therefore may be viewed as restricted securities under any or all of such other applicable securities Laws.

4.8 Legends. Such Investor understands that the certificates evidencing the Securities issued pursuant to this Agreement may bear the following legend:

“THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR UNDER ANY OTHER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS. THEY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED IN THE ABSENCE OF A REGISTRATION STATEMENT IN EFFECT WITH RESPECT TO THE SECURITIES UNDER THE ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED OR UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OF THE ACT.”

5. Conditions of the Investors’ Obligations at the Closing. The obligations of the Investors to consummate the Closing under Section 2 of this Agreement, unless otherwise waived in writing by both Lead Investors, are subject to the fulfillment on or before the Closing of each of the following conditions:

5.1 Representations and Warranties. Each of the representations and warranties of the Warrantors contained in Section 3 shall be true, correct and complete when made and shall be true, correct and complete on and as of the Closing with the same effect as though such representations and warranties had been made on and as of the date of the Closing, except in either case for those representations and warranties that address matters only as of a particular date, which representations will have been true, correct and complete as of such particular date.

5.2 Performance. Each Warrantor shall have performed and complied with all agreements, obligations and conditions contained in the Transaction Documents that are required to be performed or complied with by them, on or before the Closing.

5.3 Authorizations. All Approvals of any competent Governmental Authority or of any other Person that are required to be obtained by any Group Company prior to or in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and other Transaction Documents (including but not limited to those related to the lawful issuance and sale of the Series A Preferred Shares) shall have been duly obtained and effective as of the Closing.

 

24


5.4 Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions to be completed at the Closing and all documents incident thereto, including without limitation written approval from all of the then current holders of equity interests of the Company with respect to this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, shall have been completed in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Lead Investors.

5.5 Memorandum and Articles. The Memorandum and Articles shall have been duly adopted by all necessary action of the Board of Directors and the members of the Company, and such adoption shall have become effective prior to the Closing with no alternation or amendment as of the Closing.

5.6 Closing Certificate. The chief executive officer of the Company shall have executed and delivered to the Investors at the Closing a certificate dated as of the Closing (i) stating that the conditions specified in this Section 5 have been fulfilled as of the Closing, and (ii) attaching thereto (a) copies of all resolutions approved by the shareholders and boards of directors of the Company related to the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) good standing or equivalent certificates with respect to the Company from the applicable authority(ies) in the Cayman Islands reasonably acceptable to the Investors.

5.7 Opinions of Counsel. The Investors shall have received:

(i) from Jun He Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Company, an opinion, dated as of the Closing, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit D ; and

(ii) from Thorp Alberga, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, an opinion, dated as of the Closing, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit E .

5.8 Investor Rights Agreement. Each of the parties to the Investor Rights Agreement (other than the Investors) shall have executed and delivered such agreements to the Investors.

5.9 Indemnification Agreements. The Company shall have delivered to each Investor copies of indemnification agreements between the Company and each director of the Company designated by such Investor, in each case duly executed by the Company (each, an “ Indemnification Agreement ”) in form and substance attached hereto as Exhibit F .

5.10 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have been constituted in accordance with the Investor Rights Agreement and the Company shall have delivered to the Investors a copy of the Company’s register of directors, certified by its registered agent and evidencing the same.

5.11 Delivery of Draft Financials. The Company shall have delivered to each Lead Investor a copy of the Draft Financials.

5.12 No Material Adverse Effect. There shall not have occurred a Material Adverse Effect since the date hereof.

6. Conditions of the Company’s Obligations at Closing . The obligations of the Company to consummate the Closing under Section 2 of this Agreement, unless otherwise waived in writing by the Company, are subject to the fulfillment on or before the Closing of each of the following conditions:

6.1 Representations and Warranties . The representations and warranties of each Investor contained in Section 4 shall be true and complete when made and shall be true and complete on and as of the Closing with the same effect as though such representations and warranties had been made on and as of the date of the Closing, except in either case for those representations and warranties that address matters only as of a particular date, which representations will have been true and complete as of such particular date.

 

25


6.2 Performance. Each Investor shall have performed and complied with all covenants, agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by such Investor on or before the Closing.

6.3 Ancillary Agreements. Each Investor shall have executed and delivered the Investor Rights Agreement and all other Ancillary Agreements, to which it is a party, to the other parties thereto.

7. Covenants and Other Agreements.

7.1 Use of Proceeds.

(i) Prior to the Closing, a representative from each of the Lead Investors shall be named as an additional signatory under a U.S. dollar bank account of the Company (the “ Offshore Co-signatory Account ”) and any withdrawal, disbursement or payment from, or any other transactions relating to, the Offshore Co-signatory Account shall require the signature of both such representatives. Such representative shall not be removed as a signatory of the Offshore Co-signatory Account unless agreed by the relevant Lead Investor in writing. All proceeds received by the Company from the issuance and sale of Series A Preferred Shares hereunder (the “ Proceeds ”) shall be deposited in the Offshore Co-signatory Account at the Closing. The foregoing restrictions shall be removed after the Proceeds have been injected into Chongqing Daqo pursuant to subsection (ii) below.

(ii) Within ten (10) Business Days after the Closing, all Proceeds shall be injected by the Company into Chongqing Daqo as registered capital and thereafter deposited in an interest-bearing bank account of Chongqing Daqo (the “ Company Account ”) and, for so long as a Qualified IPO has not been consummated or the covenant set forth in Section 7.4 hereof has not been satisfied or otherwise waived by the Lead Investors, a representative from each of the Lead Investors shall be named as an additional signatory under the Company Account and any withdrawal, disbursement or payment from, or any other transactions relating to, the Company Account shall require the signature of both such representatives. Such representative shall not be removed as a signatory of the Company Account unless agreed by the relevant Lead Investor in writing. The foregoing restrictions shall be removed after the consummation of a Qualified IPO or if the covenant set forth in Section 7.4 hereof is satisfied or otherwise waived by the Lead Investors.

(iii) Subject to the foregoing, the Group Companies shall use the proceeds from the issuance and sale of Series A Preferred Shares hereunder only in accordance with the budget and business plan adopted pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement.

 

26


7.2 Executory Period Covenants. Between the date of this Agreement and the Closing, unless both Lead Investors consent in writing otherwise:

(i) Pre-Closing Actions. As promptly as practicable, each Warrantor shall: (a) use best efforts to take all actions required of such party and to do all other things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Ancillary Documents; (b) file or supply, or cause to be filed or supplied, all applications, notifications and information required to be filed or supplied by such Warrantor prior to the Closing pursuant to Law in connection with this Agreement, the Ancillary Documents and the issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares pursuant hereto and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated hereby and by the Ancillary Documents; (c) use reasonable best efforts to obtain, or cause to be obtained, all consents (including any consents required under any contract) necessary to be obtained by such party in order to consummate the transactions contemplated pursuant to this Agreement and the Ancillary Documents; and (d) coordinate and cooperate with the other Parties in exchanging such information and supplying such assistance as may be reasonably requested by the other Parties in connection with any filings and other actions to be made or taken in order to consummate the transactions contemplated pursuant to this Agreement and the Ancillary Documents.

(ii) Non-Violation. Pending the Closing, none of the Warrantors, without the prior written consent of the Investors, shall take any action which (a) would render any of the representations or warranties made by the Warrantors in this Agreement untrue in any material respect if given with reference to the facts and circumstances then existing or (b) would result in any of the covenants contained in this Agreement becoming incapable of performance. Each Warrantor shall promptly advise the Investors of any action or event of which such Warrantor becomes aware which would have the effect of making incorrect in any material respect any such representations or warranties if given with reference to facts and circumstances then existing or which has the effect of rendering any such covenants incapable of performance.

(iii) Conduct of Business. Except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or with the written consent of both Lead Investors, from the date hereof to the date of the Closing, the Warrantors shall: (a) carry on the Group’s business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice and use best efforts to preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers and others having business dealings with the Group; and (b) not do any act or thing which would require the consent of the Investors under the Investor Rights Agreement had the transactions contemplated hereunder been consummated.

(iv) Negative Covenants. No Warrantor shall (a) waive, release or assign any material right or claim, (b) take any action that would reasonably be expected to materially impair the value of any Group Company, (c) sell, purchase, assign, lease, transfer, pledge, encumber or otherwise dispose of any material asset except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (d) issue, sell, or grant any Equity Security, (e) declare, issue, make, or pay any dividend or other distribution with respect to any Equity Security, (f) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or capital lease commitments or assume or guarantee for any indebtedness of any Person except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (g) make any material change in any method of accounting or accounting practice used by any Group Company, other than any such changes required by Applicable Accounting Principles, (h) enter into any Material Contract, or (i) authorize or commit to do any of the foregoing.

 

27


(v) Exclusivity. From the date hereof until the Closing, the Warrantors shall not, and they shall not permit any of their representatives or any member of the Group to, solicit, initiate, facilitate, engage in any discussions or negotiations with respect to, adopt, approve, commit to, or conclude any investment transaction with, or any sale of any member of the Group or the business or equity thereof to, any third party, whether directly or indirectly (except any and all activities, discussions or negotiations relating to any public offerings of the Company’s equity). The Warrantors shall, and shall cause their representatives and the other members of the Group to, immediately terminate all existing activities, discussions and negotiations with any third parties with respect to the foregoing, and if any of them hereafter receives any correspondence or communication that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any such transaction they shall immediately give notice thereof (including the third party and the material terms of such transaction) to the Investors.

(vi) Access and Information . From the date hereof until the Closing, the Warrantors shall permit each Investor, or any representative thereof, at its own expense, to (a) visit and inspect the properties of the Group Companies, (b) inspect the contracts, books of account, records, ledgers, and other documents and data of the Group Companies, (c) discuss the business, affairs, finances and accounts of the Group Companies with officers and employees of the Group Companies, and (d) review such other information as such Investor reasonably requests, in each case during normal business hours and in such a manner so as not to unreasonably interfere with the normal operations of the Group Companies. No information or knowledge obtained pursuant to this Section or otherwise by an Investor in connection with its due diligence will affect or be deemed to modify any representation or warranty contained herein or the conditions to the obligations of the Parties to consummate the transactions.

7.3 Audited Financials . The Company shall, and each of the Major Shareholders and Major Shareholder Holdcos shall cause the Company to, as promptly as practicable, but in any event within ten (10) Business Days after the Closing, deliver to the Investors the audited consolidated balance sheet for the Group as of September 30, 2009 and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity and cash flows for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2009, as audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd. (the “ Audited Financials ”). The Company covenants that (i) the Audited Financials shall have been prepared in accordance with the books and records of the Group, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition and position of the Group as of the dates indicated therein and the results of operations and cash flows of the Group for the periods indicated therein, and have been prepared in accordance with the Applicable Accounting Principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, and (ii) the net income of the Group for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2009 as set forth in the Audited Financials shall not be less than 95% of such net income as set forth in the Draft Financials and the Audited Financials shall not otherwise differ from the Draft Financials in any material respect.

7.4 Security Arrangements . If a Qualified IPO has not been consummated on or prior to February 12, 2010, the Company, the other Group Companies and each of the Major Shareholders and Major Shareholder Holdcos shall use their best efforts to work with the Lead Investors in good faith to create such security arrangements to secure the redemption obligations of the Company in respect of

 

28


the Series A Preferred Shares under the Memorandum and Articles as the Lead Investor may request. Prior to a Qualified IPO or the creation of such security arrangement: (i) each Major Shareholder Holdco shall not directly or indirectly, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber or dispose of in any way any Equity Securities in the Company held by such Major Shareholder Holdco as of the date hereof; (ii) the use of proceeds restrictions set forth in Section 7.1(ii) hereof shall not be removed.

7.5 Compliance with Circular 75 . The Company (and/or any other Group Company and/or Major Shareholders, as the case may be) shall, as promptly as practicable after the Closing, to the reasonable satisfaction of the Investors, take all requisite action to apply for and complete any necessary filing under the SAFE Rules and Regulations.

7.6 No Issuance . Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in the Transaction Documents, the Company shall not, and other Group Companies, Major Shareholders and Major Shareholder Holdcos shall cause the Company not to, issue any Equity Securities of the Company pursuant to the Share Incentive Plan (other than in connection with exercise of options granted prior to the date hereof) prior to consummation of a Qualified IPO without the Lead Investors’ written consent.

8. Confidentiality.

8.1 Disclosure of Terms. The terms and conditions of the Transaction Documents (collectively, the “ Financing Terms ”), including their existence, shall be considered confidential information and shall not be disclosed by any of the Parties to any other Person except in accordance with the provisions set forth below.

8.2 Permitted Disclosures. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) each member of the Group and each Investor, as appropriate, may disclose any of the Financing Terms to its current or bona fide prospective investors, employees, investment bankers, lenders, accountants and attorneys, in each case only where such Persons are under appropriate nondisclosure obligations; and (ii) each Investor may disclose any of the Financing Terms to its fund manager and the employees thereof so long as such Persons are under appropriate nondisclosure obligations.

8.3 Legally Compelled Disclosure. In the event that any Party is requested or becomes legally compelled (including without limitation, pursuant to securities Laws) to disclose the existence or content of any of the Financing Terms hereof in contravention of the provisions of this Section 8 , such Party (the “ Disclosing Party ”) shall promptly provide the other Parties with written notice of that fact so that such other Parties may seek a protective order, confidential treatment or other appropriate remedy. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company may file the Transaction Documents with the SEC in compliance with the applicable securities laws without giving any notices to the other Parties or seeking confidential treatment or other remedies from the SEC.

8.4 Other Exceptions. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 8 , the confidentiality obligations of the Parties shall not apply to: (i) information which a restricted Party learns from a third party having the right to make the disclosure, provided the restricted Party complies with any restrictions imposed by the third party; (ii) information which is in the restricted Party’s possession prior to the time of disclosure by the protected Party and not acquired by the restricted Party under a confidentiality obligation;

 

29


(iii) information which enters the public domain without breach of confidentiality by the restricted Party; or (iv) disclosures to a Party’s accountants and attorneys so long as they agree to keep such disclosures confidential.

9. Indemnity.

9.1 General Indemnity.

(i) Subject to the other provisions in this Agreement, each Group Company hereby agrees to jointly and severally indemnify and hold harmless each Investor, and such Investor’s Affiliates, directors, officers, agents and assigns (each an “ Indemnified Party ”), from and against any and all Indemnifiable Losses suffered by such Indemnified Party, directly or indirectly, as a result of, or based upon or arising from any inaccuracy in or breach or nonperformance of any of the representations, warranties and covenants made by any Warrantor in or pursuant to this Agreement.

(ii) Subject to the other provisions in this Agreement, each Major Shareholder and Major Shareholder Holdco hereby agrees to jointly and severally indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Party from and against any and all Indemnifiable Losses suffered by such Indemnified Party, directly or indirectly, as a result of, or based upon or arising from any inaccuracy in or breach or nonperformance of any of the representations, warranties and covenants made by Major Shareholders or Major Shareholder Holdcos in or pursuant to this Agreement.

9.2 Survival . The representations, warranties, covenants, agreements, undertakings and indemnities contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall survive the Closing until the earlier of (i) the consummation of the Qualified IPO and (ii) the first anniversary of the Closing.

9.3 Limitations . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event shall the aggregate amount of Indemnifiable Losses payable by all Warrantors to all Indemnified Parties pursuant to this Agreement exceed an amount equal to the sum of (i) purchase price the Investors actually paid to the Company for the Series A Preferred Shares, and (ii) interest thereon for the period between the date of the Closing to the date when an indemnification event occurs, at an interest rate of 8% per annum, compounded annually. In addition, if any Investor receives any amount as a result of the exercise of the redemption right pursuant to Article 7A(5) of the Memorandum and Articles, then the maximum amount of Indemnifiable Losses payable set forth in the preceding sentence shall be reduced by such amount received by the Investor.

10. Miscellaneous.

10.1 Further Assurances. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein, each of the Parties agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to take or cause to be taken all action, to do or cause to be done, to execute such further instruments, and to assist and cooperate with the other Parties in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws or otherwise to consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and, to the extent reasonably requested by another Party, to enforce rights and obligations pursuant hereto or thereto.

 

30


10.2 Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the Parties whose rights or obligations hereunder are affected by such terms and conditions. This Agreement, and the rights and obligations hereunder, shall not be assigned without the mutual written consent of both Lead Investors and the Company, provided that each Investor may assign its rights and obligations to an Affiliate of such Investor without consent of the other Parties under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the Parties or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.

10.3 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the Laws of New York, the United States, without regard to principles of conflict of laws thereunder.

10.4 Dispute Resolution.

(i) Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of, in connection with or relating to this Agreement, including the interpretation, validity, invalidity, breach or termination thereof, shall be settled by arbitration.

(ii) The arbitration shall be conducted in Hong Kong under the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Administered Arbitration Rules in force when the Notice of Arbitration is submitted in accordance with the said Rules. The number of arbitrators shall be three. The arbitration shall be conducted in the English language.

(iii) Each Party shall cooperate with the other in making full disclosure of and providing complete access to all information and documents requested by the other in connection with such arbitration proceedings, subject only to any doctrine of legal privilege or any confidentiality obligations binding on such Party.

(iv) The costs of arbitration shall be borne by the losing Party, unless otherwise determined by the arbitration tribunal.

(v) When any dispute occurs and when any dispute is under arbitration, except for the matters in dispute, the Parties shall continue to fulfill their respective obligations and shall be entitled to exercise their rights under this Agreement.

(vi) The award of the arbitration tribunal shall be final and binding upon the Parties, and the prevailing Party may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for enforcement of such award.

(vii) Regardless of anything else contained herein, any Party shall be entitled to seek preliminary injunctive relief from any court of competent jurisdiction pending the conclusion of the arbitration.

(viii) In order to facilitate the comprehensive resolution of related disputes, and upon request of any Party to the arbitration proceeding, the arbitration tribunal may consolidate the arbitration proceeding with any other arbitration proceeding(s) involving any of the Parties relating to this Agreement or any other Transaction Documents in connection therewith. The arbitration tribunal shall not consolidate such arbitrations unless it determines that (i) there are issues of fact or law common to the two

 

31


proceedings so that a consolidated proceeding would be more efficient than separate proceedings, and (ii) no party would be prejudiced as a result of such consolidation through undue delay or otherwise. In the event of different rulings on this question by the arbitration tribunal constituted hereunder and the tribunal(s) constituted under any of the Transaction Agreements, the ruling of the tribunal constituted under this Agreement shall prevail.

10.5 Notices. Any notice required or permitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be given either personally or by sending it by courier service, fax, electronic mail or similar means to the address as set out in Schedule III (or at such other address as such Party may designate by fifteen (15) days’ advance written notice to the other Parties given in accordance with this Section 10.5 ). Where a notice is given personally, delivery shall be deemed to have been effected on receipt (or when delivery is refused). Where a notice is sent by courier service, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and sending through an internationally-recognized courier the notice, with a confirmation of delivery, and to have been effected on receipt (or when delivery is refused). Where a notice is sent by fax or electronic mail, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, and sending such notice through a transmitting organization, with a written confirmation of delivery, and to have been effected on the day the same is sent as aforesaid if sent during normal business hours of the recipient on a Business Day thereof and otherwise on the next Business Day thereof.

10.6 Rights Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided herein, each and all of the various rights, powers and remedies of a Party will be considered to be cumulative with and in addition to any other rights, powers and remedies which such Party may have at law or in equity in the event of the breach of any of the terms of this Agreement. The exercise or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy will neither constitute the exclusive election thereof nor the waiver of any other right, power or remedy available to such Party.

10.7 Fees and Expenses. The Company shall pay all of its own costs and expenses incurred in connection with the negotiation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. If the transaction contemplated hereby is consummated, at the Closing, the Company shall pay or reimburse all costs and expenses incurred by the Investors in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (including without limitation the fees of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, counsel to the Lead Investors) up to a maximum of US$100,000. If any action at law or in equity is necessary to enforce or interpret the terms of this Agreement, the prevailing Party shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees, costs and necessary disbursements in addition to any other relief to which such Party may be entitled.

10.8 Finder’s Fee. Each Warrantor agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor from any liability for any commission or compensation in the nature of a finders’ fee (and the costs and expenses of defending against such liability or asserted liability) for which the Company or any of its officers, employees or representatives is responsible.

10.9 Severability. In case any provision of the Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. If, however, any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable under any such applicable Law in any jurisdiction, it shall, as to such

 

32


jurisdiction, be deemed modified to conform to the minimum requirements of such Law, or, if for any reason it is not deemed so modified, it shall be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable only to the extent of such invalidity, illegality, or limitation on enforceability without affecting the remaining provisions of this Agreement, or the validity, legality, or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

10.10 Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of each of (i) the Company, (ii) the Major Shareholders, and (iii) the Lead Investors. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this paragraph shall be binding upon each of the Parties.

10.11 No Waiver . Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants, or conditions hereof will not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant, or condition, nor will any waiver or relinquishment of, or failure to insist upon strict compliance with, any right, power or remedy hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right, power or remedy at any other time or times.

10.12 Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise any right, power or remedy accruing to any Party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other Party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power or remedy of such non-breaching or non-defaulting Party nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach or default, or an acquiescence therein, or of or in any similar breach or default thereafter occurring; nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. Any waiver, permit, consent or approval of any kind or character on the part of any Party of any breach or default under this Agreement, or any waiver on the part of any Party of any provisions or conditions of this Agreement, must be in writing and shall be effective only to the extent specifically set forth in such writing. All remedies, either under this Agreement or by Law or otherwise afforded to any Party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

10.13 No Presumption. The Parties acknowledge that each Party has been represented by counsel in connection with this Agreement. Accordingly, any rule of law or any legal decision that would require interpretation of any claimed ambiguities in this Agreement against the Party that drafted it, has no application and is expressly waived. If any claim is made by a Party relating to any conflict, omission or ambiguity in the provisions of this Agreement, no presumption or burden of proof or persuasion will be implied because this Agreement was prepared by or at the request of any Party or its counsel.

10.14 Headings and Subtitles; Interpretation. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement. Unless a provision hereof expressly provides otherwise: (i) the term “or” is not exclusive; (ii) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the plural include the singular; (iii) the terms “herein”, “hereof”, and other similar words refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section, subsection, paragraph, clause, or other subdivision; (iv) the term “including” will be deemed to be followed by “, but not limited to,”; (v) the masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will each be deemed to include the others; (vi) the terms “shall”, “will”, and “agrees” are mandatory, and the term “may” is permissive; (vii) the term “day” means “calendar day”, and (viii) all references to dollars or to “US$” are to currency of the United States of America (and shall be deemed to include reference to the equivalent amount in other currencies).

 

33


10.15 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Facsimile and e-mailed copies of signatures shall be deemed to be originals for purposes of the effectiveness of this Agreement.

10.16 Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Transaction Documents, together with all schedules and exhibits hereto and thereto, constitute the full and entire understanding and agreement among the Parties with regard to the subjects hereof and thereof, and supersede all other agreements between or among all of the Parties with respect to the subject matters hereof and thereof, and no Party shall be liable or bound to any other Party in any manner by any warranties, representations, or covenants except as specifically set forth herein or therein.

[ The remainder of this page has been left intentionally blank ]

 

34


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Share Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

COMPANY:

  DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.
  By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

    Name:    Gongda Yao
    Title:    Chief Executive Officer
OTHER GROUP COMPANIES:       
    DAQO SOLAR ENERGY NORTH AMERICA
  By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

    Name:    Gongda Yao
    Title:    Authorized Signatory
    CHONGQING DAQO NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.
  By:  

/s/ Gongda Yao

    Name:    Gongda Yao
    Title:    Authorized Signatory


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

NANJING DAQO NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.

By:

 

/s/ Gongda Yao

  Name:   Gongda Yao
  Title:   Authorized Signatory
DAQO NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD.

By:

 

/s/ Gongda Yao

  Name:   Gongda Yao
  Title:   Authorized Signatory


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

LEAD INVESTORS:   GRANITE GLOBAL VENTURES III L.P.
  By: Granite Global Ventures III L.L.C., its General Partner
  By:  

/s/ Hany Nada

    Name:   Hany Nada
    Title:   Managing Director
  NEWMARGIN GROWTH FUND, L.P.
  By:  

/s/ Greg W. Ye

    Name:   Greg W. Ye
    Title:   Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

OTHER INVESTORS:     GGV III ENTREPRENEURS FUND L.P.
    By: Granite Global Ventures III L.L.C., its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Hany Nada

      Name:   Hany Nada
      Title:   Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

OTHER INVESTORS:

    VENTURE STAR INVESTMENT (HK) LIMITED
    By:  

/s/ Fumin Zhuo

      Name:   Fumin Zhuo
      Title:   Chairman


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

OTHER INVESTORS:     SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name:   Donald P. Spencer
      Title:   Managing Director
    SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND (E), LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name:   Donald P. Spencer
      Title:   Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

OTHER INVESTORS:     SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND II, LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC II GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name:   Donald P. Spencer
      Title:   Managing Director
    SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND II (T), LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC II GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name:   Donald P. Spencer
      Title:   Managing Director
    SIGULER GUFF BRIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND II (M), LP
    By: SIGULER GUFF BRIC II GP, LLC, its General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Donald P. Spencer

      Name:   Donald P. Spencer
      Title:   Managing Director


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS:      Guangfu Xu
    

/s/ Guangfu Xu

     Xiang Xu
    

/s/ Xiang Xu

MAJOR SHAREHOLDER

    
HOLDCOS:      GOLD INTELLECT LIMITED
     By:   

/s/ Guangfu Xu

        Name:    Guangfu Xu
        Title:    Director
     PLENTY CHINA LIMITED
     By:   

/s/ Xiang Xu

        Name:    Xiang Xu
        Title:    Director


SCHEDULE I-A

LIST OF MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS

Guangfu Xu, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124194211100512.

Xiang Xu, a citizen of the PRC with PRC identification card number 321124197103030514.


SCHEDULE I-B

LIST OF MAJOR SHAREHOLDER HOLDCOS

Gold Intellect Limited, a company organized and validly existing under the Laws of the British Virgin Island.

Plenty China Limited, a company organized and validly existing under the Laws of the British Virgin Island.

 

Schedule I-B


SCHEDULE II

SCHEDULE OF INVESTORS

 

Name

   Number of Series A
Preferred Shares to
be Purchased
   Total Purchase
Price Payable

Granite Global Ventures III L.P.

   11,695,471    US$ 21,648,000

GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P.

   190,170    US$ 352,000

Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited

   2,161,026    US$ 4,000,000

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.

   11,615,513    US$ 21,500,000

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP

   987,656    US$ 1,828,125

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP

   362,985    US$ 671,875

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP

   2,157,244    US$ 3,993,000

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP

   453,275    US$ 839,000

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP

   90,763    US$ 168,000

TOTAL

   29,714,103    US$ 55 million

 

Schedule II


SCHEDULE III

NOTICE ADDRESSES

For the purpose of the notice provisions contained in this Agreement, the following are the initial addresses of each Party:

If to the Warrantors:

666 Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000,

People’s Republic of China

Attn: Chief Financial Officer

T: +86 23 6486 6666

F: +86 23 6486 6688

If to Granite Global Ventures III L.P. or GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P.:

2494 Sand Hill Road, Suite 100

Menlo Park, CA 94025

Attn: Stephen Hyndman

T:+1 650 475 2150

F:+1 650 475 2151

with a copy to:

GGV Capital

Unit 3701,K.Wah Center

1010 Huaihai Zhong Road

Shanghai 200031 PRC

Attn: Jenny Lee

T: +86 21 6161 1717

F: +86 21 5404 7667

If to NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.:

c/o NewMargin Ventures

Radisson Plaza (Xing Guo) Hotel

78 Xing Guo Road, Villa 3

Shanghai, China 200052

86-21-6213-8000

If to Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited:

LOGO

LOGO

LOGO :200031

Tel: 86 21 61611 777

 

Schedule III


If to Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP, or Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP:

c/o Siguler Guff Advisers, LLC

825 Third Avenue, 10th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Attention: General Counsel

+1 212 332 5100

 

Schedule III


EXHIBIT A

PARTICULARS OF GROUP COMPANIES

(A)

The Company

 

Registered Company Name    :    Daqo New Energy Corp.
Registered Address    :   

666 Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou, Chongqing

404000, People’s Republic of China

Date of Incorporation    :    November 22, 2007
Place of Incorporation    :    Cayman Islands
Director(s)    :   

Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge, Dafeng Shi

and Gongda Yao

Authorized Shares    :    500,000,000 with a par value of $0.0001
Issued Shares    :    See Section 3.2(i) of the Agreement
Subsidiaries (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :   

Daqo North America (100%)

Chongqing Daqo (100%)

Nanjing Daqo (100%)

Shareholders (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :   

Gold Intellect Limited (39.00%)

Plenty China Limited (14.82%)

Ruian International Limited (10.89%)

Instantup Investments Limited (9.93%)

Ace Pro Holdings Limited (9.22%)

Best Mount International Limited (8.76%)

Million Fortune International Limited (7.38%)

 

Exhibit A


(B) Other Group Companies

Daqo North America

 

Registered Company Name    :    Daqo Solar Energy North America
Business Address    :   

2635 North First Street, San Jose, California,

United States

Date of Incorporation    :    December 23, 2008
Place of Incorporation    :    California
Director(s)    :    Xu Xiang
Authorized Shares    :    10,000,000 with no par value
Issued Shares    :    1,000,000 share
Subsidiaries (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    None
Shareholders (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    Daqo New Energy Corp. (100%)

 

Exhibit A


Chongqing Daqo

 

Registered Company Name    :   

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd

LOGO

Registered Address    :   

LOGO

LOGO

Date of Incorporation    :    LOGO
Company Number    :    500000400009869
Place of Incorporation    :    Chongqing, China
Director(s)    :    Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge and Dafeng Shi
Total Investment    :    LOGO
Registered Capital    :    LOGO
Paid Up Capital    :    LOGO
Subsidiaries (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    None
Shareholder (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    Daqo New Energy Corp. (100%)

 

Exhibit A


Nanjing Daqo

 

Registered Company Name    :   

Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd

LOGO

Registered Address    :    LOGO
Date of Incorporation    :    LOGO
Company Number    :    320100400041361
Place of Incorporation    :    LOGO
Director(s)    :    Guangfu Xu, Xiang Xu, Fei Ge, Dafeng Shi
Total Investment    :    LOGO
Registered Capital    :    LOGO
Paid Up Capital    :    LOGO
Subsidiaries (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    None
Shareholder (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    Daqo New Energy Corp. (100%)

 

Exhibit A


Daqo New Material

 

Registered Company Name    :    LOGO
Registered Address    :    LOGO
Date of Incorporation    :    LOGO
Company Number    :    500101000007937
Place of Incorporation    :    LOGO
Registered Capital    :    LOGO
Paid Up Capital    :    LOGO
Subsidiaries (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    None
Shareholder (and percentage of shareholding) as of the date of the Agreement    :    LOGO

 

Exhibit A


EXHIBIT B

FORM OF MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES

 

[See Exhibit 3.1 Included in the Registration Statement on Form F-1]


EXHIBIT C

FORM OF INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

[See Exhibit 4.5 Included in the Registration Statement on Form F-1]


EXHIBIT D

FORM OF OPINION OF PRC COUNSEL


[Letterhead of PRC counsel]

[Date]

To:

Granite Global Ventures III L.P.

GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P.

Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP

Re: Legal Opinion

We are lawyers qualified in the People’s Republic of China (the “ PRC ”) and are qualified to issue an opinion on the laws and regulations of the PRC.

We are acting as the PRC counsel to Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “ Company ”), a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, in connection with the investment of Granite Global Ventures III L.P., GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P., Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited, NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P., Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP, Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP and Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP (collectively, the “ Investors ”) in the Company by subscribing for the Company’s Series A Preferred Shares (the “ Transaction ”).

We have been requested, pursuant to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement (the “ Share Purchase Agreement ”) dated November 11, 2009 among the Company, Daqo Solar Energy North America, Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd (“ Chongqing Daqo ”), Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd (“ Nanjing Daqo ”), Daqo New Material Co., Ltd (“ Daqo New Material ”), the individuals listed in Appendix I attached hereto (the “ Major Shareholders ”), the entities listed in Schedule I-B thereto and the Investors, and the ancillary agreements, including the Investor Rights Agreement and the Indemnification Agreements (collectively, the “ Transaction Documents ”), to give this opinion on, inter alia, (A) the legality of the ownership structure of the following entities: (i) Chongqing Daqo, (ii) Nanjing Daqo and (iii) Daqo New Material (collectively referred to hereafter as the “ PRC Group


Entities ”), (B) the legality, validity and enforceability of the lease agreement entered into by and between Daqo New Material and Chongqing Daqo, which has come into effect since January 1, 2009 (the “ Lease Agreement ”), (C) the legality of the transactions and business operations of the PRC Group Entities as described in the Transaction Documents, and (D) certain matters relating to the Transaction Documents.

As used herein, (A) “ PRC Law ” means all applicable laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations and other legislation of the PRC, in effect on the date of this opinion; (B) “ PRC Authorities ” means any national, provincial, governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission in the PRC, or any court, tribunal or any other judicial or arbitral body in the PRC; (C) “ Approvals ” means all approvals, consents, waivers, sanctions, certificates, authorizations, filings, disclosures, registrations, exemptions, permissions, endorsements, annual inspections, qualifications, permits and licenses required by any PRC Authorities pursuant to any PRC Law; and (D) “ Material Adverse Effect ” has the meaning set forth in the Share Purchase Agreement.

In so acting, we have examined the originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, provided to us by the Company and such other documents, corporate records, certificates, Approvals and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purpose of rendering this opinion, including, without limitation, originals or copies of the Transaction Documents and other agreements referred to hereunder and certificates issued by PRC Authorities or officers of the Company.

In examination of the documents and for the purpose of giving this opinion, we have assumed without further inquiry:

 

(a) the genuineness of all signatures, seals and chops, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies;

 

(b) the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of all factual statements in the documents; and

 

(c) that all parties other than the PRC Group Entities to the Transaction Documents have the requisite power and authority to enter into the Transaction Documents and to perform their obligations thereunder, that and all parties other than the PRC Group Entities to the Transaction Documents have duly authorized, executed and delivered the relevant Transaction Documents and that none of the Transaction Documents has been revoked, amended, varied, cancelled or supplemented as of the date of this opinion.

 

2


Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

 

1. Each of the PRC Group Entities has been duly organized and is validly existing as a wholly foreign owned enterprise or domestic funded company with limited liability, as the case may be, with legal person status under PRC Law and its business license and articles of association are in full force and effect under, and in compliance with, PRC Law.

 

2. To the best of our knowledge after due inquiry, all the equity interest of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo is owned by the Company free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or any other third party right. Except as described in the Disclosure Schedule, the Company’s contribution to Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo has been in compliance with the Approvals by relevant PRC Authorities. As of the date hereof, the registered capital of Chongqing Daqo is US$63 million, of which US$5.5 million has been contributed; the registered capital of Nanjing Daqo is US$20 million, of which US$0.9 million has been contributed.

 

3. To the best of our knowledge after due inquiry, all the equity interest of Daqo New Material is owned by Daqo Group Co., Ltd. free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or any other third party right. All the registered capital of Daqo New Material has been paid up.

 

4. Except as described in the Disclosure Schedule, each of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo has full legal right, authority, power and all necessary Approvals to own, use, sell, lease, license and operate its assets and to conduct its business as now conducted.

 

5. To the best of our knowledge after due inquiry, except as described in the Disclosure Schedule, no information has come to our attention that each of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo is (A) in violation of any PRC Law, except for such violations, breaches or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) in violation of its business license, articles of association, other constitutional documents (if any) or Approvals; or (C) in breach of or default in the performance or observance of any of the terms or provisions of the Lease Agreement.

 

6. Each of Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo has full power, authority and legal right to enter into, execute, adopt, assume, issue, deliver and perform their respective obligations under each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, and has duly authorized, executed and delivered each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, and the obligations under the Transaction Documents constitute valid, legal and binding obligations enforceable against each of them in accordance with the terms of each of the Transaction Documents.

 

3


7. To the best of our knowledge after due inquiry, there are no pending or threatened legal, arbitration or administrative proceedings in the PRC by or against any of Chongqing Daqo or Nanjing Daqo, or to which the property of any of them is or may be subject, and, if determined adversely against any of Chongqing Daqo or Nanjing Daqo, would individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8. Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo own or otherwise have the legal right to use the patents and trademarks listed in Appendix II hereto (collectively, the “ Intellectual Property ”) relating to their business. The trademark license contract by and among Daqo Group Co., Ltd., Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo date August 8, 2009 is legal, valid and enforceable in all respects under PRC Law. To the best of our knowledge after due inquiry, (i) neither Chongqing nor Nanjing Daqo is infringing, misappropriating or violating or has infringed, misappropriated or violated the intellectual property rights of any third party in the PRC; (ii) none of the Intellectual Property is subject to any outstanding order, judgment or ruling restricting the title to or use of such Intellectual Property in the PRC; and (iii) no security interests or other liens have been created with respect to any of the Intellectual Property.

 

9. Each of the beneficial owners of the Company who are PRC residents, as listed in Appendix III attached hereto, has duly filed all the required registrations and reports with the relevant branch of SAFE having jurisdiction over each of them, in accordance with the SAFE Rules and Regulations (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreement).

 

10. Except as described in the Disclosure Schedule, the execution and performance of the Transaction Documents shall not be subject to the Approval by any PRC Authorities. The execution of the Transaction Documents is not in violation of the articles of association or other constitutional documents of any of Chongqing Daqo or Nanjing Daqo and the content of the Transaction Documents is not in violation of PRC Law.

 

11. Chongqing Daqo and Daqo New Material have full legal right, authority and power to execute, deliver and perform the Lease Agreement. The Lease Agreement is valid, legal and enforceable under PRC Law and does not constitute a violation of or conflict with any PRC Law or the articles of association of Chongqing Daqo.

 

4


12. Daqo Group Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo has full legal right, authority and power to execute and deliver the Non-compete Agreement dated July 1, 2008 by and among the Company, Daqo Group Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Daqo (the “Non-compete Agreement”). The Non-compete Agreement is valid, legal and enforceable under PRC Law.

 

13. On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, namely, the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration for Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”), jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “ M&A Rules ”). The M&A Rules purport, among other things, to require offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, formed for overseas listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies and controlled by the PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, pursuant to the M&A Rules and other PRC Laws, the CSRC, on its official website, promulgated relevant guidance with respect to the issues of listing and trading of domestic enterprises’ securities on overseas stock exchanges (together with the M&A Rules, the “ M&A Rules and Related Clarifications ”), including a list of application materials with respect to the listing on overseas stock exchanges by SPVs. Based on our understanding of current PRC Laws and the interpretations and implementations thereof as of the date hereof, (i) the CSRC has jurisdiction over the Company’s proposed initial public offering in the United States; (ii) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rules or interpretations concerning whether the proposed initial public offering contemplated by the Company in the United States on Form F-1 is subject to the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications; and (iii) notwithstanding the above, given that the Company set up Chongqing Daqo and Nanjing Daqo as green-field, wholly foreign owned subsidiaries in the PRC, the Company is not a special purpose vehicle formed for the purpose of acquiring a PRC domestic company. Therefore, the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications are not applicable. As a result, it is not necessary for the Company to obtain any approval from the CSRC for its listing and trading of the Company’s ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

14. The choice of Hong Kong law as the governing law of the Transaction Documents is a valid choice of law under the laws of the PRC and would be recognized and given effect in any action brought before a court of competent jurisdiction in the PRC against any PRC Group Entity, except for those laws (a) which such court considers to be procedural in nature, (b) which are revenue or penal laws, or (c) the application of which would be inconsistent with applicable public policy, as such term is interpreted under the laws of the PRC.

 

5


15. Except as described in Section 3.4 of the Disclosure Schedule, the courts of the PRC would recognize a final and conclusive arbitral award obtained in accordance with the Transaction Documents against any PRC Group Entity and would recognize and enforce such award without re-examination or re-litigation of any matter which is the substantive subject of such award, provided that such recognition and enforcement will be conducted in accordance with the PRC Supreme People’s Court, Mutual Enforcement of Arbitration Awards between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Arrangement.

This opinion is subject to the following qualifications:

 

(a) This opinion, as it relates to the enforceability of the Transaction Documents or any other agreements to which any of the PRC Group Entities is a party, is subject to (A) any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (B) possible judicial or administrative actions or any PRC Law affecting creditors’ rights, and (C) certain equitable, legal or statutory principles affecting the enforceability of contractual rights generally under concepts of public interest, interests of the State, national security, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and applicable statutes of limitation.

 

(b) This opinion relates only to PRC Law and we express no opinion as to any laws other than PRC Laws. PRC Law as used in this opinion refers to PRC Law currently in force as of the date of this opinion and there is no guarantee that any of such PRC Law will not be changed, amended or revoked in the immediate future or in the longer term with or without retroactive effect.

This opinion is intended to be used in the context which is specifically referred to herein and each paragraph should be looked at as a whole and no part should be extracted and referred to independently.

This opinion is delivered solely to you and solely for the purpose of and in connection with the Transaction

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Jun He Law Offices

 

6


EXHIBIT E

FORM OF OPINION OF CAYMAN ISLANDS COUNSEL


LOGO

DRAFT – subject to review and amendment

Direct: +852 2801 6066

Cell:    +852 9718 8740

E-mail: rthorp@thorpalberga.com

Granite Global Ventures III L.P.

GGV III Entrepreneurs Fund L.P.

Venture Star Investment (HK) Limited

NewMargin Growth Fund, L.P.

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund, LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund (E), LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II, LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (T), LP

Siguler Guff BRIC Opportunities Fund II (M), LP

[    ] November 2009

Dear Sirs,

We have acted as counsel as to Cayman Islands law to Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “ Company ”) in connection with the issue by the Company of 29,714,103 convertible redeemable series A preference shares of US$0.0001 par value each (the “ Series A Preferred Shares ”).

1 DOCUMENTS REVIEWED

We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the documents listed in Schedule 1 to this opinion.

2 ASSUMPTIONS

The following opinion is given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion. This opinion only relates to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion. In giving this opinion we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy of the Director’s Certificate, a copy of which is attached to this opinion. We have also relied upon the assumptions set out in Schedule 2 to this opinion, which we have not independently verified.

3 QUALIFICATIONS

The opinions expressed below are subject to the qualifications set out in Schedule 3 to this opinion.

4 OPINIONS

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing assumptions and qualifications, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

4.1 The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and possesses the capacity to own its property and assets, to carry on its business in accordance with the Restated M&A and to sue and be sued in its own name.

LOGO


4.2 The Company has the necessary corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder will not violate the memorandum or articles of association of the Company nor any applicable law, regulation, order or decree in the Cayman Islands.

 

4.3 The authorised share capital of the Company is US$50,000 divided into 460,000,000 ordinary shares of US$0.0001 par value (the “ Ordinary Shares ”) and 40,000,000 Series A Preferred Shares. The Ordinary Shares and the Series A Preferred Shares will have the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions set forth in the Restated M&A. Based on our review of the register of members and the corporate records of the Company, at the date hereof the issued and outstanding shares of the Company consist of 100,000,000 Ordinary Shares, which shares have been authorised and validly issued and, on the assumption that the contractual subscription price therefore was fully paid in cash, which shares may properly be credited as fully paid under Cayman Islands law. Resolutions of the directors of the Company to keep unissued, pending exercise of options granted under the Company's 2009 Share Incentive Plan (the “ SIP ”) authorised but unissued Ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company to meet the purchase rights of options under the SIP (the “ SIP Resolutions ”) were validly passed on [    ] 2009.

 

4.4 The Series A Preferred Shares, when issued and allotted in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, the Resolutions and the Restated M&A, and when entered on the register of members of the Company against the name of the holders thereof as such, and the Conversion Shares, when issued upon a conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares, will be validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable (meaning that no further sums are required to be paid by the holders thereof in connection with the issue thereof) under Cayman Islands law and in accordance with the Resolutions and the Restated M&A:

 

  (a) assuming payment in full of the consideration set forth in the Subscription Agreement has been made and no requirement to pay additional consideration is contained in any other document; and

 

  (b) subject to the satisfaction of any conditions or requirements set forth in the Subscription Agreement, Restated M&A or the Resolutions.

Upon entry on the register of members of the Company, the holders of the Series A Preferred Shares will be the registered holders of such number of Series A Preferred Shares as noted against their names on such register of members.

 

4.5 The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents has been authorised by and on behalf of the Company and the Transaction Documents have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms.

 

4.6 No authorisations, consents, approvals, licences, validations or exemptions are required by law from any governmental authorities or agencies or other official bodies in the Cayman Islands in connection with:

 

  (a) the creation, execution or delivery of the Transaction Documents by the Company; or

 

2


  (b) the performance by the Company of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents, including without limitation the sale and issue of the Series A Preferred Shares and the Conversion Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents.

 

4.7 It is not necessary or desirable to ensure the enforceability in the Cayman Islands of the Transaction Documents that they be registered in any register kept by, or filed with, any governmental authority or regulatory body in the Cayman Islands. However, to the extent that any of the Transaction Documents creates a charge over assets of the Company, the Company and its Directors are under an obligation to enter such charge in the Register of Mortgages and Charges of the Company in accordance with section 54 of the Companies Law. While there is no exhaustive definition of a charge under Cayman Islands law, a charge normally has the following characteristics:

 

  (a) it is a proprietary interest granted by way of security which entitles the chargee to resort to the charged property only for the purposes of satisfying some liability due to the chargee (whether from the chargor or a third party); and

 

  (b) the chargor retains an equity of redemption to have the property restored to him when the liability has been discharged.

However, as the Transaction Documents are governed by the laws of New York, the question of whether they would possess these particular characteristics would be determined under the laws of New York.

 

4.8 No taxes, fees or charges (other than stamp duty) are payable (either by direct assessment or withholding) to the government or other taxing authority in the Cayman Islands under the laws of the Cayman Islands in respect of:

 

  (a) the execution or delivery of the Transaction Documents;

 

  (b) the enforcement of the Transaction Documents;

 

  (c) the issuance of the Series A Preferred Shares; or

 

  (d) payments made under, or pursuant to, the Transaction Documents.

The Transaction Documents will be subject to nominal stamp duty if they are executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands but will otherwise not be subject to stamp duty. The Cayman Islands currently have no form of income, corporate or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.

 

4.9 Based solely on our inspection of the Register of Writs and Other Originating process in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands from the date of incorporation of the Company there were no actions or petitions pending against the Company in the courts of the Cayman Islands as at close of business in the Cayman Islands on [    ] November 2009.

 

3


4.10 The courts of the Cayman Islands will observe and give effect to the choice of New York law as the governing law of the Transaction Documents. The submission in the Transaction Documents to arbitration in the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre in accordance with the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Administered Arbitration Rules is valid and binding upon the Company.

 

4.11 Foreign arbitration awards may be enforced in the Cayman Islands under the Foreign Arbitral Awards Enforcement Law, which applies where the arbitration award to be enforced (the “ Award ”) was made in pursuance of an arbitration agreement in a state which is a party to the New York Convention on the Recognition of Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards adopted by the 1958 United Nations Conference on International Commercial Arbitration (the “ Convention ”). In general, the courts of the Cayman Islands will enforce an Award made under the Convention unless it is proved by the party against whom the Award was made that:

 

  (a) a party to the arbitration agreement was under some incapacity;

 

  (b) the arbitration agreement was not valid under the law to which the parties subjected it or, in default, under the law of the jurisdiction where the Award was made;

 

  (c) the Award was made in circumstances contrary to natural justice;

 

  (d) the Award dealt with a matter or matters not contemplated by or falling within the terms of the submission to arbitration or contained decisions on matters beyond the scope of such submission; or

 

  (e) the composition of the arbitral authority or the arbitral procedure was not in accordance with the agreement of the parties or, in default of such agreement, with the laws of the jurisdiction where the arbitration took place.

Enforcement of an Award made under the Convention may also be refused by the courts of the Cayman Islands where the Award is in respect of a matter which is not capable of settlement by arbitration or where it would be contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands to enforce such an Award.

A foreign arbitration award may also be enforced in the Cayman Islands pursuant to common law principles by action on the Award or pursuant to the Arbitration Law by leave of the Cayman Islands court.

 

4.12 It is not necessary to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility in evidence of the Transaction Documents that any document be filed, recorded or enrolled with any governmental authority or agency or any official body in the Cayman Islands.

 

4.13 None of the parties to the Transaction Documents will be treated as resident, domiciled or carrying on or transacting business or subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands or in violation of any Cayman Islands law solely by reason of the negotiation, preparation or execution of the Transaction Documents, or the entering into of or the exercise of their rights on the performance of their obligations under the Transaction Documents.

 

4


4.14 The Company is not entitled to any immunity under the laws of the Cayman Islands, whether characterised as sovereign immunity or otherwise, from any legal proceedings to enforce the Transaction Documents in respect of itself or its property.

 

4.15 The Restated M&A are consistent and in compliance with the Companies Law and do not conflict with any other applicable law, regulation, order or decree currently in force in the Cayman Islands. Under the Companies Law, the Restated M&A bind the Company and its members to the same extent as if each member has subscribed his name and affixed his seal thereto. The Restated M&A have been duly adopted by the Shareholders’ Resolutions and are in full force and effect.

 

4.16 It is not necessary or advisable in order for the Investors (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreement) to enforce its rights under the Transaction Documents, including the exercise of remedies thereunder, that it be licensed, qualified or otherwise entitled to carry on business in the Cayman Islands.

 

4.17 There is no exchange control legislation under Cayman Islands law and accordingly there are no exchange control regulations imposed under Cayman Islands law.

We express no view as to the commercial terms of the Transaction Documents or whether such terms represent the intentions of the parties and make no comment with regard to the representations which may be made by the Company.

This opinion may be relied upon by the addressees only. It may not be relied upon by any other person except with our prior written consent.

 

Yours faithfully
THORP ALBERGA

 

5


SCHEDULE 1

List of Documents Reviewed

We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the following documents:

 

1 the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company;

 

2 the Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands on [    ] November 2009;

 

3 the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company as adopted on [    ] November 2009 (the “ Restated M&A ”);

 

4 the resolutions of the shareholders of the Company dated [    ] November 2009 adopting the Restated M&A (the “ Shareholders’ Resolutions ”);

 

5 the written resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company dated [    ] November 2009 (the “ Resolutions ”) at which terms of the Transaction Documents were approved;

 

6 a certificate from a Director of the Company a copy of which is annexed hereto (the “ Director’s Certificate ”);

 

7 the Share Purchase Agreement [in substantially the form attached to the Resolutions as Exhibit B] (the “ Share Purchase Agreement ”);

 

8 the Investor Rights Agreement [in substantially the form attached to the resolutions as Exhibit C ] the “ Investor Rights Agreement ”);

 

9 [                    ]

The documents listed at 7 to [    ] above are referred to as the “ Transaction Documents ”.

 

6


SCHEDULE 2

Assumptions

We have relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:

 

1 the Transaction Documents are, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under Hong Kong law and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands);

 

2 the choice of the laws of New York as the governing law of the Transaction Documents has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by any court sitting in New York and any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the Cayman Islands) as a matter of the laws of New York and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands);

 

3 copy documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals;

 

4 all signatures, initials and seals are genuine;

 

5 the power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute, deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Transaction Documents;

 

6 there is nothing contained in the minute book or the corporate records of the Company (which we have not inspected) which would or might affect the opinions hereinafter appearing; and

 

7 there is nothing under any law (other than the law of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions hereinafter appearing. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the laws of New York.

 

7


SCHEDULE 3

Qualifications

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

 

1 The term “ enforceable ” as used in this opinion means that the obligations assumed by the Company under the Transaction Documents are of a type which the courts of the Cayman Islands will enforce. It does not mean that those obligations will necessarily be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular:

 

  1.1 enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the rights of creditors;

 

  1.2 enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy;

 

  1.3 where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction;

 

  1.4 the Cayman Islands court has jurisdiction to give judgment in the currency of the relevant obligation and statutory rates of interest payable upon judgments will vary according to the currency of the judgment. If the Company becomes insolvent and is made subject to a liquidation proceeding, the Cayman Islands court will require all debts to be proved in a common currency, which is likely to be the “ functional currency ” of the Company determined in accordance with applicable accounting principles. Currency indemnity provisions have not been tested, so far as we are aware, in the courts of the Cayman Islands;

 

  1.5 obligations to make payments that may be regarded as penalties will not be enforceable;

 

  1.6 the courts of the Cayman Islands may decline to exercise jurisdiction in relation to substantive proceedings brought under or in relation to the Transaction Documents in matters where they determine that such proceedings may be tried in a more appropriate forum; and

 

  1.7 a company cannot, by agreement or in its articles of association, restrict the exercise of a statutory power and there exists doubt as to enforceability of any provision in the Transaction Documents whereby the Company covenants not to exercise powers specifically given to its shareholders by the Companies Law (2009 Revision), as amended, of the Cayman Islands, including, without limitation, the power to increase its authorised share capital, amend its memorandum and articles of association, or present a petition to a Cayman Islands court for an order to wind up the Company.

 

2 Cayman Islands stamp duty may be payable if the original Transaction Documents are brought to or executed in the Cayman Islands.

 

8


3 A certificate, determination, calculation or designation of any party to the Transaction Documents as to any matter provided therein might be held by a Cayman Islands court not to be conclusive final and binding if, for example, it could be shown to have an unreasonable or arbitrary basis, or in the event of manifest error.

 

4 In principle a Cayman Islands court will award costs and disbursements in litigation in accordance with the relevant contractual provisions but there remains some uncertainty as to the way in which the rules of the Grand Court will be applied in practice. Whilst it is clear that costs incurred prior to judgment can be recovered in accordance with the contract, it is likely that post-judgment costs (to the extent recoverable at all) will be subject to taxation in accordance with Grand Court Rules Order 62.

 

5 We reserve our opinion as to the extent to which a Cayman Islands court would, in the event of any relevant illegality, sever the offending provisions and enforce the remainder of the transaction of which such provisions form a part, notwithstanding any express provisions in this regard.

 

6 We make no comment with regard to the references to foreign statutes in the Transaction Documents.

 

9

Exhibit 10.34

English Translation

2010 Sale and Purchase Contract

By and Between

Light Way Green New Energy Co., Ltd.

And

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Contract No.: DQGW100109

Party A: Light Way Green New Energy Co., Ltd.

Party B: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Date: January 9, 2010

Signing Place: New Industrial Park, Gao Bei Dian, Hebei Province

 

1


Party A: Light Way Green New Energy Co., Ltd.

Form of Company: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: New Industrial Park, Gao Bei Dian (Dongsheng Office, north side of Gaogu Road, Southeast to the Qian Jia Ying Village)

Legal Representative: Wei Qiang

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank, Gao Bei Dian Branch

Account No.: 13001666508050504151

Tel..: 0312-2951118

Fax: 0312-2951119

Party B: Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

Form of Company: Limited Liability Company

Registered Address: Wanzhou Industrial Park, Chongqing

Legal Representative: Xu Guangfu

Bank of Deposit: China Construction Bank, Business Department of Wanzhou Branch

Account No.: 50001303600050207456

Tel..: 025-66980597

Fax: 025-66980592

Pursuant to the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China , on the basis of equality, voluntariness and fairness, under the principle of long-term cooperation and mutual development, Party A and Party B, through friendly negotiation, reached the following agreement:

Party B shall be Party A’s most preferred domestic supplier for polysilicon and Party A shall preferentially purchase polysilicon supplied by Party B, provided that the quality of such polysilicon supplied by Party B is not inferior to that of any other suppliers. Given that Party A is a very important strategic partner of Party B, Party B shall preferentially provide Party A with high quality products.

The Parties shall abide by the following terms and conditions.

Article 1: Subject Matter

Solar grade polysilicon (hereinafter referred to as the “Goods”).

Article 2: Quantity (ton) and Price (RMB)

Party B shall supply 48000 kilograms of silicon materials to Party A, the price of which shall be determined by the Parties on a quarterly basis. The unit price for the first quarter shall be RMB 450 per kilogram (17% VAT tax included). The Parties shall determine the price for the next quarter on the 25 th day of the last month of the current quarter.

 

2


Article 3: Payment Terms and Delivery Date

 

3.1 Party A shall settle all the payment in a lump sum prior to the end of the month in which the delivery and appropriate VAT invoice are received by Party A thereby. Specifically, the first settlement day shall be January 31, 2010 .

 

3.2 Delivery date: Party B shall arrange for the delivery within 1 working day upon its receipt of the purchase order issued by Party A. Party B undertakes to deliver the Goods on a timely basis per Party A’s request.

Article 4: Requirements of Packing and Marking and Delivery Terms

 

4.1 Packing: The package shall be suitable for long-distance highway transportation and Party B shall bear the cost of package.

 

4.2 Marking: Party B shall mark the name of manufacturer, lot number, specification, weight and date of production on the exterior package and interior package as required by Party A.

 

4.3 Place of delivery: The place of delivery shall be the warehouse at the location of Party A’s factory, namely, the factory of Light Way Green New Energy in Gao Bei Dian New Industrial Park. The delivery cost shall be borne by Party B. Where air transportation is required, Party B shall charge Party A for additional delivery cost of RMB3 per kilogram upon agreement by the Parties.

 

4.4 Transfer of title: Title to the Goods, together with the risk of damage or loss, shall transfer to Party A upon delivery.

Article 5: Quality Guarantee

 

5.1 The quality standard of solar grade polysilicon sold by Party B to Party A under this Agreement shall follow: electric resistivity shall be more than 30.

 

5.2 Party B shall submit a test report of each batch of Goods to Party A.

 

5.3 Inspection

 

5.3.1 Standard for inspection: inspection shall be according to the standards specified under the Annex.

 

5.3.2 Time of inspection: within 7 workdays after the Goods reach the site specified by Party A.

 

5.3.3 Inspection of exterior packing: to check if the exterior packing is broken, deformed, chassis is in good conditions, or marks are normal, etc.

 

5.3.4 Inspection of the Goods:

   (1) Random quality inspection upon the inspection of packing completes.

 

3


    (2) Passing quality inspection only means that the quality of selected Goods (not all Goods) meets relevant standards, and therefore the inspection and acceptance sheet signed by both Parties does not guarantee the quality of all Goods provide by Party B. In the event that Party A discovers any defect in the Goods following the inspection, Party B shall call back such goods and be liable for providing defective Goods.

 

5.3.5 In the event of type, product number, packing, specification, or quantity deficiency, Party A shall notify Party B of its objection by fax and in writing within 5 workdays upon completion of the inspection. Party B shall, upon receipt of the fax or written notice from Party A, send its personnel to the Party A’s within 24 hours to replace or call back such Goods at its own cost. Any delay in handling as aforesaid shall be deemed as failure to deliver, and Party A shall be entitled to refuse to pay.

Article 6: Effectiveness, Term and Termination of the Contract

 

6.1 This Contract shall take effect after it is signed and affixed with seal by the representatives of both Parties.

 

6.2 The term of this Contract shall be from its effective date to December 31, 2010. If the Parties conduct any sales and purchase after the expiry of this Contract and before any new contract is entered into, such sales and purchase between the Parties shall be governed by this Contract.

 

6.3 If either Party fails to perform its obligation under this Contract and fails to make remedies for its non-performance or breach of the obligations within 15 days after being required by the other Party, the other Party can terminate this Contract by written notice.

 

6.4 The Articles of Confidentiality, Liability for Breach of Contract and Dispute Resolutions shall survive termination, cancellation or invalidation of this Contract

Article 7: Liability for Breach of Contract

(1) Party B’s Liability for Breach of Contract

 

7.1 If Party B fails to make delivery pursuant to the terms of this Contract, Party B shall assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract;

 

7.2 If Party B fails to deliver Goods conforming to the quality standards stipulated herein such as type, product number, specification and purity, etc., Party B shall be responsible to replace the Goods according to the actual situation at its own cost and indemnify Party A with its loss arising out of such defective Goods supplied by Party B;

 

7.3 If Party B fails to make delivery according to the schedule as set forth in the delivery notice letter and delays for 10 days, Party B shall be deemed to have breached this Contract and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the total amount of the undelivered Goods each day to Party A, but such liquidated damages shall not exceed 5% of the total amount of the undelivered Goods;

 

4


Party A shall be responsible for breach if it fails to perform this Contract upon this Contract comes into effect;

(2) Party A’s Liability for Breach of Contract

 

7.4 If Party A fails to perform its obligations hereunder after the Contract takes effect, Party A will assume the corresponding liability for breach of contract;

 

7.5 If Party A fails to make payment within the term as agreed herein and delays for 10 days, Party A shall be deemed to have breached this Contract and shall pay the liquidated damages amounting to 0.1% of the total price of the unpaid Goods each day to Party B, but such liquidated damages shall not exceed 5% of the total price of the unpaid Goods.

(3) Miscellaneous

 

7.6 If both Parties modify or terminate this Contract through negotiation, no breach of contract shall occur;

 

7.7 For economic indemnifications such as liquidated damages and compensations, the breaching Party shall make remittance to the other Party within 10 days after the liability is clearly allocated.

 

7.8 Other matters shall be solved in accordance with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China .

Article 8 Confidentiality

 

8.1 Both parties shall keep strict confidential of the following information:

 

  (1) Existence of the business relationship under this Contract;

 

  (2) The terms and conditions of this Contract and its negotiation;

 

  (3) The subject matter and quantity hereunder; and

 

  (4) All the commercial and technical information involved in the performance of this Contract.

 

   However, information disclosed pursuant to Article 8.2 hereof shall be excluded.

 

8.2 The information set forth in Article 8.1 can only be disclosed in the following circumstances:

(1) Compulsory requirements under applicable laws;

(2) Compulsory requirements of any competent government agency or supervisory authority;

(3) Disclosed by either Party to the professional consultant or lawyer under the premise that the latter undertakes to keep confidential (if any);

(4) The information enters the public domain due to the fault of neither Party; or

 

5


(5) Both Parties give a written consent in advance.

Article 9 Force Majeure

 

9.1 Force Majeure refers to unforeseeable, unpreventable and unavoidable events after this Contract takes effect, such as earthquake, tsunami, typhoon, snowstorm, fire, drought, flood and war, directly affecting the continuous performance of this Contract.

 

9.2 The affected Party shall inform the other party of the reason for non-performance or incomplete performance of this Contract immediately so as to alleviate the losses that may be caused to the other Party; the affected Party shall also provide the detailed information of the force majeure and the evidence of proof issued by a competent authority within fifteen days. The breaching party shall thereafter be allowed to delay performance, partial performance or non performance of this Contract and shall be partially or completely exempted from the liability for breach of this Contract according to the actual situations.

 

9.3 If the event of force majeure lasts for over thirty days, both parties shall determine whether to continue or terminate this Contract through friendly negotiation. If either party fails to perform its obligations hereunder for more than two months due to the event of force majeure, the other party may terminate this Contract by written notice.

Article 10 Dispute Resolutions

 

10.1 All matters in relation to this Contract shall be subject to the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Any dispute shall be exclusively governed by the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

 

10.2 Any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance of this Contract between both Parties shall be settled through friendly negotiation first. If such negotiation fails to reach an agreement within thirty days, either Party may bring lawsuit to the People’s Court where the plaintiff locates.

 

10.3 Except for the matters under dispute, both parties shall continue to exercise other rights and perform other obligations under the Contract during the period of occurrence and settlement of dispute.

Article 11 Miscellaneous

 

11.1 This Contract shall be executed in four counterparts in Chinese, three of which shall be held by Party A and one of which shall be held by Party B. Copy of this Contract through facsimile shall have the same legal effect as this Contract. This Contract and its attachment shall form a complete contract of the subject matter hereunder.

 

11.2 The Contract shall take effect upon execution.

 

6


11.3 The annex of this Contract includes Technical Specifications and shall form an integral part of this Contract as well as enjoy the same legal effect as the terms and conditions hereunder. In the event of any dispute between the Contract and the annex, the former shall prevail.

 

11.4 Anything not included herein shall be supplemented with supplemental contracts through friendly negotiation by both Parties. The supplemental contracts shall enjoy the same legal effect as this Contract.

 

11.5 This Contract is a framework contract between both Parties with regard to silicon materials. The quantity, specification and model, and delivery period for each order shall be subject to Party A’s order.

 

7


[The remainder of this page intentionally left blank]

 

 

Party A: ( Seal ) Light Way Green New Energy Co., Ltd.
/s/ Signature of the representative:
Date: January 9, 2010

 

 

Party A: ( Seal ) Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.
/s/ Signature of the representative:
Date: January 9, 2010

 

8


Annex: Technical Specifications

 

Standards for raw silicon materials
Standards    N type    P type
Electric resistivity    >30 W cm    >100 W cm
O content    £ 1.0e17 atoms/cm3    £ 1.0e17 atoms/cm3
C content    £ 7.5e16 atoms/cm3    £ 7.5e16 atoms/cm3
Surface texture    Compact and neat (fracture marginal kernels not bigger than 3mm

Surface

contamination

   Removable upon acid corrosion

Exterior appearance

of silicon materials

  

No splash, discolor, rime fog, metal wire, visible contamination, bubble,

oxidized interlayer, white residue or infusible matter.

Matrix metallic

impurities

ppmw

  

Fe, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, TMI (total metal impurities)

Total metal impurities: £ 0.05

Cauliflower-like

silicon

   Content £ 5%
Size   

Linear size of silicon

particle

   3mm at minimum, 200mm at maximum
   3~25mm    Accounting for 15% of the weight at maximum
   25~100mm    Accounting for 15% ~ 35% of the weight
   100~200mm    Accounting for 65% of the weight at minimum
  

Silicon

particle

   1~3mm
Packing    airproof, moisture proof, and non-breakable
Marking    Conduction type, electric resistivity, fineness, weight, etc. shall be marked

 

9

Exhibit 21.1

List of Subsidiaries of Daqo New Energy Corp.

 

Name

  

Jurisdiction of
Incorporation

    

Affiliate relationship with the registrant

Chongqing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

   China      Wholly-owned subsidiary

Nanjing Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.

   China      Wholly-owned subsidiary

Daqo Solar Energy North America

   California, USA      Wholly-owned subsidiary

Daqo New Material Co., Ltd.

   China      Variable interest entity consolidated in the registrant’s financial statements

 

1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1 of our report dated November 16, 2009, (January 12, 2010 as to the subsequent events described in Note 14) relating to the financial statements of Daqo New Energy Corp., which report expresses an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph relating to the change in Daqo New Energy Corp.’s method of accounting for noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements on January 1, 2009 and the retrospective application of the presentation requirements to all periods presented, appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.

 

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.

Shanghai, China

January 12, 2010

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1 of our report dated August 20, 2009, (January 12, 2010 as to the subsequent events described in Note 12), relating to the financial statements of the Predecessor Businesses of Daqo New Energy Corp., Daqo New Material Co. Ltd., appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.

 

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.

Shanghai, China

January 12, 2010

Exhibit 23.3

LOGO

 

J UN H E L AW O FFICES

China Resources Building, 20th Floor

Beijing 100005, P. R. China

Tel.: (86-10) 8519-1300 Fax: (86-10) 8519-1350

E-mail: junhebj@junhe.com

Homepage: www.junhe.com

   LOGO

 

Board of Directors

Daqo New Energy Corp.

666 Longdu Avenue

Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

 

January 12, 2010

 

Re: Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “Company”)

 

Dear Sirs,

 

We, Jun He Law Offices, hereby consent to the use of our name under the captions “Risk Factors,” “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities,” “Regulation,” “Taxation,” “Legal Matters” and elsewhere in the prospectuses included in the registration statement on Form F-1, originally filed by the Company on January 12, 2010, with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or supplemented (the “Prospectuses”). We hereby further consent to the summarization of our opinion under the captions “Risk Factors,” “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” and “Taxation” in the form and context in which they respectively appear in the Prospectuses. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

/s/    Jun He Law Offices                

Jun He Law Offices

  

 

Beijing Head Office

 

China Resources Building

20 Floor

Beijing 100005

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-10) 8519-1300

Fax: (86-10) 8519-1350

E-mail: junhebj@junhe.com

 

Shanghai Office

 

Shanghai Kerry Centre

32 Floor

1515 Nanjing Road West

Shanghai 200040

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-21) 5298-5488

Fax: (86-21) 5298-5492

E-mail: junhesh@junhe.com

 

Shenzhen Office

 

Shenzhen Development

Bank Tower Suite 15-C

5047 East Shennan Road

Shenzhen 518001

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-755) 2587-0765

Fax: (86-755) 2587-0780

E-mail: junhesz@junhe.com

 

Dalian Office

 

International Finance Tower

Suite F, 16 Floor

No. 15 Renmin Road

Zhongshan District

Dalian 116001

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-411) 8250-7578

Fax: (86-411) 8250-7579

E-mail: junhedl@junhe.com

 

Haikou Office

 

Nanyang Building

Suite 1107

Haikou 570105

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-898) 6851-2544

Fax: (86-898) 6851-3514

E-mail: junhehn@junhe.com

 

New York Office

 

500 Fifth Avenue,

43rd Floor, New York,

NY 10110, U.S.A.

Tel.: (1-212) 703-8702

Fax: (1-212) 703-8720

E-mail: junheny@junhe.com

Exhibit 23.4

Daqo New Energy Corp.

666 Longdu Avenue

Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

Attention: Mr. Yao Gongda

September 22, 2009

Dear Mr. Yao,

Solarbuzz LLC (“Solarbuzz”) hereby consents to the references to our name and the quotation by Daqo New Energy Corp. in its Registration Statement on Form F-1 (as may be amended or supplemented), to be submitted or filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”), of research data, information, charts and graphs from Solarbuzz’s Marketbuzz 2009—Annual World Photovoltaic Market Review (“Solarbuzz 2009 Report”). We also hereby consent to the filing of this letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

Solarbuzz hereby confirms that the Solarbuzz 2009 Report is publicly available and, to the best of our knowledge, the information in the Solarbuzz 2009 Report reflects the most recent available information.

This consent will remain in effect from the date of this letter and for so long as the Registration Statement, including any post-effective amendment thereto, remains effective under the U.S. federal securities laws.

Sincerely,

 

/s/ Craig Stevens

Craig Stevens

Solarbuzz LLC

Solarbuzz LLC

P.O. Box 475815,

San Francisco,

California,

USA 94147-5815

Exhibit 23.5

Consent of Person Named to Become a Director

Daqo New Energy Corp.

666 Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou

Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pursuant to Rule 438 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, I hereby consent to the references of my name in the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “Company”), and any amendments thereto, which indicate that I have accepted the nomination to become a director of the Company. I further agree that immediately upon the completion of the initial public offering of the Company’s ordinary shares in the form of American depositary shares pursuant to such Registration Statement, I will serve as a member of the board of directors of the Company.

Sincerely yours,

 

/s/ Daqing Qi

Name:   Daqing Qi

 

1

Exhibit 23.6

Consent of Person Named to Become a Director

Daqo New Energy Corp.

666 Longdu Avenue, Wanzhou

Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pursuant to Rule 438 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, I hereby consent to the references of my name in the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “Company”), and any amendments thereto, which indicate that I have accepted the nomination to become a director of the Company. I further agree that immediately upon the completion of the initial public offering of the Company’s ordinary shares in the form of American depositary shares pursuant to such Registration Statement, I will serve as a member of the board of directors of the Company.

Sincerely yours,

 

/s/ Rongling Chen

Name:   Rongling Chen

 

1

Exhibit 99.1

Daqo New Energy Corp.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Purpose

This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “ Code ”) contains general guidelines for conducting the business of Daqo New Energy Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliate entity (collectively, the “Company”) consistent with the highest standards of business ethics, and is intended to qualify as a “code of ethics” within the meaning of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder. To the extent this Code requires a higher standard than required by commercial practice or applicable laws, rules or regulations, we adhere to these higher standards.

This Code is designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:

 

   

honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

 

   

full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and in other public communications made by the Company;

 

   

compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;

 

   

prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code; and

 

   

accountability for adherence to the Code.

Applicability

This Code applies to all of the directors, officers and employees of the Company, whether they work for the Company on a full-time, part-time, consultative, or temporary basis (each an “employee” and collectively, the “ employees ”). Certain provisions of the Code apply specifically to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, senior finance officer, controller, vice presidents and any other persons who perform similar functions for the Company (each, a “ senior officer ,” and collectively, “ senior officers ”).

The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has appointed Mr. Jimmy Lai, the Company’s chief financial officer, as the Compliance Officer for the Company. If you have any questions regarding the Code or would like to report any violation of the Code, please call the Compliance Officer at (86-23)-6486-6677 or e-mail him at jimmy lai jimmy.lai@daqo.com.

 

1


This Code was adopted by the Board on January 7, 2010. The Code shall become effective (the “Effective Time”) upon the effectiveness of the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO”).

Conflicts of Interest

Identifying Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when an employee’s private interest interferes, or appears to interfere, in any way with the interests of the Company as a whole. You should actively avoid any private interest that may influence your ability to act in the interests of the Company or that may make it difficult to perform your work objectively and effectively. In general, the following should be considered conflicts of interest:

 

   

Competing Business . No employee may be employed by a business that competes with the Company or deprives it of any business.

 

   

Corporate Opportunity . No employee should use corporate property, information or his or her position with the Company to secure a business opportunity that would otherwise be available to the Company. If you discover a business opportunity that is in the Company’s line of business, through the use of the Company’s property, information or position, you must first present the business opportunity to the Company before pursuing the opportunity in your individual capacity.

 

   

Financial Interests .

 

  (i) No employee may have any financial interest (ownership or otherwise), either directly or indirectly through a spouse or other family member, in any other business or entity if such interest adversely affects the employee’s performance of duties or responsibilities to the Company, or requires the employee to devote certain time during such employee’s working hours at the Company;

 

  (ii) No employee may hold any ownership interest in a privately-held company that is in competition with the Company;

 

  (iii) An employee may hold up to but no more than 5% ownership interest in a publicly traded company that is in competition with the Company; provided that if the employee’s ownership interest in such publicly traded company increases to more than 5%, the employee must immediately report such ownership to the Compliance Officer;

 

  (iv) No employee may hold any ownership interest in a company that has a business relationship with the Company if such employee’s duties at the Company include managing or supervising the Company’s business relations with that company; and

 

2


  (v) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Code,

(a) a director or an immediate family member of such director (collectively for the director and her/his family member(s), “ Director Affiliates ”) or a senior officer or an immediate family member of such senior officer (collectively for the senior officer and her/his family member(s), “ Officer Affiliates ”) may continue to hold his/her/its investment or other financial interest in a business or entity (an “ Interested Business ”) that:

(1) was made or obtained either (x) before the Company invested in or otherwise became interested in such business or entity; or (y) before the director or senior officer joined the Company (for the avoidance of doubt, regardless of whether the Company had or had not already invested in or otherwise become interested in such business or entity at the time the director or senior officer joined the Company); or

(2) may in the future be made or obtained by the director or senior officer, provided that at the time such investment or other financial interest is made or obtained, the Company has not yet invested in or otherwise become interested in such business or entity;

provided that such director or senior officer shall disclose such investment or other financial interest to the Board;

(b) an interested director or senior officer shall refrain from participating in any discussion among senior officers of the Company relating to an Interested Business and shall not be involved in any proposed transaction between the Company and an Interested Business; and

(c) before any Director Affiliate or Officer Affiliate (i) invests, or otherwise acquires any equity or other financial interest, in a business or entity that is in competition with the Company; or (ii) enters into any transaction with the Company, the related director or senior officer shall obtain advance approval from the Audit Committee of the Board.

For purposes of this Code, a company or entity is deemed to be “in competition with the Company” if it competes with the Company’s business of providing real estate information and consulting services, real estate advertising services, and operating business-to-business and business-to-consumer Internet websites targeting participants in the real estate industry and/or any other business in which the Company is engaged.

 

3


   

Loans or Other Financial Transactions . No employee may obtain loans or guarantees of personal obligations from, or enter into any other personal financial transaction with, any company that is a material customer, supplier or competitor of the Company. This guideline does not prohibit arms-length transactions with recognized banks or other financial institutions.

 

   

Service on Boards and Committees . No employee should serve on a board of directors or trustees or on a committee of any entity (whether profit or not-for-profit) whose interests reasonably could be expected to conflict with those of the Company. Employees must obtain prior approval from the Board before accepting any such board or committee position. The Company may revisit its approval of any such position at any time to determine whether service in such position is still appropriate.

It is difficult to list all of the ways in which a conflict of interest may arise, and we have provided only a few, limited examples. If you are faced with a difficult business decision that is not addressed above, ask yourself the following questions:

 

   

Is it legal?

 

   

Is it honest and fair?

 

   

Is it in the best interests of the Company?

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

The Company requires that employees fully disclose any situations that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest. If you suspect that you have a conflict of interest, or something that others could reasonably perceive as a conflict of interest, you must report it immediately to the Compliance Officer. Conflicts of interest may only be waived by the Board, or the appropriate committee of the Board, and will be promptly disclosed to the public to the extent required by law.

Family Members and Work

The actions of family members outside the workplace may also give rise to conflicts of interest because they may influence an employee’s objectivity in making decisions on behalf of the Company. If a member of an employee’s family is interested in doing business with the Company, the criteria as to whether to enter into or continue the business relationship, and the terms and conditions of the relationship, must be no less favorable to the Company compared with those that would apply to a non-relative seeking to do business with the Company under similar circumstances.

Employees should report any situation involving family members that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest to their supervisor or the Compliance Officer. For purposes of this Code, “family members” or “members of your family” include your spouse, brothers, sisters and parents, in-laws and children.

 

4


Gifts and Entertainment

The giving and receiving of appropriate gifts may be considered common business practice. Appropriate business gifts and entertainment are welcome courtesies designed to build relationships and understanding among business partners. However, gifts and entertainment should never compromise, or appear to compromise, your ability to make objective and fair business decisions.

It is the responsibility of employees to use good judgment in this area. As a general rule, employees may give or receive gifts or entertainment to or from customers or suppliers only if the gift or entertainment could not be viewed as an inducement to any particular business decision. All gifts and entertainment expenses made on behalf of the Company must be properly accounted for on expense reports.

Employees may only accept appropriate gifts. We encourage employees to submit gifts received to the Company. While it is not mandatory to submit small gifts, gifts of over RMB200 must be submitted immediately to the administration department of the Company.

The Company’s business conduct is founded on the principle of “fair transaction.” Therefore, no employee may receive kickbacks, bribe others, or secretly receive commissions or any other personal benefits.

FCPA Compliance

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. A violation of FCPA not only violates the Company’s policy but is also a civil or criminal offense under FCPA which the Company is subject to after the Effective Time. No employee shall give or authorize directly or indirectly any illegal payments to government officials of any country. While the FCPA does, in certain limited circumstances, allow nominal “facilitating payments” to be made, any such payment must be discussed with and approved by your supervisor in advance before it can be made.

Protection and Use of Company Assets

Employees should protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use for legitimate business purposes only. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on the Company’s profitability. The use of the funds or assets of the Company, whether for personal gain or not, for any unlawful or improper purpose is strictly prohibited.

To ensure the protection and proper use of the Company’s assets, each employee should:

 

   

Exercise reasonable care to prevent theft, damage or misuse of Company property;

 

   

Promptly report the actual or suspected theft, damage or misuse of Company property;

 

5


   

Safeguard all electronic programs, data, communications and written materials from inadvertent access by others; and

 

   

Use Company property only for legitimate business purposes.

Except as approved in advance by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, the Company prohibits political contributions (directly or through trade associations) by any employee on behalf of the Company. Prohibited political contribution activities include:

 

   

any contributions of Company funds or other assets for political purposes;

 

   

encouraging individual employees to make any such contribution; and

 

   

reimbursing an employee for any political contribution.

Intellectual Property and Confidentiality

 

   

All inventions, creative works, computer software, and technical or trade secrets developed by an employee in the course of performing the employee’s duties or primarily through the use of the Company’s materials and technical resources while working at the Company, shall be the property of the Company.

 

   

The Company maintains a strict confidentiality policy. During an employee’s term of employment, the employee shall comply with any and all written or unwritten rules and policies concerning confidentiality and shall fulfill the duties and responsibilities concerning confidentiality applicable to the employee.

 

   

In addition to fulfilling the responsibilities associated with his position in the Company, an employee shall not, without first obtaining approval from the Company, disclose, announce or publish trade secrets or other confidential business information of the Company, nor shall an employee use such confidential information outside the course of his duties to the Company.

 

   

Even outside the work environment, an employee must maintain vigilance and refrain from disclosing important information regarding the Company or its business, customers or employees.

 

   

An employee’s duty of confidentiality with respect to the confidential information of the Company survives the termination of such employee’s employment with the Company for any reason until such time as the Company discloses such information publicly or the information otherwise becomes available in the public sphere through no fault of the employee.

 

6


   

Upon termination of employment, or at such time as the Company requests, an employee must return to the Company all of its property without exception, including all forms of medium containing confidential information, and may not retain duplicate materials.

Accuracy of Financial Reports and Other Public Communications

Upon the completion of the IPO, the Company will be required to report its financial results and other material information about its business to the public and the SEC. It is the Company’s policy to promptly disclose accurate and complete information regarding its business, financial condition and results of operations. Employees must strictly comply with all applicable standards, laws, regulations and policies for accounting and financial reporting of transactions, estimates and forecasts. Inaccurate, incomplete or untimely reporting will not be tolerated and can severely damage the Company and result in legal liability.

Employees should be on guard for, and promptly report, any possibility of inaccurate or incomplete financial reporting. Particular attention should be paid to:

 

   

Financial results that seem inconsistent with the performance of the underlying business;

 

   

Transactions that do not seem to have an obvious business purpose; and

 

   

Requests to circumvent ordinary review and approval procedures.

The Company’s senior financial officers and other employees working in the Finance Department have a special responsibility to ensure that all of the Company’s financial disclosures are full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable. Any practice or situation that might undermine this objective should be reported to the Compliance Officer.

Employees are prohibited from directly or indirectly taking any action to coerce, manipulate, mislead or fraudulently influence the Company’s independent auditors for the purpose of rendering the financial statements of the Company materially misleading. Prohibited actions include but are not limited to those actions taken to coerce, manipulate, mislead or fraudulently influence an auditor:

 

   

to issue or reissue a report on the Company’s financial statements that is not warranted in the circumstances (due to material violations of U.S. GAAP, generally accepted auditing standards or other professional or regulatory standards);

 

   

not to perform audit, review or other procedures required by generally accepted auditing standards or other professional standards;

 

   

not to withdraw an issued report; or

 

   

not to communicate matters to the Company’s Audit Committee.

 

7


Company Records

Accurate and reliable records are crucial to the Company’s business and form the basis of its earnings statements, financial reports and other disclosures to the public. The Company’s records are the source of essential data that guides business decision-making and strategic planning. Company records include, but are not limited to, booking information, payroll, timecards, travel and expense reports, e-mails, accounting and financial data, measurement and performance records, electronic data files and all other records maintained in the ordinary course of our business.

All Company records must be complete, accurate and reliable in all material respects. There is never an acceptable reason to make false or misleading entries. Undisclosed or unrecorded funds, payments or receipts are strictly prohibited. You are responsible for understanding and complying with the Company’s record keeping policy. Contact the Compliance Officer if you have any questions regarding the record keeping policy.

Compliance with Laws and Regulations

Each employee has an obligation to comply with the laws of the cities, provinces, regions and countries in which the Company operates. This includes, without limitation, laws covering commercial bribery and kickbacks, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, information privacy, insider trading, offering or receiving gratuities, employment harassment, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, false or misleading financial information, misuse of corporate assets and foreign currency exchange activities. Employees are expected to understand and comply with all laws, rules and regulations that apply to your position at the Company. If any doubt exists about whether a course of action is lawful, you should seek advice immediately from the Compliance Officer.

Discrimination and Harassment

The Company is firmly committed to providing equal opportunity in all aspects of employment and will not tolerate any illegal discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, national origin or any other protected class. For further information, you should consult the Compliance Officer.

Health and Safety

The Company strives to provide employees with a safe and healthy work environment. Each employee has responsibility for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for other employees by following environmental, safety and health rules and practices and reporting accidents, injuries and unsafe equipment, practices or conditions. Violence and threatening behavior are not permitted.

 

8


Each employee is expected to perform his or her duty to the Company in a safe manner, free of the influences of alcohol, illegal drugs or other controlled substances. The use of illegal drugs or other controlled substances in the workplace is prohibited.

Violations of the Code

All employees have a duty to report any known or suspected violation of this Code, including any violation of laws, rules, regulations or policies that apply to the Company. Reporting a known or suspected violation of this Code by others will not be considered an act of disloyalty, but an action to safeguard the reputation and integrity of the Company and its employees.

If you know of or suspect a violation of this Code, it is your responsibility to immediately report the violation to the Compliance Officer, who will work with you to investigate your concern. All questions and reports of known or suspected violations of this Code will be treated with sensitivity and discretion. The Compliance Officer and the Company will protect your confidentiality to the extent possible, consistent with the law and the Company’s need to investigate your concern.

It is the Company’s policy that any employee who violates this Code will be subject to appropriate discipline, including termination of employment, based upon the facts and circumstances of each particular situation. Your conduct as an employee of the Company, if it does not comply with the law or with this Code, can result in serious consequences for both you and the Company.

The Company strictly prohibits retaliation against an employee who, in good faith, seeks help or reports known or suspected violations. An employee inflicting reprisal or retaliation against another employee for reporting a known or suspected violation, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Waivers of the Code

Waivers of this Code will be granted on a case-by-case basis and only in extraordinary circumstances. Waivers of this Code may be made only by the Board, or the appropriate committee of the Board, and may be promptly disclosed to the public if so required by applicable laws and regulations.

Conclusion

This Code contains general guidelines for conducting the business of the Company consistent with the highest standards of business ethics. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact the Compliance Officer. We expect all employees to adhere to these standards. Each employee is separately responsible for his or her actions. Conduct that violates the law or this Code cannot be justified by claiming that it was ordered by a supervisor or someone in higher management. If you engage in conduct prohibited by the law or this Code, you will be deemed to have acted outside the scope of your employment. Such conduct will subject you to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

9

Exhibit 99.2

 

LOGO

J UN H E L AW O FFICES

China Resources Building, 20th Floor

Beijing 100005, P. R. China

Tel.: (86-10) 8519-1300    Fax: (86-10) 8519-1350

E-mail: junhebj@junhe.com

   LOGO

 

January 12, 2010

 

To:     Daqo New Energy Corp.

666 Longdu Avenue

Wanzhou, Chongqing 404000

People’s Republic of China

 

Re: Legal Opinion on Certain PRC Law Matters

 

We are lawyers qualified in the People’s Republic of China (the “ PRC ”) and are qualified to issue an opinion on the laws and regulations of the PRC.

 

We are acting as the PRC counsel to Daqo New Energy Corp. (the “ Company ”), a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, in connection with (A) the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1 (the “ Registration Statement ”), publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and including the prospectus that forms a part of the Registration Statement, as amended, relating to the public offering (the “Offering”) and sale by the Company of a certain number of the Company’s American Depositary Shares (“ ADSs ”), representing ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share of the Company (the “ Shares ”), and (B) the issuance and sale of the Company’s ADSs and listing of the Company’s ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Transactions”).

 

As used herein, (A) “ PRC Law ” means all applicable laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations and other legislation of the PRC in effect on the date of this opinion; (B) “ PRC Authorities ” means any national or provincial or local governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission in the PRC, or any court, tribunal or any other judicial or arbitral body in the PRC, or any body exercising, or entitled to exercise, any administrative, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory, or power of similar nature in the PRC; and (C) “ Approvals ” means all approvals, consents, waivers, sanctions, certificates, authorizations, filings, disclosures, registrations, exemptions, permissions, endorsements, annual inspections, qualifications, permits and licenses required by any PRC Authorities pursuant to any PRC Law.

 

    

 

Beijing Head Office

 

China Resources Building

20 th Floor

Beijing 100005

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-10) 8519-1300

Fax: (86-10) 8519-1350

E-mail:  junhebj@junhe.com

 

Shanghai Office

 

Shanghai Kerry Centre

32 nd Floor

1515 Nanjing Road West

Shanghai 200040

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-21) 5298-5488

Fax: (86-21) 5298-5492

E-mail: junhesh@junhe.com

 

Shenzhen Office

 

Shenzhen Development

Bank Tower Suite 15-C

5047 East Shennan Road

Shenzhen 518001

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-755) 2587-0765

Fax: (86-755) 2587-0780

E-mail:  junhesz@junhe.com

 

Dalian Office

 

International Finance Tower

Suite F, 16 th Floor

No. 15 Renmin Road

Zhongshan District

Dalian 116001

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-411) 8250-7578

Fax: (86-411) 8250-7579

E-mail:  junhedl@junhe.com

 

Haikou Office

 

Nanyang Building

Suite 1107

Haikou 570105

P. R. China

Tel.: (86-898) 6851-2544

Fax: (86-898) 6851-3514

E-mail:  junhehn@junhe.com

 

New York Office

 

500 Fifth Avenue,

43rd Floor, New York,

NY 10110, U.S.A.

Tel.: (1-212) 703-8702

Fax: (1-212) 703-8720

E-mail:  junheny@junhe.com

 

- 1 -


Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

In so acting, we have examined the originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, provided to us by the Company and such other documents, corporate records, certificates, Approvals and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purpose of rendering this opinion, including, without limitation, originals or copies of the Agreements and certificates issued by PRC Authorities and officers of the Company.

 

In examination of the documents and for the purpose of giving this opinion, we have assumed without further inquiry:

 

(a)    the genuineness of all signatures, seals and chops, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies;

 

(b)    the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of all factual statements in the documents; and

 

(c)    that all parties except the PRC Group Entities to the Agreements have the requisite power and authority to enter into the Agreements and to perform their obligations thereunder, and that all parties to the Agreements have duly authorized, executed and delivered the relevant Agreements and that none of the Agreements has been revoked, amended, varied, cancelled or supplemented as of the date of this opinion.

 

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.      On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, namely, the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration for Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “M&A Rules”). The New M&A Rules purport, among other things, to require offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, formed for overseas listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies and controlled by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, pursuant to the New M&A Rules and other PRC Laws, the CSRC, on its official website, promulgated relevant guidance with respect to the issues of listing and trading of domestic enterprises’ securities on overseas stock exchanges (together with the M&A Rules, the “M&A Rules and Related Clarifications”), including a list of application materials with respect to the listing on overseas stock exchanges by SPVs. Based on our understanding of current PRC Laws and the interpretations and implementations thereof as of the date

 

 

- 2 -


         hereof, we understand that (i) the CSRC has jurisdiction over the Company’s offering; (ii) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether the offering contemplated by the Company and as described in the General Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time and the Final Prospectus are subject to the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications; and (iii) notwithstanding the above, given that the Company set up the PRC Subsidiaries as newly established, wholly foreign owned subsidiaries in the PRC, the Company is not a special purpose vehicle formed for the purpose of acquiring a PRC domestic company, the relevant regulations above are not applicable. As a result, the Company is not required to submit an application to the CSRC for its approval of the listing and trading of the Company’s ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company’s issuance and sale of the ADSs and the Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement and the Deposit Agreement.

 

2.      The statements in the Registration Statement under the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Corporate History and Structure,” “Dividend Policy,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business,” “Regulation,” “Management,” “Principal Shareholders,” “Related Party Transactions,” “Taxation” and “Enforcement of Civil Liabilities” to the extent such statements relate to matters of (i) PRC Law and (ii) documents governed by the PRC Law, are true and accurate in all material respects.

 

This opinion relates only to PRC Law and we express no opinion as to any laws other than PRC Laws. PRC Law as used in this opinion refers to PRC Law currently in force as of the date of this opinion and there is no guarantee that any of such PRC Law will not be changed, amended or revoked in the immediate future or in the longer term with or without retroactive effect.

 

This opinion is intended to be used in the context which is specifically referred to herein and each paragraph should be looked at as a whole and no part should be extracted and referred to independently.

 

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion in, and the filing hereof as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we fall within the category of the person whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

 

Yours faithfully,

/s/    Jun He Law Offices

Jun He Law Offices

 

- 3 -