As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 30, 2021

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Waterdrop Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Cayman Islands   Not Applicable

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

Block C, Wangjing Science and Technology Park

No. 2 Lize Zhonger Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102

People’s Republic of China

+86 10 5339-4997

(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)

 

 

2018 Share Incentive Plan

2021 Share Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 

 

Cogency Global Inc.

122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10168

+1 (800) 221-0102

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

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐


Copy to:

Kangping Shi

Chief Financial Officer

Waterdrop Inc.

Block C, Wangjing Science and Technology Park

No. 2 Lize Zhonger Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

People’s Republic of China

+86 10 5339-4997

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of securities to be registered(1)  

Amount to be

registered(2)

 

Proposed maximum

offering price per
share

 

Proposed maximum

aggregate offering price

  Amount of registration
Fee

Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000005 per share

 

263,502,760 (3)

 

$0.0427 (3)

 

$11,251,567.85

 

$1,043.02

Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000005 per share

 

437,641,402 (4)

 

$0.14 (4)

 

$61,269,796.28

 

$5,679.71

Total

 

701,144,162

 

—  

 

$72,521,364.13

 

$6,722.73

 

 

 

 

  (1)

These shares may be represented by the Registrant’s American Depositary Shares, or ADSs. Each ADS represents ten of the Registrant’s Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000005 per share. The Registrant’s ADSs issuable upon deposit of the Class A ordinary shares registered hereby have been registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (333-255650).

 

  (2)

Represents Class A ordinary shares issuable upon vesting or exercise of awards granted under the Registrant’s 2018 Share Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”) and 2021 Share Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”). Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement is deemed to cover an indeterminate number of additional shares which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution from share splits, share dividends, or similar transactions as provided in the 2018 Plan or the 2021 Plan. Any Class A ordinary shares covered by an award granted under the 2018 Plan or the 2021 Plan (or portion of an award) that terminates, expires, or lapses for any reason will be deemed not to have been issued for purposes of determining the maximum aggregate number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued under the 2018 Plan or the 2021 Plan.

 

  (3)

The amount to be registered represents Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options granted under the 2018 Plan and the corresponding proposed maximum offering price per share represents the weighted average exercise price of these outstanding options.

 

  (4)

These Class A ordinary shares are reserved for future award grants under the 2018 Plan and the 2021 Plan. The number of Class A ordinary shares available for issuance under the 2018 Plan and the 2021 Plan has been estimated for the purposes of calculating the amount of the registration fee. The maximum aggregate number of shares which may be issued under the 2021 Plan is initially 80,508,501 ordinary shares, plus an annual increase on the first day of each year during the ten-year term of the 2021 Plan commencing with the year beginning January 1, 2022, by an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 2% of the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding on an as-converted fully diluted basis on the last day of the immediately preceding year and (ii) such number of ordinary shares as may be determined by the board of directors of the Registrant. Additional Class A ordinary shares are being registered on this registration statement to cover the additional Class A ordinary shares that may be issued under the 2021 Plan pursuant to such annual increases. To the extent that the actual number of shares that may be offered pursuant to the 2021 Plan exceeds the number of shares registered on this registration statement, the Registrant will file a new registration statement to register the additional shares. The proposed maximum offering price per share, which is estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee under Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act, is based on the average of the high and low prices for the Registrant’s ADSs as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange on November 26, 2021, adjusted for ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio.


PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Item 1.

Plan Information*

 

Item 2.

Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information*

 

*

Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this registration statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the Note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing information specified in this Part I will be separately provided to the participants covered by the 2018 Plan and the 2021 Plan, as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.

Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents previously filed by Waterdrop Inc. (the “Registrant”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) are incorporated by reference herein:

 

  (a)

The Registrant’s prospectus dated May 6, 2021 filed with the Commission on May 7, 2021 (File No. 333-255298) pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act; and

 

  (b)

The description of the Registrant’s Class A ordinary shares incorporated by reference in the Registrant’s registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-40376) filed with the Commission on April 30, 2021, including any amendment, supplement and report subsequently filed for the purpose of updating that description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), after the date of this registration statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this registration statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in this registration statement or in any other later filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to be a part of this registration statement.

 

Item 4.

Description of Securities

Not applicable.

 

Item 5.

Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

 

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 for indemnification of directors and officers, 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. The Registrant’s amended and restated articles of association, adopted by its shareholders on April 16, 2021 and effective immediately prior to the completion of the initial public offering of the Registrant’s ADSs representing its Class A ordinary shares, provides that the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers (each an indemnified person) against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such indemnified person, other than by reason of such indemnified person’s own dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of the Registrant’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such indemnified person in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning the Registrant or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere.

 

3


Pursuant to the indemnification agreement, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-255298), the Registrant has agreed to indemnify its directors and executive officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being directors or officers of the Registrant.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

The Registrant also maintains a directors and officers liability insurance policy for its directors and officers.

 

Item 7.

Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.

Exhibits

See the Index to Exhibits attached hereto.

 

Item 9.

Undertakings

 

(a)

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  (i)

to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

  (ii)

to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement; and

 

  (iii)

to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to that information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement;

 

  (2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

4


(b)

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

5


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number

  

Description

  4.1*    Seventh Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant
  4.2    Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Class  A Ordinary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-255298)
  4.3*    Deposit Agreement, among the Registrant, CITIBANK, N.A., as depositary, and all holders and beneficial owners of American Depositary Shares issued thereunder, dated May 6, 2021
  5.1*    Opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, Cayman Islands counsel to the Registrant, regarding the legality of the Class A Ordinary Shares being registered
10.1    2018 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-255298)
10.2    2021 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-255298)
23.1*    Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, an independent registered public accounting firm
23.2*    Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1*    Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto)

 

*

Filed herewith.


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 S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Beijing, China, on November 30, 2021.

 

 

Waterdrop Inc.

By:  

/s/ Peng Shen

  Name:  

Peng Shen

  Title:   Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer


POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints, severally and not jointly, each of Peng Shen and Kangping Shi, with full power to act alone, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with the power of substitution, for and in such person’s name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities on November 30, 2021.

 

Signature

  

Title

/s/ Peng Shen

Peng Shen

  

Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Guang Yang

Guang Yang

  

Director

/s/ Yao Hu

Yao Hu

  

Director

/s/ Haiyang Yu

Haiyang Yu

  

Director

/s/ Kai Huang

Kai Huang

  

Director

/s/ Nina Zhou

Nina Zhou

  

Director

/s/ Heping Feng

Heping Feng

  

Independent Director

/s/ Chenyang Wei

Chenyang Wei

  

Independent Director

/s/ Kangping Shi

Kangping Shi

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)


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 Waterdrop Inc. has signed this registration statement or amendment thereto in New York, New York on November 30, 2021.

 

Authorized U.S. Representative Cogency Global Inc.

By:

 

/s/ Colleen A. De Vries

Name:

  Colleen A. De Vries

Title:

 

Senior Vice President on behalf of Cogency Global Inc.

Exhibit 4.1

THE COMPANIES ACT (2021 REVISION)

OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

OF

WATERDROP INC.

(adopted by a Special Resolution passed on April 16, 2021 and effective immediately prior to the completion of the initial public offering of the Company’s American Depositary Shares representing its Class A Ordinary Shares which is on May 11, 2021)

 

1.

The name of the Company is Waterdrop Inc.

 

2.

The Registered Office of the Company will be situated at Office of Maples Corporate Services Limited at PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or at such other location within the Cayman Islands as the Directors may from time to time determine.

 

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 Act or any other law of the Cayman Islands.

 

4.

The Company shall have and be capable of exercising all the functions of a natural person of full capacity irrespective of any question of corporate benefit as provided by the Companies Act.

 

5.

The Company will not trade in the Cayman Islands with any person, firm or corporation except in furtherance of the business of the Company carried on outside the Cayman Islands; provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as to prevent the Company effecting and concluding contracts in the Cayman Islands, and exercising in the Cayman Islands all of its powers necessary for the carrying on of its business outside the Cayman Islands.

 

6.

The liability of each Shareholder is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the Shares held by such Shareholder.

 

7.

The authorised share capital of the Company is US$50,000 divided into 10,000,000,000 shares comprising (i) 8,900,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of a par value of US$0.000005 each, (ii) 1,000,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of a par value of US$0.000005 each and (iii) 100,000,000 shares of a par value of US$0.000005 each of such class or classes (however designated) as the board of directors may determine in accordance with Article 9 of the Articles. Subject to the Companies Act and the Articles, the Company shall have power to redeem or purchase any of its Shares and to increase or reduce its authorised share capital and to sub-divide or consolidate the said Shares or any of them and to issue all or any part of its capital whether original, redeemed, increased or reduced with or without any preference, priority, special privilege or other rights or subject to any postponement of rights or to any conditions or restrictions whatsoever and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise expressly provide every issue of shares whether stated to be ordinary, preference or otherwise shall be subject to the powers on the part of the Company hereinbefore provided.

 

8.

The Company has the power contained in the Companies Act to deregister in the Cayman Islands and be registered by way of continuation in some other jurisdiction.

 

9.

Capitalised terms that are not defined in this Memorandum of Association bear the same meanings as those given in the Articles of Association of the Company.


THE COMPANIES ACT (2021 REVISION)

OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

WATERDROP INC.

(adopted by a Special Resolution passed on April 16, 2021 and effective immediately prior to the completion of the initial public offering of the Company’s American Depositary Shares representing its Class A Ordinary Shares which is on May 11, 2021)

TABLE A

The regulations contained or incorporated in Table ‘A’ in the First Schedule of the Companies Act shall not apply to the Company and the following Articles shall comprise the Articles of Association of the Company.

INTERPRETATION

 

1.

In these Articles the following defined terms will have the meanings ascribed to them, if not inconsistent with the subject or context:

 

“ADS”

   means an American Depositary Share representing Class A Ordinary Shares;

“Affiliate”

   means in respect of a Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person, and (i) in the case of a natural person, shall include, without limitation, such person’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, a trust for the benefit of any of the foregoing, and a corporation, partnership or any other entity wholly or jointly owned by any of the foregoing, and (ii) in the case of an entity, shall include a partnership, a corporation or any other entity or any natural person which directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such entity. The term “control” shall mean the ownership, directly or indirectly, of shares possessing more than fifty per cent (50%) of the voting power of the corporation, partnership or other entity (other than, in the case of a corporation, securities having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency), or having the power to control the management or elect a majority of members to the board of directors or equivalent decision-making body of such corporation, partnership or other entity;

“Articles”

   means these articles of association of the Company, as amended or substituted by Special Resolution from time to time;

“Board” and “Board of Directors” and “Directors”

   means 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;

“Chairperson”

   means the chairperson of the Board of Directors;

 

2


“Class” or “Classes”

   means any class or classes of Shares as may from time to time be issued by the Company;

“Class A Ordinary Share”

   means an Ordinary Share of a par value of US$0.000005 in the capital of the Company, designated as a Class A Ordinary Shares and having the rights provided for in these Articles;

“Class B Ordinary Share”

   means an Ordinary Share of a par value of US$0.000005 in the capital of the Company, designated as a Class B Ordinary Share and having the rights provided for in these Articles;

“Commission”

   means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America or any other federal agency for the time being administering the Securities Act;

“Communication Facilities”

   means video, video-conferencing, internet or online conferencing applications, telephone or tele-conferencing and/or any other video-communications, internet or online conferencing application or telecommunications facilities by means of which all Persons participating in a meeting are capable of hearing and being heard by each other;

“Company”

   means Waterdrop Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company;

“Companies Act”

   means the Companies Act (2021 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and any statutory amendment or re-enactment thereof;

“Company’s Website”

   means the main corporate/investor relations website of the Company, the address or domain name of which has been disclosed in any registration statement filed by the Company with the Commission in connection with its initial public offering of ADSs, or which has otherwise been notified to Shareholders;

“Designated Stock Exchange”

   means the stock exchange in the United States on which any Shares and ADSs are listed for trading;

“Designated Stock Exchange Rules”

   means the relevant code, rules and regulations, as amended, from time to time, applicable as a result of the original and continued listing of any Shares or ADSs on the Designated Stock Exchange;

“electronic”

   has the meaning given to it in the Electronic Transactions Act and any amendment thereto or re-enactments thereof for the time being in force and includes every other law incorporated therewith or substituted therefor;

“electronic communication”

   means 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;

“Electronic Transactions Act”

   means the Electronic Transactions Act (2003 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and any statutory amendment or re-enactment thereof;

“electronic record”

   has the meaning given to it in the Electronic Transactions Act and any amendment thereto or re-enactments thereof for the time being in force and includes every other law incorporated therewith or substituted therefor;

“Founder”

   refer to Mr. Peng Shen;

“Founder Affiliate”

   any trust for the benefit of the Founder and his legal spouse, parents, children or other lineal descendants, and any entity that is ultimately controlled by the Founder;

 

3


“Memorandum of Association”

   means the memorandum of association of the Company, as amended or substituted by Special Resolution from time to time;

“Ordinary Resolution”

  

means a resolution:

 

(a)   passed by a simple majority of the votes cast by such Shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy or, in the case of corporations, by their duly authorised representatives, at a general meeting of the Company held in accordance with these Articles; or

  

(b)   approved in writing by all of the Shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Shareholders 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;

“Ordinary Share”

   means a Class A Ordinary Share or a Class B Ordinary Share;

“paid up”

   means paid up as to the par value in respect of the issue of any Shares and includes credited as paid up;

“Person”

   means any natural person, firm, company, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association or other entity (whether or not having a separate legal personality) or any of them as the context so requires;

“Present”

   means in respect of any Person, such Person’s presence at a general meeting of Shareholders (or any meeting of the holders of any Class of Shares), which may be satisfied by means of such Person or, if a corporation or other non natural Person, its duly authorized representative (or, in the case of any Shareholder, a proxy which has been validly appointed by such Shareholder in accordance with these Articles), being: (a) physically present at the meeting; or (b) in the case of any meeting at which Communication Facilities are permitted in accordance with these Articles, including any Virtual Meeting, connected by means of the use of such Communication Facilities;

“Register”

   means the register of Members of the Company maintained in accordance with the Companies Act;

“Registered Office”

   means the registered office of the Company as required by the Companies Act;

“Seal”

   means the common seal of the Company (if adopted) including any facsimile thereof;

“Secretary”

   means any Person appointed by the Directors to perform any of the duties of the secretary of the Company;

“Securities Act”

   means 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;

“Share”

   means a share in the capital of the Company. All references to “Shares” herein shall be deemed to be Shares of any or all Classes as the context may require. For the avoidance of doubt in these Articles the expression “Share” shall include a fraction of a Share;

“Shareholder” or “Member”

   means a Person who is registered as the holder of one or more Shares in the Register;

“Share Premium Account”

   means the share premium account established in accordance with these Articles and the Companies Act;

 

4


“signed”

   means bearing 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”

  

means a special resolution of the Company passed in accordance with the Companies Act, being a resolution:

 

(a)   passed by not less than two-thirds of the votes cast by such Shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy or, in the case of corporations, by their duly authorised representatives, at a general meeting of the Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given; or

 

(b)   approved in writing by all of the Shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Shareholders and the effective date of the special resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument or the last of such instruments, if more than one, is executed;

“Treasury Share”

   means a Share held in the name of the Company as a treasury share in accordance with the Companies Act; and

“United States”

   means the United States of America, its territories, its possessions and all areas subject to its jurisdiction.

“Virtual Meeting”

   means any general meeting of the Shareholders (or any meeting of the holders of any Class of Shares) at which the Shareholders (and any other permitted participants of such meeting, including without limitation the chairperson of the meeting and any Directors) are permitted to attend and participate solely by means of Communication Facilities.

 

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 and any Person as the context may require;

 

  (c)

the word “may” shall be construed as permissive and the word “shall” shall be construed as imperative;

 

  (d)

reference to a dollar or dollars (or US$) and to a cent or cents is reference to dollars and cents of the United States of America;

 

  (e)

reference to a statutory enactment shall include reference to any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force;

 

  (f)

reference to any determination by the Directors shall be construed as a determination by the Directors in their sole and absolute discretion and shall be applicable either generally or in any particular case;

 

  (g)

reference to “in writing” shall be construed as written or represented by any means reproducible in writing, including any form of print, lithograph, email, facsimile, photograph or telex or represented by any other substitute or format for storage or transmission for writing including in the form of an electronic record or partly one and partly another;

 

5


  (h)

any requirements as to delivery under the Articles include delivery in the form of an electronic record or an electronic communication;

 

  (i)

any requirements as to execution or signature under the Articles, including the execution of the Articles themselves, can be satisfied in the form of an electronic signature as defined in the Electronic Transaction Act; and

 

  (j)

Sections 8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Act shall not apply.

 

3.

Subject to the last two preceding Articles, any words defined in the Companies Act 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 shall be at such address in the Cayman Islands as the Directors may 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.

 

6.

The expenses incurred in the formation of the Company and in connection with the offer for subscription and issue of Shares shall be paid by the Company. Such expenses may be amortised over such period as the Directors may determine and the amount so paid shall be charged against income and/or capital in the accounts of the Company as the Directors shall determine.

 

7.

The Directors shall keep, or cause to be kept, the Register at such place as the Directors may from time to time determine and, in the absence of any such determination, the Register shall be kept at the Registered Office.

SHARES

 

8.

Subject to these Articles, all Shares for the time being unissued shall be under the control of the Directors who may, in their absolute discretion and without the approval of the Members, cause the Company to:

 

  (a)

issue, allot and dispose of Shares (including, without limitation, preferred shares) (whether in certificated form or non-certificated form) to such Persons, in such manner, on such terms and having such rights and being subject to such restrictions as they may from time to time determine;

 

  (b)

grant rights over Shares or other securities to be issued in one or more classes or series as they deem necessary or appropriate and determine the designations, powers, preferences, privileges and other rights attaching to such Shares or securities, including dividend rights, voting rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the powers, preferences, privileges and rights associated with the then issued and outstanding Shares, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper; and

 

  (c)

grant options with respect to Shares and issue warrants or similar instruments with respect thereto.

 

6


9.

The Directors may authorise the division of Shares into any number of Classes and the different Classes shall be authorised, established and designated (or re-designated as the case may be) and the variations in the relative rights (including, without limitation, voting, dividend and redemption rights), restrictions, preferences, privileges and payment obligations as between the different Classes (if any) may be fixed and determined by the Directors or by a Special Resolution. The Directors may issue Shares with such preferred or other rights, all or any of which may be greater than the rights of Ordinary Shares, at such time and on such terms as they may think appropriate. Notwithstanding Article 17, the Directors may issue from time to time, out of the authorised share capital of the Company (other than the authorised but unissued Ordinary Shares), series of preferred shares in their absolute discretion and without approval of the Members; provided, however, before any preferred shares of any such series are issued, the Directors shall by resolution of Directors determine, with respect to any series of preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:

 

  (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 preferred 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, and 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 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;

 

  (e)

whether the preferred shares of such series shall have any rights to receive any part of the assets available for distribution amongst the Members upon the liquidation of the Company, and, if so, the terms of such liquidation preference, and the relation which such liquidation preference shall bear to the entitlements of the holders of shares of any other class or any other series of shares;

 

  (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;

and, for such purposes, the Directors may reserve an appropriate number of Shares for the time being unissued. The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer.

 

10.

The Company may insofar as may be permitted by law, pay a commission to any Person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe whether absolutely or conditionally for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the lodgment of fully or partly paid-up Shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also pay such brokerage as may be lawful on any issue of Shares.

 

7


11.

The Directors may refuse to accept any application for Shares, and may accept any application in whole or in part, for any reason or for no reason.

CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES AND CLASS B ORDINARY SHARES

 

12.

Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares shall at all times vote together as one class on all resolutions submitted to a vote by the Members. Each Class A Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company, and each Class B Ordinary Share shall entitle the holder thereof to nine (9) votes on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company.

 

13.

Each Class B Ordinary Share is convertible into one (1) Class A Ordinary Share at any time at the option of the holder thereof. The right to convert shall be exercisable by the holder of the Class B Ordinary Share delivering a written notice to the Company that such holder elects to convert a specified number of Class B Ordinary Shares into Class A Ordinary Shares. In no event shall Class A Ordinary Shares be convertible into Class B Ordinary Shares.

 

14.

Any conversion of Class B Ordinary Shares into Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to these Articles shall be effected by means of the re-designation of each relevant Class B Ordinary Share as a Class A Ordinary Share. Such conversion shall become effective (i) in the case of any conversion effected pursuant to Article 13, forthwith upon the receipt by the Company of the written notice delivered to the Company as described in Article 13 (or at such later date as may be specified in such notice), or (ii) in the case of any automatic conversion effected pursuant to Article 15, forthwith upon occurrence of the event specified in Article 15 which triggers such automatic conversion, and the Company shall make entries in the Register to record the re-designation of the relevant Class B Ordinary Shares as Class A Ordinary Shares at the relevant time.

 

15.

Upon any sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of any Class B Ordinary Share by a Shareholder to any Person who is not Founder or Founder Affiliate, or upon a change of control of the ultimate beneficial ownership of any Class B Ordinary Share to any Person who is not Founder or Founder Affiliate, such Class B Ordinary Share shall be automatically and immediately converted into the same number of Class A Ordinary Share. The Class B Ordinary Shares held by the Founder or Founder Affiliates shall be automatically immediately converted into the same number of Class A Ordinary Shares in the event that the Founder ceases to be employed by and ceases to act as a Director of the Company or its successor company. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) a sale, transfer, assignment or disposition shall be effective upon the Company’s registration of such sale, transfer, assignment or disposition in its Register; and (ii) the creation of any pledge, charge, encumbrance or other third party right of whatever description on any Class B Ordinary Shares to secure a holder’s contractual or legal obligations shall not be deemed as a sale, transfer, assignment or disposition unless and until any such pledge, charge, encumbrance or other third party right is enforced and results in the third party holding legal title to the relevant Class B Ordinary Shares, in which case all the related Class B Ordinary Shares shall be automatically converted into the same number of Class A Ordinary Shares. For purpose of this Article 15, beneficial ownership shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

16.

Save and except for voting rights and conversion rights as set out in Articles 12 to 15 (inclusive), the Class A Ordinary Shares and the Class B Ordinary Shares shall rank pari passu with one another and shall have the same rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions.

MODIFICATION OF RIGHTS

 

17.

Whenever the capital of the Company is divided into different Classes the rights attached to any such Class may, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any Class, only be materially adversely varied with the consent in writing of the holders of at least two-thirds of the issued Shares of that Class or with the sanction of a Special Resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that Class. To every such separate meeting all the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings of the Company or to the proceedings thereat shall, mutatis mutandis, apply, except that the necessary quorum shall be one or more Persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal or par value amount of the issued Shares of the relevant Class (but so that if at any adjourned meeting of such holders a quorum as above defined is not present, those Shareholders who are present shall form a quorum) and that, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to the Shares of that Class, every Shareholder of the Class shall on a poll have one vote for each Share of the Class held by him. For the purposes of this Article the Directors may treat all the Classes or any two or more Classes as forming one Class if they consider that all such Classes would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate Classes.

 

8


18.

The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any Class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to the Shares of that Class, be deemed to be materially adversely varied by, inter alia, the creation, allotment or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu with or subsequent to them or the redemption or purchase of any Shares of any Class by the Company. The rights of the holders of Shares shall not be deemed to be materially adversely varied by the creation or issue of Shares with preferred or other rights including, without limitation, the creation of Shares with enhanced or weighted voting rights.

CERTIFICATES

 

19.

Every Person whose name is entered as a Member in the Register may, without payment and upon its written request, request a certificate within two calendar months after allotment or lodgment of transfer (or within such other period as the conditions of issue shall provide) in the form determined by the Directors. All certificates shall specify the Share or Shares held by that Person, 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.

 

20.

Every share certificate of the Company shall bear legends required under the applicable laws, including the Securities Act.

 

21.

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 one dollar (US$1.00) or such smaller sum as the Directors shall determine.

 

22.

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.

 

23.

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.

FRACTIONAL SHARES

 

24.

The Directors may issue fractions of a Share and, if so issued, a fraction of a Share shall be subject to and carry the corresponding fraction of liabilities (whether with respect to nominal or par value, premium, contributions, calls or otherwise), limitations, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions, rights (including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, voting and participation rights) and other attributes of a whole Share. If more than one fraction of a Share of the same Class is issued to or acquired by the same Shareholder such fractions shall be accumulated.

LIEN

 

25.

The Company has a first and paramount lien on every Share (whether or not fully paid) for all amounts (whether presently payable or not) payable at a fixed time or called in respect of that Share. The Company also has a first and paramount lien on every Share registered in the name of a Person indebted or under liability to the Company (whether he is the sole registered holder of a Share or one of two or more joint holders) for all amounts owing by him or his estate to the Company (whether or not presently payable). The Directors may at any time declare a Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company’s lien on a Share extends to any amount payable in respect of it, including but not limited to dividends.

 

9


26.

The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors in their absolute discretion think fit, any Share on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless an amount in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable nor until the expiration of fourteen calendar days after a notice in writing, 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 a 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 after deduction of expenses, fees and commissions incurred by the Company 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 immediately prior to the sale.

CALLS ON SHARES

 

29.

Subject to the terms of the allotment, the Directors may from time to time make calls upon the Shareholders in respect of any moneys unpaid on their Shares, and each Shareholder shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen 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 such 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.

 

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 with respect to the issue of partly paid Shares for a difference between the Shareholders, 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 Shareholder willing to advance the same all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any partly paid 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 Shareholder 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 Shareholder fails to pay any call or instalment of a call in respect of partly paid Shares on the day appointed for payment, 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 so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued.

 

10


36.

The notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of fourteen 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 Shareholder 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 forfeited, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company receives payment in full of the amount unpaid on the Shares forfeited.

 

40.

A certificate in writing under the hand of a Director that a Share has been duly forfeited on a date stated in the certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the facts in the declaration as against all Persons claiming to be entitled to the Share.

 

41.

The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for a Share on any sale or disposition thereof pursuant to the provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture and may execute a transfer of the Share in favour of the Person to whom the Share is sold or disposed of and that Person shall 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 Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the disposition or sale.

 

42.

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.

TRANSFER OF SHARES

 

43.

The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing and in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may, in their absolute discretion, approve and be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and if in respect of a nil or partly paid up Share, or if so required by the Directors, shall also be executed on behalf of the transferee and shall be accompanied by the certificate (if any) of 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. The transferor shall be deemed to remain a Shareholder until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect of the relevant Shares.

 

44.     (a)

The Directors may in their absolute discretion decline to register any transfer of Shares 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 instrument of transfer is in respect of only one Class of Shares;

 

  (iii)

the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required;

 

11


  (iv)

in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the Share is to be transferred does not exceed four; and

 

  (v)

a fee of such maximum sum as the Designated Stock Exchange may determine to be payable, or such lesser sum as the Board of Directors may from time to time require, is paid to the Company in respect thereof.

 

45.

The registration of transfers may, on ten calendar days’ notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers, by electronic means or by any other means in accordance with the Designated Stock Exchange Rules, be suspended and the Register closed at such times and for such periods as the Directors may, in their absolute discretion, from time to time determine, provided always that such registration of transfer shall not be suspended nor the Register closed for more than thirty calendar days in any calendar year.

 

46.

All instruments of transfer that are registered shall be retained by the Company. If the Directors refuse to register a transfer of any Shares, they shall within three calendar months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company send notice of the refusal to each of the transferor and the transferee.

TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

 

47.

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.

 

48.

Any Person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder shall, upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be required by the Directors, have the right either to be registered as a Shareholder 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; 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 the deceased or bankrupt Person before the death or bankruptcy.

 

49.

A Person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered Shareholder, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Shareholder 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 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.

REGISTRATION OF EMPOWERING INSTRUMENTS

 

50.

The Company shall be entitled to charge a fee not exceeding one U.S. 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.

ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

51.

The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase the share capital by such sum, to be divided into Shares of such Classes and amount, as the resolution shall prescribe.

 

52.

The Company may by Ordinary Resolution:

 

  (a)

increase its share capital by new Shares of such amount as it thinks expedient;

 

12


  (b)

consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of a larger amount than its existing Shares;

 

  (c)

subdivide its Shares, or any of them, into Shares of an amount smaller than that fixed by the Memorandum, 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; and

 

  (d)

cancel any Shares that, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any Person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled.

 

53.

The Company may by Special Resolution reduce its share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorised by the Companies Act.

REDEMPTION, PURCHASE AND SURRENDER OF SHARES

 

54.

Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and these Articles, the Company may:

 

  (a)

issue Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Shareholder or the Company. The redemption of Shares shall be effected in such manner and upon such terms as may be determined, before the issue of such Shares, by either the Board or by the Shareholders by Special Resolution;

 

  (b)

purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) on such terms and in such manner and terms as have been approved by the Board or by the Members by Ordinary Resolution, or are otherwise authorised by these Articles; and

 

  (c)

make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Companies Act, including out of capital.

 

55.

The purchase of any Share shall not oblige the Company to purchase any other Share other than as may be required pursuant to applicable law and any other contractual obligations of the Company.

 

56.

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.

 

57.

The Directors may accept the surrender for no consideration of any fully paid Share.

TREASURY SHARES

 

58.

The Directors may, prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of any Share, determine that such Share shall be held as a Treasury Share.

 

59.

The Directors may determine to cancel a Treasury Share or transfer a Treasury Share on such terms as they think proper (including, without limitation, for nil consideration).

GENERAL MEETINGS

 

60.

All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.

 

61.     (a)

The Company may (but shall not be obliged to) in each calendar year 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 may be determined by the Directors.

 

  (b)

At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented.

 

13


62.     (a)

The Chairperson or a majority of the Directors may call general meetings, and they shall on a Shareholders’ requisition forthwith proceed to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company.

 

  (b)

A Shareholders’ requisition is a requisition of Members holding at the date of deposit of the requisition Shares which carry in aggregate not less than one-third (1/3) of all votes attaching to all issued and outstanding Shares of the Company that as at the date of the deposit carry the right to vote 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 Registered Office, and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.

 

  (d)

If there are no Directors as at the date of the deposit of the Shareholders’ requisition, or if the Directors do not within twenty-one calendar days from the date of the deposit of the requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting to be held within a further twenty-one 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 calendar months after the expiration of the said twenty-one 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

 

63.

At least seven (7) 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 Article has been given and whether or not the provisions of these 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 Shareholders (or their proxies) entitled to attend and vote thereat; and

 

  (b)

in the case of an extraordinary general meeting, by two-thirds (2/3rd ) of the Shareholders having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, Present at the meeting.

 

64.

The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of a notice of a meeting by any Shareholder shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

 

65.

No business except for the appointment of a chairperson for the meeting shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of Shareholders is Present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. One or more Shareholders holding Shares which carry in aggregate (or representing by proxy) not less than one-third of all votes attaching to all Shares in issue and entitled to vote at such general meeting Present shall be a quorum for all purposes.

 

66.

If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not Present, the meeting shall be dissolved.

 

67.

If the Directors wish to make this facility available for a specific general meeting or all general meetings of the Company, attendance and participation in any general meeting of the Company may be by means of Communication Facilities. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Directors may determine that any general meeting may be held as a Virtual Meeting. The notice of any general meeting at which Communication Facilities will be utilized (including any Virtual Meeting) must disclose the Communication Facilities that will be used, including the procedures to be followed by any Shareholder or other participant of the meeting who wishes to utilise such Communication Facilities for the purposes of attending and participating in such meeting, including attending and casting any vote thereat.

 

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68.

The Chairperson, if any, of the Board of Directors shall preside as chairperson at every general meeting of the Company.

 

69.

If there is no such Chairperson of the Board of Directors, or if at any general meeting he is not Present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or is unwilling to act as chairperson of the meeting, any Director or Person nominated by the Directors shall preside as chairperson of that meeting, failing which the Shareholders Present shall choose any Person Present to be chairperson of that meeting.

 

70.

The chairperson of any general meeting (including any Virtual Meeting) shall be entitled to attend and participate at any such general meeting by means of Communication Facilities, and to act as the chairperson of such general meeting, in which event the following provisions shall apply:

 

  (a)

The chairperson of the meeting shall be deemed to be Present at the meeting; and

 

  (b)

If the Communication Facilities are interrupted or fail for any reason to enable the chairperson of the meeting to hear and be heard by all other Persons participating in the meeting, then the other Directors Present at the meeting shall choose another Director Present to act as chairperson of the meeting for the remainder of the meeting; provided that if no other Director is Present at the meeting, or if all the Directors Present decline to take the chair, then the meeting shall be automatically adjourned to the same day in the next week and at such time and place as shall be decided by the Board of Directors.

 

71.

The chairperson of the meeting may with the consent of any general meeting at which a quorum is Present (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 meeting, or adjourned meeting, is adjourned for fourteen calendar 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 meeting.

 

72.

The Directors may cancel or postpone any duly convened general meeting at any time prior to such meeting, except for general meetings requisitioned by the Shareholders in accordance with these Articles, for any reason or for no reason, upon notice in writing to Shareholders. A postponement may be for a stated period of any length or indefinitely as the Directors may determine.

 

73.

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 chairperson of the meeting or any Shareholder Present, and unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the chairperson of the meeting 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.

 

74.

If a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the chairperson of the meeting directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.

 

75.

All questions submitted to a meeting shall be decided by an Ordinary Resolution except where a greater majority is required by these Articles or by the Companies Act. In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairperson of the 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.

 

15


76.

A poll demanded on the election of a chairperson of the meeting 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 chairperson of the meeting directs.

VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

77.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Share, on a show of hands every Shareholder Present at the meeting shall, at a general meeting of the Company, each have one vote and on a poll every Shareholder Present at the meeting shall have one (1) vote for each Class A Ordinary Share and nine (9) votes for each Class B Ordinary Share of which he is the holder.

 

78.

In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior who tenders a vote whether in person or by proxy (or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or 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.

 

79.

Shares carrying the right to vote that are held by a Shareholder of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction in lunacy, may be voted, 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 vote in respect of such Shares by proxy.

 

80.

No Shareholder shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting of the Company unless all calls, if any, or other sums presently payable by him in respect of Shares carrying the right to vote held by him have been paid.

 

81.

On a poll votes may be given either personally or by proxy.

 

82.

Each Shareholder, other than a recognised clearing house (or its nominee(s)) or depositary (or its nominee(s)), may only appoint one proxy on a show of hand. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing or, if the appointor is a corporation, either under Seal or under the hand of an officer or attorney duly authorised. A proxy need not be a Shareholder.

 

83.

An instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may approve.

 

84.

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

 

  (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 chairperson of the meeting 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 at such other time (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 chairperson of the meeting 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.

 

16


85.

The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll.

 

86.

A resolution in writing signed by all the Shareholders for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings of the Company (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.

CORPORATIONS ACTING BY REPRESENTATIVES AT MEETINGS

 

87.

Any corporation which is a Shareholder 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 meeting of holders of a Class or of the Directors or of a committee of Directors, and the Person so authorised 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 Shareholder or Director.

DEPOSITARY AND CLEARING HOUSES

 

88.

If a recognised clearing house (or its nominee(s)) or depositary (or its nominee(s)) 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(s) as it thinks fit to act as its representative(s) at any general meeting of the Company or of any Class of Shareholders provided that, if more than one Person is so authorised, the authorisation shall specify the number and Class of Shares in respect of which each such Person is so authorised. A Person so authorised pursuant to this Article shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the recognised clearing house (or its nominee(s)) or depositary (or its nominee(s)) which he represents as that recognised clearing house (or its nominee(s)) or depositary (or its nominee(s)) could exercise if it were an individual Member holding the number and Class of Shares specified in such authorisation, including the right to vote individually on a show of hands.

DIRECTORS

 

89.     (a)

Unless otherwise determined by the Company in general meeting, the number of Directors shall not be less than three (3) Directors, the exact number of Directors to be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

  (b)

The Board of Directors shall elect and appoint a Chairperson by a majority of the Directors then in office. The period for which the Chairperson will hold office will also be determined by a majority of all of the Directors then in office. The Chairperson shall preside as chairperson at every meeting of the Board of Directors. To the extent the Chairperson is not present at a meeting of the Board of Directors within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the attending Directors may choose one of their number to be the chairperson of the meeting.

 

  (c)

The Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director.

 

  (d)

The Board may, by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the remaining Directors present and voting at a Board meeting, appoint any person as a Director, to fill a casual vacancy on the Board or as an addition to the existing Board.

 

  (e)

An appointment of a Director may be on terms that the Director shall automatically retire from office (unless he has sooner vacated office) at the next or a subsequent annual general meeting or upon any specified event or after any specified period in a written agreement between the Company and the Director, if any; but no such term shall be implied in the absence of express provision. Each Director whose term of office expires shall be eligible for re-election at a meeting of the Shareholders or re-appointment by the Board.

 

90.

A Director may be removed from office by Ordinary Resolution of the Company, notwithstanding anything in these Articles or in any agreement between the Company and such Director (but without prejudice to any claim for damages under such agreement). A vacancy on the Board created by the removal of a Director under the previous sentence may be filled by Ordinary Resolution or by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the remaining Directors present and voting at a Board meeting.

 

17


91.

The Board may, from time to time, and except as required by applicable law or Designated Stock Exchange Rules, adopt, institute, amend, modify or revoke the corporate governance policies or initiatives of the Company and determine on various corporate governance related matters of the Company as the Board shall determine by resolution of Directors from time to time.

 

92.

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 attend and speak at general meetings.

 

93.

The remuneration of the Directors may be determined by the Directors or by Ordinary Resolution.

 

94.

The Directors shall be entitled to be paid for 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 such 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.

ALTERNATE DIRECTOR OR PROXY

 

95.

Any Director may in writing appoint another Person to be his alternate and, save to the extent provided otherwise in the form of appointment, such alternate shall have authority to sign written resolutions on behalf of the appointing Director, but shall not be required to sign such written resolutions where they have been signed by the appointing director, and to act in such Director’s place at any meeting of the Directors at which the appointing Director is unable to be present. Every such alternate shall be entitled to attend and vote at meetings of the Directors as a Director when the Director 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 of the Company and shall not be deemed to be the agent of the Director appointing him. The remuneration of such alternate shall be payable out of the remuneration of the Director appointing him and the proportion thereof shall be agreed between them.

 

96.

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 chairperson of the meeting of the Directors at which such proxy is to be used, or first used, prior to the commencement of the meeting.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

 

97.

Subject to the Companies Act, these Articles and to any resolutions passed 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 passed by the Company in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors that would have been valid if that resolution had not been passed.

 

98.

Subject to these Articles, the Directors may from time to time appoint any natural person or corporation, whether or not a Director to hold such office in the Company as the Directors may think necessary for the administration of the Company, including but not limited to, chief executive officer, 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. Any natural person or corporation so appointed by the Directors may be removed by the Directors. The Directors may also appoint one or more of their number to the office of managing director upon like terms, but any such appointment shall ipso facto terminate if any managing director ceases for any cause to be a Director, or if the Company by Ordinary Resolution resolves that his tenure of office be terminated.

 

18


99.

The Directors may appoint any natural person or corporation to be a Secretary (and if need be an assistant Secretary or assistant Secretaries) who shall hold office for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions and with such powers as they think fit. Any Secretary or assistant Secretary so appointed by the Directors may be removed by the Directors or by the Company by Ordinary Resolution.

 

100.

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.

 

101.

The Directors may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney (whether under Seal or under hand) or otherwise appoint any company, firm or Person or body of Persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys or authorised signatory (any such Person being an “Attorney” or “Authorised Signatory”, respectively) 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 or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of Persons dealing with any such Attorney or Authorised Signatory as the Directors may think fit, and may also authorise any such Attorney or Authorised Signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretion vested in him.

 

102.

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 Articles shall not limit the general powers conferred by this Article.

 

103.

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 natural person or corporation to be a member of such committees or local boards and may appoint any managers or agents of the Company and may fix the remuneration of any such natural person or corporation.

 

104.

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 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 natural person or corporation 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.

 

105.

Any such delegates as aforesaid may be authorised by the Directors to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities, and discretion for the time being vested in them.

BORROWING POWERS OF DIRECTORS

 

106.

The Directors may from time to time at their discretion exercise all the powers of the Company to raise or borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof, to issue debentures, debenture stock, bonds and other securities, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

THE SEAL

 

107.

The Seal shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a resolution of the 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 affixing of the Seal. The Seal shall be affixed in the presence of a Director or a Secretary (or an assistant Secretary) or 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 is so affixed in their presence.

 

19


108.

The Company may maintain a facsimile of the 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 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 affixing 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 is so affixed in their presence and such affixing of the facsimile Seal and signing as aforesaid shall have the same meaning and effect as if the Seal had been affixed in the presence of and the instrument signed by a Director or a Secretary (or an assistant Secretary) or in the presence of any one or more Persons as the Directors may appoint for the purpose.

 

109.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Secretary or any assistant Secretary 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.

DISQUALIFICATION OF DIRECTORS

 

110.

The office of Director shall be vacated, if the Director:

 

  (a)

becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors;

 

  (b)

dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind;

 

  (c)

resigns his office by notice in writing to the Company;

 

  (d)

without special leave of absence from the Board, is absent from meetings of the Board for three consecutive meetings and the Board resolves that his office be vacated; or

 

  (e)

is removed from office pursuant to any other provision of these Articles.

PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS

 

111.

The Directors may meet together (either within or outside the Cayman Islands) for the despatch of business, adjourn, and otherwise regulate their meetings and proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. At any meeting of the Directors, each Director present in person or represented by his proxy or alternate shall be entitled to one vote. In case of an equality of votes the chairperson shall have a second or casting vote. A Director may, and a Secretary or assistant Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors.

 

112.

A Director may participate in any meeting of the Directors, or of any committee appointed by the Directors of which such Director is a member, by means of telephone or similar communication equipment by way of which all Persons participating in such meeting can communicate with each other and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

113.

The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Board may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed, the quorum shall be a majority of Directors then in office. A Director represented by proxy or by an alternate Director at any meeting shall be deemed to be present for the purposes of determining whether or not a quorum is present.

 

114.

A Director who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or transaction or proposed contract or transaction 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 or transaction 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 or transaction so consummated. A Director may vote in respect of any contract or transaction or proposed contract or transaction 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 transaction or proposed contract or transaction shall come before the meeting for consideration, subject to applicable law or Designated Stock Exchange Rules or the Company’s corporate governance policies.

 

20


115.

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 of the Directors 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, subject to applicable law or Designated Stock Exchange Rules or the Company’s corporate governance policies.

 

116.

Any Director may act by himself or through 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.

 

117.

The Directors shall cause minutes to be made 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.

 

118.

When the chairperson 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.

 

119.

A resolution in writing signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of Directors entitled to receive notice of a meeting of Directors or committee of Directors, as the case may be (an alternate Director, subject as provided otherwise in the terms of appointment of the alternate Director, being entitled to sign such a resolution on behalf of his appointer), shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a duly called and constituted meeting of Directors or committee of Directors, as the case may be. When signed a resolution may consist of several documents each signed by one or more of the Directors or his duly appointed alternate.

 

120.

The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body but if and for 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 may act for the purpose of increasing the number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.

 

121.

Subject to any regulations imposed on it by the Directors, a committee appointed by the Directors may elect a chairperson of its meetings. If no such chairperson is elected, or if at any meeting the chairperson is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the committee members present may choose one of their member to be chairperson of the meeting.

 

122.

A committee appointed by the Directors may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Subject to any regulations imposed on it by the Directors, 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 chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.

 

21


123.

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

 

124.

A Director who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which an 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 chairperson 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

 

125.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Shares, 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.

 

126.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Shares, the Company by Ordinary Resolution may declare dividends, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors.

 

127.

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, in the absolute discretion of the Directors, be applicable for meeting contingencies or for equalising dividends or for any other purpose to which those funds may be properly applied, and pending such application may in the absolute discretion of the Directors, 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.

 

128.

Any dividend payable in cash to the holder of Shares may be paid in any manner determined by the Directors. If paid by cheque it will be sent by mail addressed to the holder at his address in the Register, or addressed to such person and at such addresses as the holder may direct. Every such cheque 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 cheque or warrant by the bank on which it is drawn shall constitute a good discharge to the Company.

 

129.

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.

 

130.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Shares, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the Shares, but if and for so long as nothing is paid up on any of the Shares dividends may be declared and paid according to the par value 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.

 

131.

If several Persons are registered as joint holders of any Share, any of them may give effective receipts for any dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of the Share.

 

22


132.

No dividend shall bear interest against the Company.

 

133.

Any dividend unclaimed after a period of six calendar years from the date of declaration of such dividend may be forfeited by the Board of Directors and, if so forfeited, shall revert to the Company.

ACCOUNTS, AUDIT AND ANNUAL RETURN AND DECLARATION

 

134.

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.

 

135.

The books of account shall be kept at the Registered Office, or at such other place or places as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to the inspection of the Directors.

 

136.

The Directors may 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 Shareholders not being Directors, and no Shareholder (not being a Director) shall have any right to inspect any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by law or authorised by the Directors or by Ordinary Resolution.

 

137.

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 Directors or failing any determination as aforesaid shall not be audited.

 

138.

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.

 

139.

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.

 

140.

The 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, and at any time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members.

 

141.

The Directors in each calendar year shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, an annual return and declaration setting forth the particulars required by the Companies Act and deliver a copy thereof to the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands.

CAPITALISATION OF RESERVES

 

142.

Subject to the Companies Act, the Directors may:

 

  (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), which is available for distribution;

 

  (b)

appropriate the sum resolved to be capitalised to the Shareholders 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,

 

23


and allot the Shares or debentures, credited as fully paid, to the Shareholders (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 reserve 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 Shareholders credited as fully paid;

 

  (c)

make any arrangements they think 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 Directors may deal with the fractions as they think fit;

 

  (d)

authorise a Person to enter (on behalf of all the Shareholders concerned) into an agreement with the Company providing for either:

 

  (i)

the allotment to the Shareholders 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 Shareholders (by the application of their respective proportions of the reserves resolved to be capitalised) of the amounts or part of the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing Shares,

and any such agreement made under this authority being effective and binding on all those Shareholders; and

 

  (e)

generally do all acts and things required to give effect to the resolution.

 

143.

Notwithstanding any provisions in these Articles, the Directors may resolve to capitalise an amount standing to the credit of reserves (including the share premium account, capital redemption reserve and profit and loss account) or otherwise available for distribution by applying such sum in paying up in full unissued Shares to be allotted and issued to:

 

  (a)

employees (including Directors) or service providers of the Company or its Affiliates upon exercise or vesting of any options or awards granted under any share incentive scheme or employee benefit scheme or other arrangement which relates to such persons that has been adopted or approved by the Directors or the Members;

 

  (b)

any trustee of any trust or administrator of any share incentive scheme or employee benefit scheme to whom shares are to be allotted and issued by the Company in connection with the operation of any share incentive scheme or employee benefit scheme or other arrangement which relates to such persons that has been adopted or approved by the Directors or Members; or

 

  (c)

any depositary of the Company for the purposes of the issue, allotment and delivery by the depositary of ADSs to employees (including Directors) or service providers of the Company or its Affiliates upon exercise or vesting of any options or awards granted under any share incentive scheme or employee benefit scheme or other arrangement which relates to such persons that has been adopted or approved by the Directors or the Members.

SHARE PREMIUM ACCOUNT

 

144.

The Directors shall in accordance with the Companies Act establish a Share Premium Account and shall carry to the credit of such account from time to time a sum equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any Share.

 

145.

There shall be debited to any Share Premium Account on the redemption or purchase of a Share the difference between the nominal value of such Share and the redemption or purchase price provided always that at the discretion of the Directors such sum may be paid out of the profits of the Company or, if permitted by the Companies Act, out of capital.

 

24


NOTICES

 

146.

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 Shareholder either personally, or by posting it by airmail or a recognised courier service in a prepaid letter addressed to such Shareholder at his address as appearing in the Register, or by electronic mail to any electronic mail address such Shareholder may have specified in writing for the purpose of such service of notices, or by facsimile to any facsimile number such Shareholder may have specified in writing for the purpose of such service of notices, or by placing it on the Company’s Website should the Directors deem it appropriate. 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 in respect of the joint holding, and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders.

 

147.

Notices sent from one country to another shall be sent or forwarded by prepaid airmail or a recognised courier service.

 

148.

Any Shareholder 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.

 

149.

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;

 

  (b)

facsimile, shall be deemed to have been served upon production by the transmitting facsimile machine of a report confirming transmission of the facsimile in full to the facsimile number of the recipient;

 

  (c)

recognised courier 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; or

 

  (d)

electronic means, shall be deemed to have been served immediately (i) upon the time of the transmission to the electronic mail address supplied by the Shareholder to the Company or (ii) upon the time of its placement on the Company’s Website.

In proving service by post or courier service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter containing the notice or documents was properly addressed and duly posted or delivered to the courier service.

 

150.

Any notice or document delivered or sent by post to or left at the registered address of any Shareholder in accordance with the terms of these Articles shall notwithstanding that such Shareholder 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 Shareholder 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 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.

 

151.

Notice of every general meeting of the Company shall be given to:

 

  (a)

all Shareholders holding Shares with the right to receive notice and who have supplied to the Company an address for the giving of notices to them; and

 

  (b)

every Person entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder, who but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting.

No other Person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings.

INFORMATION

 

152.

Subject to the relevant laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Company, 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.

 

25


153.

Subject to due compliance with the relevant laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Company, 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 and transfer books of the Company.

INDEMNITY

 

154.

Every Director (including for the purposes of this Article any alternate Director appointed pursuant to the provisions of these Articles), Secretary, assistant Secretary, or other officer for the time being and from time to time of the Company (but not including the Company’s auditors) and the personal representatives of the same (each an “Indemnified Person”) shall be indemnified and secured harmless against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such Indemnified Person, other than by reason of such Indemnified Person’s own dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of the Company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such Indemnified Person 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.

 

155.

No Indemnified Person shall be liable:

 

  (a)

for the acts, receipts, neglects, defaults or omissions of any other Director or officer or agent of the Company; or

 

  (b)

for any loss on account of defect of title to any property of the Company; or

 

  (c)

on account of the insufficiency of any security in or upon which any money of the Company shall be invested; or

 

  (d)

for any loss incurred through any bank, broker or other similar Person; or

 

  (e)

for any loss occasioned by any negligence, default, breach of duty, breach of trust, error of judgement or oversight on such Indemnified Person’s part; or

 

  (f)

for any loss, damage or misfortune whatsoever which may happen in or arise from the execution or discharge of the duties, powers, authorities, or discretions of such Indemnified Person’s office or in relation thereto;

unless the same shall happen through such Indemnified Person’s own dishonesty, willful default or fraud.

FINANCIAL YEAR

 

156.

Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on December 31st in each calendar year and shall begin on January 1st in each calendar year.

NON-RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS

 

157.

No Person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any Share upon any trust and the Company shall not, unless required by law, 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 (except only as otherwise provided by these Articles or as the Companies Act requires) any other right in respect of any Share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in each Shareholder registered in the Register.

 

26


WINDING UP

 

158.

If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, with the sanction of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Companies Act, divide amongst the Members in species or in 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 that purpose value any assets and determine how the 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 Members as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability.

 

159.

If the Company shall be wound up, and the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them. If in a winding up the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise. This Article is without prejudice to the rights of the holders of Shares issued upon special terms and conditions.

AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

 

160.

Subject to the Companies Act, the Company may at any time and from time to time by Special Resolution alter or amend these Articles in whole or in part.

CLOSING OF REGISTER OR FIXING RECORD DATE

 

161.

For the purpose of determining those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at any meeting of Shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or those Shareholders that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination as to who is a Shareholder for any other purpose, the Directors may provide that the Register shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not exceed in any case thirty calendar days in any calendar year.

 

162.

In lieu of or apart from closing the Register, the Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of the Shareholders and for the purpose of determining those Shareholders that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend the Directors may, at or within ninety calendar days prior to the date of declaration of such dividend, fix a subsequent date as the record date for such determination.

 

163.

If the Register is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of those Shareholders entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Shareholders or those Shareholders 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 Shareholders. When a determination of those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Shareholders has been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.

REGISTRATION BY WAY OF CONTINUATION

 

164.

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.

 

27


MERGERS AND CONSOLIDATIONS

 

165.

The Company shall have the power to merge or consolidate with one or more other constituent companies (as defined in the Companies Act) upon such terms as the Directors may determine and (to the extent required by the Companies Act) with the approval of a Special Resolution.

DISCLOSURE

 

166.

The Directors, or any service providers (including the officers, the Secretary and the Registered Office provider of the Company) specifically authorised by the Directors, shall be entitled to disclose to any regulatory or judicial authority any information regarding the affairs of the Company including without limitation information contained in the Register and books of the Company.

EXCLUSIVE FORUM

 

167.

Unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, the state courts in New York County, New York) shall be the exclusive forum within the United States for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising out of or relating in any way to the federal securities laws of the United States, regardless of whether such legal suit, action, or proceeding also involves parties other than the Company. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any Share or other securities in the Company, or purchasing or otherwise acquiring ADSs issued pursuant to deposit agreements, shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article. Without prejudice to the foregoing, if the provision in this Article is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, the legality, validity or enforceability of the rest of these Articles shall not be affected and this Article shall be interpreted and construed to the maximum extent possible to apply in the relevant jurisdiction with whatever modification or deletion may be necessary so as best to give effect to the intention of the Company.

 

28

Exhibit 4.3

Execution Version

 

 

DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

 

 

by and among

WATERDROP INC.

and

CITIBANK, N.A.,

as Depositary,

and

ALL HOLDERS AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

ISSUED HEREUNDER

 

 

Dated as of May 6, 2021


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I

  DEFINITIONS      1  

Section 1.1

  “ADS Record Date”      1  

Section 1.2

  “Affiliate”      1  

Section 1.3

  “American Depositary Receipt(s)”, “ADR(s)” and “Receipt(s)”      1  

Section 1.4

  “American Depositary Share(s)” and “ADS(s)”      2  

Section 1.5

  “Articles of Association”      2  

Section 1.6

  “Beneficial Owner”      2  

Section 1.7

  “Certificated ADS(s)”      2  

Section 1.8

  “Citibank”      3  

Section 1.9

  “Commission”      3  

Section 1.10

  “Company”      3  

Section 1.11

  “Custodian”      3  

Section 1.12

  “Deliver” and “Delivery”      3  

Section 1.13

  “Deposit Agreement”      3  

Section 1.14

  “Depositary”      3  

Section 1.15

  “Deposited Property”      3  

Section 1.16

  “Deposited Securities”      4  

Section 1.17

  “Dollars” and “$”      4  

Section 1.18

  “DTC”      4  

Section 1.19

  “DTC Participant”      4  

Section 1.20

  “Exchange Act”      4  

Section 1.21

  “Foreign Currency”      4  

Section 1.22

  “Full Entitlement ADR(s)”, “Full Entitlement ADS(s)” and “Full Entitlement Share(s)”      4  

Section 1.23

  “Holder(s)”      4  

Section 1.24

  “Partial Entitlement ADR(s)”, “Partial Entitlement ADS(s)” and “Partial Entitlement Share(s)”      5  

Section 1.25

  “Principal Office”      5  

Section 1.26

  “Registrar”      5  

Section 1.27

  “Restricted Securities”      5  

Section 1.28

  “Restricted ADR(s)”, “Restricted ADS(s)” and “Restricted Shares”      5  

Section 1.29

  “Securities Act”      5  

Section 1.30

  “Share Registrar”      5  

Section 1.31

  “Shares”      5  

Section 1.32

  “Uncertificated ADS(s)”      6  

Section 1.33

  “United States” and “U.S.”      6  

ARTICLE II

  APPOINTMENT OF DEPOSITARY; FORM OF RECEIPTS; DEPOSIT OF SHARES; EXECUTION AND DELIVERY, TRANSFER AND SURRENDER OF RECEIPTS      6  

Section 2.1

  Appointment of Depositary      6  

Section 2.2

  Form and Transferability of ADSs      6  

Section 2.3

  Deposit of Shares      8  

Section 2.4

  Registration and Safekeeping of Deposited Securities      9  

 

i


Section 2.5

  Issuance of ADSs      10  

Section 2.6

  Transfer, Combination and Split-up of ADRs      10  

Section 2.7

  Surrender of ADSs and Withdrawal of Deposited Securities      11  

Section 2.8

  Limitations on Execution and Delivery, Transfer, etc. of ADSs; Suspension of Delivery, Transfer, etc      12  

Section 2.9

  Lost ADRs, etc      13  

Section 2.10

  Cancellation and Destruction of Surrendered ADRs; Maintenance of Records      13  

Section 2.11

  Escheatment      14  

Section 2.12

  Partial Entitlement ADSs      14  

Section 2.13

  Certificated/Uncertificated ADSs      15  

Section 2.14

  Restricted ADSs      16  

ARTICLE III

  CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS OF HOLDERS AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF ADSs      17  

Section 3.1

  Proofs, Certificates and Other Information      17  

Section 3.2

  Liability for Taxes and Other Charges      18  

Section 3.3

  Representations and Warranties on Deposit of Shares      18  

Section 3.4

  Compliance with Information Requests      19  

Section 3.5

  Ownership Restrictions      19  

Section 3.6

  Reporting Obligations and Regulatory Approvals      19  

ARTICLE IV

  THE DEPOSITED SECURITIES      20  

Section 4.1

  Cash Distributions      20  

Section 4.2

  Distribution in Shares      21  

Section 4.3

  Elective Distributions in Cash or Shares      22  

Section 4.4

  Distribution of Rights to Purchase Additional ADSs      22  

Section 4.5

  Distributions Other Than Cash, Shares or Rights to Purchase Shares      24  

Section 4.6

  Distributions with Respect to Deposited Securities in Bearer Form      25  

Section 4.7

  Redemption      25  

Section 4.8

  Conversion of Foreign Currency      26  

Section 4.9

  Fixing of ADS Record Date      27  

Section 4.10

  Voting of Deposited Securities      27  

Section 4.11

  Changes Affecting Deposited Securities      29  

Section 4.12

  Available Information      30  

Section 4.13

  Reports      30  

Section 4.14

  List of Holders      30  

Section 4.15

  Taxation      30  

ARTICLE V

  THE DEPOSITARY, THE CUSTODIAN AND THE COMPANY      31  

Section 5.1

  Maintenance of Office and Transfer Books by the Registrar      31  

Section 5.2

  Exoneration      32  

Section 5.3

  Standard of Care      33  

Section 5.4

  Resignation and Removal of the Depositary; Appointment of Successor Depositary      34  

Section 5.5

  The Custodian      34  

Section 5.6

  Notices and Reports      35  

 

ii


Section 5.7

  Issuance of Additional Shares, ADSs etc      36  

Section 5.8

  Indemnification      37  

Section 5.9

  ADS Fees and Charges      38  

Section 5.10

  Restricted Securities Owners      39  

ARTICLE VI

  AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION      39  

Section 6.1

  Amendment/Supplement      39  

Section 6.2

  Termination      40  

ARTICLE VII

  MISCELLANEOUS      41  

Section 7.1

  Counterparts      41  

Section 7.2

  No Third-Party Beneficiaries/Acknowledgments      42  

Section 7.3

  Severability      42  

Section 7.4

  Holders and Beneficial Owners as Parties; Binding Effect      42  

Section 7.5

  Notices      42  

Section 7.6

  Governing Law and Jurisdiction      43  

Section 7.7

  Assignment      45  

Section 7.8

  Compliance with, and No Disclaimer under, U.S. Securities Laws      45  

Section 7.9

  Cayman Islands Law References      46  

Section 7.10

  Titles and References      46  

EXHIBITS

    
  Form of ADR      A-1  
  Fee Schedule      B-1  

 

iii


DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, dated as of May 6, 2021, by and among (i) WATERDROP INC., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and its successors (the “Company”), (ii) CITIBANK, N.A., a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States of America (“Citibank”) acting in its capacity as depositary, and any successor depositary hereunder (Citibank in such capacity, the “Depositary”), and (iii) all Holders and Beneficial Owners of American Depositary Shares issued hereunder (all such capitalized terms as hereinafter defined).

W I T N E S S E T H   T H A T:

WHEREAS, the Company desires to establish with the Depositary an ADR facility to provide for the deposit of the Shares (as hereinafter defined) and the creation of American Depositary Shares representing the Shares so deposited and for the execution and Delivery (as hereinafter defined) of American Depositary Receipts (as hereinafter defined) evidencing such American Depositary Shares; and

WHEREAS, the Depositary is willing to act as the Depositary for such ADR facility upon the terms set forth in the Deposit Agreement (as hereinafter defined); and

WHEREAS, any American Depositary Receipts issued pursuant to the terms of the Deposit Agreement are to be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as hereinafter provided in the Deposit Agreement; and

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

All capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined, herein shall have the meanings set forth below, unless otherwise clearly indicated:

Section 1.1 “ADS Record Date shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 4.9.

Section 1.2 “Affiliate shall have the meaning assigned to such term by the Commission (as hereinafter defined) under Regulation C promulgated under the Securities Act (as hereinafter defined), or under any successor regulation thereto.

Section 1.3 “American Depositary Receipt(s),ADR(s)andReceipt(s) shall mean the certificate(s) issued by the Depositary to evidence the American Depositary Shares issued under the terms of the Deposit Agreement in the form of Certificated ADS(s) (as hereinafter defined), as such ADRs may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement. An ADR may evidence any number of ADSs and may, in the case of ADSs held through a central depository such as DTC, be in the form of a “Balance Certificate.”

 

1


Section 1.4 “American Depositary Share(s) andADS(s) shall mean the rights and interests in the Deposited Property (as hereinafter defined) granted to the Holders and Beneficial Owners pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement and, if issued as Certificated ADS(s) (as hereinafter defined), the ADR(s) issued to evidence such ADSs. ADS(s) may be issued under the terms of the Deposit Agreement in the form of (a) Certificated ADS(s) (as hereinafter defined), in which case the ADS(s) are evidenced by ADR(s), or (b) Uncertificated ADS(s) (as hereinafter defined), in which case the ADS(s) are not evidenced by ADR(s) but are reflected on the direct registration system maintained by the Depositary for such purposes under the terms of Section 2.13. Unless otherwise specified in the Deposit Agreement or in any ADR, or unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to ADS(s) shall include Certificated ADS(s) and Uncertificated ADS(s), individually or collectively, as the context may require. Each ADS shall represent the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, the number of Shares specified in the form of ADR attached hereto as Exhibit A (as amended from time to time) that are on deposit with the Depositary and/or the Custodian, subject, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR (if issued as a Certificated ADS), until there shall occur a distribution upon Deposited Securities referred to in Section 4.2 or a change in Deposited Securities referred to in Section 4.11 with respect to which additional ADSs are not issued, and thereafter each ADS shall represent the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, the applicable Deposited Property on deposit with the Depositary and the Custodian determined in accordance with the terms of such Sections, subject, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR (if issued as a Certificated ADS). In addition, the ADS(s)-to-Share(s) ratio is subject to amendment as provided in Articles IV and VI of the Deposit Agreement (which may give rise to Depositary fees).

Section 1.5 “Articles of Association shall mean the memorandum and articles of association of the Company, and any other constitutional documents of the Company, as amended or restated and in effect from time to time.

Section 1.6 “Beneficial Owner shall mean, as to any ADS, any person or entity having a beneficial interest deriving from the ownership of such ADS. Notwithstanding anything else contained in the Deposit Agreement, any ADR(s) or any other instruments or agreements relating to the ADSs and the corresponding Deposited Property, the Depositary, the Custodian and their respective nominees are intended to be, and shall at all times during the term of the Deposit Agreement be, the record holders only of the Deposited Property represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of the corresponding ADSs. The Depositary, on its own behalf and on behalf of the Custodian and their respective nominees, disclaims any beneficial ownership interest in the Deposited Property held on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs. The beneficial ownership interests in the Deposited Property are intended to be, and shall at all times during the term of the Deposit Agreement continue to be, vested in the Beneficial Owners of the ADSs representing the Deposited Property. The beneficial ownership interests in the Deposited Property shall, unless otherwise agreed by the Depositary, be exercisable by the Beneficial Owners of the ADSs only through the Holders of such ADSs, by the Holders of the ADSs (on behalf of the applicable Beneficial Owners) only through the Depositary, and by the Depositary (on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of the corresponding ADSs) directly, or indirectly through the Custodian or their respective nominees, in each case upon the terms of the Deposit Agreement and, if applicable, the terms of the ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs. A Beneficial Owner of ADSs may or may not be the Holder of such ADSs. A Beneficial Owner shall be able to exercise any right or receive any benefit hereunder solely through the person who is the Holder of the ADSs owned by such Beneficial Owner. Unless otherwise identified to the Depositary, a Holder shall be deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of all the ADSs registered in his/her/its name. The manner in which a Beneficial Owner holds ADSs (e.g., in a brokerage account vs. as registered holder) may affect the rights and obligations of, the manner in which, and the extent to which, services are made available to, Beneficial Owners pursuant to the terms of the Deposit Agreement. Certificated ADS(s) shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13.

 

2


Section 1.8 “Citibank shall mean Citibank, N.A., a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States of America, and its successors.

Section 1.9 “Commission shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States or any successor governmental agency thereto in the United States.

Section 1.10 “Company shall mean Waterdrop Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and its successors.

Section 1.11 “Custodian shall mean (i) as of the date hereof, Citibank, N.A. – Hong Kong, having its principal office at 9/F Citi Tower, One Bay East, 83 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, as the custodian of Deposited Property for the purposes of the Deposit Agreement, (ii) Citibank, N.A., acting as custodian of Deposited Property pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, and (iii) any other entity that may be appointed by the Depositary pursuant to the terms of Section 5.5 as successor, substitute or additional custodian hereunder. The term “Custodian” shall mean any Custodian individually or all Custodians collectively, as the context requires.

Section 1.12 “Deliver andDelivery shall mean (x) when used in respect of Shares and other Deposited Securities, either (i) the physical delivery of the certificate(s) representing such securities, or (ii) the book-entry transfer and recordation of such securities on the books of the Share Registrar (as hereinafter defined) or in the applicable book-entry settlement system, if available, and (y) when used in respect of ADSs, either (i) the physical delivery of ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs, or (ii) the book-entry transfer and recordation of ADSs on the books of the Depositary or any book-entry settlement system in which the ADSs are settlement-eligible.

Section 1.13 “Deposit Agreement shall mean this Deposit Agreement and all exhibits hereto, as the same may from time to time be amended and supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms of the Deposit Agreement.

Section 1.14 “Depositary shall mean Citibank, N.A., a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States, in its capacity as depositary under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, and any successor depositary hereunder.

Section 1.15 “Deposited Property shall mean the Deposited Securities and any cash and other property held on deposit by the Depositary and the Custodian in respect of the ADSs under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, subject, in the case of cash, to the provisions of Section 4.8. All Deposited Property shall be held by the Custodian, the Depositary and their respective nominees for the benefit of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of the ADSs representing the Deposited Property. The Deposited Property is not intended to, and shall not, constitute proprietary assets of the Depositary, the Custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in the Deposited Property is intended to be, and shall at all times during the term of the Deposit Agreement continue to be, vested in the Beneficial Owners of the ADSs representing the Deposited Property.

 

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Section 1.16 “Deposited Securities shall mean the Shares and any other securities held on deposit by the Custodian from time to time in respect of the ADSs under the Deposit Agreement and constituting Deposited Property.

Section 1.17 “Dollars and $ shall refer to the lawful currency of the United States.

Section 1.18 “DTC shall mean The Depository Trust Company, a national clearinghouse and the central book-entry settlement system for securities traded in the United States and, as such, the custodian for the securities of DTC Participants (as hereinafter defined) maintained in DTC, and any successor thereto.

Section 1.19 “DTC Participant shall mean any financial institution (or any nominee of such institution) having one or more participant accounts with DTC for receiving, holding and delivering the securities and cash held in DTC. A DTC Participant may or may not be a Beneficial Owner. If a DTC Participant is not the Beneficial Owner of the ADSs credited to its account at DTC, or of the ADSs in respect of which the DTC Participant is otherwise acting, such DTC Participant shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to have all requisite authority to act on behalf of the Beneficial Owner(s) of the ADSs credited to its account at DTC or in respect of which the DTC Participant is so acting. A DTC Participant, upon acceptance in any one of its DTC accounts of any ADSs (or any interest therein) issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, shall (notwithstanding any explicit or implicit disclosure that it may be acting on behalf of another party) be deemed for all purposes to be a party to, and bound by, the terms of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR(s) to the same extent as, and as if the DTC Participant were, the Holder of such ADSs.

Section 1.20 “Exchange Act shall mean the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

Section 1.21 “Foreign Currency shall mean any currency other than Dollars.

Section 1.22 “Full Entitlement ADR(s), Full Entitlement ADS(s) and Full Entitlement Share(s)shall have the respective meanings set forth in Section 2.12.

Section 1.23 “Holder(s) shall mean the person(s) in whose name the ADSs are registered on the books of the Depositary (or the Registrar, if any) maintained for such purpose. A Holder may or may not be a Beneficial Owner. If a Holder is not the Beneficial Owner of the ADS(s) registered in its name, such person shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to have all requisite authority to act on behalf of the Beneficial Owners of the ADSs registered in its name. The manner in which a Holder holds ADSs (e.g., in certificated vs. uncertificated form) may affect the rights and obligations of, and the manner in which, and the extent to which, the services are made available to, Holders pursuant to the terms of the Deposit Agreement.

 

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Section 1.24 “Partial Entitlement ADR(s), Partial Entitlement ADS(s) and Partial Entitlement Share(s) shall have the respective meanings set forth in Section 2.12.

Section 1.25 “Principal Office shall mean, when used with respect to the Depositary, the principal office of the Depositary at which at any particular time its depositary receipts business shall be administered, which, at the date of the Deposit Agreement, is located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, U.S.A.

Section 1.26 “Registrar shall mean the Depositary or any bank or trust company having an office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, which shall be appointed by the Depositary to register issuances, transfers and cancellations of ADSs as herein provided, and shall include any co-registrar appointed by the Depositary for such purposes. Registrars (other than the Depositary) may be removed and substitutes appointed by the Depositary. Each Registrar (other than the Depositary) appointed pursuant to the Deposit Agreement shall be required to give notice in writing to the Depositary accepting such appointment and agreeing to be bound by the applicable terms of the Deposit Agreement.

Section 1.27 “Restricted Securities shall mean Shares, Deposited Securities or ADSs which (i) have been acquired directly or indirectly from the Company or any of its Affiliates in a transaction or chain of transactions not involving any public offering and are subject to resale limitations under the Securities Act or the rules issued thereunder, or (ii) are held by an executive officer or director (or persons performing similar functions) or other Affiliate of the Company, or (iii) are subject to other restrictions on sale or deposit under the laws of the United States, the Cayman Islands, or under a shareholder agreement or the Articles of Association or under the regulations of an applicable securities exchange unless, in each case, such Shares, Deposited Securities or ADSs are being transferred or sold to persons other than an Affiliate of the Company in a transaction (a) covered by an effective resale registration statement, or (b) exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act (as hereinafter defined), and the Shares, Deposited Securities or ADSs are not, when held by such person(s), Restricted Securities.

Section 1.28 “Restricted ADR(s), Restricted ADS(s) andRestricted Shares shall have the respective meanings set forth in Section 2.14.

Section 1.29 “Securities Act shall mean the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

Section 1.30 “Share Registrar shall mean Maples Fund Services (Cayman) Limited or any other institution organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands appointed by the Company from time to time to carry out the duties of registrar for the Shares, and any successor thereto.

Section 1.31 “Shares shall mean the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.000005 per share, validly issued and outstanding and fully paid and may, if the Depositary so agrees after consultation with the Company, include evidence of the right to receive Shares; provided that in no event shall Shares include evidence of the right to receive Shares with respect to which the full purchase price has not been paid or Shares as to which preemptive rights have theretofore not been validly waived or exercised; provided further, however, that, if there shall occur any change in par value, split-up, consolidation, reclassification, exchange, conversion or any other event described in Section 4.11 in respect of the Shares of the Company, the term “Shares” shall thereafter, to the maximum extent permitted by law, represent the successor securities resulting from such event.

 

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Section 1.32 “Uncertificated ADS(s) shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13.

Section 1.33 “United States and U.S. shall have the meaning assigned to it in Regulation S as promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act.

ARTICLE II

APPOINTMENT OF DEPOSITARY; FORM OF RECEIPTS;

DEPOSIT OF SHARES; EXECUTION AND

DELIVERY, TRANSFER AND SURRENDER OF RECEIPTS

Section 2.1 Appointment of Depositary. The Company hereby appoints the Depositary as depositary for the Deposited Property and hereby authorizes and directs the Depositary to act in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADRs. Each Holder and each Beneficial Owner, 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 as 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.

Section 2.2 Form and Transferability of ADSs.

(a) Form. Certificated ADSs shall be evidenced by definitive ADRs which shall be engraved, printed, lithographed or produced in such other manner as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Depositary. ADRs may be issued under the Deposit Agreement in denominations of any whole number of ADSs. The ADRs shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement, with any appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, in each case as otherwise contemplated in the Deposit Agreement or required by law. ADRs shall be (i) dated, (ii) signed by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Depositary, (iii) countersigned by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Registrar, and (iv) registered in the books maintained by the Registrar for the registration of issuances and transfers of ADSs. No ADR and no Certificated ADS evidenced thereby shall be entitled to any benefits under the Deposit Agreement or be valid or enforceable for any purpose against the Depositary or the Company, unless such ADR shall have been so dated, signed, countersigned and registered. ADRs bearing the facsimile signature of a duly-authorized signatory of the Depositary or the Registrar, who at the time of signature was a duly-authorized signatory of the Depositary or the Registrar, as the case may be, shall bind the Depositary, notwithstanding the fact that such signatory has ceased to be so authorized prior to the Delivery of such ADR by the Depositary. The ADRs shall bear a CUSIP number that is different from any CUSIP number that was, is or may be assigned to any depositary receipts previously or subsequently issued pursuant to any other arrangement between the Depositary (or any other depositary) and the Company and which are not ADRs outstanding hereunder.

 

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(b) Legends. The ADRs may be endorsed with, or have incorporated in the text thereof, such legends or recitals not inconsistent with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement as may be (i) necessary to enable the Depositary and the Company to perform their respective obligations hereunder, (ii) required to comply with any applicable laws or regulations, or with the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or market upon which ADSs may be traded, listed or quoted, or to conform with any usage with respect thereto, (iii) necessary to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular ADRs or ADSs are subject by reason of the date of issuance of the Deposited Securities or otherwise, or (iv) required by any book-entry system in which the ADSs are held. Holders and Beneficial Owners shall be deemed, for all purposes, to have notice of, and to be bound by, the terms and conditions of the legends set forth, in the case of Holders, on the ADR registered in the name of the applicable Holders or, in the case of Beneficial Owners, on the ADR representing the ADSs owned by such Beneficial Owners.

(c) Title. Subject to the limitations contained herein and in the ADR, title to an ADR (and to each Certificated ADS evidenced thereby) shall be transferable upon the same terms as a certificated security under the laws of the State of New York, provided that, in the case of Certificated ADSs, such ADR has been properly endorsed or is accompanied by proper instruments of transfer. Notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, the Depositary and the Company may deem and treat the Holder of an ADS (that is, the person in whose name an ADS is registered on the books of the Depositary) as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall have any obligation nor be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement or any ADR to any holder or any Beneficial Owner unless, in the case of a holder of ADSs, such holder is the Holder registered on the books of the Depositary or, in the case of a Beneficial Owner, such Beneficial Owner, or the Beneficial Owner’s representative, is the Holder registered on the books of the Depositary.

(d) Book-Entry Systems. The Depositary shall make arrangements for the acceptance of the ADSs into DTC. All ADSs held through DTC will be registered in the name of the nominee for DTC (currently “Cede & Co.”). As such, the nominee for DTC will be the only “Holder” of all ADSs held through DTC. Unless issued by the Depositary as Uncertificated ADSs, the ADSs registered in the name of Cede & Co. will be evidenced by one or more ADR(s) in the form of a “Balance Certificate,” which will provide that it represents the aggregate number of ADSs from time to time indicated in the records of the Depositary as being issued hereunder and that the aggregate number of ADSs represented thereby may from time to time be increased or decreased by making adjustments on such records of the Depositary and of DTC or its nominee as hereinafter provided. Citibank, N.A. (or such other entity as is appointed by DTC or its nominee) may hold the “Balance Certificate” as custodian for DTC. Each Beneficial Owner of ADSs held through DTC must rely upon the procedures of DTC and the DTC Participants to exercise or be entitled to any rights attributable to such ADSs. The DTC Participants shall for all purposes be deemed to have all requisite power and authority to act on behalf of the Beneficial Owners of the ADSs held in the DTC Participants’ respective accounts in DTC and the Depositary shall for all purposes be authorized to rely upon any instructions and information given to it by DTC Participants. So long as ADSs are held through DTC or unless otherwise required by law, ownership of beneficial interests in the ADSs registered in the name of the nominee for DTC will be shown on, and transfers of such ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by (i) DTC or its nominee (with respect to the interests of DTC Participants), or (ii) DTC Participants or their nominees (with respect to the interests of clients of DTC Participants). Any distributions made, and any notices given, by the Depositary to DTC under the terms of the Deposit Agreement shall (unless otherwise specified by the Depositary) satisfy the Depositary’s obligations under the Deposit Agreement to make such distributions, and give such notices, in respect of the ADSs held in DTC (including, for avoidance of doubt, to the DTC Participants holding the ADSs in their DTC accounts and to the Beneficial Owners of such ADSs).

 

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Section 2.3 Deposit of Shares. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement and applicable law, Shares or evidence of rights to receive Shares (other than Restricted Securities) may be deposited by any person (including the Depositary in its individual capacity but subject, however, in the case of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, to Section 5.7) at any time, whether or not the transfer books of the Company or the Share Registrar, if any, are closed, by Delivery of the Shares to the Custodian. Every deposit of Shares shall be accompanied by the following: (A) (i) in the case of Shares represented by certificates issued in registered form, appropriate instruments of transfer or endorsement, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Custodian, (ii) in the case of Shares represented by certificates in bearer form, the requisite coupons and talons pertaining thereto, and (iii) in the case of Shares delivered by book-entry transfer and recordation, confirmation of such book-entry transfer and recordation in the books of the Share Registrar or of the applicable book-entry settlement entity, as applicable, to the Custodian or that irrevocable instructions have been given to cause such Shares to be so transferred and recorded, (B) such certifications and payments (including, without limitation, the Depositary’s fees and related charges) and evidence of such payments (including, without limitation, stamping or otherwise marking such Shares by way of receipt) as may be required by the Depositary or the Custodian in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and applicable law, (C) if the Depositary so requires, a written order directing the Depositary to issue and deliver to, or upon the written order of, the person(s) stated in such order the number of ADSs representing the Shares so deposited, (D) evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary (which may be an opinion of counsel) that all necessary approvals have been granted by, or there has been compliance with the rules and regulations of, any applicable governmental agency in the Cayman Islands, and (E) if the Depositary so requires, (i) an agreement, assignment or instrument reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary or the Custodian which provides for the prompt transfer by any person in whose name the Shares are or have been recorded to the Custodian of any distribution, or right to subscribe for additional Shares or to receive other property in respect of any such deposited Shares or, in lieu thereof, such indemnity or other agreement as shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary or the Custodian and (ii) if the Shares are registered in the name of the person on whose behalf they are presented for deposit, a proxy or proxies entitling the Custodian to exercise voting rights in respect of the Shares for any and all purposes until the Shares so deposited are registered in the name of the Depositary, the Custodian or any nominee.

 

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Without limiting any other provision of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall instruct the Custodian not to, and the Depositary shall not knowingly, accept for deposit (a) any Restricted Securities (except as contemplated by Section 2.14) nor (b) any fractional Shares or fractional Deposited Securities nor (c) a number of Shares or Deposited Securities which upon application of the ADS to Shares ratio would give rise to fractional ADSs. No Shares shall be accepted for deposit unless accompanied by evidence, if any is required by the Depositary, that is reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary or the Custodian that all conditions to such deposit have been satisfied by the person depositing such Shares under the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and any necessary approval has been granted by any applicable governmental body in the Cayman Islands, if any. The Depositary may issue ADSs against evidence of rights to receive Shares from the Company, any agent of the Company or any custodian, registrar, transfer agent, clearing agency or other entity involved in ownership or transaction records in respect of the Shares. Such evidence of rights shall consist of written blanket or specific guarantees of ownership of Shares furnished by the Company or any such custodian, registrar, transfer agent, clearing agency or other entity involved in ownership or transaction records in respect of the Shares.

Without limitation of the foregoing, the Depositary shall not knowingly accept for deposit under the Deposit Agreement (A) any Shares or other securities required to be registered under the provisions of the Securities Act, unless (i) a registration statement is in effect as to such Shares or other securities or (ii) the deposit is made upon terms contemplated in Section 2.14, or (B) any Shares or other securities the deposit of which would violate any provisions of the Articles of Association. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the Depositary shall be entitled to rely upon representations and warranties made or deemed made pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and shall not be required to make any further investigation. The Depositary will comply with written instructions of the Company (received by the Depositary reasonably in advance) 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 the securities laws of the United States.

Section 2.4 Registration and Safekeeping of Deposited Securities. The Depositary shall instruct the Custodian upon each Delivery of registered Shares being deposited hereunder with the Custodian (or other Deposited Securities pursuant to Article IV hereof), together with the other documents above specified, to present such Shares, together with the appropriate instrument(s) of transfer or endorsement, duly stamped, to the Share Registrar for transfer and registration of the Shares (as soon as transfer and registration can be accomplished and at the expense of the person for whom the deposit is made) in the name of the Depositary, the Custodian or a nominee of either. Deposited Securities shall be held by the Depositary, or by a Custodian for the account and to the order of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary, in each case, on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners, at such place(s) as the Depositary or the Custodian shall determine. Notwithstanding anything else contained in the Deposit Agreement, any ADR(s), or any other instruments or agreements relating to the ADSs and the corresponding Deposited Property, the registration of the Deposited Securities in the name of the Depositary, the Custodian or any of their respective nominees, shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vest in the Depositary, the Custodian or the applicable nominee the record ownership in the applicable Deposited Securities with the beneficial ownership rights and interests in such Deposited Securities being at all times vested with the Beneficial Owners of the ADSs representing the Deposited Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Depositary, the Custodian and the applicable nominee shall at all times be entitled to exercise the beneficial ownership rights in all Deposited Property, in each case only on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of the ADSs representing the Deposited Property, upon the terms set forth in the Deposit Agreement and, if applicable, the ADR(s) representing the ADSs. The Depositary, the Custodian and their respective nominees shall for all purposes be deemed to have all requisite power and authority to act in respect of Deposited Property on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs representing the Deposited Property, and upon making payments to, or acting upon instructions from, or information provided by, the Depositary, the Custodian or their respective nominees all persons shall be authorized to rely upon such power and authority.

 

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Section 2.5 Issuance of ADSs. The Depositary has made arrangements with the Custodian for the Custodian to confirm to the Depositary upon receipt of a deposit of Shares (i) that a deposit of Shares has been made pursuant to Section 2.3, (ii) that such Deposited Securities have been recorded in the name of the Depositary, the Custodian or a nominee of either on the shareholders’ register maintained by or on behalf of the Company by the Share Registrar or on the books of the applicable book-entry settlement entity, (iii) that all required documents have been received, and (iv) the person(s) to whom or upon whose order ADSs are deliverable in respect thereof and the number of ADSs to be so delivered. Such notification may be made by letter, cable, telex, SWIFT message or, at the risk and expense of the person making the deposit, by facsimile or other means of electronic transmission. Upon receiving such notice from the Custodian, the Depositary, subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement and applicable law, shall issue the ADSs representing the Shares so deposited to or upon the order of the person(s) named in the notice delivered to the Depositary and, if applicable, shall execute and deliver at its Principal Office Receipt(s) registered in the name(s) requested by such person(s) and evidencing the aggregate number of ADSs to which such person(s) is/are entitled, but, in each case, only upon payment to the Depositary of the charges of the Depositary for accepting a deposit of Shares and issuing ADSs (as set forth in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B hereto) and all taxes and governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit and the transfer of the Shares and the issuance of the ADS(s). The Depositary shall only issue ADSs in whole numbers and deliver, if applicable, ADR(s) evidencing whole numbers of ADSs.

Section 2.6 Transfer, Combination and Split-up of ADRs.

(a)     Transfer. The Registrar shall register the transfer of ADRs (and of the ADSs represented thereby) on the books maintained for such purpose and the Depositary shall, as promptly as commercially practicable, (x) cancel such ADRs and execute new ADRs evidencing the same aggregate number of ADSs as those evidenced by the ADRs canceled by the Depositary, (y) cause the Registrar to countersign such new ADRs and (z) Deliver such new ADRs to or upon the order of the person entitled thereto, if each of the following conditions has been satisfied: (i) the ADRs have been duly Delivered by the Holder (or by a duly authorized attorney of the Holder) to the Depositary at its Principal Office for the purpose of effecting a transfer thereof, (ii) the surrendered ADRs have been properly endorsed or are accompanied by proper instruments of transfer (including signature guarantees in accordance with standard securities industry practice), (iii) the surrendered ADRs have been duly stamped (if required by the laws of the State of New York or of the United States), and (iv) all applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and all applicable taxes and governmental charges (as are set forth in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B hereto) have been paid, subject, however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the applicable ADRs, of the Deposit Agreement and of applicable law, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

 

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(b)     Combination & Split-Up. The Registrar shall register the split-up or combination of ADRs (and of the ADSs represented thereby) on the books maintained for such purpose and the Depositary shall, as promptly as commercially practicable, (x) cancel such ADRs and execute new ADRs for the number of ADSs requested, but in the aggregate not exceeding the number of ADSs evidenced by the ADRs canceled by the Depositary, (y) cause the Registrar to countersign such new ADRs and (z) Deliver such new ADRs to or upon the order of the Holder thereof, if each of the following conditions has been satisfied: (i) the ADRs have been duly Delivered by the Holder (or by a duly authorized attorney of the Holder) to the Depositary at its Principal Office for the purpose of effecting a split-up or combination thereof, and (ii) all applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and all applicable taxes and governmental charges (as are set forth in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B hereto) have been paid, subject, however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the applicable ADRs, of the Deposit Agreement and of applicable law, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

Section 2.7 Surrender of ADSs and Withdrawal of Deposited Securities. The Holder of ADSs shall be entitled to Delivery (at the Custodian’s designated office) of the Deposited Securities at the time represented by the ADSs upon satisfaction of each of the following conditions: (i) the Holder (or a duly-authorized attorney of the Holder) has duly Delivered ADSs to the Depositary at its Principal Office (and if applicable, the ADRs evidencing such ADSs) for the purpose of withdrawal of the Deposited Securities represented thereby, (ii) if applicable and so required by the Depositary, the ADRs Delivered to the Depositary for such purpose have been properly endorsed in blank or are accompanied by proper instruments of transfer in blank (including signature guarantees in accordance with standard securities industry practice), (iii) if so required by the Depositary, the Holder of the ADSs has executed and delivered to the Depositary a written order directing the Depositary to cause the Deposited Securities being withdrawn to be Delivered to or upon the written order of the person(s) designated in such order, and (iv) all applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and all applicable taxes and governmental charges (as are set forth in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B) have been paid, subject, however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the ADRs evidencing the surrendered ADSs, of the Deposit Agreement, of the Articles of Association, and of any applicable laws and the rules of the applicable book-entry settlement entity, and to any provisions of or governing the Deposited Securities, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

Upon satisfaction of each of the conditions specified above, the Depositary (i) shall, as promptly as commercially practicable, cancel the ADSs Delivered to it (and, if applicable, the ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs so Delivered), (ii) shall direct the Registrar to record the cancellation of the ADSs so Delivered on the books maintained for such purpose, and (iii) shall direct the Custodian to Deliver, or cause the Delivery of, in each case, without unreasonable delay, the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs so canceled together with any certificate or other document of title for the Deposited Securities, or evidence of the electronic transfer thereof (if available), as the case may be, to or upon the written order of the person(s) designated in the order delivered to the Depositary for such purpose, subject however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, of the ADRs evidencing the ADSs so canceled, of the Articles of Association, of any applicable laws and of the rules of the applicable book-entry settlement entity, and to the terms and conditions of or governing the Deposited Securities, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

 

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The Depositary shall not accept for surrender ADSs representing less than one (1) Share. In the case of Delivery to it of ADSs representing a number other than a whole number of Shares, the Depositary shall cause ownership of the appropriate whole number of Shares to be Delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, and shall, at the discretion of the Depositary, either (i) return to the person surrendering such ADSs the number of ADSs representing any remaining fractional Share, or (ii) sell or cause to be sold the fractional Share represented by the ADSs so surrendered and remit the proceeds of such sale (net of (a) applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes withheld) to the person surrendering the ADSs.

Notwithstanding anything else contained in any ADR or the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may make delivery at the Principal Office of the Depositary of Deposited Property consisting of (i) any cash dividends or cash distributions, or (ii) any proceeds from the sale of any non-cash distributions, which are at the time held by the Depositary in respect of the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs surrendered for cancellation and withdrawal. At the request, risk and expense of any Holder so surrendering ADSs, and for the account of such Holder, the Depositary shall direct the Custodian to forward (to the extent permitted by law) any Deposited Property (other than Deposited Securities) held by the Custodian in respect of such ADSs to the Depositary for delivery at the Principal Office of the Depositary. Such direction shall be given by letter or, at the request, risk and expense of such Holder, by cable, telex or facsimile transmission.

Section 2.8 Limitations on Execution and Delivery, Transfer, etc. of ADSs; Suspension of Delivery, Transfer, etc.

(a)     Additional Requirements. As a condition precedent to the execution and Delivery, the registration of issuance, transfer, split-up, combination or surrender, of any ADS, the delivery of any distribution thereon, or the withdrawal of any Deposited Property, the Depositary or the Custodian may require (i) payment from the depositor of Shares or presenter of ADSs or of an ADR of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any tax or other governmental charge and any stock transfer or registration fee with respect thereto (including any such tax or charge and fee with respect to Shares being deposited or withdrawn) and payment of any applicable fees and charges of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B, (ii) the production of proof reasonably satisfactory to it as to the identity and genuineness of any signature or any other matter contemplated by Section 3.1, and (iii) compliance with (A) any laws or governmental regulations relating to the execution and Delivery of ADRs or ADSs or to the withdrawal of Deposited Securities and (B) such reasonable regulations as the Depositary and the Company may establish consistent with the provisions of the representative ADR, if applicable, the Deposit Agreement and applicable law.

(b)     Additional Limitations. The issuance of ADSs against deposits of Shares generally or against deposits of particular Shares may be suspended, or the deposit of particular Shares may be refused, or the registration of transfer of ADSs in particular instances may be refused, or the registration of transfers of ADSs generally may be suspended, during any period when the transfer books of the Company, the Depositary, a Registrar or the Share Registrar are closed or if any such action is deemed necessary or advisable by the Depositary (whereupon the Depositary shall notify the Company in writing) or the Company, in good faith, at any time or from time to time because of any requirement of law or regulation, any government or governmental body or commission or any securities exchange on which the ADSs or Shares are listed, or under any provision of the Deposit Agreement or the representative ADR(s), if applicable, or under any provision of, or governing, the Deposited Securities, or because of a meeting of shareholders of the Company or for any other reason, subject, in all cases, to Section 7.8(a).

 

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(c)     Regulatory Restrictions. Notwithstanding any provision of the Deposit Agreement or any ADR(s) to the contrary, Holders are entitled to surrender outstanding ADSs to withdraw the Deposited Securities associated herewith at any time subject only to (i) temporary delays caused by closing the transfer books of the Depositary or the Company 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, (iii) compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the ADSs or to the withdrawal of the Deposited Securities, and (iv) other circumstances specifically contemplated by Instruction I.A.(l) of the General Instructions to Form F-6 (as such General Instructions may be amended from time to time).

Section 2.9 Lost ADRs, etc. In case any ADR shall be mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen, the Depositary shall execute and deliver a new ADR of like tenor at the expense of the Holder (a) in the case of a mutilated ADR, in exchange of and substitution for such mutilated ADR upon cancellation thereof, or (b) in the case of a destroyed, lost or stolen ADR, in lieu of and in substitution for such destroyed, lost, or stolen ADR, after the Holder thereof (i) has submitted to the Depositary a written request for such exchange and substitution before the Depositary has notice that the ADR has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, (ii) has provided such security or indemnity (including an indemnity bond) as may be required by the Depositary to save it and any of its agents harmless, and (iii) has satisfied any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Depositary, including, without limitation, evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary of such destruction, loss or theft of such ADR, the authenticity thereof and the Holder’s ownership thereof.

Section 2.10 Cancellation and Destruction of Surrendered ADRs; Maintenance of Records. All ADRs surrendered to the Depositary shall be canceled by the Depositary. Canceled ADRs shall not be entitled to any benefits under the Deposit Agreement or be valid or enforceable against the Depositary or the Company for any purpose. The Depositary is authorized to destroy ADRs so canceled, provided the Depositary maintains a record of all destroyed ADRs. Any ADSs held in book-entry form (e.g., through accounts at DTC) shall be deemed canceled when the Depositary causes the number of ADSs evidenced by the Balance Certificate to be reduced by the number of ADSs surrendered (without the need to physically destroy the Balance Certificate).

 

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Section 2.11 Escheatment. In the event any unclaimed property relating to the ADSs, for any reason, is in the possession of Depositary and has not been claimed by the Holder thereof or cannot be delivered to the Holder thereof through usual channels, the Depositary shall, upon expiration of any applicable statutory period relating to abandoned property laws, escheat such unclaimed property to the relevant authorities in accordance with the laws of each of the relevant States of the United States.

Section 2.12 Partial Entitlement ADSs. In the event any Shares are deposited which (i) entitle the holders thereof to receive a per-share distribution or other entitlement in an amount different from the Shares then on deposit or (ii) are not fully fungible (including, without limitation, as to settlement or trading) with the Shares then on deposit (the Shares then on deposit collectively, “Full Entitlement Shares” and the Shares with different entitlement, “Partial Entitlement Shares”), the Depositary shall (i) cause the Custodian to hold Partial Entitlement Shares separate and distinct from Full Entitlement Shares, and (ii) subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement, issue ADSs representing Partial Entitlement Shares which are separate and distinct from the ADSs representing Full Entitlement Shares, by means of separate CUSIP numbering and legending (if necessary) and, if applicable, by issuing ADRs evidencing such ADSs with applicable notations thereon (“Partial Entitlement ADSs/ADRs” and “Full Entitlement ADSs/ADRs”, respectively). If and when Partial Entitlement Shares become Full Entitlement Shares, the Depositary shall (a) give notice thereof to Holders of Partial Entitlement ADSs and give Holders of Partial Entitlement ADRs the opportunity to exchange such Partial Entitlement ADRs for Full Entitlement ADRs, (b) cause the Custodian to transfer the Partial Entitlement Shares into the account of the Full Entitlement Shares, and (c) take such actions as are necessary to remove the distinctions between (i) the Partial Entitlement ADRs and ADSs, on the one hand, and (ii) the Full Entitlement ADRs and ADSs on the other. Holders and Beneficial Owners of Partial Entitlement ADSs shall only be entitled to the entitlements of Partial Entitlement Shares. Holders and Beneficial Owners of Full Entitlement ADSs shall be entitled only to the entitlements of Full Entitlement Shares. All provisions and conditions of the Deposit Agreement shall apply to Partial Entitlement ADRs and ADSs to the same extent as Full Entitlement ADRs and ADSs, except as contemplated by this Section 2.12. The Depositary is authorized to take any and all other actions as may be necessary (including, without limitation, making the necessary notations on ADRs) to give effect to the terms of this Section 2.12. The Company agrees to give timely written notice to the Depositary if any Shares issued or to be issued are Partial Entitlement Shares and shall assist the Depositary with the establishment of procedures enabling the identification of Partial Entitlement Shares upon Delivery to the Custodian.

 

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Section 2.13 Certificated/Uncertificated ADSs. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may, at any time and from time to time, issue ADSs that are not evidenced by ADRs (such ADSs, the “Uncertificated ADS(s)” and the ADS(s) evidenced by ADR(s), the “Certificated ADS(s)”). When issuing and maintaining Uncertificated ADS(s) under the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall at all times be subject to (i) the standards applicable to registrars and transfer agents maintaining direct registration systems for equity securities in New York and issuing uncertificated securities under New York law, and (ii) the terms of New York law applicable to uncertificated equity securities. Uncertificated ADSs shall not be represented by any instruments but shall be evidenced by registration in the books of the Depositary maintained for such purpose. Holders of Uncertificated ADSs, that are not subject to any registered pledges, liens, restrictions or adverse claims of which the Depositary has notice at such time, shall at all times have the right to exchange the Uncertificated ADS(s) for Certificated ADS(s) of the same type and class, subject in each case to (x) applicable laws and any rules and regulations the Depositary may have established in respect of the Uncertificated ADSs, and (y) the continued availability of Certificated ADSs in the U.S. Holders of Certificated ADSs shall, if the Depositary maintains a direct registration system for the ADSs, have the right to exchange the Certificated ADSs for Uncertificated ADSs upon (i) the due surrender of the Certificated ADS(s) to the Depositary for such purpose and (ii) the presentation of a written request to that effect to the Depositary, subject in each case to (a) all liens and restrictions noted on the ADR evidencing the Certificated ADS(s) and all adverse claims of which the Depositary then has notice, (b) the terms of the Deposit Agreement and the rules and regulations that the Depositary may establish for such purposes hereunder, (c) applicable law, and (d) payment of the Depositary fees and expenses applicable to such exchange of Certificated ADS(s) for Uncertificated ADS(s). Uncertificated ADSs shall in all material respects be identical to Certificated ADS(s) of the same type and class, except that (i) no ADR(s) shall be, or shall need to be, issued to evidence Uncertificated ADS(s), (ii) Uncertificated ADS(s) shall, subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement, be transferable upon the same terms and conditions as uncertificated securities under New York law, (iii) the ownership of Uncertificated ADS(s) shall be recorded on the books of the Depositary maintained for such purpose and evidence of such ownership shall be reflected in periodic statements provided by the Depositary to the Holder(s) in accordance with applicable New York law, (iv) the Depositary may from time to time, upon notice to the Holders of Uncertificated ADSs affected thereby, establish rules and regulations, and amend or supplement existing rules and regulations, as may be deemed reasonably necessary to maintain Uncertificated ADS(s) on behalf of Holders, provided that (a) such rules and regulations do not conflict with the terms of the Deposit Agreement and applicable law, and (b) the terms of such rules and regulations are readily available to Holders upon request, (v) the Uncertificated ADS(s) shall not be entitled to any benefits under the Deposit Agreement or be valid or enforceable for any purpose against the Depositary or the Company unless such Uncertificated ADS(s) is/are registered on the books of the Depositary maintained for such purpose, (vi) the Depositary may, in connection with any deposit of Shares resulting in the issuance of Uncertificated ADSs and with any transfer, pledge, release and cancellation of Uncertificated ADSs, require the prior receipt of such documentation as the Depositary may deem reasonably appropriate, and (vii) upon termination of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall not require Holders of Uncertificated ADSs to affirmatively instruct the Depositary before remitting proceeds from the sale of the Deposited Property represented by such Holders’ Uncertificated ADSs under the terms of Section 6.2. When issuing ADSs under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, including, without limitation, issuances pursuant to Sections 2.5, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.11, the Depositary may in its discretion determine to issue Uncertificated ADSs rather than Certificated ADSs, unless otherwise specifically instructed by the applicable Holder to issue Certificated ADSs. All provisions and conditions of the Deposit Agreement shall apply to Uncertificated ADSs to the same extent as to Certificated ADSs, except as contemplated by this Section 2.13. The Depositary is authorized and directed to take any and all actions and establish any and all procedures deemed reasonably necessary to give effect to the terms of this Section 2.13. Any references in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR(s) to the terms “American Depositary Share(s)” or “ADS(s)” shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include Certificated ADS(s) and Uncertificated ADS(s). Except as set forth in this Section 2.13 and except as required by applicable law, the Uncertificated ADSs shall be treated as ADSs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement. In the event that, in determining the rights and obligations of parties hereto with respect to any Uncertificated ADSs, any conflict arises between (a) the terms of the Deposit Agreement (other than this Section 2.13) and (b) the terms of this Section 2.13, the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 2.13 shall be controlling and shall govern the rights and obligations of the parties to the Deposit Agreement pertaining to the Uncertificated ADSs.

 

 

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Section 2.14 Restricted ADSs. The Depositary shall, at the request and expense of the Company, establish procedures enabling the deposit hereunder of Shares that are Restricted Securities in order to enable the holder of such Shares to hold its ownership interests in such Restricted Securities in the form of ADSs issued under the terms hereof (such Shares, “Restricted Shares”). Upon receipt of a written request from the Company to accept Restricted Shares for deposit hereunder, the Depositary agrees to establish procedures permitting the deposit of such Restricted Shares and the issuance of ADSs representing the right to receive, subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR (if issued as a Certificated ADS), such deposited Restricted Shares (such ADSs, the “Restricted ADSs,” and the ADRs evidencing such Restricted ADSs, the “Restricted ADRs”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2.14, the Depositary and the Company may, to the extent not prohibited by law, agree to issue the Restricted ADSs in uncertificated form (“Uncertificated Restricted ADSs”) upon such terms and conditions as the Company and the Depositary may deem necessary and appropriate. The Company shall assist the Depositary in the establishment of such procedures and agrees that it shall take all steps necessary and reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary to ensure that the establishment of such procedures does not violate the provisions of the Securities Act or any other applicable laws. The depositors of such Restricted Shares and the Holders of the Restricted ADSs may be required prior to the deposit of such Restricted Shares, the transfer of the Restricted ADRs and Restricted ADSs or the withdrawal of the Restricted Shares represented by Restricted ADSs to provide such written certifications or agreements as the Depositary or the Company may require. The Company shall provide to the Depositary in writing the legend(s) to be affixed to the Restricted ADRs (if the Restricted ADSs are to be issued as Certificated ADSs), or to be included in the statements issued from time to time to Holders of Uncertificated ADSs (if issued as Uncertificated Restricted ADSs), which legends shall (i) be in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary and (ii) contain the specific circumstances under which the Restricted ADSs, and, if applicable, the Restricted ADRs evidencing the Restricted ADSs, may be transferred or the Restricted Shares withdrawn. The Restricted ADSs issued upon the deposit of Restricted Shares shall be separately identified on the books of the Depositary and the Restricted Shares so deposited shall, to the extent required by law, be held separate and distinct from the other Deposited Securities held hereunder. The Restricted ADSs shall not be eligible for inclusion in any book-entry settlement system, including, without limitation, DTC (unless (x) otherwise agreed by the Company and the Depositary, (y) the inclusion of Restricted ADSs is acceptable to the applicable clearing system, and (z) the terms of such inclusion are generally accepted by the Commission for Restricted Securities of that type), and shall not in any way be fungible with the ADSs issued under the terms hereof that are not Restricted ADSs. The Restricted ADSs, and, if applicable, the Restricted ADRs evidencing the Restricted ADSs, shall be transferable only by the Holder thereof upon delivery to the Depositary of (i) all documentation otherwise contemplated by the Deposit Agreement and (ii) an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary setting forth, inter alia, the conditions upon which the Restricted ADSs presented, and, if applicable, the Restricted ADRs evidencing the Restricted ADSs, are transferable by the Holder thereof under applicable securities laws and the transfer restrictions contained in the legend applicable to the Restricted ADSs presented for transfer. Except as set forth in this Section 2.14 and except as required by applicable law, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted ADRs evidencing Restricted ADSs shall be treated as ADSs and ADRs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement. In the event that, in determining the rights and obligations of parties hereto with respect to any Restricted ADSs, any conflict arises between (a) the terms of the Deposit Agreement (other than this Section 2.14) and (b) the terms of (i) this Section 2.14 or (ii) the applicable Restricted ADR, the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 2.14 and of the Restricted ADR shall be controlling and shall govern the rights and obligations of the parties to the Deposit Agreement pertaining to the deposited Restricted Shares, the Restricted ADSs and Restricted ADRs.

 

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If the Restricted ADRs, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted Shares cease to be Restricted Securities, the Depositary, upon receipt of (x) an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary setting forth, inter alia, that the Restricted ADRs, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted Shares are not as of such time Restricted Securities, and (y) instructions from the Company to remove the restrictions applicable to the Restricted ADRs, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted Shares, shall (i) eliminate the distinctions and separations that may have been established between the applicable Restricted Shares held on deposit under this Section 2.14 and the other Shares held on deposit under the terms of the Deposit Agreement that are not Restricted Shares, (ii) treat the newly unrestricted ADRs and ADSs on the same terms as, and fully fungible with, the other ADRs and ADSs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement that are not Restricted ADRs or Restricted ADSs, and (iii) take all actions necessary to remove any distinctions, limitations and restrictions previously existing under this Section 2.14 between the applicable Restricted ADRs and Restricted ADSs, respectively, on the one hand, and the other ADRs and ADSs that are not Restricted ADRs or Restricted ADSs, respectively, on the other hand, including, without limitation, by making the newly-unrestricted ADSs eligible for inclusion in the applicable book-entry settlement systems.

ARTICLE III

CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS OF HOLDERS

AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF ADSs

Section 3.1 Proofs, Certificates and Other Information. Any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Holder and any Beneficial Owner may be required, and every Holder and Beneficial Owner agrees, from time to time to provide to the Depositary and the Custodian such proof of citizenship or residence, taxpayer status, payment of all applicable taxes or other governmental charges, exchange control approval, legal or beneficial ownership of ADSs and Deposited Property, compliance with applicable laws, the terms of the Deposit Agreement or the ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs and the provisions of, or governing, the Deposited Property, to execute such certifications and to make such representations and warranties, and to provide such other information and documentation (or, in the case of Shares in registered form presented for deposit, such information relating to the registration on the books of the Company or of the Share Registrar) as the Depositary or the Custodian may deem necessary or proper or as the Company may reasonably require by written request to the Depositary consistent with its obligations under the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR(s). The Depositary and the Registrar, as applicable, may withhold the execution or delivery or registration of transfer of any ADR or ADS or the distribution or sale of any dividend or distribution of rights or of the proceeds thereof or, to the extent not limited by the terms of Section 7.8(a), the delivery of any Deposited Property until such proof or other information is filed or such certifications are executed, or such representations and warranties are made, or such other documentation or information provided, in each case to the Depositary’s, the Registrar’s and the Company’s satisfaction. The Depositary shall provide the Company, in a timely manner, with copies or originals if necessary and appropriate of (i) any such proofs of citizenship or residence, taxpayer status, or exchange control approval or copies of written representations and warranties which it receives from Holders and Beneficial Owners, and (ii) any other information or documents which the Company may reasonably request and which the Depositary shall request and receive from any Holder or Beneficial Owner or any person presenting Shares for deposit or ADSs for cancellation, transfer or withdrawal. Nothing herein shall obligate the Depositary to (i) obtain any information for the Company if not provided by the Holders or Beneficial Owners, or (ii) verify or vouch for the accuracy of the information so provided by the Holders or Beneficial Owners.

 

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Section 3.2 Liability for Taxes and Other Charges. Any tax or other governmental charge payable by the Custodian or by the Depositary with respect to any Deposited Property, ADSs or ADRs shall be payable by the Holders and Beneficial Owners to the Depositary. The Company, the Custodian and/or the Depositary may withhold or deduct from any distributions made in respect of Deposited Property held on behalf of such Holder and/or Beneficial Owner, and may sell for the account of a Holder and/or Beneficial Owner any or all of such Deposited Property and apply such distributions and sale proceeds in payment of, any taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) or charges that are or may be payable by Holders or Beneficial Owners in respect of the ADSs, Deposited Property and ADRs, the Holder and the Beneficial Owner remaining liable for any deficiency. The Custodian may refuse the deposit of Shares and the Depositary may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver ADRs, register the transfer of ADSs, register the split-up or combination of ADRs and (subject to Section 7.8(a)) the withdrawal of Deposited Property until payment in full of such tax, charge, penalty or interest is received. Every Holder and Beneficial Owner agrees to indemnify the Depositary, the Company, the Custodian, and any of their agents, directors, officers, employees and Affiliates for, and to hold each of them harmless from, any claims with respect to taxes (including applicable interest and penalties thereon) arising from (i) any ADSs held by such Holder and/or owned by such Beneficial Owner, (ii) the Deposited Property represented by the ADSs, and (iii) any transaction entered into by such Holder and/or Beneficial Owner in respect of the ADSs and/or the Deposited Property represented thereby. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, the obligations of Holders and Beneficial Owners under this Section 3.2 shall survive any transfer of ADSs, any cancellation of ADSs and withdrawal of Deposited Securities, and the termination of the Deposit Agreement.

Section 3.3 Representations and Warranties on Deposit of Shares. Each person depositing Shares under the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed thereby to represent and warrant that (i) such Shares and the certificates therefor are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable and legally obtained by such person, (ii) all preemptive (and similar) rights, if any, with respect to such Shares have been validly waived or exercised, (iii) the person making such deposit is duly authorized so to do, (iv) the Shares presented for deposit are free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, charge, mortgage or adverse claim, (v) the Shares presented for deposit are not, and the ADSs issuable upon such deposit will not be, Restricted Securities (except as contemplated in Section 2.14), and (vi) the Shares presented for deposit have not been stripped of any rights or entitlements. Such representations and warranties shall survive the deposit and withdrawal of Shares, the issuance and cancellation of ADSs in respect thereof and the transfer of such ADSs. If any such representations or warranties are false in any way, the Company and the Depositary shall be authorized, at the cost and expense of the person depositing Shares, to take any and all actions necessary to correct the consequences thereof.

 

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Section 3.4 Compliance with Information Requests. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Deposit Agreement or any ADR(s), each Holder and Beneficial Owner agrees to comply with requests from the Company pursuant to applicable law, the rules and requirements of any stock exchange on which the Shares or ADSs are, or will be, registered, traded or listed or the Articles of Association, which are made to provide information, inter alia, as to the capacity in which such Holder or Beneficial Owner owns ADSs (and Shares as the case may be) and regarding the identity of any other person(s) interested in such ADSs and the nature of such interest and various other matters, whether or not they are Holders and/or Beneficial Owners at the time of such request. The Depositary agrees to use its reasonable efforts to forward, upon the request of the Company and at the Company’s expense, any such request from the Company to the Holders and to forward to the Company any such responses to such requests received by the Depositary.

Section 3.5 Ownership Restrictions. Notwithstanding any other provision contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR(s) to the contrary, the Company may restrict transfers of the Shares where such transfer might result in ownership of Shares exceeding limits imposed by applicable law or the Articles of Association. The Company may also restrict, in such manner as it deems appropriate, transfers of the ADSs where such transfer may result in the total number of Shares represented by the ADSs owned by a single Holder or Beneficial Owner to exceed any such limits. The Company may, in its sole discretion but subject to applicable law, instruct the Depositary to take action with respect to the ownership interest of any Holder or Beneficial Owner in excess of the limits set forth in the preceding sentence, including, but not limited to, the imposition of restrictions on the transfer of ADSs, the removal or limitation of voting rights or mandatory sale or disposition on behalf of a Holder or Beneficial Owner of the Shares represented by the ADSs held by such Holder or Beneficial Owner in excess of such limitations, if and to the extent such disposition is permitted by applicable law and the Articles of Association. Nothing herein shall be interpreted as obligating the Depositary or the Company to ensure compliance with the ownership restrictions described in this Section 3.5.

Section 3.6 Reporting Obligations and Regulatory Approvals. Applicable laws and regulations may require holders and beneficial owners of Shares, including the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs, to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs are solely responsible for determining and complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. Each Holder and each Beneficial Owner hereby agrees to make such determination, file such reports, and obtain such approvals to the extent and in the form required by applicable laws and regulations as in effect from time to time. Neither the Depositary, the Custodian, the Company or any of their respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on behalf of Holders or Beneficial Owners to determine or satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable laws and regulations.

 

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ARTICLE IV

THE DEPOSITED SECURITIES

Section 4.1 Cash Distributions. Whenever the Company intends to make a distribution of a cash dividend or other cash distribution in respect of any Deposited Securities, the Company shall give timely notice thereof to the Depositary at least twenty (20) days (or such other number of days as the Depositary and the Company may agree to in writing from time to time) prior to the proposed distribution specifying, inter alia, the record date applicable for determining the holders of Deposited Securities entitled to receive such distribution. Upon the timely receipt of such notice, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date upon the terms described in Section 4.9. Upon confirmation of the receipt of (x) any cash dividend or other cash distribution on any Deposited Securities, or (y) proceeds from the sale of any Deposited Property held in respect of the ADSs under the terms hereof, the Depositary will (i) if any amounts are received in a Foreign Currency, promptly convert or cause to be converted such cash dividend, distribution or proceeds into Dollars (subject to the terms and conditions of Section 4.8), (ii) if applicable and unless previously established, establish the ADS Record Date upon the terms described in Section 4.9, and (iii) distribute promptly the amount thus received (net of (a) the applicable fees and charges set forth in the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit B, and (b) applicable taxes withheld) to the Holders entitled thereto as of the ADS Record Date in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the ADS Record Date. The Depositary shall distribute only such amount, however, as can be distributed without attributing to any Holder a fraction of one cent, and any balance not so distributed shall be held by the Depositary (without liability for interest thereon) and shall be added to and become part of the next sum received by the Depositary for distribution to Holders of ADSs outstanding at the time of the next distribution. If the Company, the Custodian or the Depositary is required to withhold and does withhold from any cash dividend or other cash distribution in respect of any Deposited Securities, or from any cash proceeds from the sales of Deposited Property, an amount on account of taxes, duties or other governmental charges, the amount distributed to Holders on the ADSs shall be reduced accordingly. Such withheld amounts shall be forwarded by the Company, the Custodian or the Depositary to the relevant governmental authority. Evidence of payment thereof by the Company shall be forwarded by the Company to the Depositary upon request. The Depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the Depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed distribution provided for in this Section 4.1, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.1, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.1 where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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Section 4.2 Distribution in Shares. Whenever the Company intends to make a distribution that consists of a dividend in, or free distribution of, Shares, the Company shall give timely notice thereof to the Depositary at least twenty (20) days (or such other number of days as the Depositary and the Company may agree to in writing from time to time) prior to the proposed distribution, specifying, inter alia, the record date applicable to holders of Deposited Securities entitled to receive such distribution. Upon the timely receipt of such notice from the Company, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date upon the terms described in Section 4.9. Upon receipt of confirmation from the Custodian of the receipt of the Shares so distributed by the Company, the Depositary shall either (i) subject to Section 5.9, distribute to the Holders as of the ADS Record Date in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the ADS Record Date, additional ADSs, which represent in the aggregate the number of Shares received as such dividend, or free distribution, subject to the other terms of the Deposit Agreement (including, without limitation, (a) the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes), or (ii) if additional ADSs are not so distributed, take all actions necessary so that each ADS issued and outstanding after the ADS Record Date shall, to the extent permissible by law, thenceforth also represent rights and interests in the additional integral number of Shares distributed upon the Deposited Securities represented thereby (net of (a) the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes). In lieu of delivering fractional ADSs, the Depositary shall sell the number of Shares or ADSs, as the case may be, represented by the aggregate of such fractions and distribute the net proceeds upon the terms described in Section 4.1. In the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution in property (including Shares) is subject to any tax or other governmental charges which the Depositary is obligated to withhold, or, if the Company in the fulfillment of its obligation under Section 5.7, has furnished an opinion of a U.S. counsel determining that Shares must be registered under the Securities Act or other laws in order to be distributed to Holders (and no such registration statement has been declared effective), the Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of such property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner, including by public or private sale, as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable, and the Depositary shall distribute the net proceeds of any such sale (after deduction of (a) taxes and (b) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary) to Holders entitled thereto upon the terms described in Section 4.1. The Depositary shall hold and/or distribute any unsold balance of such property in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed distribution provided for in this Section 4.2, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.2, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.2 where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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Section 4.3 Elective Distributions in Cash or Shares. Whenever the Company intends to make a distribution payable at the election of the holders of Deposited Securities in cash or in additional Shares, the Company shall give timely notice thereof to the Depositary at least forty-five (45) days (or such other number of days as the Depositary and the Company may agree to in writing from time to time) prior to the proposed distribution specifying, inter alia, the record date applicable to holders of Deposited Securities entitled to receive such elective distribution and whether or not it wishes such elective distribution to be made available to Holders of ADSs. Upon the timely receipt of a notice indicating that the Company wishes such elective distribution to be made available to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall consult with the Company to determine, and the Company shall assist the Depositary in its determination, whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make such elective distribution available to the Holders of ADSs. The Depositary shall make such elective distribution available to Holders only if (i) the Company shall have timely requested that the elective distribution be made available to Holders, (ii) the Depositary shall have determined that such distribution is reasonably practicable and (iii) the Depositary shall have received reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7. If the above conditions are not satisfied or if the Company requests such elective distribution not to be made available to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date on the terms described in Section 4.9 and, to the extent permitted by law, distribute to the Holders, on the basis of the same determination as is made in the Cayman Islands in respect of the Shares for which no election is made, either (X) cash upon the terms described in Section 4.1 or (Y) additional ADSs representing such additional Shares upon the terms described in Section 4.2. If the above conditions are satisfied, the Depositary shall establish an ADS Record Date on the terms described in Section 4.9 and establish procedures to enable Holders to elect the receipt of the proposed distribution in cash or in additional ADSs. The Company shall assist the Depositary in establishing such procedures to the extent necessary. If a Holder elects to receive the proposed distribution (X) in cash, the distribution shall be made upon the terms described in Section 4.1, or (Y) in ADSs, the distribution shall be made upon the terms described in Section 4.2. Nothing herein shall obligate the Depositary to make available to Holders a method to receive the elective distribution in Shares (rather than ADSs). There can be no assurance that Holders generally, or any Holder in particular, will be given the opportunity to receive elective distributions on the same terms and conditions as the holders of Shares. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed distribution provided for in this Section 4.3, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.3, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.3 where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

Section 4.4 Distribution of Rights to Purchase Additional ADSs.

(a)     Distribution to ADS Holders. Whenever the Company intends to distribute to the holders of the Deposited Securities rights to subscribe for additional Shares, the Company shall give timely notice thereof to the Depositary at least forty-five (45) days (or such other number of days as the Depositary and the Company may agree to in writing from time to time) prior to the proposed distribution specifying, inter alia, the record date applicable to holders of Deposited Securities entitled to receive such distribution and whether or not it wishes such rights to be made available to Holders of ADSs. Upon the timely receipt of a notice indicating that the Company wishes such rights to be made available to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall consult with the Company to determine, and the Company shall assist the Depositary in its determination, whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make such rights available to the Holders. The Depositary shall make such rights available to Holders only if (i) the Company shall have timely requested that such rights be made available to Holders, (ii) the Depositary shall have received reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7, and (iii) the Depositary shall have determined that such distribution of rights is reasonably practicable. In the event any of the conditions set forth above are not satisfied or if the Company requests that the rights not be made available to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall proceed with the sale of the rights as contemplated in Section 4.4(b) below. In the event all conditions set forth above are satisfied, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date (upon the terms described in Section 4.9) and establish procedures to (x) distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs (by means of warrants or otherwise), (y) enable the Holders to exercise such rights (upon payment of the subscription price and of the applicable (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes), and (z) deliver ADSs upon the valid exercise of such rights. The Company shall assist the Depositary to the extent necessary in establishing such procedures. Nothing herein shall obligate the Depositary to make available to the Holders a method to exercise rights to subscribe for Shares (rather than ADSs).

 

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(b)     Sale of Rights. If (i) the Company does not timely request the Depositary to make the rights available to Holders or requests that the rights not be made available to Holders, (ii) the Depositary fails to receive reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7, or determines it is not reasonably practicable to make the rights available to Holders, or (iii) any rights made available are not exercised and appear to be about to lapse, the Depositary shall determine whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to sell such rights, in a riskless principal capacity, at such place and upon such terms (including public or private sale) as it may deem practicable. The Company shall assist the Depositary to the extent necessary to determine such legality and practicability. The Depositary shall, upon such sale, convert and distribute proceeds of such sale (net of applicable (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes) upon the terms set forth in Section 4.1.

(c)     Lapse of Rights. If the Depositary is unable to make any rights available to Holders upon the terms described in Section 4.4(a) or to arrange for the sale of the rights upon the terms described in Section 4.4(b), the Depositary shall allow such rights to lapse.

The Depositary shall not be liable for (i) any failure to accurately determine whether it may be lawful or practicable to make such rights available to Holders in general or any Holders in particular, (ii) any foreign exchange exposure or loss incurred in connection with such sale, or exercise, or (iii) the content of any materials forwarded to the Holders on behalf of the Company in connection with the rights distribution.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.4, if registration (under the Securities Act or any other applicable law) of the rights or the securities to which any rights relate may be required in order for the Company to offer such rights or such securities to Holders and to sell the securities represented by such rights, the Depositary will not distribute such rights to the Holders (i) unless and until a registration statement under the Securities Act (or other applicable law) covering such offering is in effect or (ii) unless the Company furnishes the Depositary opinion(s) of counsel for the Company in the United States and counsel for the Company in any other applicable country in which rights would be distributed, in each case reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary, to the effect that the offering and sale of such securities to Holders and Beneficial Owners are exempt from, or do not require registration under, the provisions of the Securities Act or any other applicable laws.

 

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In the event that the Company, the Depositary or the Custodian shall be required to withhold and does withhold from any distribution of Deposited Property (including rights) an amount on account of taxes or other governmental charges, the amount distributed to the Holders of ADSs shall be reduced accordingly. In the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution of Deposited Property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) is subject to any tax or other governmental charges which the Depositary is obligated to withhold, the Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of such Deposited Property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner, including by public or private sale, as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay any such taxes or charges.

There can be no assurance that Holders generally, or any Holder in particular, will be given the opportunity to receive or exercise rights on the same terms and conditions as the holders of Shares or be able to exercise such rights. Nothing herein shall obligate the Company to file any registration statement in respect of any rights or Shares or other securities to be acquired upon the exercise of such rights.

Section 4.5 Distributions Other Than Cash, Shares or Rights to Purchase Shares.

(a)     Whenever the Company intends to distribute to the holders of Deposited Securities property other than cash, Shares or rights to purchase additional Shares, the Company shall give timely notice thereof to the Depositary and shall indicate whether or not it wishes such distribution to be made to Holders of ADSs. Upon receipt of a notice indicating that the Company wishes such distribution to be made to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall consult with the Company, and the Company shall assist the Depositary, to determine whether such distribution to Holders is lawful and reasonably practicable. The Depositary shall not make such distribution unless (i) the Company shall have requested the Depositary to make such distribution to Holders, (ii) the Depositary shall have received reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7, and (iii) the Depositary shall have determined that such distribution is reasonably practicable.

(b)     Upon receipt of reasonably satisfactory documentation and the request of the Company to distribute property to Holders of ADSs and after making the requisite determinations set forth in (a) above, the Depositary shall distribute the property so received to the Holders of record, as of the ADS Record Date, in proportion to the number of ADSs held by them respectively and in such manner as the Depositary may deem practicable for accomplishing such distribution (i) upon receipt of payment or net of the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (ii) net of any taxes withheld. The Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of the property so distributed and deposited, in such amounts and in such manner (including public or private sale) as the Depositary may deem practicable or necessary to satisfy any taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) or other governmental charges applicable to the distribution.

 

 

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(c)    If (i) the Company does not request the Depositary to make such distribution to Holders or requests the Depositary not to make such distribution to Holders, (ii) the Depositary does not receive reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7, or (iii) the Depositary determines that all or a portion of such distribution is not reasonably practicable, the Depositary shall sell or cause such property to be sold in a public or private sale, at such place or places and upon such terms as it may deem practicable and shall (i) cause the proceeds of such sale, if any, to be converted into Dollars and (ii) distribute the proceeds of such conversion received by the Depositary (net of applicable (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes) to the Holders as of the ADS Record Date upon the terms of Section 4.1. If the Depositary is unable to sell such property, the Depositary may dispose of such property for the account of the Holders in any way it deems reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

(d)    Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be liable for (i) any failure to accurately determine whether it is lawful or practicable to make the property described in this Section 4.5 available to Holders in general or any Holders in particular, nor (ii) any loss incurred in connection with the sale or disposal of such property.

Section 4.6 Distributions with Respect to Deposited Securities in Bearer Form. Subject to the terms of this Article IV, distributions in respect of Deposited Securities that are held by the Depositary or the Custodian in bearer form shall be made to the Depositary for the account of the respective Holders of ADS(s) with respect to which any such distribution is made upon due presentation by the Depositary or the Custodian to the Company of any relevant coupons, talons, or certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Depositary of such distributions. The Depositary or the Custodian shall promptly present such coupons, talons or certificates, as the case may be, in connection with any such distribution.

Section 4.7 Redemption. If the Company intends to exercise any right of redemption in respect of any of the Deposited Securities, the Company shall give timely notice thereof to the Depositary at least forty-five (45) days (or such other number of days as the Depositary and the Company may agree to in writing at such time from time to time) prior to the intended date of redemption which notice shall set forth the particulars of the proposed redemption. Upon timely receipt of (i) such notice and (ii) reasonably satisfactory documentation given by the Company to the Depositary within the terms of Section 5.7, and only if the Depositary shall have reasonably determined that such proposed redemption is practicable, the Depositary shall provide to each Holder a notice setting forth the intended exercise by the Company of the redemption rights and any other particulars set forth in the Company’s notice to the Depositary. The Depositary shall instruct the Custodian to present to the Company the Deposited Securities in respect of which redemption rights are being exercised against payment of the applicable redemption price. Upon receipt of confirmation from the Custodian that the redemption has taken place and that funds representing the redemption price have been received, the Depositary shall convert, transfer, and distribute the proceeds (net of applicable (a) fees and charges of, and the expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (b) taxes), retire ADSs and cancel ADRs, if applicable, upon delivery of such ADSs by Holders thereof and the terms set forth in Sections 4.1 and 6.2. If less than all outstanding Deposited Securities are redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as may be determined by the Depositary. The redemption price per ADS shall be the dollar equivalent of the per share amount received by the Depositary (adjusted to reflect the ADS(s)-to- Share(s) ratio) upon the redemption of the Deposited Securities represented by ADSs (subject to the terms of Section 4.8 and the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and taxes) multiplied by the number of Deposited Securities represented by each ADS redeemed.

 

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Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed redemption provided for in this Section 4.7, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.7, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.7 where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

Section 4.8 Conversion of Foreign Currency. Whenever the Depositary or the Custodian shall receive Foreign Currency, by way of dividends or other distributions or the net proceeds from the sale of Deposited Property, which in the judgment of the Depositary can at such time be converted on a practicable basis, by sale or in any other manner that it may determine in accordance with applicable law, into Dollars transferable to the United States and distributable to the Holders entitled thereto, the Depositary shall convert or cause to be converted, by sale or in any other manner that it may reasonably determine, such Foreign Currency into Dollars, and shall distribute such Dollars (net of the fees and charges set forth in the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit B, and applicable taxes withheld) in accordance with the terms of the applicable sections of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary and/or its agent (which may be a division, branch or Affiliate of the Depositary) may act as principal for any conversion of Foreign Currency. If the Depositary shall have distributed warrants or other instruments that entitle the holders thereof to such Dollars, the Depositary shall distribute such Dollars to the holders of such warrants and/or instruments upon surrender thereof for cancellation, in either case without liability for interest thereon. Such distribution may be made upon an averaged or other practicable basis without regard to any distinctions among Holders on account of any application of exchange restrictions or otherwise.

If such conversion or distribution generally or with regard to a particular Holder can be effected only with the approval or license of any government or agency thereof, the Depositary shall have authority to file such application for approval or license, if any, as it may deem desirable. In no event, however, shall the Depositary be obligated to make such a filing.

If at any time the Depositary shall determine that in its judgment the conversion of any Foreign Currency and the transfer and distribution of proceeds of such conversion received by the Depositary is not practicable or lawful, or if any approval or license of any governmental authority or agency thereof that is required for such conversion, transfer and distribution is denied or, in the opinion of the Depositary, not obtainable at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable period, the Depositary may, in its discretion, (i) make such conversion and distribution in Dollars to the Holders for whom such conversion, transfer and distribution is lawful and practicable, (ii) distribute the Foreign Currency (or an appropriate document evidencing the right to receive such Foreign Currency) to Holders for whom this is lawful and practicable, or (iii) hold (or cause the Custodian to hold) such Foreign Currency (without liability for interest thereon) for the respective accounts of the Holders entitled to receive the same.

 

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Section 4.9 Fixing of ADS Record Date. Whenever (a) the Depositary shall receive notice of the fixing of a record date by the Company for the determination of holders of Deposited Securities entitled to receive any distribution (whether in cash, Shares, rights, or other distribution), (b) for any reason the Depositary causes a change in the number of Shares that are represented by each ADS, (c) the Depositary shall receive notice of any meeting of, or solicitation of consents or proxies of, holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, or (d) the Depositary shall find it necessary or convenient in connection with the giving of any notice, solicitation of any consent or any other matter, the Depositary shall fix the record date (the “ADS Record Date”) for the determination of the Holders of ADS(s) who shall be entitled to receive such distribution, to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at any such meeting, to give or withhold such consent, to receive such notice or solicitation or to otherwise take action, or to exercise the rights of Holders with respect to such changed number of Shares represented by each ADS. The Depositary shall make reasonable efforts to establish the ADS Record Date as closely as practicable to the applicable record date for the Deposited Securities (if any) set by the Company in the Cayman Islands and shall not announce the establishment of any ADS Record Date prior to the relevant corporate action having been made public by the Company (if such corporate action affects the Deposited Securities). Subject to applicable law and the provisions of Section 4.1 through 4.8 and to the other terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, only the Holders of ADSs at the close of business in New York on such ADS Record Date shall be entitled to receive such distribution, to give such voting instructions, to receive such notice or solicitation, or otherwise take action.

Section 4.10 Voting of Deposited Securities. As soon as practicable after receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of Deposited Securities are entitled to vote, or of solicitation of consents or proxies from holders of Deposited Securities, the Depositary shall fix the ADS Record Date in respect of such meeting or solicitation of consent or proxy in accordance with Section 4.9. The Depositary shall, if requested by the Company in writing in a timely manner (the Depositary having no obligation to take any further action if the request shall not have been received by the Depositary at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such vote or meeting), at the Company’s expense and provided no U.S. legal prohibitions exist, distribute to Holders as of the ADS Record Date: (a) such notice of meeting or solicitation of consent or proxy, (b) a statement that the Holders at the close of business on the ADS Record Date will be entitled, subject to any applicable law, the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, the Articles of Association and the provisions of or governing the Deposited Securities (which provisions, if any, shall be summarized in pertinent part by the Company), to instruct the Depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the Deposited Securities represented by such Holder’s ADSs, and (c) a brief statement as to the manner in which such voting instructions may be given or deemed to have been given in accordance with this Section 4.10 if no instructions are received prior to the deadline for such purposes to the Depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to timely request that the Depositary distribute the information as provided for in this Section 4.10, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.10, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in this Section 4.10 where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, the Depositary may, to the extent not prohibited by law or regulations, or by the requirements of the stock exchange on which the ADSs are listed, in lieu of distribution of the materials provided to the Depositary in connection with any meeting of, or solicitation of consents or proxies from, holders of Deposited Securities, distribute to the Holders a notice that provides Holders with, or otherwise publicizes to Holders, instructions on how to retrieve such materials or receive such materials upon request (e.g., by reference to a website containing the materials for retrieval or a contact for requesting copies of the materials).

The Depositary has been advised by the Company that under the Articles of Association that have been adopted as of the date of the Deposit Agreement, voting at any meeting of shareholders of the Company is by show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded. The Depositary will not join in demanding a poll, whether or not requested to do so by Holders of ADSs. Under the Articles of Association that have been adopted as of the date of the Deposit Agreement, a poll may be demanded by the chairperson of the meeting, any shareholder present in person, by duly authorized representative, or by proxy and having the right to vote on the meeting resolution.

Voting instructions may be given only in respect of a number of ADSs representing an integral number of Deposited Securities. Upon the timely receipt from a Holder of ADSs as of the ADS Record Date of voting instructions in the manner specified by the Depositary, the Depositary shall endeavor, insofar as practicable and permitted under applicable law, the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, Articles of Association and the provisions of the Deposited Securities, to vote, or cause the Custodian to vote, the Deposited Securities (in person or by proxy) represented by such Holder’s ADSs as follows: (a) in the event voting takes place at a shareholders’ meeting by a show of hands, the Depositary will instruct the Custodian to vote all Deposited Securities in accordance with the voting instructions received timely from a majority of Holders of ADSs who provided voting instructions, and (b) in the event voting takes place at a shareholders’ meeting by poll, the Depositary will instruct the Custodian to vote the Deposited Securities in accordance with the voting instructions timely received from the Holders of ADSs. If voting is by poll and the Depositary does not receive voting instructions from a Holder as of the ADS Record Date on or before the date established by the Depositary for such purpose, such Holder shall be deemed, and the Depositary shall deem such Holder, to have instructed the Depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company to vote the Deposited Securities; provided, however, that no such discretionary proxy shall be given by the Depositary with respect to any matter to be voted upon as to which the Company informs the Depositary that (a) the Company does not wish such proxy to be given, (b) substantial opposition exists, or (c) the rights of holders of Deposited Securities may be adversely affected.

Deposited Securities represented by ADSs for which no timely voting instructions are received by the Depositary from the Holder shall not be voted (except (a) in the case voting is by show of hands, in which case the Depositary will instruct the Custodian to vote all Deposited Securities in accordance with the voting instructions received from a majority of Holders of ADSs who provided timely voting instructions, and (b) as otherwise contemplated in this Section 4.10). Neither the Depositary nor the Custodian shall under any circumstances exercise any discretion as to voting and neither the Depositary nor the Custodian shall vote, attempt to exercise the right to vote, or in any way make use of, for purposes of establishing a quorum or otherwise, the Deposited Securities represented by ADSs, except pursuant to and in accordance with the voting instructions timely received from Holders or as otherwise contemplated herein. If the Depositary timely receives voting instructions from a Holder which fail to specify the manner in which the Depositary is to vote the Deposited Securities represented by such Holder’s ADSs, the Depositary will deem such Holder (unless otherwise specified in the notice distributed to Holders) to have instructed the Depositary to vote in favor of the items set forth in such voting instructions.

 

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Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, the Depositary shall, if so requested in writing by the Company, represent all Deposited Securities (whether or not voting instructions have been received in respect of such Deposited Securities from Holders as of the ADS Record Date) for the sole purpose of establishing quorum at a meeting of shareholders.

Notwithstanding anything else contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, the Depositary shall not have any obligation to take any action with respect to any meeting, or solicitation of consents or proxies, of holders of Deposited Securities if the taking of such action would violate U.S. laws. The Company agrees to take any and all actions reasonably necessary to enable Holders and Beneficial Owners to exercise the voting rights accruing to the Deposited Securities and to deliver to the Depositary an opinion of U.S. counsel addressing any actions requested to be taken if so requested by the Depositary.

There can be no assurance that Holders generally or any Holder in particular will receive the notice described above with sufficient time to enable the Holder to return voting instructions to the Depositary in a timely manner.

Section 4.11 Changes Affecting Deposited Securities. Upon any change in nominal or par value, split-up, cancellation, consolidation or any other reclassification of Deposited Securities, or upon any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets affecting the Company or to which it is a party, any property which shall be received by the Depositary or the Custodian in exchange for, or in conversion of, or replacement of, or otherwise in respect of, such Deposited Securities shall, to the extent permitted by law, be treated as new Deposited Property under the Deposit Agreement, and the ADSs shall, subject to the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, any ADR(s) evidencing such ADSs and applicable law, represent the right to receive such additional or replacement Deposited Property. In giving effect to such change, split-up, cancellation, consolidation or other reclassification of Deposited Securities, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets, the Depositary may, with the Company’s approval, and shall, if the Company shall so request, subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement (including, without limitation, (a) the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (b) taxes) and receipt of an opinion of counsel to the Company reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary that such actions are not in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, (i) issue and deliver additional ADSs as in the case of a stock dividend on the Shares, (ii) amend the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADRs, (iii) amend the applicable Registration Statement(s) on Form F-6 as filed with the Commission in respect of the ADSs, (iv) call for the surrender of outstanding ADRs to be exchanged for new ADRs, and (v) take such other actions as are appropriate to reflect the transaction with respect to the ADSs. The Company agrees to, jointly with the Depositary, amend the Registration Statement on Form F-6 as filed with the Commission to permit the issuance of such new form of ADRs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any Deposited Property so received may not be lawfully distributed to some or all Holders, the Depositary may, with the Company’s approval, and shall, if the Company requests, subject to receipt of an opinion of Company’s counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary that such action is not in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, sell such Deposited Property at public or private sale, at such place or places and upon such terms as it may deem proper and may allocate the net proceeds of such sales (net of (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes) for the account of the Holders otherwise entitled to such Deposited Property upon an averaged or other practicable basis without regard to any distinctions among such Holders and distribute the net proceeds so allocated to the extent practicable as in the case of a distribution received in cash pursuant to Section 4.1. The Depositary shall not be responsible for (i) any failure to determine that it may be lawful or practicable to make such Deposited Property available to Holders in general or to any Holder in particular, (ii) any foreign exchange exposure or loss incurred in connection with such sale, or (iii) any liability to the purchaser of such Deposited Property.

 

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Section 4.12 Available Information. The Company is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, accordingly, is required to file or furnish certain reports with the Commission. These reports can be retrieved from the Commission’s website (www.sec.gov) and can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Commission located (as of the date of the Deposit Agreement) at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549.

Section 4.13 Reports. The Depositary shall make available for inspection by Holders at its Principal Office, as promptly as commercially practicable after receipt thereof, any reports and communications, including any proxy soliciting materials, received from the Company which are both (a) received by the Depositary, the Custodian, or the nominee of either of them as the holder of the Deposited Property and (b) made generally available to the holders of such Deposited Property by the Company. The Depositary shall also provide or make available to Holders copies of such reports when furnished by the Company pursuant to Section 5.6.

Section 4.14 List of Holders. Promptly upon written request by the Company, the Depositary shall furnish to it a list, as of a recent date, of the names, addresses and holdings of ADSs of all Holders.

Section 4.15 Taxation. The Depositary will, and will instruct the Custodian to, forward to the Company or its agents such information from its records as the Company may reasonably request to enable the Company or its agents to file the necessary tax reports with governmental authorities or agencies. The Depositary, the Custodian or the Company and its agents may file such reports as are necessary to reduce or eliminate applicable taxes on dividends and on other distributions in respect of Deposited Property under applicable tax treaties or laws for the Holders and Beneficial Owners. In accordance with instructions from the Company and to the extent practicable, the Depositary or the Custodian will take reasonable administrative actions to obtain tax refunds, reduced withholding of tax at source on dividends and other benefits under applicable tax treaties or laws with respect to dividends and other distributions on the Deposited Property. As a condition to receiving such benefits, Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs may be required from time to time, and in a timely manner, to file such proof of taxpayer status, residence and beneficial ownership (as applicable), to execute such certificates and to make such representations and warranties, or to provide any other information or documents, as the Depositary or the Custodian may deem necessary or proper to fulfill the Depositary’s or the Custodian’s obligations under applicable law. The Depositary and the Company shall have no obligation or liability to any person if any Holder or Beneficial Owner fails to provide such information or if such information does not reach the relevant tax authorities in time for any Holder or Beneficial Owner to obtain the benefits of any tax treatment. The Holders and Beneficial Owners shall 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.

 

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If the Company (or any of its agents) withholds from any distribution any amount on account of taxes or governmental charges, or pays any other tax in respect of such distribution (e.g., stamp duty tax, capital gains or other similar tax), the Company shall (and shall cause such agent to) remit promptly to the Depositary information about such taxes or governmental charges withheld or paid, and, if so requested, the tax receipt (or other proof of payment to the applicable governmental authority) therefor, in each case, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary. The Depositary shall, to the extent required by U.S. law, report to Holders any taxes withheld by it or the Custodian, and, if such information is provided to it by the Company, any taxes withheld by the Company. The Depositary and the Custodian shall not be required to provide the Holders with any evidence of the remittance by the Company (or its agents) of any taxes withheld, or of the payment of taxes by the Company, except to the extent the evidence is provided by the Company to the Depositary or the Custodian, as applicable. None of the Company, the Depositary nor the Custodian 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 is under no obligation to provide the Holders and Beneficial Owners with any information about the tax status of the Company. Neither the Company nor the Depositary shall incur any liability for any tax consequences that may be incurred by Holders and Beneficial Owners on account of their ownership of the ADSs, including without limitation, tax consequences resulting from the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) being treated as a “Passive Foreign Investment Company” (in each case as defined in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder) or otherwise.

ARTICLE V

THE DEPOSITARY, THE CUSTODIAN AND THE COMPANY

Section 5.1 Maintenance of Office and Transfer Books by the Registrar. Until termination of the Deposit Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Registrar shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, an office and facilities for the issuance and delivery of ADSs, the acceptance for surrender of ADS(s) for the purpose of withdrawal of Deposited Securities, the registration of issuances, cancellations, transfers, combinations and split-ups of ADS(s) and, if applicable, to countersign ADRs evidencing the ADSs so issued, transferred, combined or split-up, in each case in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement.

 

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The Registrar shall keep books for the registration of ADSs which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Company and by the Holders of such ADSs, provided that such inspection shall not be, to the Registrar’s knowledge, for the purpose of communicating with Holders of such ADSs in the interest of a business or object other than the business of the Company or other than a matter related to the Deposit Agreement or the ADSs.

The Registrar may close the transfer books with respect to the ADSs, at any time or from time to time, when deemed necessary or advisable by it in good faith in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder, or at the reasonable written request of the Company subject, in all cases, to Section 7.8(a).

If any ADSs are listed on one or more stock exchanges or automated quotation systems in the United States, the Depositary shall act as Registrar or appoint a Registrar or one or more co-registrars for registration of issuances, cancellations, transfers, combinations and split-ups of ADSs and, if applicable, to countersign ADRs evidencing the ADSs so issued, transferred, combined or split-up, in accordance with any requirements of such exchanges or systems. Such Registrar or co-registrars may be removed and a substitute or substitutes appointed by the Depositary. The Depositary shall notify the Company of any such removal or appointment.

Section 5.2 Exoneration. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be obligated to do or perform any act or thing which is inconsistent with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement or incur any liability (to the extent not limited by Section 7.8(b)) (i) if the Depositary, the Custodian, the Company or their respective agents shall be prevented or forbidden from, hindered or delayed in, doing or performing any act or thing required or contemplated by the terms of the Deposit Agreement, by reason of any provision of any present or future law or regulation of the United States, the Cayman Islands or any other country, or of any other governmental authority or regulatory authority or stock exchange, or on account of potential criminal or civil penalties or restraint, or by reason of any provision, present or future, of the Articles of Association or any provision of or governing any Deposited Securities, or by reason of any act of God or other event or circumstance beyond its control (including, without limitation, fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, tsunami, explosion, or other natural disaster, nationalization, expropriation, currency restriction, work stoppage, strikes, civil unrest, act of war (whether declared or not) or terrorism, revolution, rebellion, embargo, computer failure, failure of public infrastructure (including communication or utility failure), failure of common carriers, nuclear, cyber or biochemical incident, any pandemic, epidemic or other prevalent disease or illness with an actual or probable threat to human life, any quarantine order or travel restriction imposed by a governmental authority or other competent public health authority, or the failure or unavailability of the United States Federal Reserve Bank (or other central banking system) or DTC (or other clearing system)), (ii) by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the Deposit Agreement or in the Articles of Association or provisions of or governing Deposited Securities, (iii) for any action or inaction in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Holder, any Beneficial Owner or authorized representative thereof, or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information, (iv) for the inability by a Holder or Beneficial Owner to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit which is made available to holders of Deposited Securities but is not, under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, made available to Holders of ADSs, (v) for any action or inaction of any clearing or settlement system (and any participant thereof) for the Deposited Property or the ADSs, or (vi) for any consequential or punitive damages (including lost profits) for any breach of the terms of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary, its controlling persons, its agents, any Custodian and the Company, its controlling persons and its agents may rely and shall be protected in acting upon any written notice, request or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

 

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Section 5.3 Standard of Care. The Company and the Depositary assume no obligation and shall not be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement or any ADRs to any Holder(s) or Beneficial Owner(s), except that the Company and the Depositary agree to perform their respective obligations specifically set forth in the Deposit Agreement or the applicable ADRs without negligence or bad faith.

Without limitation of the foregoing, neither the Depositary, nor the Company, nor any of their respective controlling persons, or agents, shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Property or in respect of the ADSs, which in its opinion may involve it in expense or liability, unless indemnity satisfactory to it against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability be furnished as often as may be required (and no Custodian shall be under any obligation whatsoever with respect to such proceedings, the responsibility of the Custodian being solely to the Depositary).

The Depositary and its agents shall not be liable for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the Deposited Securities, or for the manner in which any vote is cast or the effect of any vote, provided that any such action or omission is in good faith and without negligence and in accordance with the terms of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary shall not incur any liability for any failure to accurately determine that any distribution or action may be lawful or reasonably practicable, for the content of any information submitted to it by the Company for distribution to the Holders or for any inaccuracy of any translation thereof, for any investment risk associated with acquiring an interest in the Deposited Property, for the validity or worth of the Deposited Property, for the value of any Deposited Property or any distribution thereon, for any interest on Deposited Property, for any tax consequences that may result from the ownership of ADSs, Shares or other Deposited Property, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse upon the terms of the Deposit Agreement, for the failure or timeliness of any notice from the Company, or for any action of or failure to act by, or any information provided or not provided by, DTC or any DTC Participant.

The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary.

 

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The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a predecessor depositary whether in connection with an act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly prior to the appointment of the Depositary or after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary.

Section 5.4 Resignation and Removal of the Depositary; Appointment of Successor Depositary. The Depositary may at any time resign as Depositary hereunder by written notice of resignation delivered to the Company, such resignation to be effective on the earlier of (i) the 90th day after delivery thereof to the Company (whereupon the Depositary shall be entitled to take the actions contemplated in Section 6.2), or (ii) the appointment by the Company 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 written notice of such removal, which removal shall be effective on the later of (i) the 90th day after delivery thereof to the Depositary (whereupon the Depositary shall be entitled to take the actions contemplated in Section 6.2), or (ii) upon the appointment by the Company of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided.

In case at any time the Depositary acting hereunder shall resign or be removed, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable 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 be required by the Company to 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 (except as required by applicable law), shall become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor (other than as contemplated in Sections 5.8 and 5.9). The predecessor depositary, upon payment of all sums due 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 as contemplated in Sections 5.8 and 5.9), (ii) duly assign, transfer and deliver all of the Depositary’s right, title and interest to the Deposited Property to such successor, and (iii) deliver to such successor a list of the Holders of all outstanding ADSs and such other information relating to ADSs and Holders thereof as the successor may reasonably request. Any such successor depositary shall promptly provide notice of its appointment to such Holders.

Any entity into or with which the Depositary may be merged or consolidated shall be the successor of the Depositary without the execution or filing of any document or any further act.

Section 5.5 The Custodian. The Depositary has initially appointed Citibank, N.A. – Hong Kong as Custodian for the purpose of the Deposit Agreement. The Custodian or its successors in acting hereunder shall be authorized to act as custodian in the Cayman Islands and shall be subject at all times and in all respects to the direction of the Depositary for the Deposited Property for which the Custodian acts as custodian and shall be responsible solely to it. If any Custodian resigns or is discharged from its duties hereunder with respect to any Deposited Property and no other Custodian has previously been appointed hereunder, the Depositary shall promptly appoint a substitute custodian. The Depositary shall require such resigning or discharged Custodian to Deliver, or cause the Delivery of, the Deposited Property held by it, together with all such records maintained by it as Custodian with respect to such Deposited Property as the Depositary may request, to the Custodian designated by the Depositary. Whenever the Depositary determines, in its discretion, that it is appropriate to do so, it may appoint an additional custodian with respect to any Deposited Property, or discharge the Custodian with respect to any Deposited Property and appoint a substitute custodian, which shall thereafter be Custodian hereunder with respect to the Deposited Property. Immediately upon any such change, the Depositary shall give notice thereof in writing to all Holders of ADSs, each other Custodian and the Company.

 

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Citibank may at any time act as Custodian of the Deposited Property pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, in which case any reference to Custodian shall mean Citibank solely in its capacity as Custodian pursuant to the Deposit Agreement. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, the Depositary shall not be obligated to give notice to the Company, any Holders of ADSs or any other Custodian of its acting as Custodian pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.

Upon the appointment of any successor depositary, any Custodian then acting hereunder shall, unless otherwise instructed by the Depositary, continue to be the Custodian of the Deposited Property without any further act or writing, and shall be subject to the direction of the successor depositary. The successor depositary so appointed shall, nevertheless, on the written request of any Custodian, execute and deliver to such Custodian all such instruments as may be proper to give to such Custodian full and complete power and authority to act on the direction of such successor depositary.

Section 5.6 Notices and Reports. On or before the first date on which the Company gives notice, by publication or otherwise, of any meeting of holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, or of any adjourned meeting of such holders, or of the taking of any action by such holders other than at a meeting, or of the taking of any action in respect of any cash or other distributions or the offering of any rights in respect of Deposited Securities, the Company shall transmit to the Depositary and the Custodian a copy of the notice thereof in the English language but otherwise in the form given or to be given to holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities. The Company shall also furnish to the Custodian and the Depositary a summary, in English, of any applicable provisions or proposed provisions of the Articles of Association that may be relevant or pertain to such notice of meeting or be the subject of a vote thereat.

The Depositary shall arrange, at the request of the Company and at the Company’s expense, to provide copies thereof to all Holders or make such notices, reports and other communications available to all Holders on a basis similar to that for holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities or on such other basis as the Company may advise the Depositary or as may be required by any applicable law, regulation or stock exchange requirement. The Company has made available to the Depositary and the Custodian a copy of the Articles of Association along with the provisions of or governing the Shares and any other Deposited Securities issued by the Company in connection with such Shares, and promptly upon any amendment thereto or change therein, the Company shall notify the Depositary and the Custodian of such amendment or change and make available to the Depositary and the Custodian a copy of such amendment thereto or change therein to the extent such amendment or change is not available on the Company’s website or is not otherwise publicly available. The Depositary may rely upon such copy for all purposes of the Deposit Agreement.

 

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The Depositary will, at the expense of the Company, make available a copy of any such notices, reports or communications issued by the Company and delivered to the Depositary for inspection by the Holders of the ADSs at the Depositary’s Principal Office, at the office of the Custodian and at any other designated transfer office.

Section 5.7 Issuance of Additional Shares, ADSs etc. The Company agrees that in the event it or any of its Affiliates proposes (i) an issuance, sale or distribution of additional Shares, (ii) an offering of rights to subscribe for Shares or other Deposited Securities, (iii) an issuance or assumption of securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares, (iv) an issuance of rights to subscribe for securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares, (v) an elective dividend of cash or Shares, (vi) a redemption of Deposited Securities, (vii) a meeting of holders of Deposited Securities, or solicitation of consents or proxies, relating to any reclassification of securities, merger or consolidation or transfer of assets, (viii) any assumption, reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets which affects the Deposited Securities, or (ix) a distribution of securities other than Shares, it will obtain U.S. legal advice and take all steps necessary to ensure that the application of the proposed transaction to Holders and Beneficial Owners does not violate the registration provisions of the Securities Act, or any other applicable laws (including, without limitation, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Exchange Act and the securities laws of the states of the U.S.). In support of the foregoing, the Company will furnish to the Depositary (a) a written opinion of U.S. counsel (reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary) stating whether such transaction (1) requires a registration statement under the Securities Act to be in effect or (2) is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and (b) an opinion of Cayman Islands counsel stating that (1) making the transaction available to Holders and Beneficial Owners does not violate the laws or regulations of the Cayman Islands and (2) all requisite regulatory consents and approvals, if any, have been obtained in the Cayman Islands; provided, however, that the Depositary may waive the requirement of such opinion in the event of an issuance of Shares as a bonus or compensation, share split or other similar event. If the filing of a registration statement is required, the Depositary shall not have any obligation to proceed with the transaction unless it shall have received evidence reasonably satisfactory to it that such registration statement has been declared effective. If, being advised by counsel, the Company determines that a transaction is required to be registered under the Securities Act, the Company will either (i) register such transaction to the extent necessary, (ii) alter the terms of the transaction to avoid the registration requirements of the Securities Act or (iii) direct the Depositary to take specific measures, in each case as contemplated in the Deposit Agreement, to prevent such transaction from violating the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company agrees with the Depositary that neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates will at any time (i) deposit any Shares or other Deposited Securities, either upon original issuance or upon a sale of Shares or other Deposited Securities previously issued and reacquired by the Company or by any such Affiliate, or (ii) issue additional Shares, rights to subscribe for such Shares, securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares or rights to subscribe for such securities or distribute securities other than Shares, unless such transaction and the securities issuable in such transaction do not violate the registration provisions of the Securities Act, or any other applicable laws (including, without limitation, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Exchange Act and the securities laws of the states of the U.S.).

 

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Notwithstanding anything else contained in the Deposit Agreement, nothing in the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed to obligate the Company to file any registration statement in respect of any proposed transaction.

Section 5.8 Indemnification. The Depositary agrees to indemnify the Company and its directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates against, and hold each of them harmless from, any direct loss, liability, tax, charge or expense of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) which may arise out of acts performed or omitted by the Depositary and/or the Custodian (for as long as the Custodian is a branch of Citibank) under the terms hereof due to the negligence or bad faith of the Depositary and/or the Custodian (for as long as the Custodian is a branch of Citibank), as applicable.

The Company agrees to indemnify the Depositary, the Custodian and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates against, and hold each of them harmless from, any direct loss, liability, tax, charge or expense of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) that may arise (a) out of, or in connection with, any offer, issuance, sale, resale, transfer, deposit or withdrawal of ADRs, ADSs, the Shares, or other Deposited Securities, as the case may be, (b) out of, or as a result of, any offering documents in respect thereof or (c) out of acts performed or omitted, including, but not limited to, any delivery by the Depositary on behalf of the Company of information regarding the Company, in connection with the Deposit Agreement, any ancillary or supplemental agreement entered into between the Company and the Depositary, the ADRs, the ADSs, the Shares, or any Deposited Property, in any such case (i) by the Depositary, the Custodian or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates, except to the extent such loss, liability, tax, charge or expense is due to the negligence or bad faith of any of them, or (ii) by the Company or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates. The Company shall not indemnify any of the Depositary, the Custodian, or its or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates against any taxes imposed on net income of the Depositary or the Custodian or any liability or expense arising out of information relating to the Depositary or such Custodian, as the case may be, furnished in a writing by the Depositary or such Custodian to the Company expressly for use in any registration statement, proxy statement, prospectus or preliminary prospectus or any other offering documents relating to the ADRs, the ADSs or any Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs.

The obligations set forth in this Section shall survive the termination of the Deposit Agreement and the succession or substitution of any party hereto.

Any person seeking indemnification hereunder (an “indemnified person”) shall notify the person from whom it is seeking indemnification (the “indemnifying person”) of the commencement of any indemnifiable action or claim promptly after such indemnified person becomes aware of such commencement (provided that the failure to make such notification shall not affect such indemnified person’s rights to seek indemnification except to the extent the indemnifying person is materially prejudiced by such failure) and shall consult in good faith with the indemnifying person as to the conduct of the defense of such action or claim that may give rise to an indemnity hereunder, which defense shall be reasonable in the circumstances. No indemnified person shall compromise or settle any action or claim that may give rise to an indemnity hereunder without the consent of the indemnifying person, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

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Section 5.9 ADS Fees and Charges. The Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, persons depositing Shares or withdrawing Deposited Securities in connection with the issuance and cancellation of ADSs, and persons receiving ADSs upon issuance or whose ADSs are being cancelled shall be required to pay the Depositary’s fees and related charges identified as payable by them respectively in the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit B. All ADS fees and charges so payable may be deducted from distributions or must be remitted to the Depositary, or its designee, and may, at any time and from time to time, be changed by agreement between the Depositary and the Company, but, in the case of ADS fees and charges payable by Holders and Beneficial Owners, any such change may be made only in the manner contemplated in Section 6.1. The Depositary shall provide, without charge, a copy of its latest ADS fee schedule to anyone upon request.

ADS fees and charges for (i) the issuance of ADSs and (ii) the cancellation of ADSs will be payable by the person for whom the ADSs are so issued by the Depositary (in the case of ADS issuances) and by the person for whom ADSs are being cancelled (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the Depositary into DTC or presented to the Depositary via DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges will be payable by the DTC Participant(s) receiving the ADSs from the Depositary or the DTC Participant(s) holding the ADSs being cancelled, as the case may be, on behalf of the Beneficial Owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC Participant(s) to the account(s) of the applicable Beneficial Owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC Participant(s) as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are payable by Holders as of the applicable ADS Record Date established by the Depositary. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, the applicable Holders as of the ADS Record Date established by the Depositary will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges and such ADS fees may be deducted from distributions made to Holders. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC Participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC from time to time and the DTC Participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the Beneficial Owners for whom they hold ADSs. In the case of (i) registration of ADS transfers, the ADS transfer fee will be payable by the ADS Holder whose ADSs are being transferred or by the person to whom the ADSs are transferred, and (ii) conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series, the ADS conversion fee will be payable by the Holder whose ADSs are converted or by the person to whom the converted ADSs are delivered.

The Depositary may reimburse the Company for certain expenses incurred by the Company in respect of the ADR program established pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, by making available a portion of the ADS fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as the Company and the Depositary agree from time to time. The Company shall pay to the Depositary such fees and charges, and reimburse the Depositary for such out-of-pocket expenses, as the Depositary and the Company may agree from time to time. Responsibility for payment of such fees, charges and reimbursements may from time to time be changed by agreement between the Company and the Depositary. Unless otherwise agreed, the Depositary shall present its statement for such fees, charges and reimbursements to the Company once every three months. The charges and expenses of the Custodian are for the sole account of the Depositary.

 

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The obligations of Holders and Beneficial Owners to pay ADS fees and charges shall survive the termination of the Deposit Agreement. As to any Depositary, upon the resignation or removal of such Depositary as described in Section 5.4, the right to collect ADS fees and charges shall extend for those ADS fees and charges incurred prior to the effectiveness of such resignation or removal.

Section 5.10 Restricted Securities Owners. The Company agrees to advise in writing each of the persons or entities who, to the knowledge of the Company, holds Restricted Securities that such Restricted Securities are ineligible for deposit hereunder (except under the circumstances contemplated in Section 2.14) and, to the extent practicable, shall require each of such persons to represent in writing that such person will not deposit Restricted Securities hereunder (except under the circumstances contemplated in Section 2.14).

ARTICLE VI

AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

Section 6.1 Amendment/Supplement. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 6.1 and applicable law, the ADRs outstanding at any time, the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and the form of ADR attached hereto and to be issued under the terms hereof may at any time and from time to time be amended or supplemented by written agreement between the Company and the Depositary in any respect which they may deem necessary or desirable without the prior written consent of the Holders or Beneficial Owners. Any amendment or supplement which shall impose or increase any fees or charges (other than charges in connection with foreign exchange control regulations, and taxes and other governmental charges, delivery and other such expenses), or which shall otherwise materially prejudice any substantial existing right of Holders or Beneficial Owners, shall not, however, become effective as to outstanding ADSs until the expiration of thirty (30) days after notice of such amendment or supplement shall have been given to the Holders of outstanding ADSs. Notice of any amendment to the Deposit Agreement or any ADR 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 and Beneficial Owners to retrieve or receive the text of such amendment (e.g., upon retrieval from the Commission’s, the Depositary’s or the Company’s website or upon request from the Depositary). The parties hereto agree that 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 or (b) the ADSs to be settled 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 materially prejudice any substantial existing rights of Holders or Beneficial Owners. Every Holder and Beneficial Owner at the time any amendment or supplement so becomes effective shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such ADSs, to consent and agree to such amendment or supplement and to be bound by the Deposit Agreement and the ADR, if applicable, as amended or supplemented thereby. In no event shall any amendment or supplement impair the right of the Holder to surrender such ADS and receive therefor the Deposited Securities represented thereby, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any governmental body should adopt new laws, rules or regulations which would require an amendment of, or supplement to, the Deposit Agreement to ensure compliance therewith, the Company and the Depositary may amend or supplement the Deposit Agreement and any ADRs at any time in accordance with such changed laws, rules or regulations. Such amendment or supplement to the Deposit Agreement and any ADRs 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 with such laws, rules or regulations.

 

39


Section 6.2 Termination. The Depositary shall, at any time at the written direction of the Company, terminate the Deposit Agreement by distributing notice of such termination to the Holders of all ADSs then outstanding at least thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination. If (i) ninety (90) days shall have expired after the Depositary shall have delivered to the Company a written notice of its election to resign, or (ii) ninety (90) days shall have expired after the Company shall have delivered to the Depositary a written notice of the removal of the Depositary, and, in either case, a successor depositary shall not have been appointed and accepted its appointment as provided in Section 5.4 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may terminate the Deposit Agreement by distributing notice of such termination to the Holders of all ADSs then outstanding at least thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination. The date so fixed for termination of the Deposit Agreement in any termination notice so distributed by the Depositary to the Holders of ADSs is referred to as the “Termination Date”. Until the Termination Date, the Depositary shall continue to perform all of its obligations under the Deposit Agreement, and the Holders and Beneficial Owners will be entitled to all of their rights under the Deposit Agreement.

If any ADSs shall remain outstanding after the Termination Date, the Registrar and the Depositary shall not, after the Termination Date, have any obligation to perform any further acts under the Deposit Agreement, except that the Depositary shall, subject, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, continue to (i) collect dividends and other distributions pertaining to Deposited Securities, (ii) sell Deposited Property received in respect of Deposited Securities, (iii) deliver Deposited Securities, together with any dividends or other distributions received with respect thereto and the net proceeds of the sale of any other Deposited Property, in exchange for ADSs surrendered to the Depositary (after deducting, or charging, as the case may be, in each case, the fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and all applicable taxes or governmental charges for the account of the Holders and Beneficial Owners, in each case upon the terms set forth in Section 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement), and (iv) take such actions as may be required under applicable law in connection with its role as Depositary under the Deposit Agreement.

 

40


At any time after the Termination Date, the Depositary may sell the Deposited Property then held under the Deposit Agreement and shall after such sale hold un-invested the net proceeds of such sale, together with any other cash then held by it under the Deposit Agreement, in an un-segregated account and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the Holders whose ADSs have not theretofore been surrendered. After making such sale, the Depositary shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement except (i) to account for such net proceeds and other cash (after deducting, or charging, as the case may be, in each case, the fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and all applicable taxes or governmental charges for the account of the Holders and Beneficial Owners, in each case upon the terms set forth in Section 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement), and (ii) as may be required at law in connection with the termination of the Deposit Agreement. After the Termination Date, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement, except for its obligations to the Depositary under Sections 5.8, 5.9 and 7.6 of the Deposit Agreement. The obligations under the terms of the Deposit Agreement of Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs outstanding as of the Termination Date shall survive the Termination Date and shall be discharged only when the applicable ADSs are presented by their Holders to the Depositary for cancellation under the terms of the Deposit Agreement (except as specifically provided in the Deposit Agreement).

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, in connection with the termination of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may, independently and without the need for any action by the Company, make available to Holders of ADSs a means to withdraw the Deposited Securities represented by their ADSs and to direct the deposit of such Deposited Securities into an unsponsored American depositary shares program established by the Depositary, upon such terms and conditions as the Depositary may deem reasonably appropriate, subject however, in each case, to satisfaction of the applicable registration requirements by the unsponsored American depositary shares program under the Securities Act, and to receipt by the Depositary of payment of the applicable fees and charges of, and reimbursement of the applicable expenses incurred by, the Depositary.

ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.1 Counterparts. The Deposit Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of such counterparts together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Copies of the Deposit Agreement shall be maintained with the Depositary and shall be open to inspection by any Holder during business hours.

 

41


Section 7.2 No Third-Party Beneficiaries/Acknowledgments. The Deposit Agreement is for the exclusive benefit of the parties hereto (and their successors) and shall not be deemed to give any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim whatsoever to any other person, except to the extent specifically set forth in the Deposit Agreement. Nothing in the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed to give rise to a partnership or joint venture among the parties nor establish a fiduciary or similar relationship among the parties. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (i) Citibank and its Affiliates may at any time have multiple banking relationships with the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, and their respective Affiliates, (ii) Citibank and its Affiliates may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its Affiliates and in ADSs, and may be engaged at any time in transactions in which parties adverse to the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners or their respective Affiliates may have interests, (iii) the Depositary and its Affiliates may from time to time have in their possession non-public information about the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, and their respective Affiliates, (iv) nothing contained in the Deposit Agreement shall (a) preclude Citibank or any of its Affiliates from engaging in such transactions or establishing or maintaining such relationships, or (b) obligate Citibank or any of its Affiliates to disclose such information, transactions or relationships, or to account for any profit made or payment received in such transactions or relationships, (v) the Depositary shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any information any other division of Citibank or any of its Affiliates may have about the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, or any of their respective Affiliates, and (vi) the Company, the Depositary, the Custodian and their respective agents and controlling persons may be subject to the laws and regulations of jurisdictions other than the U.S. and the Cayman Islands, and the authority of courts and regulatory authorities of such other jurisdictions, and, consequently, the requirements and the limitations of such other laws and regulations, and the decisions and orders of such other courts and regulatory authorities, may affect the rights and obligations of the parties to the Deposit Agreement.

Section 7.3 Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in the Deposit Agreement or in the ADRs should be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein or therein shall in no way be affected, prejudiced or disturbed thereby.

Section 7.4 Holders and Beneficial Owners as Parties; Binding Effect. The Holders and Beneficial Owners from time to time of ADSs issued hereunder shall be parties to the Deposit Agreement and shall be bound by all of the terms and conditions hereof and of any ADR evidencing their ADSs by acceptance thereof or any beneficial interest therein.

Section 7.5 Notices. Any and all notices to be given to the Company shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by mail, air courier or cable, telex or facsimile transmission, confirmed by letter personally delivered or sent by mail or air courier, addressed to Block C, Wangjing Science and Technology Park, No. 2 Lize Zhonger Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, or to any other address which the Company may specify in writing to the Depositary.

Any and all notices to be given to the Depositary shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by mail, air courier or cable, telex or facsimile transmission, confirmed by letter personally delivered or sent by mail or air courier, addressed to Citibank, N.A., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, U.S.A., Attention: Depositary Receipts Department, or to any other address which the Depositary may specify in writing to the Company.

 

42


Any and all notices to be given to any Holder shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) if personally delivered or sent by mail or cable, telex or facsimile transmission, confirmed by letter, addressed to such Holder at the address of such Holder as it appears on the books of the Depositary or, if such Holder shall have filed with the Depositary a request that notices intended for such Holder be mailed to some other address, at the address specified in such request, or (b) if a Holder shall have designated such means of notification as an acceptable means of notification under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, by means of electronic messaging addressed for delivery to the e-mail address designated by the Holder for such purpose. Notice to Holders shall be deemed to be notice to Beneficial Owners for all purposes of the Deposit Agreement. 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. Any notices given to DTC under the terms of the Deposit Agreement shall (unless otherwise specified by the Depositary) constitute notice to the DTC Participants who hold the ADSs in their DTC accounts and to the Beneficial Owners of such ADSs.

Delivery of a notice sent by mail, air courier or cable, telex or facsimile transmission shall be deemed to be effective at the time when a duly addressed letter containing the same (or a confirmation thereof in the case of a cable, telex or facsimile transmission) is deposited, postage prepaid, in a post-office letter box or delivered to an air courier service, without regard for the actual receipt or time of actual receipt thereof by a Holder. The Depositary or the Company may, however, act upon any cable, telex or facsimile transmission received by it from any Holder, the Custodian, the Depositary, or the Company, notwithstanding that such cable, telex or facsimile transmission shall not be subsequently confirmed by letter.

Delivery of a notice by means of electronic messaging shall be deemed to be effective at the time of the initiation of the transmission by the sender (as shown on the sender’s records), notwithstanding that the intended recipient retrieves the message at a later date, fails to retrieve such message, or fails to receive such notice on account of its failure to maintain the designated e-mail address, its failure to designate a substitute e-mail address or for any other reason.

Section 7.6 Governing Law and Jurisdiction. The Deposit Agreement, the ADRs and the ADSs shall be interpreted in accordance with, and all rights hereunder and thereunder and provisions hereof and thereof shall be governed by, the laws of the State of New York without reference to the principles of choice of law thereof. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, any ADR or any present or future provisions of the laws of the State of New York, the rights of holders of Shares and of any other Deposited Securities and the obligations and duties of the Company in respect of the holders of Shares and other Deposited Securities, as such, shall be governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands (or, if applicable, such other laws as may govern the Deposited Securities).

Except as set forth in the sixth (6th) paragraph of this Section 7.6, the Company and the Depositary agree that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, in the state courts in New York County, New York) shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any suit, action or proceeding and to settle any dispute between them that may arise out of or relate in any way to the Deposit Agreement, including without limitation claims under the Securities Act of 1933 arising out of or relating in any way to the Deposit Agreement, and, for such purposes, each irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts.

 

43


Holders and Beneficial Owners understand, and by holding an American Depositary Share or an interest therein such Holders and Beneficial Owners each irrevocably agrees, that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving the Company or the Depositary, regardless of whether such legal suit, action or proceeding also involves parties other than the Company or the Depositary (including, but not limited to, any underwriters retained by the Company), arising out of or relating in any way to this Deposit Agreement, the American Depositary Shares or Receipts, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or by virtue of ownership thereof, including without limitation claims under the Securities Act of 1933, may only be instituted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, in the state courts of New York County, New York), and by holding an American Depositary Share or an interest therein each irrevocably waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Holders and Beneficial Owners agree that the provisions of this paragraph shall survive such Holders’ and Beneficial Owners’ ownership of American Depositary Shares or interests therein.

The Company hereby irrevocably designates, appoints and empowers Cogency Global Inc. (the “Agent”) now at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168 as its authorized agent to receive and accept for and on its behalf, and on behalf of its properties, assets and revenues, service by mail of any and all legal process, summons, notices and documents that may be served in any suit, action or proceeding brought against the Company in any federal or state court as described in the preceding sentence or in the next paragraph of this Section 7.6. If for any reason the Agent shall cease to be available to act as such, the Company agrees to designate a new agent in New York on the terms and for the purposes of this Section 7.6 reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary. The Company further hereby irrevocably consents and agrees to the service of any and all legal process, summons, notices and documents in any suit, action or proceeding against the Company, by service by mail of a copy thereof upon the Agent (whether or not the appointment of such Agent shall for any reason prove to be ineffective or such Agent shall fail to accept or acknowledge such service), with a copy mailed to the Company by registered or certified air mail, postage prepaid, to its address provided in Section 7.5. The Company agrees that the failure of the Agent to give any notice of such service to it shall not impair or affect in any way the validity of such service or any judgment rendered in any action or proceeding based thereon.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Depositary and the Company unconditionally agree that in the event of any suit, action or proceeding in any state or federal court of the United States (i) that is against (a) the Company, (b) the Depositary in its capacity as Depositary under the Deposit Agreement or (c) both the Company and the Depositary, in any such case, and (ii) in which the Depositary or the Company have any claim, for indemnification or otherwise, against each other arising out of the subject matter of such suit, action or proceeding, then the Company and the Depositary may pursue such claim against each other in the state or federal court in the United States in which such suit, action, or proceeding is pending and, for such purposes, the Company and the Depositary irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts with respect to any such claim. The Company agrees that service of process upon the Agent in the manner set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be effective service upon it for any suit, action or proceeding brought against it as described in this paragraph. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this paragraph are for the sole benefit of the Company and the Depositary, and shall not inure to the benefit of any Holder, Beneficial Owner, or any third party.

 

44


The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any actions, suits or proceedings brought in any court as provided in this Section 7.6, and hereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such action, suit or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and agrees not to plead or claim, any right of immunity from legal action, suit or proceeding, 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, from execution of judgment, or from any other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment, and consents to such relief and enforcement against it, its assets and its revenues in any jurisdiction, in each case with respect to any matter arising out of, or in connection with, the Deposit Agreement, any ADR or the Deposited Property.

EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, EACH HOLDER AND BENEFICIAL OWNER) IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AGAINST THE COMPANY AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY ARISING OUT OF, OR RELATING TO, THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, ANY ADR AND ANY TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREIN (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, COMMON LAW OR OTHERWISE).

The provisions of this Section 7.6 shall survive any termination of the Deposit Agreement, in whole or in part.

Section 7.7 Assignment. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.4, the Deposit Agreement may not be assigned by either the Company or the Depositary.

Section 7.8 Compliance with, and No Disclaimer under, U.S. Securities Laws.

(a)     Notwithstanding anything in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, the withdrawal or delivery of Deposited Securities will not be suspended by the Company or the Depositary except as would be permitted by Instruction I.A.(1) of the General Instructions to Form F-6 Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, under the Securities Act.

(b)     Each of the parties to the Deposit Agreement (including, without limitation, each Holder and Beneficial Owner) acknowledges and agrees that no provision of the Deposit Agreement or any ADR shall, or shall be deemed to, disclaim any liability under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, in each case to the extent established under applicable U.S. laws.

 

45


Section 7.9 Cayman Islands Law References. Any summary of the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and of the terms of the Articles of Association set forth in the Deposit Agreement have been provided by the Company solely for the convenience of Holders, Beneficial Owners and the Depositary. While such summaries are believed by the Company to be accurate as of the date of the Deposit Agreement, (i) they are summaries and as such may not include all aspects of the materials summarized applicable to a Holder or Beneficial Owner, and (ii) these laws and regulations and the Articles of Association may change after the date of the Deposit Agreement. Neither the Depositary nor the Company has any obligation under the terms of the Deposit Agreement to update any such summaries.

Section 7.10 Titles and References.

(a)     Deposit Agreement. All references in the Deposit Agreement to exhibits, articles, sections, subsections, and other subdivisions refer to the exhibits, articles, sections, subsections and other subdivisions of the Deposit Agreement unless expressly provided otherwise. The words “the Deposit Agreement”, “herein”, “hereof”, “hereby”, “hereunder”, and words of similar import refer to the Deposit Agreement as a whole as in effect at the relevant time between the Company, the Depositary and the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. Pronouns in masculine, feminine and neuter gender shall be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form shall be construed to include the plural and vice versa unless the context otherwise requires. Titles to sections of the Deposit Agreement are included for convenience only and shall be disregarded in construing the language contained in the Deposit Agreement. References to “applicable laws and regulations” shall refer to laws and regulations applicable to ADRs, ADSs or Deposited Property as in effect at the relevant time of determination, unless otherwise required by law or regulation.

(b)     ADRs. All references in any ADR(s) to paragraphs, exhibits, articles, sections, subsections, and other subdivisions refer to the paragraphs, exhibits, articles, sections, subsections and other subdivisions of the ADR(s) in question unless expressly provided otherwise. The words “the Receipt”, “the ADR”, “herein”, “hereof”, “hereby”, “hereunder”, and words of similar import used in any ADR refer to the ADR as a whole and as in effect at the relevant time, and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. Pronouns in masculine, feminine and neuter gender in any ADR shall be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form shall be construed to include the plural and vice versa unless the context otherwise requires. Titles to paragraphs of any ADR are included for convenience only and shall be disregarded in construing the language contained in the ADR. References to “applicable laws and regulations” shall refer to laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Depositary, the Custodian, their agents and controlling persons, the ADRs, the ADSs and the Deposited Property as in effect at the relevant time of determination, unless otherwise required by law or regulation.

[Signature page on following page]

 

46


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WATERDROP INC. and CITIBANK, N.A. have duly executed the Deposit Agreement as of the day and year first above set forth and all Holders and Beneficial Owners shall become parties hereto upon acceptance by them of ADSs issued in accordance with the terms hereof, or upon acquisition of any beneficial interest therein.

 

WATERDROP INC.
By:  

/s/ Peng Shen

  Name: Peng Shen
 

Title:   Chairman of the Board of Directors and

            Chief Executive Officer

CITIBANK, N.A.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

 

[Signature page to Deposit Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WATERDROP INC. and CITIBANK, N.A. have duly executed the Deposit Agreement as of the day and year first above set forth and all Holders and Beneficial Owners shall become parties hereto upon acceptance by them of ADSs issued in accordance with the terms hereof, or upon acquisition of any beneficial interest therein.

 

WATERDROP INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
CITIBANK, N.A.
By:  

/s/ Keith Galfo

  Name: Keith Galfo
  Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature page to Deposit Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

[FORM OF ADR]

 

Number

                    

      CUSIP NUMBER:                      
     

American Depositary Shares (each American Depositary Share representing the right to receive ten (10) fully paid Class A ordinary shares)

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPT

for

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

representing

DEPOSITED CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES

of

WATERDROP INC.

(Incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands)

CITIBANK, N.A., a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, as depositary (the “Depositary”), hereby certifies that                  is the owner of                  American Depositary Shares (hereinafter “ADS”) representing deposited Class A ordinary shares, including evidence of rights to receive such Class A ordinary shares (the “Shares”), of Waterdrop Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and its successors (the “Company”). As of the date of issuance of this ADR, each ADS represents the right to receive ten (10) Shares deposited under the Deposit Agreement (as hereinafter defined) with the Custodian, which at the date of issuance of this ADR is Citibank, N.A. – Hong Kong (the “Custodian”). The ADS(s)-to-Share(s) ratio is subject to amendment as provided in Articles IV and VI of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary’s Principal Office is located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, U.S.A.

 

A-1


(1)     The Deposit Agreement. This American Depositary Receipt is one of an issue of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), all issued and to be issued upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Deposit Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2021 (as amended and supplemented from time to time, the “Deposit Agreement”), by and among the Company, the Depositary, and all Holders and Beneficial Owners from time to time of ADSs issued thereunder. The Deposit Agreement sets forth the rights and obligations of Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs and the rights and duties of the Depositary in respect of the Shares deposited thereunder and any and all other Deposited Property (as defined in the Deposit Agreement) from time to time received and held on deposit in respect of the ADSs. Copies of the Deposit Agreement are on file at the Principal Office of the Depositary and with the Custodian. Each Holder and each Beneficial Owner, 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. The manner in which a Beneficial Owner holds ADSs (e.g., in a brokerage account vs. as registered holder) may affect the rights and obligations of, the manner in which, and the extent to which, services are made available to, Beneficial Owners pursuant to the terms of the Deposit Agreement.

The statements made on the face and reverse of this ADR are summaries of certain provisions of the Deposit Agreement and the Articles of Association (as in effect on the date of the signing of the Deposit Agreement) and are qualified by and subject to the detailed provisions of the Deposit Agreement and the Articles of Association, to which reference is hereby made.

All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Deposit Agreement.

The Depositary makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or worth of the Deposited Property. The Depositary has made arrangements for the acceptance of the ADSs into DTC. Each Beneficial Owner of ADSs held through DTC must rely on the procedures of DTC and the DTC Participants to exercise and be entitled to any rights attributable to such ADSs. The Depositary may issue Uncertificated ADSs subject, however, to the terms and conditions of Section 2.13 of the Deposit Agreement.

(2)     Surrender of ADSs and Withdrawal of Deposited Securities. The Holder of this ADR (and of the ADSs evidenced hereby) shall be entitled to Delivery (at the Custodian’s designated office) of the Deposited Securities at the time represented by the ADSs evidenced hereby upon satisfaction of each of the following conditions: (i) the Holder (or a duly-authorized attorney of the Holder) has duly Delivered ADSs to the Depositary at its Principal Office the ADSs evidenced hereby (and, if applicable, this ADR evidencing such ADSs) for the purpose of withdrawal of the Deposited Securities represented thereby, (ii) if applicable and so required by the Depositary, this ADR Delivered to the Depositary for such purpose has been properly endorsed in blank or is accompanied by proper instruments of transfer in blank (including signature guarantees in accordance with standard securities industry practice), (iii) if so required by the Depositary, the Holder of the ADSs has executed and delivered to the Depositary a written order directing the Depositary to cause the Deposited Securities being withdrawn to be Delivered to or upon the written order of the person(s) designated in such order, and (iv) all applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and all applicable taxes and governmental charges (as are set forth in Section 5.9 of, and Exhibit B to, the Deposit Agreement) have been paid, subject, however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of this ADR evidencing the surrendered ADSs, of the Deposit Agreement, of the Articles of Association, and of any applicable laws and the rules of the applicable book-entry settlement entity, and to any provisions of or governing the Deposited Securities, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

 

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Upon satisfaction of each of the conditions specified above, the Depositary (i) shall, as promptly as commercially practicable, cancel the ADSs Delivered to it (and, if applicable, this ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs so Delivered), (ii) shall direct the Registrar to record the cancellation of the ADSs so Delivered on the books maintained for such purpose, and (iii) shall direct the Custodian to Deliver, or cause the Delivery of, in each case, without unreasonable delay, the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs so canceled together with any certificate or other document of title for the Deposited Securities, or evidence of the electronic transfer thereof (if available), as the case may be, to or upon the written order of the person(s) designated in the order delivered to the Depositary for such purpose, subject however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, of this ADR evidencing the ADS so canceled, of the Articles of Association, of any applicable laws and of the rules of the applicable book-entry settlement entity, and to the terms and conditions of or governing the Deposited Securities, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

The Depositary shall not accept for surrender ADSs representing less than one (1) Share. In the case of Delivery to it of ADSs representing a number other than a whole number of Shares, the Depositary shall cause ownership of the appropriate whole number of Shares to be Delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, and shall, at the discretion of the Depositary, either (i) return to the person surrendering such ADSs the number of ADSs representing any remaining fractional Share, or (ii) sell or cause to be sold the fractional Share represented by the ADSs so surrendered and remit the proceeds of such sale (net of (a) applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes withheld) to the person surrendering the ADSs.

Notwithstanding anything else contained in this ADR or the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may make delivery at the Principal Office of the Depositary of Deposited Property consisting of (i) any cash dividends or cash distributions, or (ii) any proceeds from the sale of any non-cash distributions, which are at the time held by the Depositary in respect of the Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs surrendered for cancellation and withdrawal. At the request, risk and expense of any Holder so surrendering ADSs represented by this ADR, and for the account of such Holder, the Depositary shall direct the Custodian to forward (to the extent permitted by law) any Deposited Property (other than Deposited Securities) held by the Custodian in respect of such ADSs to the Depositary for delivery at the Principal Office of the Depositary. Such direction shall be given by letter or, at the request, risk and expense of such Holder, by cable, telex or facsimile transmission.

 

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(3)     Transfer, Combination and Split-up of ADRs. The Registrar shall register the transfer of this ADR (and of the ADSs represented hereby) on the books maintained for such purpose and the Depositary shall, as promptly as commercially practicable, (x) cancel this ADR and execute new ADRs evidencing the same aggregate number of ADSs as those evidenced by this ADR canceled by the Depositary, (y) cause the Registrar to countersign such new ADRs, and (z) Deliver such new ADRs to or upon the order of the person entitled thereto, if each of the following conditions has been satisfied: (i) this ADR has been duly Delivered by the Holder (or by a duly authorized attorney of the Holder) to the Depositary at its Principal Office for the purpose of effecting a transfer thereof, (ii) this surrendered ADR has been properly endorsed or is accompanied by proper instruments of transfer (including signature guarantees in accordance with standard securities industry practice), (iii) this surrendered ADR has been duly stamped (if required by the laws of the State of New York or of the United States), and (iv) all applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and all applicable taxes and governmental charges (as are set forth in Section 5.9 of, and Exhibit B to, the Deposit Agreement) have been paid, subject, however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of this ADR, of the Deposit Agreement and of applicable law, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

The Registrar shall register the split-up or combination of this ADR (and of the ADSs represented hereby) on the books maintained for such purpose and the Depositary shall, as promptly as commercially practicable, (x) cancel this ADR and execute new ADRs for the number of ADSs requested, but in the aggregate not exceeding the number of ADSs evidenced by this ADR canceled by the Depositary, (y) cause the Registrar to countersign such new ADRs, and (z) Deliver such new ADRs to or upon the order of the Holder thereof, if each of the following conditions has been satisfied: (i) this ADR has been duly Delivered by the Holder (or by a duly authorized attorney of the Holder) to the Depositary at its Principal Office for the purpose of effecting a split-up or combination hereof, and (ii) all applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and all applicable taxes and governmental charges (as are set forth in Section 5.9 of, and Exhibit B to, the Deposit Agreement) have been paid, subject, however, in each case, to the terms and conditions of this ADR, of the Deposit Agreement and of applicable law, in each case as in effect at the time thereof.

(4)     Pre-Conditions to Registration, Transfer, Etc. As a condition precedent to the execution and Delivery, the registration of issuance, transfer, split-up, combination or surrender, of any ADS, the delivery of any distribution thereon, or the withdrawal of any Deposited Property, the Depositary or the Custodian may require (i) payment from the depositor of Shares or presenter of ADSs or of this ADR of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any tax or other governmental charge and any stock transfer or registration fee with respect thereto (including any such tax or charge and fee with respect to Shares being deposited or withdrawn) and payment of any applicable fees and charges of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B to the Deposit Agreement and in this ADR, (ii) the production of proof reasonably satisfactory to it as to the identity and genuineness of any signature or any other matter contemplated by Section 3.1 of the Deposit Agreement, and (iii) compliance with (A) any laws or governmental regulations relating to the execution and Delivery of this ADR or ADSs or to the withdrawal of Deposited Securities and (B) such reasonable regulations as the Depositary and the Company may establish consistent with the provisions of this ADR, if applicable, the Deposit Agreement and applicable law.

 

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The issuance of ADSs against deposits of Shares generally or against deposits of particular Shares may be suspended, or the deposit of particular Shares may be refused, or the registration of transfer of ADSs in particular instances may be refused, or the registration of transfer of ADSs generally may be suspended, during any period when the transfer books of the Company, the Depositary, a Registrar or the Share Registrar are closed or if any such action is deemed necessary or advisable by the Depositary (whereupon the Depositary shall notify the Company in writing) or the Company, in good faith, at any time or from time to time because of any requirement of law or regulation, any government or governmental body or commission or any securities exchange on which the ADSs or Shares are listed, or under any provision of the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, if applicable, or under any provision of, or governing, the Deposited Securities, or because of a meeting of shareholders of the Company or for any other reason, subject, in all cases to Section 7.8(a) of the Deposit Agreement and paragraph (25) of this ADR. Notwithstanding any provision of the Deposit Agreement or this ADR to the contrary, Holders are entitled to surrender outstanding ADSs to withdraw the Deposited Securities associated therewith at any time subject only to (i) temporary delays caused by closing the transfer books of the Depositary or the Company 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, (iii) compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the ADSs or to the withdrawal of the Deposited Securities, and (iv) other circumstances specifically contemplated by Instruction I.A.(l) of the General Instructions to Form F-6 (as such General Instructions may be amended from time to time) under the Securities Act.

(5)     Compliance With Information Requests. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, each Holder and Beneficial Owner of the ADSs represented hereby agrees to comply with requests from the Company pursuant to applicable law, the rules and requirements of any stock exchange on which the Shares or ADSs are, or will be, registered, traded or listed, or the Articles of Association, which are made to provide information, inter alia, as to the capacity in which such Holder or Beneficial Owner owns ADSs (and the Shares represented by such ADSs, as the case may be) and regarding the identity of any other person(s) interested in such ADSs (and the Shares represented by such ADSs, as the case may be) and the nature of such interest and various other matters, whether or not they are Holders and/or Beneficial Owners at the time of such request. The Depositary agrees to use its reasonable efforts to forward, upon the request of the Company and at the Company’s expense, any such request from the Company to the Holders and to forward to the Company any such responses to such requests received by the Depositary.

(6)     Ownership Restrictions. Notwithstanding any other provision contained in this ADR or of the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, the Company may restrict transfers of the Shares where such transfer might result in ownership of Shares exceeding limits imposed by applicable law or the Articles of Association. The Company may also restrict, in such manner as it deems appropriate, transfers of the ADSs where such transfer may result in the total number of Shares represented by the ADSs owned by a single Holder or Beneficial Owner to exceed any such limits. The Company may, in its sole discretion but subject to applicable law, instruct the Depositary to take action with respect to the ownership interest of any Holder or Beneficial Owner in excess of the limits set forth in the preceding sentence, including but not limited to, the imposition of restrictions on the transfer of ADSs, the removal or limitation of voting rights or the mandatory sale or disposition on behalf of a Holder or Beneficial Owner of the Shares represented by the ADSs held by such Holder or Beneficial Owner in excess of such limitations, if and to the extent such disposition is permitted by applicable law and the Articles of Association. Nothing herein or in the Deposit Agreement shall be interpreted as obligating the Depositary or the Company to ensure compliance with the ownership restrictions described herein or in Section 3.5 of the Deposit Agreement.

 

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(7)     Reporting Obligations and Regulatory Approvals. Applicable laws and regulations may require holders and beneficial owners of Shares, including the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs, to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs are solely responsible for determining and complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. Each Holder and each Beneficial Owner hereby agrees to make such determination, file such reports, and obtain such approvals to the extent and in the form required by applicable laws and regulations as in effect from time to time. Neither the Depositary, the Custodian, the Company or any of their respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on behalf of Holders or Beneficial Owners to determine or satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable laws and regulations.

(8)     Liability for Taxes and Other Charges. Any tax or other governmental charge payable by the Custodian or by the Depositary with respect to any Deposited Property, ADSs or this ADR shall be payable by the Holders and Beneficial Owners to the Depositary. The Company, the Custodian and/or the Depositary may withhold or deduct from any distributions made in respect of Deposited Property held on behalf of such Holder and/or Beneficial Owner, and may sell for the account of a Holder and/or Beneficial Owner any or all of such Deposited Property and apply such distributions and sale proceeds in payment of, any taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) or charges that are or may be payable by Holders or Beneficial Owners in respect of the ADSs, Deposited Property and this ADR, the Holder and the Beneficial Owner hereof remaining liable for any deficiency. The Custodian may refuse the deposit of Shares and the Depositary may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver ADRs, register the transfer of ADSs, register the split-up or combination of ADRs and (subject to paragraph (25) of this ADR and Section 7.8(a) of the Deposit Agreement) the withdrawal of Deposited Property until payment in full of such tax, charge, penalty or interest is received. Every Holder and Beneficial Owner agrees to indemnify the Depositary, the Company, the Custodian, and any of their agents, directors, officers, employees and Affiliates for, and to hold each of them harmless from, any claims with respect to taxes (including applicable interest and penalties thereon) arising from (i) any ADS held by such Holder and/or owned by such Beneficial Owner, (ii) the Deposited Property represented by the ADSs, and (iii) any transaction entered into by such Holder and/or Beneficial Owner in respect of the ADSs and/or the Deposited Property represented thereby. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, the obligations of Holders and Beneficial Owners under paragraph (8) and Section 3.2 of the Deposit Agreement shall survive any transfer of ADSs, any cancellation of ADSs and withdrawal of Deposited Securities, and the termination of the Deposit Agreement.

 

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(9)     Representations and Warranties on Deposit of Shares. Each person depositing Shares under the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed thereby to represent and warrant that (i) such Shares and the certificates therefor are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable and legally obtained by such person, (ii) all preemptive (and similar) rights, if any, with respect to such Shares have been validly waived or exercised, (iii) the person making such deposit is duly authorized so to do, (iv) the Shares presented for deposit are free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, charge, mortgage or adverse claim, (v) the Shares presented for deposit are not, and the ADSs issuable upon such deposit will not be, Restricted Securities (except as contemplated in Section 2.14 of the Deposit Agreement), and (vi) the Shares presented for deposit have not been stripped of any rights or entitlements. Such representations and warranties shall survive the deposit and withdrawal of Shares, the issuance and cancellation of ADSs in respect thereof and the transfer of such ADSs. If any such representations or warranties are false in any way, the Company and the Depositary shall be authorized, at the cost and expense of the person depositing Shares, to take any and all actions necessary to correct the consequences thereof.

(10)     Proofs, Certificates and Other Information. Any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Holder and any Beneficial Owner may be required, and every Holder and Beneficial Owner agrees, from time to time to provide to the Depositary and the Custodian such proof of citizenship or residence, taxpayer status, payment of all applicable taxes or other governmental charges, exchange control approval, legal or beneficial ownership of ADSs and Deposited Property, compliance with applicable laws, the terms of the Deposit Agreement or this ADR evidencing the ADSs and the provisions of, or governing, the Deposited Property, to execute such certifications and to make such representations and warranties, and to provide such other information and documentation (or, in the case of Shares in registered form presented for deposit, such information relating to the registration on the books of the Company or of the Share Registrar) as the Depositary or the Custodian may deem necessary or proper or as the Company may reasonably require by written request to the Depositary consistent with its obligations under the Deposit Agreement and this ADR. The Depositary and the Registrar, as applicable, may withhold the execution or delivery or registration of transfer of any ADR or ADS or the distribution or sale of any dividend or distribution of rights or of the proceeds thereof or, to the extent not limited by the terms of paragraph (25) and Section 7.8(a) of the Deposit Agreement, the delivery of any Deposited Property until such proof or other information is filed or such certifications are executed, or such representations and warranties are made, or such other documentation or information provided, in each case to the Depositary’s, the Registrar’s and the Company’s satisfaction. The Depositary shall provide the Company, in a timely manner, with copies or originals if necessary and appropriate of (i) any such proofs of citizenship or residence, taxpayer status, or exchange control approval or copies of written representations and warranties which it receives from Holders and Beneficial Owners, and (ii) any other information or documents which the Company may reasonably request and which the Depositary shall request and receive from any Holder or Beneficial Owner or any person presenting Shares for deposit or ADSs for cancellation, transfer or withdrawal. Nothing contained in this paragraph (10) or Section 3.1 of the Deposit Agreement shall obligate the Depositary to (i) obtain any information for the Company if not provided by the Holders or Beneficial Owners, or (ii) verify or vouch for the accuracy of the information so provided by the Holders or Beneficial Owners.

 

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(11)     ADS Fees and Charges. The following ADS fees are payable under the terms of the Deposit Agreement:

 

  (i)

ADS Issuance Fee: by any person for whom ADSs are issued (e.g., an issuance upon a deposit of Shares, upon a change in the ADS(s)-to-Share(s) ratio, or for any other reason), excluding issuances as a result of distributions described in paragraph (iv) below, a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) issued under the terms of the Deposit Agreement;

 

  (ii)

ADS Cancellation Fee: by any person for whom ADSs are being cancelled (e.g., a cancellation of ADSs for Delivery of deposited Shares, upon a change in the ADS(s)-to-Share(s) ratio, or for any other reason), a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) cancelled;

 

  (iii)

Cash Distribution Fee: by any Holder of ADSs, a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held for the distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (e.g., upon a sale of rights and other entitlements);

 

  (iv)

Stock Distribution /Rights Exercise Fee: by any Holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held for the distribution of ADSs pursuant to (a) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (b) an exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs;

 

  (v)

Other Distribution Fee: by any Holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held for the distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (e.g., spin-off shares);

 

  (vi)

Depositary Services Fee: by any Holder of ADS(s), a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held on the applicable record date(s) established by the Depositary;

 

  (vii)

Registration of ADS Transfer Fee: by any Holder of ADS(s) being transferred or by any person to whom ADSs are transferred, a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) transferred (e.g., upon a registration of the transfer of registered ownership of ADSs, upon a transfer of ADSs into DTC and vice versa, or for any other reason); and

 

  (viii)

ADS Conversion Fee: by any Holder of ADS(s) being converted or by any person to whom the converted ADSs are delivered, a fee not in excess of U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) converted from one ADS series to another ADS series (e.g., upon conversion of Partial Entitlement ADSs for Full Entitlement ADSs, or upon conversion of Restricted ADSs into freely transferrable ADSs, and vice versa).

The Company, Holders, Beneficial Owners, persons depositing Shares or withdrawing Deposited Securities in connection with ADS issuances and cancellations, and persons for whom ADSs are issued or cancelled shall be responsible for the following ADS charges under the terms of the Deposit Agreement:

 

  (a)

taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges;

 

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  (b)

such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of Shares or other Deposited Securities on the share register and applicable to transfers of Shares or other Deposited Securities to or from the name of the Custodian, the Depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively;

 

  (c)

such cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses as are expressly provided in the Deposit Agreement to be at the expense of the person depositing Shares or withdrawing Deposited Property or of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs;

 

  (d)

in connection with the conversion of Foreign Currency, the fees, expenses, spreads, taxes and other charges of the Depositary and/or conversion service providers (which may be a division, branch or Affiliate of the Depositary). Such fees, expenses, spreads, taxes and other charges shall be deducted from the Foreign Currency;

 

  (e)

any reasonable and customary out-of-pocket expenses incurred in such conversion and/or on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners in complying with currency exchange control or other governmental requirements; and

 

  (f)

the fees, charges, costs and expenses incurred by the Depositary, the Custodian, or any nominee in connection with the ADR program.

All ADS fees and charges so payable may be deducted from distributions or must be remitted to the Depositary, or its designee, and may, at any time and from time to time, be changed by agreement between the Depositary and Company but, in the case of ADS fees and charges payable by Holders and Beneficial Owners, any such change may be made only in the manner contemplated by paragraph (23) of this ADR and as contemplated in Section 6.1 of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary shall provide, without charge, a copy of its latest ADS fee schedule to anyone upon request.

ADS fees and charges for (i) the issuance of ADSs and (ii) the cancellation of ADSs will be payable by the person for whom the ADSs are so issued by the Depositary (in the case of ADS issuances) and by the person for whom ADSs are being cancelled (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the Depositary into DTC or presented to the Depositary via DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges will be payable by the DTC Participant(s) receiving the ADSs from the Depositary or the DTC Participant(s) holding the ADSs being cancelled, as the case may be, on behalf of the Beneficial Owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC Participant(s) to the account(s) of the applicable Beneficial Owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC Participant(s) as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are payable by Holders as of the applicable ADS Record Date established by the Depositary. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, the applicable Holders as of the ADS Record Date established by the Depositary will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges and such ADS fees may be deducted from distributions made to Holders. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC Participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC from time to time and the DTC Participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the Beneficial Owners for whom they hold ADSs. In the case of (i) registration of ADS transfers, the ADS transfer fee will be payable by the ADS Holder whose ADSs are being transferred or by the person to whom the ADSs are transferred, and (ii) conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series, the ADS conversion fee will be payable by the Holder whose ADSs are converted or by the person to whom the converted ADSs are delivered.

 

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The Depositary may reimburse the Company for certain expenses incurred by the Company in respect of the ADR program established pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, by making available a portion of the ADS fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as the Company and the Depositary agree from time to time. The Company shall pay to the Depositary such fees and charges, and reimburse the Depositary for such out-of-pocket expenses, as the Depositary and the Company may agree from time to time. Responsibility for payment of such fees, charges and reimbursements may from time to time be changed by agreement between the Company and the Depositary. Unless otherwise agreed, the Depositary shall present its statement for such fees, charges and reimbursements to the Company once every three months. The charges and expenses of the Custodian are for the sole account of the Depositary.

The obligations of Holders and Beneficial Owners to pay ADS fees and charges shall survive the termination of the Deposit Agreement. As to any Depositary, upon the resignation or removal of such Depositary as described in Section 5.4 of the Deposit Agreement, the right to collect ADS fees and charges shall extend for those ADS fees and charges incurred prior to the effectiveness of such resignation or removal.

(12)    Title to ADRs. Subject to the limitations contained in the Deposit Agreement and in this ADR, it is a condition of this ADR, and every successive Holder of this ADR by accepting or holding the same consents and agrees, that title to this ADR (and to each Certificated ADS evidenced hereby) shall be transferable upon the same terms as a certificated security under the laws of the State of New York, provided that, in the case of Certificated ADSs, this ADR has been properly endorsed or is accompanied by proper instruments of transfer. Notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, the Depositary and the Company may deem and treat the Holder of this ADR (that is, the person in whose name this ADR is registered on the books of the Depositary) as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall have any obligation nor be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement or this ADR to any holder of this ADR or any Beneficial Owner unless, in the case of a holder of ADSs, such holder is the Holder of this ADR registered on the books of the Depositary or, in the case of a Beneficial Owner, such Beneficial Owner, or the Beneficial Owner’s representative, is the Holder registered on the books of the Depositary.

 

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(13)    Validity of ADR. The Holder(s) of this ADR (and the ADSs represented hereby) shall not be entitled to any benefits under the Deposit Agreement or be valid or enforceable for any purpose against the Depositary or the Company unless this ADR has been (i) dated, (ii) signed by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly-authorized signatory of the Depositary, (iii) countersigned by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly-authorized signatory of the Registrar, and (iv) registered in the books maintained by the Registrar for the registration of issuances and transfers of ADRs. An ADR bearing the facsimile signature of a duly-authorized signatory of the Depositary or the Registrar, who at the time of signature was a duly authorized signatory of the Depositary or the Registrar, as the case may be, shall bind the Depositary, notwithstanding the fact that such signatory has ceased to be so authorized prior to the delivery of such ADR by the Depositary.

(14)    Available Information; Reports; Inspection of Transfer Books. The Company is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, accordingly, is required to file or furnish certain reports with the Commission. These reports can be retrieved from the Commission’s website (www.sec.gov) and can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Commission located (as of the date of the Deposit Agreement) at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549. The Depositary shall make available for inspection by Holders at its Principal Office, as promptly as commercially practicable after receipt thereof, any reports and communications, including any proxy soliciting materials, received from the Company which are both (a) received by the Depositary, the Custodian, or the nominee of either of them as the holder of the Deposited Property and (b) made generally available to the holders of such Deposited Property by the Company. The Depositary shall also provide or make available to Holders copies of such reports when furnished by the Company pursuant to Section 5.6 of the Deposit Agreement.

The Registrar shall keep books for the registration of ADSs which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Company and by the Holders of such ADSs, provided that such inspection shall not be, to the Registrar’s knowledge, for the purpose of communicating with Holders of such ADSs in the interest of a business or object other than the business of the Company or other than a matter related to the Deposit Agreement or the ADSs.

The Registrar may close the transfer books with respect to the ADSs, at any time or from time to time, when deemed necessary or advisable by it in good faith in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder, or at the reasonable written request of the Company subject, in all cases, to paragraph (25) and Section 7.8(a) of the Deposit Agreement.

 

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Dated:

 

CITIBANK, N.A.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

   

CITIBANK, N.A.

as Depositary

By:  

 

    By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory       Authorized Signatory

The address of the Principal Office of the Depositary is 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, U.S.A.

 

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[FORM OF REVERSE OF ADR]

SUMMARY OF CERTAIN ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

OF THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

(15)    Dividends and Distributions in Cash, Shares, etc. (a) Cash Distributions: Upon the timely receipt by the Depositary of a notice from the Company that it intends to make a distribution of a cash dividend or other cash distribution, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date upon the terms described in Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement. Upon confirmation of receipt of (x) any cash dividend or other cash distribution on any Deposited Securities, or (y) proceeds from the sale of any Deposited Property held in respect of the ADSs under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary will (i) if any amounts are received in a Foreign Currency, promptly convert or cause to be converted such cash dividend, distribution or proceeds into Dollars (subject to the terms and conditions of Section 4.8 of the Deposit Agreement), (ii) if applicable and unless previously established, establish the ADS Record Date upon the terms described in Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement, and (iii) distribute promptly the amount thus received (net of (a) the applicable fees and charges set forth in the Fee Schedule attached as Exhibit B to the Deposit Agreement and (b) applicable taxes withheld) to the Holders entitled thereto as of the ADS Record Date in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the ADS Record Date. The Depositary shall distribute only such amount, however, as can be distributed without attributing to any Holder a fraction of one cent, and any balance not so distributed shall be held by the Depositary (without liability for interest thereon) and shall be added to and become part of the next sum received by the Depositary for distribution to Holders of ADSs outstanding at the time of the next distribution. If the Company, the Custodian or the Depositary is required to withhold and does withhold from any cash dividend or other cash distribution in respect of any Deposited Securities, or from any cash proceeds from the sales of Deposited Property, an amount on account of taxes, duties or other governmental charges, the amount distributed to Holders on the ADSs shall be reduced accordingly. Such withheld amounts shall be forwarded by the Company, the Custodian or the Depositary to the relevant governmental authority. Evidence of payment thereof by the Company shall be forwarded by the Company to the Depositary upon request. The Depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the Depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed distribution provided for in Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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(b) Share Distributions: Upon the timely receipt by the Depositary of a notice from the Company that it intends to make a distribution that consists of a dividend in, or free distribution of Shares, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date upon the terms described in Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement. Upon receipt of confirmation from the Custodian of the receipt of the Shares so distributed by the Company, the Depositary shall either (i) subject to Section 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement, distribute to the Holders as of the ADS Record Date in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the ADS Record Date, additional ADSs, which represent in the aggregate the number of Shares received as such dividend, or free distribution, subject to the other terms of the Deposit Agreement (including, without limitation, (a) the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes), or (ii) if additional ADSs are not so distributed, take all actions necessary so that each ADS issued and outstanding after the ADS Record Date shall, to the extent permissible by law, thenceforth also represent rights and interests in the additional integral number of Shares distributed upon the Deposited Securities represented thereby (net of (a) the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (b) taxes). In lieu of delivering fractional ADSs, the Depositary shall sell the number of Shares or ADSs, as the case may be, represented by the aggregate of such fractions and distribute the net proceeds upon the terms described in Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement.

In the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution in property (including Shares) is subject to any tax or other governmental charges which the Depositary is obligated to withhold, or, if the Company in the fulfillment of its obligations under Section 5.7 of the Deposit Agreement, has furnished an opinion of U.S. counsel determining that Shares must be registered under the Securities Act or other laws in order to be distributed to Holders (and no such registration statement has been declared effective), the Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of such property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner, including by public or private sale, as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable, and the Depositary shall distribute the net proceeds of any such sale (after deduction of (a) taxes and (b) fees and charges of, and the expenses incurred by, the Depositary) to Holders entitled thereto upon the terms of Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary shall hold and/or distribute any unsold balance of such property in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed distribution provided for in Section 4.2 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.2 of the Deposit Agreement, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.2 of the Deposit Agreement where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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(c) Elective Distributions in Cash or Shares: Upon the timely receipt of a notice indicating that the Company wishes an elective distribution in cash or Shares to be made available to Holders of ADSs upon the terms described in the Deposit Agreement, the Company and the Depositary shall determine in accordance with the Deposit Agreement whether such distribution is lawful and reasonably practicable to make such elective distribution available to the Holders of ADSs. The Depositary shall make such elective distribution available to Holders only if (i) the Company shall have timely requested that the elective distribution be made available to Holders, (ii) the Depositary shall have determined that such distribution is reasonably practicable and (iii) the Depositary shall have received reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7 of the Deposit Agreement. If the above conditions are satisfied, the Depositary shall, subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, establish the ADS Record Date according to paragraph (17) and Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement and establish procedures to enable the Holder hereof to elect the receipt of the proposed distribution in cash or in additional ADSs. If a Holder elects to receive the distribution in cash, the distribution shall be made as in the case of a distribution in cash. If the Holder hereof elects to receive the distribution in additional ADSs, the distribution shall be made as in the case of a distribution in Shares upon the terms described in the Deposit Agreement. If such elective distribution is not reasonably practicable or if the Depositary did not receive satisfactory documentation set forth in the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall establish an ADS Record Date upon the terms of Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement and, to the extent permitted by law, distribute to Holders, on the basis of the same determination as is made in the Cayman Islands in respect of the Shares for which no election is made, either (x) cash, upon the terms described in Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement, or (y) additional ADSs representing such additional Shares, upon the terms described in Section 4.2 of the Deposit Agreement. Nothing herein or in the Deposit Agreement shall obligate the Depositary to make available to the Holder hereof a method to receive the elective distribution in Shares (rather than ADSs). There can be no assurance that the Holder hereof, or Holders generally, will be given the opportunity to receive elective distributions on the same terms and conditions as the holders of Shares. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed distribution provided for in Section 4.3 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.3 of the Deposit Agreement, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.3 of the Deposit Agreement where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

(d) Distribution of Rights to Purchase Additional ADSs: Upon the timely receipt by the Depositary of a notice indicating that the Company wishes rights to subscribe for additional Shares to be made available to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall consult with the Company, to determine, and the Company shall assist the Depositary in its determination, whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make such rights available to the Holders. The Depositary shall make such rights available to any Holders only if (i) the Company shall have timely requested that such rights be made available to Holders, (ii) the Depositary shall have received satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7 of the Deposit Agreement, and (iii) the Depositary shall have determined that such distribution of rights is reasonably practicable. In the event any of the conditions set forth above are not satisfied or if the Company requests that the rights not be made available to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall proceed with the sale of the rights as contemplated in Section 4.4(b) of the Deposit Agreement. In the event all conditions set forth above are satisfied, the Depositary shall establish the ADS Record Date (upon the terms described in Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement) and establish procedures to (x) distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs (by means of warrants or otherwise), (y) enable the Holders to exercise such rights (upon payment of the subscription price and of the applicable (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes), and (z) deliver ADSs upon the valid exercise of such rights. The Company shall assist the Depositary to the extent necessary in establishing such procedures. Nothing herein or in the Deposit Agreement shall obligate the Depositary to make available to the Holders a method to exercise rights to subscribe for Shares (rather than ADSs). If (i) the Company does not timely request the Depositary to make the rights available to Holders or requests that the rights not be made available to Holders, (ii) the Depositary fails to receive reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7 of the Deposit Agreement or determines it is not reasonably practicable to make the rights available to Holders, or (iii) any rights made available are not exercised and appear to be about to lapse, the Depositary shall determine whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to sell such rights, in a riskless principal capacity, at such place and upon such terms (including public and private sale) as it may deem practicable. The Company shall assist the Depositary to the extent necessary to determine such legality and practicability. The Depositary shall, upon such sale, convert and distribute proceeds of such sale (net of applicable (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes) upon the terms hereof and of Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement. If the Depositary is unable to make any rights available to Holders upon the terms described in Section 4.4(a) of the Deposit Agreement or to arrange for the sale of the rights upon the terms described in Section 4.4(b) of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall allow such rights to lapse. The Depositary shall not be liable for (i) any failure to accurately determine whether it may be lawful or practicable to make such rights available to Holders in general or any Holders in particular, (ii) any foreign exchange exposure or loss incurred in connection with such sale or exercise, or (iii) the content of any materials forwarded to the Holders on behalf of the Company in connection with the rights distribution.

 

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Notwithstanding anything herein or in Section 4.4 of the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, if registration (under the Securities Act or any other applicable law) of the rights or the securities to which any rights relate may be required in order for the Company to offer such rights or such securities to Holders and to sell the securities represented by such rights, the Depositary will not distribute such rights to the Holders (i) unless and until a registration statement under the Securities Act (or other applicable law) covering such offering is in effect or (ii) unless the Company furnishes the Depositary opinion(s) of counsel for the Company in the United States and counsel to the Company in any other applicable country in which rights would be distributed, in each case reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary, to the effect that the offering and sale of such securities to Holders and Beneficial Owners are exempt from, or do not require registration under, the provisions of the Securities Act or any other applicable laws. In the event that the Company, the Depositary or the Custodian shall be required to withhold and does withhold from any distribution of Deposited Property (including rights) an amount on account of taxes or other governmental charges, the amount distributed to the Holders of ADSs shall be reduced accordingly. In the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution of Deposited Property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) is subject to any tax or other governmental charges which the Depositary is obligated to withhold, the Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of such Deposited Property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner, including by public or private sale, as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay any such taxes or charges.

There can be no assurance that Holders generally, or any Holder in particular, will be given the opportunity to receive or exercise rights on the same terms and conditions as the holders of Shares or be able to exercise such rights. Nothing herein or in the Deposit Agreement shall obligate the Company to file any registration statement in respect of any rights or Shares or other securities to be acquired upon the exercise of such rights.

 

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(e) Distributions other than Cash, Shares or Rights to Purchase Shares: Upon receipt of a notice indicating that the Company wishes property other than cash, Shares or rights to purchase additional Shares to be made to Holders of ADSs, the Depositary shall determine whether such distribution to Holders is lawful and reasonably practicable. The Depositary shall not make such distribution unless (i) the Company shall have requested the Depositary to make such distribution to Holders, (ii) the Depositary shall have received reasonably satisfactory documentation within the terms of Section 5.7 of the Deposit Agreement, and (iii) the Depositary shall have determined that such distribution is reasonably practicable. Upon satisfaction of such conditions, the Depositary shall distribute the property so received to the Holders of record, as of the ADS Record Date, in proportion to the number of ADSs held by them respectively and in such manner as the Depositary may deem practicable for accomplishing such distribution (i) upon receipt of payment or net of the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (ii) net of any taxes withheld. The Depositary may dispose of all or a portion of the property so distributed and deposited, in such amounts and in such manner (including public or private sale) as the Depositary may deem practicable or necessary to satisfy any taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) or other governmental charges applicable to the distribution.

If the conditions above are not satisfied, the Depositary shall sell or cause such property to be sold in a public or private sale, at such place or places and upon such terms as it may deem practicable and shall (i) cause the proceeds of such sale, if any, to be converted into Dollars and (ii) distribute the proceeds of such conversion received by the Depositary (net of applicable (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes) to the Holders as of the ADS Record Date upon the terms hereof and Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement. If the Depositary is unable to sell such property, the Depositary may dispose of such property for the account of the Holders in any way it deems reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be responsible for (i) any failure to accurately determine whether it is lawful or practicable to make the property described in Section 4.5 of the Deposit Agreement available to Holders in general or any Holders in particular, nor (ii) any loss incurred in connection with the sale or disposal of such property.

(16)    Redemption. Upon timely receipt of notice from the Company that it intends to exercise its right of redemption in respect of any of the Deposited Securities, and satisfactory documentation, and only if the Depositary shall have determined that such proposed redemption is practicable, the Depositary shall provide to each Holder a notice setting forth the Company’s intended exercise by the Company of the redemption rights and any other particulars set forth in the Company’s notice to the Depositary. The Depositary shall instruct the Custodian to present to the Company the Deposited Securities in respect of which redemption rights are being exercised against payment of the applicable redemption price. Upon receipt of confirmation from the Custodian that the redemption has taken place and that funds representing the redemption price have been received, the Depositary shall convert, transfer, and distribute the proceeds (net of applicable (a) fees and charges of, and the expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (b) taxes), retire ADSs and cancel ADRs, if applicable, upon delivery of such ADSs by Holders thereof and the terms set forth in Sections 4.1 and 6.2 of the Deposit Agreement. If less than all outstanding Deposited Securities are redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as may be determined by the Depositary. The redemption price per ADS shall be the dollar equivalent of the per share amount received by the Depositary (adjusted to reflect the ADS(s)-to- Share(s) ratio) upon the redemption of the Deposited Securities represented by ADSs (subject to the terms of Section 4.8 of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and taxes) multiplied by the number of Deposited Securities represented by each ADS redeemed. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to give the Depositary timely notice of the proposed redemption provided for in Section 4.7 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.7 of the Deposit Agreement, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.7 of the Deposit Agreement where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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(17)    Fixing of ADS Record Date. Whenever (a) the Depositary shall receive notice of the fixing of a record date by the Company for the determination of holders of Deposited Securities entitled to receive any distribution (whether in cash, Shares, rights or other distribution), (b) for any reason the Depositary causes a change in the number of Shares that are represented by each ADS, (c) the Depositary shall receive notice of any meeting of, or solicitation of consents or proxies of, holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, or (d) the Depositary shall find it necessary or convenient in connection with the giving of any notice, solicitation of any consent or any other matter, the Depositary shall fix the record date (the “ADS Record Date”) for the determination of the Holders of ADS(s) who shall be entitled to receive such distribution, to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at any such meeting, to give or withhold such consent, to receive such notice or solicitation or to otherwise take action, or to exercise the rights of Holders with respect to such changed number of Shares represented by each ADS. The Depositary shall make reasonable efforts to establish the ADS Record Date as closely as practicable to the applicable record date for the Deposited Securities (if any) set by the Company in the Cayman Islands and shall not announce the establishment of any ADS Record Date prior to the relevant corporate action having been made public by the Company (if such corporate action affects the Deposited Securities). Subject to applicable law, the terms and conditions of this ADR and Sections 4.1 through 4.8 and the other terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, only the Holders of ADSs at the close of business in New York on such ADS Record Date shall be entitled to receive such distribution, to give such voting instructions, to receive such notice or solicitation, or otherwise take action.

(18)    Voting of Deposited Securities. As soon as practicable after receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of Deposited Securities are entitled to vote, or of solicitation of consents or proxies from holders of Deposited Securities, the Depositary shall fix the ADS Record Date in respect of such meeting or solicitation of consent or proxy in accordance with Section 4.9 of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary shall, if requested by the Company in writing in a timely manner (the Depositary having no obligation to take any further action if the request shall not have been received by the Depositary at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such vote or meeting), at the Company’s expense and provided no U.S. legal prohibitions exist, distribute to Holders as of the ADS Record Date: (a) such notice of meeting or solicitation of consent or proxy, (b) a statement that the Holders at the close of business on the ADS Record Date will be entitled, subject to any applicable law, the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, the Articles of Association and the provisions of or governing the Deposited Securities (which provisions, if any, shall be summarized in pertinent part by the Company), to instruct the Depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the Deposited Securities represented by such Holder’s ADSs, and (c) a brief statement as to the manner in which such voting instructions may be given or deemed to have been given in accordance with Section 4.10 of the Deposit Agreement if no instructions are received prior to the deadline for such purposes to the Depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Company fails to timely request that the Depositary distribute the information as provided for in Section 4.10 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.10 of the Deposit Agreement, and the Company, the Holders and the Beneficial Owners acknowledge that the Depositary shall have no liability for the Depositary’s failure to perform the actions contemplated in Section 4.10 of the Deposit Agreement where such notice has not been so timely given, other than its failure to use commercially reasonable efforts, as provided herein.

 

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Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, the Depositary may, to the extent not prohibited by law or regulations, or by the requirements of the stock exchange on which the ADSs are listed, in lieu of distribution of the materials provided to the Depositary in connection with any meeting of, or solicitation of consents or proxies from, holders of Deposited Securities, distribute to the Holders a notice that provides Holders with, or otherwise publicizes to Holders, instructions on how to retrieve such materials or receive such materials upon request (e.g., by reference to a website containing the materials for retrieval or a contact for requesting copies of the materials).

The Depositary has been advised by the Company that under the Articles of Association that have been adopted as of the date of the Deposit Agreement, voting at any meeting of shareholders of the Company is by show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded. The Depositary will not join in demanding a poll, whether or not requested to do so by Holders of ADSs. Under the Articles of Association that have been adopted as of the date of the Deposit Agreement, a poll may be demanded by the chairperson of the meeting, any shareholder present in person, by duly authorized representative, or by proxy and having the right to vote on the meeting resolutions.

Voting instructions may be given only in respect of a number of ADSs representing an integral number of Deposited Securities. Upon the timely receipt from a Holder of ADSs as of the ADS Record Date of voting instructions in the manner specified by the Depositary, the Depositary shall endeavor, insofar as practicable and permitted under applicable law, the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, Articles of Association and the provisions of the Deposited Securities, to vote, or cause the Custodian to vote, the Deposited Securities (in person or by proxy) represented by such Holder’s ADSs as follows: (a) in the event voting takes place at a shareholders’ meeting by a show of hands, the Depositary will instruct the Custodian to vote all Deposited Securities in accordance with the voting instructions received timely from a majority of Holders of ADSs who provided voting instructions, and (b) in the event voting takes place at a shareholders’ meeting by poll, the Depositary will instruct the Custodian to vote the Deposited Securities in accordance with the voting instructions timely received from the Holders of ADSs. If voting is by poll and the Depositary does not receive voting instructions from a Holder as of the ADS Record Date on or before the date established by the Depositary for such purpose, such Holder shall be deemed, and the Depositary shall deem such Holder, to have instructed the Depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company to vote the Deposited Securities; provided, however, that no such discretionary proxy shall be given by the Depositary with respect to any matter to be voted upon as to which the Company informs the Depositary that (a) the Company does not wish such proxy to be given, (b) substantial opposition exists, or (c) the rights of holders of Deposited Securities may be adversely affected.

 

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Deposited Securities represented by ADSs for which no timely voting instructions are received by the Depositary from the Holder shall not be voted (except (a) in the case voting is by show of hands, in which case the Depositary will instruct the Custodian to vote all Deposited Securities in accordance with the voting instructions received from a majority of Holders of ADSs who provided timely voting instructions, and (b) as otherwise contemplated in Section 4.10 of the Deposit Agreement). Neither the Depositary nor the Custodian shall under any circumstances exercise any discretion as to voting and neither the Depositary nor the Custodian shall vote, attempt to exercise the right to vote, or in any way make use of, for purposes of establishing a quorum or otherwise, the Deposited Securities represented by ADSs, except pursuant to and in accordance with the voting instructions timely received from Holders or as otherwise contemplated in the Deposit Agreement or herein. If the Depositary timely receives voting instructions from a Holder which fail to specify the manner in which the Depositary is to vote the Deposited Securities represented by such Holder’s ADSs, the Depositary will deem such Holder (unless otherwise specified in the notice distributed to Holders) to have instructed the Depositary to vote in favor of the items set forth in such voting instructions.

Notwithstanding anything else contained herein or in the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall, if so requested in writing by the Company, represent all Deposited Securities (whether or not voting instructions have been received in respect of such Deposited Securities from Holders as of the ADS Record Date) for the sole purpose of establishing quorum at a meeting of shareholders.

Notwithstanding anything else contained in the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, the Depositary shall not have any obligation to take any action with respect to any meeting, or solicitation of consents or proxies, of holders of Deposited Securities if the taking of such action would violate U.S. laws. The Company agrees to take any and all actions reasonably necessary to enable Holders and Beneficial Owners to exercise the voting rights accruing to the Deposited Securities and to deliver to the Depositary an opinion of U.S. counsel addressing any actions requested to be taken if so requested by the Depositary.

There can be no assurance that Holders generally or any Holder in particular will receive the notice described above with sufficient time to enable the Holder to return voting instructions to the Depositary in a timely manner.

 

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(19)    Changes Affecting Deposited Securities. Upon any change in nominal or par value, split-up, cancellation, consolidation or any other reclassification of Deposited Securities, or upon any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets affecting the Company or to which it is a party, any property which shall be received by the Depositary or the Custodian in exchange for, or in conversion of, or replacement of, or otherwise in respect of, such Deposited Securities shall, to the extent permitted by law, be treated as new Deposited Property under the Deposit Agreement, and this ADR shall, subject to the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, this ADR evidencing such ADSs and applicable law, represent the right to receive such additional or replacement Deposited Property. In giving effect to such change, split-up, cancellation, consolidation or other reclassification of Deposited Securities, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets, the Depositary may, with the Company’s approval, and shall, if the Company shall so request, subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement (including, without limitation, (a) the applicable fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and (b) taxes) and receipt of an opinion of counsel to the Company reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary that such actions are not in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, (i) issue and deliver additional ADSs as in the case of a stock dividend on the Shares, (ii) amend the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADRs, (iii) amend the applicable Registration Statement(s) on Form F-6 as filed with the Commission in respect of the ADSs, (iv) call for the surrender of outstanding ADRs to be exchanged for new ADRs, and (v) take such other actions as are appropriate to reflect the transaction with respect to the ADSs. The Company agrees to, jointly with the Depositary, amend the Registration Statement on Form F-6 as filed with the Commission to permit the issuance of such new form of ADRs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any Deposited Property so received may not be lawfully distributed to some or all Holders, the Depositary may, with the Company’s approval, and shall, if the Company requests, subject to receipt of an opinion of Company’s counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary that such action is not in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, sell such Deposited Property at public or private sale, at such place or places and upon such terms as it may deem proper and may allocate the net proceeds of such sales (net of (a) fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary and (b) taxes) for the account of the Holders otherwise entitled to such Deposited Property upon an averaged or other practicable basis without regard to any distinctions among such Holders and distribute the net proceeds so allocated to the extent practicable as in the case of a distribution received in cash pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary shall not be responsible for (i) any failure to determine that it may be lawful or practicable to make such Deposited Property available to Holders in general or to any Holder in particular, (ii) any foreign exchange exposure or loss incurred in connection with such sale, or (iii) any liability to the purchaser of such Deposited Property.

(20)    Exoneration. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or this ADR, neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be obligated to do or perform any act or thing which is inconsistent with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement or incur any liability (to the extent not limited by paragraph (25) hereof and Section 7.8(b) of the Deposit Agreement) (i) if the Depositary, the Custodian, the Company or their respective agents shall be prevented or forbidden from, hindered or delayed in, doing or performing any act or thing required or contemplated by the terms of the Deposit Agreement and this ADR, by reason of any provision of any present or future law or regulation of the United States, the Cayman Islands or any other country, or of any other governmental authority or regulatory authority or stock exchange, or on account of potential criminal or civil penalties or restraint, or by reason of any provision, present or future, of the Articles of Association or any provision of or governing any Deposited Securities, or by reason of any act of God or other event or circumstances beyond its control (including, without limitation, fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, tsunami, explosion, or other natural disaster, nationalization, expropriation, currency restriction, work stoppage, strikes, civil unrest, act of war (whether declared or not) or terrorism, revolution, rebellion, embargo, computer failure, failure of public infrastructure (including communication or utility failure), failure of common carriers, nuclear, cyber or biochemical incident, any pandemic, epidemic or other prevalent disease or illness with an actual or probable threat to human life, any quarantine order or travel restriction imposed by a governmental authority or other competent public health authority, or the failure or unavailability of the United States Federal Reserve Bank (or other central banking system) or DTC (or other clearing system)), (ii) by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the Deposit Agreement or in the Articles of Association or provisions of or governing Deposited Securities, (iii) for any action or inaction in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Holder, any Beneficial Owner or authorized representative thereof, or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information, (iv) for the inability by a Holder or Beneficial Owner to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit which is made available to holders of Deposited Securities but is not, under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, made available to Holders of ADSs, (v) for any action or inaction of any clearing or settlement system (any participant thereof) for the Deposited Property or the ADSs, or (vi) for any consequential or punitive damages (including lost profits) for any breach of the terms of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary, its controlling persons, its agents, any Custodian and the Company, its controlling persons and its agents may rely and shall be protected in acting upon any written notice, request or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

 

 

A-21


(21)    Standard of Care. The Company and the Depositary assume no obligation and shall not be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement or this ADR to any Holder(s) or Beneficial Owner(s), except that the Company and the Depositary agree to perform their respective obligations specifically set forth in the Deposit Agreement or this ADR without negligence or bad faith. Without limitation of the foregoing, neither the Depositary, nor the Company, nor any of their respective controlling persons, or agents, shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Property or in respect of the ADSs, which in its opinion may involve it in expense or liability, unless indemnity satisfactory to it against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability be furnished as often as may be required (and no Custodian shall be under any obligation whatsoever with respect to such proceedings, the responsibility of the Custodian being solely to the Depositary).

The Depositary and its agents shall not be liable for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the Deposited Securities, or for the manner in which any vote is cast or the effect of any vote, provided that any such action or omission is in good faith and without negligence and in accordance with the terms of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary shall not incur any liability for any failure to accurately determine that any distribution or action may be lawful or reasonably practicable, for the content of any information submitted to it by the Company for distribution to the Holders or for any inaccuracy of any translation thereof, for any investment risk associated with acquiring an interest in the Deposited Property, for the validity or worth of the Deposited Property, for the value of any Deposited Property or any distribution thereon, for any interest on Deposited Property, for any tax consequences that may result from the ownership of ADSs, Shares or other Deposited Property, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse upon the terms of the Deposit Agreement, for the failure or timeliness of any notice from the Company, or for any action of or failure to act by, or any information provided or not provided by, DTC or any DTC Participant.

 

A-22


The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary.

The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a predecessor depositary whether in connection with an act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly prior to the appointment of the Depositary or after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary.

(22)    Resignation and Removal of the Depositary; Appointment of Successor Depositary. The Depositary may at any time resign as Depositary under the Deposit Agreement by written notice of resignation delivered to the Company, such resignation to be effective on the earlier of (i) the 90th day after delivery thereof to the Company (whereupon the Depositary shall be entitled to take the actions contemplated in Section 6.2 of the Deposit Agreement), or (ii) the appointment by the Company 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 written notice of such removal, which removal shall be effective on the later of (i) the 90th day after delivery thereof to the Depositary (whereupon the Depositary shall be entitled to take the actions contemplated in Section 6.2 of the Deposit Agreement), or (ii) upon the appointment by the Company of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as provided in the Deposit Agreement. In case at any time the Depositary acting hereunder shall resign or be removed, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable 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 be required by the Company to 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 (except as required by applicable law), shall become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor (other than as contemplated in Sections 5.8 and 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement). The predecessor depositary, upon payment of all sums due 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 as contemplated in Sections 5.8 and 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement), (ii) duly assign, transfer and deliver all of the Depositary’s right, title and interest to the Deposited Property to such successor, and (iii) deliver to such successor a list of the Holders of all outstanding ADSs and such other information relating to ADSs and Holders thereof as the successor may reasonably request. Any such successor depositary shall promptly provide notice of its appointment to such Holders. Any entity into or with which the Depositary may be merged or consolidated shall be the successor of the Depositary without the execution or filing of any document or any further act.

 

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(23)     Amendment/Supplement. Subject to the terms and conditions of this paragraph 23, and Section 6.1 of the Deposit Agreement and applicable law, this ADR and any provisions of the Deposit Agreement may at any time and from time to time be amended or supplemented by written agreement between the Company and the Depositary in any respect which they may deem necessary or desirable without the prior written consent of the Holders or Beneficial Owners. Any amendment or supplement which shall impose or increase any fees or charges (other than charges in connection with foreign exchange control regulations, and taxes and other governmental charges, delivery and other such expenses), or which shall otherwise materially prejudice any substantial existing right of Holders or Beneficial Owners, shall not, however, become effective as to outstanding ADSs until the expiration of thirty (30) days after notice of such amendment or supplement shall have been given to the Holders of outstanding ADSs. Notice of any amendment to the Deposit Agreement or any ADR 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 and Beneficial Owners to retrieve or receive the text of such amendment (e.g., upon retrieval from the Commission’s, the Depositary’s or the Company’s website or upon request from the Depositary). The parties hereto agree that 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 or (b) the ADSs to be settled 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 materially prejudice any substantial existing rights of Holders or Beneficial Owners. Every Holder and Beneficial Owner at the time any amendment or supplement so becomes effective shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such ADSs, to consent and agree to such amendment or supplement and to be bound by the Deposit Agreement and this ADR, if applicable, as amended or supplemented thereby. In no event shall any amendment or supplement impair the right of the Holder to surrender such ADS and receive therefor the Deposited Securities represented thereby, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any governmental body should adopt new laws, rules or regulations which would require an amendment of, or supplement to, the Deposit Agreement to ensure compliance therewith, the Company and the Depositary may amend or supplement the Deposit Agreement and this ADR at any time in accordance with such changed laws, rules or regulations. Such amendment or supplement to the Deposit Agreement and this ADR 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 with such laws, rules or regulations.

 

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(24)     Termination. The Depositary shall, at any time at the written direction of the Company, terminate the Deposit Agreement by distributing notice of such termination to the Holders of all ADSs then outstanding at least thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination. If (i) ninety (90) days shall have expired after the Depositary shall have delivered to the Company a written notice of its election to resign, or (ii) ninety (90) days shall have expired after the Company shall have delivered to the Depositary a written notice of the removal of the Depositary, and, in either case, a successor depositary shall not have been appointed and accepted its appointment as provided in Section 5.4 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may terminate the Deposit Agreement by distributing notice of such termination to the Holders of all ADSs then outstanding at least thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination. The date so fixed for termination of the Deposit Agreement in any termination notice so distributed by the Depositary to the Holders of ADSs is referred to as the “Termination Date”. Until the Termination Date, the Depositary shall continue to perform all of its obligations under the Deposit Agreement, and the Holders and Beneficial Owners will be entitled to all of their rights under the Deposit Agreement. If any ADSs shall remain outstanding after the Termination Date, the Registrar and the Depositary shall not, after the Termination Date, have any obligation to perform any further acts under the Deposit Agreement, except that the Depositary shall, subject, in each case, to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, continue to (i) collect dividends and other distributions pertaining to Deposited Securities, (ii) sell Deposited Property received in respect of Deposited Securities, (iii) deliver Deposited Securities, together with any dividends or other distributions received with respect thereto and the net proceeds of the sale of any other Deposited Property, in exchange for ADSs surrendered to the Depositary (after deducting, or charging, as the case may be, in each case, the fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and all applicable taxes or governmental charges for the account of the Holders and Beneficial Owners, in each case upon the terms set forth in Section 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement), and (iv) take such actions as may be required under applicable law in connection with its role as Depositary under the Deposit Agreement. At any time after the Termination Date, the Depositary may sell the Deposited Property then held under the Deposit Agreement and shall after such sale hold un-invested the net proceeds of such sale, together with any other cash then held by it under the Deposit Agreement, in an un-segregated account and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the Holders whose ADSs have not theretofore been surrendered. After making such sale, the Depositary shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement except (i) to account for such net proceeds and other cash (after deducting, or charging, as the case may be, in each case, the fees and charges of, and expenses incurred by, the Depositary, and all applicable taxes or governmental charges for the account of the Holders and Beneficial Owners, in each case upon the terms set forth in Section 5.9 of the Deposit Agreement), and (ii) as may be required at law in connection with the termination of the Deposit Agreement. After the Termination Date, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement, except for its obligations to the Depositary under Sections 5.8, 5.9 and 7.6 of the Deposit Agreement. The obligations under the terms of the Deposit Agreement of Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs outstanding as of the Termination Date shall survive the Termination Date and shall be discharged only when the applicable ADSs are presented by their Holders to the Depositary for cancellation under the terms of the Deposit Agreement (except as specifically provided in the Deposit Agreement).

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement or any ADR, in connection with the termination of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may, independently and without the need for any action by the Company, make available to Holders of ADSs a means to withdraw the Deposited Securities represented by their ADSs and to direct the deposit of such Deposited Securities into an unsponsored American depositary shares program established by the Depositary, upon such terms and conditions as the Depositary may deem reasonably appropriate, subject however, in each case, to satisfaction of the applicable registration requirements by the unsponsored American depositary shares program under the Securities Act, and to receipt by the Depositary of payment of the applicable fees and charges of, and reimbursement of the applicable expenses incurred by, the Depositary.

 

A-25


(25)     Compliance with, and No Disclaimer under, U.S. Securities Laws. (a) Notwithstanding any provisions in this ADR or the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, the withdrawal or delivery of Deposited Securities will not be suspended by the Company or the Depositary except as would be permitted by Instruction I.A.(1) of the General Instructions to the Form F-6 Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, under the Securities Act.

(b)     Each of the parties to the Deposit Agreement (including, without limitation, each Holder and Beneficial Owner) acknowledges and agrees that no provision of the Deposit Agreement or any ADR shall, or shall be deemed to, disclaim any liability under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, in each case to the extent established under applicable U.S. laws.

(26)     No Third Party Beneficiaries/Acknowledgements. The Deposit Agreement is for the exclusive benefit of the parties hereto (and their successors) and shall not be deemed to give any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim whatsoever to any other person, except to the extent specifically set forth in the Deposit Agreement. Nothing in the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed to give rise to a partnership or joint venture among the parties nor establish a fiduciary or similar relationship among the parties. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (i) Citibank and its Affiliates may at any time have multiple banking relationships with the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, and their respective Affiliates, (ii) Citibank and its Affiliates may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its Affiliates and in ADSs, and may be engaged at any time in transactions in which parties adverse to the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners or their respective Affiliates may have interests, (iii) the Depositary and its Affiliates may from time to time have in their possession non-public information about the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, and their respective Affiliates, (iv) nothing contained in the Deposit Agreement shall (a) preclude Citibank or any of its Affiliates from engaging in such transactions or establishing or maintaining such relationships, or (b) obligate Citibank or any of its Affiliates to disclose such information, transactions or relationships, or to account for any profit made or payment received in such transactions or relationships, (v) the Depositary shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any information any other division of Citibank or any of its Affiliates may have about the Company, the Holders, the Beneficial Owners, or any of their respective Affiliates, and (vi) the Company, the Depositary, the Custodian and their respective agents and controlling persons may be subject to the laws and regulations of jurisdictions other than the U.S. and the Cayman Islands, and the authority of courts and regulatory authorities of such other jurisdictions, and, consequently, the requirements and the limitations of such other laws and regulations, and the decisions and orders of such other courts and regulatory authorities, may affect the rights and obligations of the parties to the Deposit Agreement.

 

A-26


(27)     Governing Law / Waiver of Jury Trial. The Deposit Agreement, the ADRs and the ADSs shall be interpreted in accordance with, and all rights hereunder and thereunder and provisions hereof and thereof shall be governed by, the laws of the State of New York without reference to the principles of choice of law thereof. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Deposit Agreement to the contrary, any ADR or any present or future provisions of the laws of the State of New York, the rights of holders of Shares and of any other Deposited Securities and the obligations and duties of the Company in respect of the holders of Shares and other Deposited Securities, as such, shall be governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands (or, if applicable, such other laws as may govern the Deposited Securities).

Holders and Beneficial Owners understand, and by holding an American Depositary Share or an interest therein such Holders and Beneficial Owners each irrevocably agrees, that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving the Company or the Depositary, regardless of whether such legal suit, action or proceeding also involves parties other than the Company or the Depositary (including, but not limited to, any underwriters retained by the Company), arising out of or relating in any way to the Deposit Agreement, the American Depositary Shares or Receipts, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or by virtue of ownership thereof, including without limitation claims under the Securities Act of 1933, may only be instituted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, if the Southern District of New York lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a particular dispute, in the state courts of New York County, New York), and by holding an American Depositary Share or an interest therein each irrevocably waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Holders and Beneficial Owners agree that the provisions of this paragraph shall survive such Holders’ and Beneficial Owners’ ownership of American Depositary Shares or interests therein.

EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, EACH HOLDER AND BENEFICIAL OWNER) IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AGAINST THE COMPANY AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY ARISING OUT OF, OR RELATING TO, THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, ANY ADR AND ANY TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREIN (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, COMMON LAW OR OTHERWISE).

 

A-27


(ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER SIGNATURE LINES)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned Holder hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto                      whose taxpayer identification number is                      and whose address including postal zip code is                     , the within ADR and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing                      attorney-in-fact to transfer said ADR on the books of the Depositary with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated:    Name:                                                                                    
                By:
                Title:
   NOTICE: The signature of the Holder to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
   If the endorsement be executed by an attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, the person executing the endorsement must give his/her full title in such capacity and proper evidence of authority to act in such capacity, if not on file with the Depositary, must be forwarded with this ADR.

                                                     

SIGNATURE GUARANTEED

  
   All endorsements or assignments of ADRs must be guaranteed by a member of a Medallion Signature Program approved by the Securities Transfer Association, Inc.

Legends

[The ADRs issued in respect of Partial Entitlement American Depositary Shares shall bear the following legend on the face of the ADR: “This ADR evidences ADSs representing ‘partial entitlement’ Shares of the Company and as such do not entitle the holders thereof to the same per-share entitlement as other Shares (which are ‘full entitlement’ Shares) issued and outstanding at such time. The ADSs represented by this ADR shall entitle holders to distributions and entitlements identical to other ADSs when the Shares represented by such ADSs become ‘full entitlement’ Shares.”]

 

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EXHIBIT B

FEE SCHEDULE

ADS FEES AND RELATED CHARGES

All capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning given to such terms in the Deposit Agreement. Except as otherwise specified herein, any reference to ADSs herein includes Partial Entitlement ADSs, Full Entitlement ADSs, Certificated ADSs, Uncertificated ADSs, and Restricted ADSs.

 

I.

ADS Fees

The following ADS fees are payable under the terms of the Deposit Agreement:

 

Service

  

Rate

  

By Whom Paid

(1) Issuance of ADSs (e.g., an issuance upon a deposit of Shares, upon a change in the ADS(s)-to-Share(s) ratio, or for any other reason), excluding issuances as a result of distributions described in paragraph (4) below.    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) issued.    Person for whom ADSs are issued.
(2) Cancellation of ADSs (e.g., a cancellation of ADSs for Delivery of deposited Shares, upon a change in the ADS(s)-to-Share(s) ratio, or for any other reason).    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) cancelled.    Person for whom ADSs are being cancelled.
(3) Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (e.g., upon a sale of rights and other entitlements).    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held.    Person to whom the distribution is made.
(4) Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (ii) an exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs.    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held.    Person to whom the distribution is made.
(5) Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (e.g., spin-off shares).    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held.    Person to whom the distribution is made.
(6) ADS Services.    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) held on the applicable record date(s) established by the Depositary.    Person holding ADSs on the applicable record date(s) established by the Depositary.
(7) Registration of ADS Transfers (e.g., upon a registration of the transfer of registered ownership of ADSs, upon a transfer of ADSs into DTC and vice versa, or for any other reason).    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) transferred.    Person for whom or to whom ADSs are transferred.
(8) Conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series (e.g., upon conversion of Partial Entitlement ADSs for Full Entitlement ADSs, or upon conversion of Restricted ADSs into freely transferable ADSs, and vice versa).    Up to U.S. $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) converted.    Person for whom ADSs are converted or to whom the converted ADSs are delivered.

 

B-1


II.

Charges

The Company, Holders, Beneficial Owners, persons depositing Shares or withdrawing Deposited Securities in connection with ADS issuances and cancellations, and persons for whom ADSs are issued or cancelled shall be responsible for the following ADS charges under the terms of the Deposit Agreement:

 

(i)

taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges;

 

(ii)

such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of Shares or other Deposited Securities on the share register and applicable to transfers of Shares or other Deposited Securities to or from the name of the Custodian, the Depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively;

 

(iii)

such cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses as are expressly provided in the Deposit Agreement to be at the expense of the person depositing Shares or withdrawing Deposited Property or of the Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs;

 

(iv)

in connection with the conversion of Foreign Currency, the fees, expenses, spreads, taxes and other charges of the Depositary and/or conversion service providers (which may be a division, branch or Affiliate of the Depositary). Such fees, expenses, spreads, taxes, and other charges shall be deducted from the Foreign Currency;

 

B-2


(v)

any reasonable and customary out-of-pocket expenses incurred in such conversion and/or on behalf of the Holders and Beneficial Owners in complying with currency exchange control or other governmental requirements; and

 

(vi)

the fees, charges, costs and expenses incurred by the Depositary, the Custodian, or any nominee in connection with the ADR program.

The above fees and charges may at any time and from time to time be changed by agreement between the Company and the Depositary.

 

B-3

Exhibit 5.1

Our ref            ELR/750874-000009/21025051v3

Waterdrop Inc.

Block C, Wangjing Science and Technology Park

No. 2 Lize Zhonger Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102

People’s Republic of China

30 November 2021

Dear Sirs

Waterdrop Inc. (the “Company”)

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal counsel to the Company in connection with a registration statement on Form S-8 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on 30 November 2021 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) of 701,144,162 class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000005 per share (the “Shares”), issuable upon vesting or exercise of awards granted under the Company’s 2018 Share Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”) and 2021 Share Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”, together with the 2018 Plan, the “Plans”).

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined copies of the Registration Statement and the Plans. We have also reviewed copies of the seventh amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company adopted by a special resolution passed on 16 April 2021 and effective immediately prior to the completion of the initial public offering of the Company’s American Depositary Shares representing its class A ordinary shares which is on 11 May 2021 (the “Memorandum and Articles”) and the written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 28 November 2021 (the “Resolutions”).

Based upon, and subject to, the assumptions and qualifications set out below, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.

The Shares to be issued by the Company and registered under the Registration Statement have been duly and validly authorized.

 

2.

When issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plans and in accordance with the Resolutions, and appropriate entries are made in the register of members (shareholders) of the Company, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

In this opinion letter, the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the issuance of Shares, that a shareholder shall not, in respect of the relevant Shares, have any obligation to make further contributions to the Company’s assets (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).


These opinions are subject to the qualification that under the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, the register of members of a Cayman Islands company is by statute regarded as prima facie evidence of any matters which the Companies Act (As Revised) directs or authorises to be inserted therein. A third party interest in the shares in question would not appear. An entry in the register of members may yield to a court order for rectification (for example, in the event of fraud or manifest error).

These opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-Cayman Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations.

We have also relied upon the assumptions, which we have not independently verified, that (a) all signatures, initials and seals are genuine, (b) copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals, (c) there is nothing contained in the minute book or corporate records of the Company (which we have not inspected) which would or might affect the opinions set out above, and (d) upon the issue of any Shares, the consideration received by the Company shall be not less than the par value of such Shares.

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further consent to all references to us in the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto. In giving such consent, we do not consider that we are “experts” within the meaning of such term as used in the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations of the Commission issued thereunder, with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including this opinion as an exhibit or otherwise.

Yours faithfully

/s/ Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

 

2

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated April 2, 2021 relating to the financial statements of Waterdrop Inc., appearing in the Registration Statement No. 333-255298 on Form F-1 of Waterdrop Inc.

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP

Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

November 30, 2021