Cabinet d'avocats
nous répondrons
à vos messages
Regulations For Domestically-Listed
Shares Held Overseas Of
Companies Limited
By Shares
State Council effective
date: 1995-12-25
Article 1 With a view to standardizing the issuance and transaction of domestically listed shares held overseas of companies limited by shares, and protecting legal rights and interests of the investors, the following regulations are formulated in accordance with related stipulations in the Company Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Company Law).
Article 2 Subject to approval of the
Securities Committee of the State Council, a company limited by shares
(hereinafter referred to as a Company) may issue domestically-listed shares
to be held overseas; however, when the total face value of the issuance
of such a nature exceeds US$30 million, the Securities Committee shall
report to the State Council for approval.
Domestically-listed shares held overseas
as indicated in the preceding paragraph, refer to issuance of domestically-listed
shares when a Company is established by means of share placement, or when
a Company increases its capital.
The total value of the issuance of
domestically-listed shares held overseas, to be approved by the Securities
Committee of the State Council, shall be within the scale defined by the
State.
Article 3 Domestically-listed shares
held overseas issued by a Company shall take the form of registered share
certificates, the face value to be denominated in Renminbi (Chinese Yuan),
which are subscribed and traded in foreign currencies, and listed on domestic
securities exchanges.
The Company which issues domestically-listed
shares held overseas shall issue shares to domestic investors (hereinafter
referred to as A-shares), if any, in the form of registered share certificates.
Article 4 Investors in domestically-listed
shares held overseas are limited to:
(1) Natural persons, legal persons
and other organizations of foreign countries;
(2) Natural persons, legal persons
and other organizations in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in China;
(3) Chinese citizens with permanent
residence permits in foreign countries; or
(4) Other investors in domestically-listed
shares defined by the Securities Committee of the State Council.
For the purpose of subscription or
transaction of domestically-listed shares held overseas, such investor
shall present valid identity and qualification documents.
Article 5 Holders of domestically-listed
shares held overseas shall enjoy rights and perform obligations equivalent
to the rights and obligations of holders of A-shares, as provided in the
Company Law.
The Company may incorporate specific
provisions in its Articles of Association on matters concerning the rights
and obligations of shareholders.
Article 6 The Articles of Association
of the Company is binding on the Company, its shareholders, directors,
supervisors, managers and other senior management personnel.
The directors, supervisors, managers
and other senior management personnel of the Company are obliged to act
in good faith and with diligence for the Company.
Other senior management personnel
as indicated in the first and second paragraphs of this article refer to
chief financial officers, secretaries of the board of directors and other
persons specified by the Articles of Association of the Company.
Article 7 The Securities Committee of the State Council and its executive organ for supervision and regulation, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (hereinafter referred to as the CSRC), shall exercise regulation and supervision over the issuance and transaction of domestically-listed shares held overseas, and other related activities in accordance with law and administrative regulations.
Article 8 Issuance of domestically-listed
shares held overseas when a Company is established by means of share placement
shall satisfy the following conditions:
(1) The share capital shall be used
in line with industrial policies of the State;
(2) The placement shall conform to
State regulations concerning investment in and establishment of fixed assets
projects;
(3) The placement shall conform to
State regulations concerning foreign investment utilization;
(4) The total value of shares subscribed
by the promoters shall be no less than 35% of the total value of issuance;
(5) Investment by the promoters shall
be no less than RMB150 million yuan;
(6) The amount of shares for public
offer shall be more than 25% of the total amount of shares of the Company;
or more than 15% of the total if the total share capital exceeds RMB400
million yuan;
(7) The existing enterprise which
is reorganized to form the Company, or the State enterprise which is the
major promotor of the Company, shall have no record of serious law violation
for the past 3 years;
(8) The existing enterprise which
is reorganized to form the Company, or the State enterprise which is the
major promoter of the Company, shall have registered profits for the past
3 years running; and
(9) Other requirements of the Securities
Committee of the State Council.
Article 9 When a Company applies for
issuance of domestically-listed shares held overseas for capital increase,
the following conditions shall be satisfied other than those provided in
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of Article 8 of these Regulations:
(1) Shares issued by the Company in
its latest public offer have been fully subscribed; the share capital has
been used in line with the objective set for the placement; and the capital
in operation has generated good returns;
(2) Net assets value of the Company
is no less than RMB150 million yuan;
(3) The Company has no record of serious
law violation since the last issuance to the time of the current application;
(4) The Company has registered profits
for the past 3 years running, to be counted on a continuous basis if the
Company was resulted from reorganization of an existing enterprise, or
if a State enterprise is major promoter for the Company; and
(5) Other requirements of the Securities
Committee of the State Council.
A Company established by promotion
shall meet requirements provided in paragraph (6) of Article 8 of these
Regulations when it applies for issuance of domestically-listed shares
held overseas for its initial capital increase.
Article 10 Issuance of domestically-listed
shares held overseas shall follow such application procedures:
(1) The promoters or the Company shall
submit the application to Peoples Government at the level of provinces,
autonomous regions, or cities directly under the Central Government, or
to competent enterprise management authorities under the State Council,
who shall in turn recommend the application to the Securities Committee
of the State Council;
(2) The Securities Committee of the
State Council shall consult related departments under the State Council
to select the Companies eligible for issuance of domestically-listed shares
held overseas;
(3) The selected Companies then present
documents to CSRC for examination as provided in Article 11 and Article
12;
(4) the Companies found to be qualified
by the examination by CSRC may only issue domestically-listed shares held
overseas upon approval by the securities Committee of the State Council,
or upon approval by the State Council as provided in paragraph 1 of Article
2 of These Regulations.
Article 11 When a Company is established
by means of share placement, it shall submit the following documents to
the CSRC for application for issuance of domestically-listed shares held
overseas:
(1) Application report;
(2) Names or titles of the promoters,
the amount of shares subscribed by the promoters, types of their investment
and certificate of investment verification;
(3) Resolution passed at the meeting
of promoters giving consent to public offer of domestically-listed shares
held overseas;
(4) Written approval for establishment
of the Company by departments authorized by the State Council, or Peoples
Government at the level of provinces, autonomous regions or cities directly
under the Central Government;
(5) Written recommendation by the
competent enterprise management authorities under the State Council, or
Peoples Government at the level of provinces, autonomous regions or cities
directly under the Central Government;
(6) Notice of Pre-Examination of the
Name of Enterprise issued by registration authorities;
(7) Draft Articles of Association;
(8) Prospectus;
(9) Feasibility study for the use
of share capital; and written approval for the establishment of fixed assets
project given by related departments if the share capital will be used
in a fixed assets project to approval;
(10) Financial statements for the
past 3 years of the existing enterprise or of the state enterprise who
is the major promoter of the Company, audited by Certified Accountants
and their firm; and auditing report signed and sealed by more than two
Certified Accountants and their firm;
(11) Assets Appraisal Report signed
and sealed by more than two professional appraisers; written confirmation
by authorities in charge of State assets, and written approval concerning
State equity where State assets are involved;
(12) Legal Comments signed and sealed
by more than two lawyers and their firm;
(13) Underwriting plan and underwriting
agreement for share placement; and
(14) Other documents required by CSRC.
Article 12 The Company shall submit
the following documents to the CSRC while applying for issuance of domestically-listed
shares held overseas to increase the share capital:
(1) Application report;
(2) Resolution passed at the shareholders
meeting giving consent to public offer of domestically-listed shares held
overseas;
(3) Written approval for a new issuance
by departments authorized by the State Council, or the Peoples Government
at the level of provinces, autonomous regions or cities directly under
the Central Government.
(4) Written recommendation by competent
authorities under the State Council, or the Peoples Government at the level
of provinces, autonomous regions or cities directly under the Central Government;
(5) Business license of the Company
issued by registration authorities;
(6) Articles of Association of the
Company;
(7) Prospectus;
(8) Feasibility study for the use
of the share capital; and written approval for the establishment of a fixed
assets project by related departments if the share capital will be used
for a fixed assets project subject to approval;
(9) Financial statements of the Company
for the past three years audited by Certified Accountants and their firm
and auditing report signed and sealed by more than two Certified Accountants
and their firm.
(10) Legal Comments signed and sealed
by more than two lawyers on related legal matters;
(11) Underwriting plan and underwriting
agreement for the share placement; and
(12) Other documents required by CSRC.
Article 13 The interval between the issuance of domestically-listed shares held overseas and issuance of A-shares by the Company may be less than twelve months.
Article 14 The Company shall engage Certified Accountants and their firm in accordance with State requirements to carry out auditing or review of its financial statements.
Article 15 The Company shall carry
out accounting procedures and make out financial statements in accordance
with related State regulations.
The Company shall provide explanations
for adjustments in its financial statement disclosed to investors in its
domestically-listed shares held overseas according to accounting rules
of other countries or territories;
Article 16 A Company which issues domestically-listed shares held overseas shall disclose information to the public according to law, and stipulate details of the place and means of such disclosure in its Articles of Association.
Article 17 Written information disclosed by a Company which issues domestically-listed shares held overseas shall be produced in Chinese; where a foreign translation is required, a text in a universal foreign language shall be provided. Where the Chinese text disagrees with texts in foreign languages, the Chinese text shall prevail.
Article 18 A Company which issues domestically-listed shares held overseas shall authorize domestic securities brokerages established upon the approval by the Peoples Bank of China and approbation by the CSRC to the major underwriters one of the major underwriters.
Article 19 A Company which issues domestically-listed
shares held overseas shall open foreign exchange accounts with domestic
banks authorized for foreign exchange operation, in accordance with related
State regulations on foreign exchange control.
Major underwriters for the domestically-listed
shares held overseas shall credit the amount of collected share capital
to the foreign exchange account of the issuing company within the period
specified in the underwriting agreement.
Article 20 Transactions of domestically-listed shares held overseas through agent shall be handled by securities brokerages established upon the approval of the Peoples Bank of China and approbation of the CSRC.
Article 21 The holder of domestically-listed shares held overseas may authorize agents to exercise his rights; and the agents shall provide valid documents of authorization when acting on behalf of the shareholder.
Article 22 The equity holder of domestically-listed
shares held overseas may register the shares in the name of a nominal holder.
The equity holder of domestically-listed
shares held overseas shall disclose information about the change of holder
according to law.
Article 23 Transaction, retention, liquidation and settlement, transfer and registration of domestically-listed shares held overseas shall be carried out in conformity with laws, regulations and related stipulations by the CSRC.
Article 24 Subject to approval by the
State Council, domestically-listed shares held overseas and its derivative
forms may be circulated and transferred outside China.
Derivative forms as indicated in the
preceding paragraph refer to subscription certificate and over-seas share
deposit receipt.
Article 25 The company shall calculate
and declare the dividends and other payment to holders of domestically-listed
shares held overseas in Renminbi (Chinese Yuan), and make the payment in
foreign currencies. Management of the share capital in foreign currencies,
payment of dividends and other items in foreign currencies shall be carried
out in accordance with State regulations concerning foreign exchange control.
Where the Articles of Association
stipulate exchange and payment through other agents, the exchange and payment
to shareholders may be conducted according to the Articles of Association.
Article 26 Dividends and other income from the domestically-listed shares held overseas may be remitted out of China after tax payment according to law.
Article 27 The Securities Committee of the State Council may enact detailed implementing rules for these Regulations.
Article 28 These Regulations shall enter into force on the day of its promulgation. With its promulgation, the Rules for Special Renminbi Shares of Shanghai City, promulgated by Shanghai Municipal Peoples Government on November 22, 1991, and the Rules for Special Renminbi Shares of Shenzhen City, promulgated by Shenzhen Municipal Peoples Government on December 5, 1991, are nullified on the same date.
Cabinet d'avocats