Risk Factors Dashboard
Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.
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Risk Factors - MULG
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Summary of Risk Factors
Below please find a summary of the significant risks we face, organized under relevant headings. These risks are discussed more fully in the section titled “Risk factors” on page 20.
● | Uncertainties regarding the legality of the VIE structure in the future. Muliang Viagoo is a holding company incorporated in Nevada. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct a substantial majority of operations in the PRC though the variable interest entity, Shanghai Muliang and its subsidiaries. We receive the economic benefits of the VIE’s business operations through certain contractual arrangements. Investors in our common shares offered in our future offerings are purchasing shares of the U.S. holding company and not shares of the VIE and its subsidiaries in China that are conducting the business operations. The legality of the VIE structure has not been tested in the courts of the PRC. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, rules or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Doing Business in the PRC - If the PRC government deems that any of our contractual arrangements do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations on page 22; and Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure - If the PRC government deems that the contractual arrangements in relation to Shanghai Muliang, our consolidated variable interest entity, do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations on page 52. |
● | Risk of new regulations, significant new government oversight in China. As a business with a majority of its operations in China, we are subject to the laws and regulations of the PRC, which can change quickly with little advance notice. The PRC government has the power to exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, and the regulations to which we are subject may change rapidly and with little notice to us or the shareholders. New regulations and policies, which may be adopted with little notice, could result in a material change in operations and/or the value of our ordinary shares. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Doing Business in the PRC - PRC laws and regulations governing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system, including those regarding the enforcement of laws, and sudden or unexpected changes, with little advance notice, in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us and limit the legal protections available to you and us” on page 30. |
● | Risk of additional future government oversight and control over foreign offerings of China-based companies. Recent statements by the Chinese government have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in China based issuers. Although the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is not of the type currently subject to government review in China prior to a foreign securities offering, any future action by the PRC government expanding the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the PRC government could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Doing Business in the PRC - Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system, including those regarding the enforcement of laws, and sudden or unexpected changes, with little advance notice, in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us and limit the legal protections available to you and us” on page 30. |
● | Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Doing Business in the PRC - PRC laws and regulations governing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system, including those regarding the enforcement of laws, and sudden or unexpected changes, with little advance notice, in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us and limit the legal protections available to you and us” on page 30. |
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● | Risks related to a future determination that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely. Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this report, as an auditor of companies that audits publicly traded companies in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis with the last inspection in October 2021, and our auditor is not subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. Despite that we have a U.S. based auditor that is registered with the PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection, there are still risks to the company and investors if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction. Such risks include but not limited to that trading in our securities may be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and as a result an exchange may determine to delist our securities. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Doing Business in the PRC - The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering” on page 33. |
● | Risks related to the seasonality of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. The sale of the products is partially dependent upon planting and growing seasons, which vary from year to year, and are expected to result in both seasonal patterns and substantial fluctuations in quarterly sales and profitability. See Risk Factors - Risks Relating to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ Business and Industry - the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizer business is seasonal and affected by factors beyond their control, which may cause the sales and operating results to fluctuate significantly on page 38. |
● | Risks related to potential competition. We encounter intense competition in each of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business segments on a national, regional and local level. Competition in the industry is primarily based on quality of services, brand name recognition, geographic coverage and range of services. New and existing competitors may offer competitive rates, greater convenience or superior services, which could attract customers away from us, resulting in lower revenues for operations. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ Business and Industry - If we are unable to compete successfully with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors, the financial condition and results of operations may be harmed” on page 40. |
● | Risks related to the dependence on key suppliers, customers and personnel. Although we believe that we can locate replacement suppliers readily on the market any difficulty in replacing one of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ major suppliers could adversely affect the company’s performance Additionally, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is dependent on the ability to recruit and maintain highly skilled and qualified individuals through direct employment or collaboration arrangements. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ Business and Industry - The loss of any of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key suppliers and/or customers could have a materially adverse effect on the results of operations on page 41; and We depend on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key personnel and research employees, and we may be adversely affected if we are unable to attract and retain qualified scientific and business personnel on page 42; and Any failure by Shanghai Muliang, our consolidated variable interest entity, or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business” on page 54. |
● | Risks related to our use of the VIE structure. We have relied and expect to continue relying on contractual arrangements with the VIE and their shareholders to operate our business in China. If the VIE, or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. See “Risk Factors - Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure - We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and their shareholders for a large portion of our business operations. These arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control. Any failure by the VIE or their shareholders to perform their obligations under such contractual arrangements would have a material and adverse effect on our business” on page 54. |
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Risks Relating to Doing Business in the PRC
If the PRC government deems that any of our contractual arrangements do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.
Foreign ownership of internet-based businesses, such as distribution of online information, is subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and regulations. For example, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (except e-commerce) and any such foreign investor must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record in accordance with the Guidance Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment promulgated in 2007, as amended in 2011 and in 2015, respectively, and other applicable laws and regulations.
Muliang Viagoo is a holding company incorporated in Nevada. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct a substantial majority of operations in the People’s Republic of China, or “PRC” or “China,” though the variable interest entity, Shanghai Muliang and its subsidiaries. We receive the economic benefits of the VIE’s business operations through certain contractual arrangements. Investors in our common shares offered in our future offerings are purchasing shares of the U.S. holding company and not shares of the VIE and its subsidiaries in China that are conducting the business operations.
It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, rules or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. In particular, in January 2015, the Ministry of Commerce, or MOC, published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law for public review and comments. Among other things, the draft Foreign Investment Law expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company is considered a foreign-invested enterprise, or an FIE. Under the draft Foreign Investment Law, variable interest entities would also be deemed as FIEs, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors, and would be subject to restrictions on foreign investments. However, the draft law has not taken a position on what actions will be taken with respect to the existing companies with the “variable interest entity” structure, whether or not these companies are controlled by Chinese parties. It is uncertain when the draft will be signed into law and whether the final version will have any substantial changes from the draft. Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the enactment timetable, interpretation and implementation of draft PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations” below. If the ownership structure, contractual arrangements and business of our company are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or we fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant governmental authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including levying fines, confiscating our income, shutting down our servers, discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on operations, requiring us to undergo a costly and disruptive restructuring, restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from future offerings to finance our business and operations in China and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business. Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and could severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
PRC regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC-resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits.
In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which replaces the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents, including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities, to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we may make in the future.
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Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, are required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV, is required to update its registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE to reflect any material change. If any PRC resident shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiaries in China. In February 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, must be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. Qualified banks should examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE. We have used our best efforts to notify PRC residents or entities who directly or indirectly hold shares in our holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents to complete the foreign exchange registrations. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. We cannot assure you that all other shareholders or beneficial owners of ours who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border investments and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
As a holding company with PRC subsidiaries, we may transfer funds to our Affiliate Entities or finance the operating entity by means of loans or capital contributions. Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our Company’s PRC subsidiaries, including from the proceeds of our future offerings, are subject to the above PRC regulations. We may not be able to obtain necessary government registrations or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to obtain such approvals or make such registration, our ability to make equity contributions or provide loans to our Company’s PRC subsidiaries or to fund their operations may be negatively affected, which may adversely affect their liquidity and ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments. As a result, our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business may be negatively affected.
We must remit the offering proceeds to China before they may be used to benefit the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business in China, and this process may take several months to complete.
The process for sending the proceeds from future offerings back to China may take as long as six months after the closing of those offerings. In utilizing the proceeds of future offerings, as an offshore holding company of our PRC operating subsidiaries, we may make loans to our Affiliated Entities, or we may make additional capital contributions to our Affiliate Entities. Any loans to our Affiliated Entities are subject to PRC regulations. For example, loans by us to our subsidiaries in China, which are foreign-invested enterprises, to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with SAFE.
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To remit the proceeds of the offering, we must take the following steps:
● | First, we will open a special foreign exchange account for capital account transactions. To open this account, we must submit to SAFE certain application forms, identity documents, transaction documents, form of foreign exchange registration of overseas investments of the domestic residents, and foreign exchange registration certificate of the invested company. As of the date of this report, we have already opened a special foreign exchange account for capital account transactions. |
● | Second, we will remit the offering proceeds into this special foreign exchange account. |
● | Third, we will apply for settlement of the foreign exchange. In order to do so, we must submit to SAFE certain application forms, identity documents, payment order to a designated person, and a tax certificate. |
The timing of the process is difficult to estimate because the efficiencies of different SAFE branches can vary significantly. Ordinarily the process takes several months but is required by law to be accomplished within 180 days of application.
We may also decide to finance our subsidiaries by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be approved by MOFCOM or its local counterpart. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain these government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future capital contributions by us to our subsidiaries. If we fail to receive such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds of future offerings and to capitalize our Chinese operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. If we fail to receive such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds of future offerings and to capitalize our Chinese operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
Changes in the policies of the PRC government could have a significant impact upon the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to operate profitably in the PRC.
We conduct all of operations and all of our revenue is generated in the PRC. Accordingly, economic, political and legal developments in the PRC will significantly affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Policies of the PRC government can have significant effects on economic conditions in the PRC and the ability of businesses to operate profitably. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to operate profitably in the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in policies by the PRC government, including changes in laws, regulations or their interpretation, particularly those dealing with the Internet, including censorship and other restriction on material which can be transmitted over the Internet, security, intellectual property, money laundering, taxation and other laws that affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to operate the website.
Because the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is dependent upon government policies that encourage a market-based economy, change in the political or economic climate in the PRC may impair the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to operate profitably, if at all.
Although the PRC government has been pursuing a number of economic reform policies for more than two decades, the PRC government continues to exercise significant control over economic growth in the PRC. Because of the nature of our business, we are dependent upon the PRC government pursuing policies that encourage private ownership of businesses. Restrictions on private ownership of businesses would affect the securities business in general and businesses using real estate service in particular. We cannot assure you that the PRC government will pursue policies favoring a market-oriented economy or that existing policies will not be significantly altered, especially in the event of a change in leadership, social or political disruption, or other circumstances affecting political, economic and social life in the PRC.
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PRC laws and regulations governing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair their ability to operate profitable.
There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and the enforcement and performance of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ arrangements with customers in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from the understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
There are uncertainties under the PRC laws relating to the procedures for U.S. regulators to investigate and collect evidence from companies located in the PRC.
According to Article 177 of the newly amended PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020 (the “Article 177”), the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council may collaborate with securities regulatory authorities of other countries or regions in order to monitor and oversee cross border securities activities. Article 177 further provides that overseas securities regulatory authorities are not allowed to carry out investigation and evidence collection directly within the territory of the PRC, and that any Chinese entities and individuals are not allowed to provide documents or materials related to securities business activities to overseas agencies without prior consent of the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council and the competent departments of the PRC State Council.
Our PRC counsel has advised us of their understanding that (i) the Article 177 is applicable in the limited circumstances related to direct investigation or evidence collection conducted by overseas authorities within the territory of the PRC (in such case, the foregoing activities are required to be conducted through collaboration with or by obtaining prior consent of competent Chinese authorities); (ii) the Article 177 does not limit or prohibit the Company, as a company duly incorporated in Nevada and to be listed on Nasdaq, from providing the required documents or information to Nasdaq or the SEC pursuant to applicable Listing Rules and U.S. securities laws; and (iii) as the Article 177 is relatively new and there is no implementing rules or regulations which have been published regarding application of the Article 177, it remains unclear how the law will be interpreted, implemented or applied by the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission or other relevant government authorities. As of the date hereof, we are not aware of any implementing rules or regulations which have been published regarding application of Article 177. However, we cannot assure you that relevant PRC government agencies, including the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council, would reach the same conclusion as we do. As such, there are uncertainties as to the procedures and time requirement for the U.S. regulators to bring about investigations and evidence collection within the territory of the PRC.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ principal business operation is conducted in the PRC. In the event that the U.S. regulators carry out investigation on us and there is a need to conduct investigation or collect evidence within the territory of the PRC, the U.S. regulators may not be able to carry out such investigation or evidence collection directly in the PRC under the PRC laws. The U.S. regulators may consider cross-border cooperation with securities regulatory authority of the PRC by way of judicial assistance, diplomatic channels or regulatory cooperation mechanism established with the securities regulatory authority of the PRC.
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Because the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is conducted in RMB and the price of our shares of common stock is quoted in United States dollars, changes in currency conversion rates may affect the value of your investments.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is conducted in the PRC, the books and records are maintained in RMB, which is the currency of the PRC, and the financial statements that we file with the SEC and provide to our shareholders are presented in United States dollars. Changes in the exchange rate between the RMB and dollar affect the value of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ assets and the results of operations in United States dollars. The value of the RMB against the United States dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in the PRC’s political and economic conditions and perceived changes in the economy of the PRC and the United States. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ cash flows, revenue and financial condition. Further, our future offerings will be offered in United States dollars, and we will need to convert the net proceeds we receive into RMB in order to use the funds for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. Changes in the conversion rate between the United States dollar and the RMB will affect that amount of proceeds we will have available for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China, which could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.
The EIT Law and its implementing rules provide that enterprises established outside of China whose “de facto management bodies” are located in China are considered “resident enterprises” under PRC tax laws. The implementing rules promulgated under the EIT Law define the term “de facto management bodies” as a management body which substantially manages, or has control over the business, personnel, finance and assets of an enterprise. In April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, issued a circular, known as Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management bodies” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. However, there are no further detailed rules or precedents governing the procedures and specific criteria for determining “de facto management body.” Although our board of directors and management are located in the PRC, it is unclear if the PRC tax authorities would determine that we should be classified as a PRC “resident enterprise.”
If we are deemed as a PRC “resident enterprise,” we will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on our worldwide income at a uniform tax rate of 25%, although dividends distributed to us from our existing PRC subsidiary and any other PRC subsidiaries which we may establish from time to time could be exempt from the PRC dividend withholding tax due to our PRC “resident recipient” status. This could have a material and adverse effect on our overall effective tax rate, our income tax expenses and our net income. Furthermore, dividends, if any, paid to our shareholders may be decreased as a result of the decrease in distributable profits. In addition, if we were considered a PRC “resident enterprise”, any dividends we pay to our non-PRC investors and the gains realized from the transfer of our shares of common stock may be considered income derived from sources within the PRC and be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty). It is unclear whether holders of our shares of common stock would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. This could have a material and adverse effect on the value of your investment in us and on the price of our shares of common stock.
There are significant uncertainties under the EIT Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of our PRC subsidiary, and dividends payable by our PRC subsidiary to our offshore subsidiaries may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.
Under the PRC EIT Law and its implementation rules, the profits of a foreign invested enterprise generated through operations, which are distributed to its immediate holding company outside the PRC, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. Pursuant to a special arrangement between Hong Kong and the PRC, such rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in the PRC company. Our PRC subsidiary is wholly-owned by our Hong Kong subsidiary. Moreover, under the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues regarding the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 20, 2009, the tax payer needs to satisfy certain conditions to enjoy the benefits under a tax treaty. These beneficial owner of the relevant dividends, and (2) the corporate shareholder to receive dividends from the PRC subsidiary must have continuously met the direct ownership thresholds during the 12 consecutive months preceding the receipt of the dividends. Further, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Notice on How to Understand and Recognize the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties on October 27, 2009, which limits the “beneficial owner” to individuals, projects or other organizations normally engaged in substantive operations, and sets forth certain detailed factors in determining the “beneficial owner” status. In current practice, a Hong Kong enterprise must obtain a tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. As of the date of this report, we have not commenced the application process for a Hong Kong tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, and there is no assurance that we will be granted such a Hong Kong tax resident certificate.
Even after we obtain the Hong Kong tax resident certificate, we are required by applicable tax laws and regulations to file required forms and materials with relevant PRC tax authorities to prove that we can enjoy 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. We intend to obtain the required materials and file with the relevant tax authorities when it plans to declare and pay dividends, but there is no assurance that the PRC tax authorities will approve the 5% withholding tax rate.
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U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of operations in China.
Any disclosure of documents or information located in China by foreign agencies may be subject to jurisdiction constraints and must comply with China’s state secrecy laws, which broadly define the scope of “state secrets” to include matters involving economic interests and technologies. There is no guarantee that requests from U.S. federal or state regulators or agencies to investigate or inspect operations will be honored by us, by entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, without violating PRC legal requirements, especially as those entities are located in China. Furthermore, under the current PRC laws, an on-site inspection of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ facilities by any of these regulators may be limited or prohibited.
The PRC Securities Law was promulgated in December 1998 and was subsequently revised in October 2005, June 2013, August 2014 and December 2019. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. While there is no detailed interpretation regarding the rule implementation under Article 177, it will be difficult for an overseas securities regulator to conduct investigation or evidence collection activities in China.
If we become directly subject to the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, stock price and reputation.
U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on us, our business and our stock price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time consuming and distract our management from developing our growth. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our stock.
The disclosures in our reports, other filings with the SEC and our other public pronouncements are not subject to the scrutiny of any regulatory bodies in the PRC.
We are regulated by the SEC and our reports and other filings with the SEC are subject to SEC review in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Our SEC reports and other disclosure and public pronouncements are not subject to the review or scrutiny of any PRC regulatory authority. For example, the disclosure in our SEC reports and other filings are not subject to the review by China Securities Regulatory Commission, a PRC regulator that is responsible for oversight of the capital markets in China. Accordingly, you should review our SEC reports, filings and our other public pronouncements with the understanding that no local regulator has done any review of us, our SEC reports, other filings or any of our other public pronouncements.
Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ organic fertilizer and agricultural products operations are located in China. Accordingly, the business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.
The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy but may have a negative effect on us. For example, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, China’s economic growth has slowed down. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products and services and materially and adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations.
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Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.
Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business operations, including the regulatory principles raised by the CBRC, and avoiding conducting any activities that may be deemed as illegal fund-raising, forming capital pool or providing guarantee to investors under the current applicable laws and regulations, the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the direct lending service industry in the future. We cannot assure you that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ practices would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations relating to illegal fund-raising, forming capital pools or the provision of credit enhancement services. Moreover, we cannot rule out the possibility that the PRC government will institute a license requirement covering our industry at some point in the future. If such a licensing regime were introduced, we cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any newly required license in a timely manner, or at all, which could materially and adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and impede the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to continue operations.
From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce the VIE and its subsidiaries’ legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy, than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of any violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and impede the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to continue operation.
The relevant business currently carried out by our PRC subsidiaries and our investment in the PRC subsidiaries currently are not subject to the national security review under applicable PRC laws and regulations. However, if our future business operations or potential mergers and acquisitions we enter into in the PRC are related to material infrastructure or other national security sensitive areas or industries involving certain key technologies, national security review requirements will likely apply and the review result that is in compliance with PRC laws should be definitive. It remains unclear when the specific implementation measures of the Foreign Investment Law will be issued by the State Council. Given the uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the Foreign Investment Law, its application may require further rules to be issued by Chinese government, which may incur and increase our compliance costs and expenses and accordingly our financial condition and operation will be adversely affected.
In the extreme case-scenario, we may be required to unwind the contractual arrangement and/or dispose of the VIE or their subsidiaries, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and result of operations.
Market, economic and other conditions in China may adversely affect the demand for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products and services.
Our industry depends upon the overall level of economic conditions and consumer spending in China. A sustained deterioration in the general economic conditions in China, including any turmoil in the economy, distresses in financial markets, or reduced market liquidity, as well as increased government intervention, may reduce the number of our customers. Small-to-medium size business owners, in particular, are more susceptible to adverse changes in market, economic and regulatory conditions and the level of consumption in China. As a result, the demand for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ existing and new products and services could decrease, and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial performance could be adversely affected.
Adverse market trends may affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial performance. Such trends may include, but are not limited to, the followings:
● | fluctuations in consumer demand, which reflect the prevailing economic and demographic conditions; |
● | low levels of consumer and business confidence associated with recessionary environments which may in turn reduce consumer spending. |
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business may have a material adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations.
The PRC government extensively regulates the internet industry, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the internet industry. These internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations.
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The evolving PRC regulatory system for the internet industry may lead to the establishment of new regulatory agencies. For example, in May 2011, the State Council announced the establishment of a new department, the State Internet Information Office (with the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the MITT, and the Ministry of Public Security). The primary role of this new agency is to facilitate the policy-making and legislative development in this field, to direct and coordinate with the relevant departments in connection with online content administration and to deal with cross-ministry regulatory matters in relation to the internet industry.
The Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in and Operation of Value-added Telecommunications Business, issued by the MITT in July 2006, prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling telecommunications business operating licenses to any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities to any foreign investor for their illegal operation of a telecommunications business in China. According to this circular, either the holder of a value-added telecommunication services operation permit or its shareholders must directly own the domain names and trademarks used by such license holders in their provision of value-added telecommunication services. The circular also requires each license holder to have the necessary facilities, including servers, for its approved business operations and to maintain such facilities in the regions covered by its license. If an ICP License holder fails to comply with the requirements and also fails to remedy such non-compliance within a specified period of time, the MITT or its local counterparts have the discretion to take administrative measures against such license holder, including revoking its ICP License.
The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating to the internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, internet businesses in China, including the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. We cannot assure you that we have obtained all the permits or licenses required for conducting the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business in China or will be able to maintain the VIE and its subsidiaries’ existing licenses or obtain new ones. If the PRC government considers that we were operating without the proper approvals, licenses or permits or promulgates new laws and regulations that require additional approvals or licenses or imposes additional restrictions on the operation of any part of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, it has the power, among other things, to levy fines, confiscate the VIE and its subsidiaries’ income, revoke the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business licenses, and require us to discontinue the VIE and its subsidiaries’ relevant business or impose restrictions on the affected portion of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. Any of these actions by the PRC government may have a material adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations.
PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries.
In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which replaces the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents, including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities, to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we may make in the future.
Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, are required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV, is required to update its registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE to reflect any material change. If any PRC resident shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiaries in China. In February, 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, must be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. Qualified banks should examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE. We have used our best efforts to notify PRC residents or entities who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Nevada holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents to complete the foreign exchange registrations. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. We cannot assure you that all other shareholders or beneficial owners of ours who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, and limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
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Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border investments and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
As an offshore holding company of our PRC subsidiary, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiary, the VIE and the VIE’s subsidiaries, or may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, subject to satisfaction of applicable governmental registration and approval requirements.
We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiary by means of capital contributions. According to the relevant PRC regulations on foreign-invested enterprises in China, these capital contributions are subject to registration with or approval by the MOFCOM or its local counterparts. In addition, the PRC government also restricts the convertibility of foreign currencies into Renminbi and use of the proceeds. On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated Circular 19, which took effect and replaced certain previous SAFE regulations from June 1, 2015. SAFE further promulgated Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which, among other things, amend certain provisions of Circular 19. According to SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16, the flow and use of the Renminbi capital converted from foreign currency denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that Renminbi capital may not be used for business beyond its business scope or to provide loans to persons other than affiliates unless otherwise permitted under its business scope. Violations of the applicable circulars and rules may result in severe penalties, including substantial fines as set forth in the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations. If the VIE requires financial support from us or our wholly-owned subsidiary in the future and we find it necessary to use foreign currency-denominated capital to provide such financial support, our ability to fund the VIE’s operations will be subject to statutory limits and restrictions, including those described above. These circulars may limit our ability to transfer the net proceeds from future offerings to the VIE and our PRC subsidiary, and we may not be able to convert the net proceeds from future offerings into Renminbi to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies in China. Despite the restrictions under these SAFE circulars, our PRC subsidiary may use its income in Renminbi generated from their operations to finance the VIE through entrustment loans to the VIE or loans to the VIE’s shareholders for the purpose of making capital contributions to the VIE. In addition, our PRC subsidiary can use Renminbi funds converted from foreign currency registered capital to carry out any activities within their normal course of business and business scope, including to purchase or lease servers and other relevant equipment and fund other operational needs in connection with their provision of services to the relevant VIE under the applicable exclusive technical support agreements.
In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiary or the VIE or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we expect to receive from future offerings and to fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
PRC laws and regulations governing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system, including those regarding the enforcement of laws, and sudden or unexpected changes, with little advance notice, in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us and limit the legal protections available to you and us.
There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and the enforcement and performance of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ arrangements with customers in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement could be unpredictable, with little advance notice. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from the understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
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Our WFOE, Shanghai Mufeng, VIE and its subsidiaries are formed under and governed by the laws of the PRC. The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference, but have limited precedential value. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and the enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.
In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general, such as foreign investment, corporate organization and governance, commerce, taxation and trade. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since the PRC legal system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties and sudden changes, sometimes with little advance notice. As a significant part of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is conducted in China, operations are principally governed by PRC laws and regulations, which may limit legal protections available to us. Uncertainties due to evolving laws and regulations could also impede the ability of a China-based company, such as our company, to obtain or maintain permits or licenses required to conduct business in China. In the absence of required permits or licenses, governmental authorities could impose material sanctions or penalties on us. In addition, some regulatory requirements issued by certain PRC government authorities may not be consistently applied by other PRC government authorities (including local government authorities), thus making strict compliance with all regulatory requirements impractical, or in some circumstances impossible. For example, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce the legal protection that we enjoy either by law or contract. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to predict the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of any violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
The PRC government has significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and may intervene or influence operations as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. The PRC government has recently published new policies that significantly affected certain industries such as the education and internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies regarding the industry that could adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over securities offerings and other capital markets activities that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based companies like us. Any such action, once taken by the PRC government, could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or in extreme cases, become worthless.
Furthermore, if China adopts more stringent standards with respect to certain areas such as environmental protection or corporate social responsibilities, we may incur increased compliance costs or become subject to additional restrictions in operations. Certain areas of the law, including intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may also not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. In addition, we cannot predict the effects of future developments in the PRC legal system on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business operations, including the promulgation of new laws, or changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and our investors, including you.
We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. We may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers.
We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. In particular, there are numerous laws and regulations regarding privacy and the collection, sharing, use, processing, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other user data. Such laws and regulations often vary in scope, may be subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among different jurisdictions.
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We expect to obtain information about various aspects of operations as well as regarding the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees and third parties. We also maintain information about various aspects of operations as well as regarding the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees. The integrity and protection of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customer, employee and company data is critical to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers and employees expect that we will adequately protect their personal information. We are required by applicable laws to keep strictly confidential the personal information that we collect, and to take adequate security measures to safeguard such information.
The PRC Criminal Law, as amended by its Amendment 7 (effective on February 28, 2009) and Amendment 9 (effective on November 1, 2015), prohibits institutions, companies and their employees from selling or otherwise illegally disclosing a citizen’s personal information obtained during the course of performing duties or providing services or obtaining such information through theft or other illegal ways. On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress issued the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, or Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017.
Pursuant to the Cyber Security Law, network operators must not, without users’ consent, collect their personal information, and may only collect users’ personal information necessary to provide their services. Providers are also obliged to provide security maintenance for their products and services and shall comply with provisions regarding the protection of personal information as stipulated under the relevant laws and regulations.
The Civil Code of the PRC (issued by the PRC National People’s Congress on May 28, 2020 and effective from January 1, 2021) provides main legal basis for privacy and personal information infringement claims under the Chinese civil laws. PRC regulators, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of data security and data protection.
The PRC regulatory requirements regarding cybersecurity are constantly evolving. For instance, various regulatory bodies in China, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Public Security and the SAMR, have enforced data privacy and protection laws and regulations with varying and evolving standards and interpretations. In April 2020, the Chinese government promulgated Cybersecurity Review Measures, which came into effect on June 1, 2020. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security.
In November 2016, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress passed China’s first Cybersecurity Law (“CSL”), which became effective in June 2017. The CSL is the first PRC law that systematically lays out the regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and data protection, subjecting many previously under-regulated or unregulated activities in cyberspace to government scrutiny. The legal consequences of violation of the CSL include penalties of warning, confiscation of illegal income, suspension of related business, winding up for rectification, shutting down the websites, and revocation of business license or relevant permits. In April 2020, the Cyberspace Administration of China and certain other PRC regulatory authorities promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective in June 2020. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security. On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comments (“Draft Measures”), which required that, in addition to “operator of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security should also be subject to cybersecurity review, and further elaborated the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities, including, among others, (i) the risk of core data, important data or a large amount of personal information being stolen, leaked, destroyed, and illegally used or exited the country; and (ii) the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data or a large amount of personal information being affected, controlled, or maliciously used by foreign governments after listing abroad. The Cyberspace Administration of China has said that under the proposed rules companies holding data on more than 1,000,000 users must now apply for cybersecurity approval when seeking listings in other nations because of the risk that such data and personal information could be “affected, controlled, and maliciously exploited by foreign governments,” The cybersecurity review will also investigate the potential national security risks from overseas IPOs. We do not know what regulations will be adopted or how such regulations will affect us and our listing on Nasdaq. In the event that the Cyberspace Administration of China determines that we are subject to these regulations, we may be required to delist from Nasdaq and we may be subject to fines and penalties. On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the NPC promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which will take effect on September 1, 2021. The Data Security Law also sets forth the data security protection obligations for entities and individuals handling personal data, including that no entity or individual may acquire such data by stealing or other illegal means, and the collection and use of such data should not exceed the necessary limits The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, CSL and any other cybersecurity and related laws may limit the use and adoption of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products and services and could have an adverse impact on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. Further, if the enacted version of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review mandates clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by companies like us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all.
If the new PRC Data Security Law is enacted in September, we will not be subject to the cybersecurity review by the CAC, given that: (i) the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products and services are offered not directly to individual users but through the VIE and its subsidiaries’ institutional customers; (ii) we do not possess a large amount of personal information in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business operations; and (iii) data processed in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. However, there remains uncertainty as to how the Draft Measures will be interpreted or implemented and whether the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, may adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation related to the Draft Measures. If any such new laws, regulations, rules, or implementation and interpretation comes into effect, we will take all reasonable measures and actions to comply and to minimize the adverse effect of such laws on us.
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We cannot assure you that PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, would take the same view as we do, and there is no assurance that we can fully or timely comply with such laws. In the event that we are subject to any mandatory cybersecurity review and other specific actions required by the CAC, we face uncertainty as to whether any clearance or other required actions can be timely completed, or at all. Given such uncertainty, we may be further required to suspend the VIE and its subsidiaries’ relevant business, shut down the VIE and its subsidiaries’ website, or face other penalties, which could materially and adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.
We are required under PRC laws and regulations to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where we operate the VIE and its subsidiaries’ businesses. The requirement of employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. We have not made adequate employee benefit payments. We may be required to make up the contributions for these plans as well as to pay late fees and fines. If we are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering.
On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.
On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in “Restrictive Market”, (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction, and will also require disclosure in the registrant’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence on, such a registrant.
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On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two, and thus, would reduce the time before our securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted.
On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCAA. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions.
On February 4, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act of 2022 (the “America COMPETES Act”). If the America COMPETES Act is enacted into law, it would amend the HFCA Act and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three.
Our auditor, WWC, P.C., the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this report, as a firm headquartered in California and registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards with the last inspection in November 2021, and as of the date of this report, our auditor is not subject to the PCAOB determinations. However, in the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities.
On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed the SOP Agreements with the CSRC and China’s Ministry of Finance. The SOP Agreements established a specific, accountable framework to make possible complete inspections and investigations by the PCAOB of audit firms based in Mainland China and Hong Kong, as required under U.S. law. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainties and depends on a number of factors out of our and our auditor’s control. The PCAOB continues to demand complete access in mainland China and Hong Kong moving forward and is making plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations as needed. The PCAOB has also indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCAA if needed.
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In addition, the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. It remains unclear what the SEC’s implementation process related to the above rules will entail or what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in Hong Kong and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national securities exchange or over-the-counter stock market). In addition, the above amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our ordinary share could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time.
Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA and as a result an exchange may determine to delist our securities if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction.
The HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA states if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit such shares from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the U.S.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCAA, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above.
Despite that we have a U.S.-based auditor that is registered with the PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection, there are still risks to the company and investors if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction. Such risks include, but are not limited to that trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA and as a result an exchange may determine to delist our securities.
The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOC shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOC that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOC, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOC or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
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Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, replacing earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Pursuant to these rules, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. In addition, an overseas entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We, our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who have resided in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted options or other awards are subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiary and limit our PRC subsidiary’ ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law.
Regulatory bodies of the United States may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of operations in China.
From time to time, the Company may receive requests from certain U.S. agencies to investigate or inspect the Company’s operations or to otherwise provide information. While the Company will be compliant with these requests from these regulators, there is no guarantee that such requests will be honored by those entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, especially as those entities are located in China. Furthermore, an on-site inspection of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ facilities by any of these regulators may be limited or entirely prohibited. Such inspections, though permitted by the Company and its affiliates, are subject to the capricious nature of Chinese enforcers and may therefore be impossible to facilitate.
The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering.
On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.
On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in “Restrictive Market”, (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the Company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a U.S. stock exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction, and will also require disclosure in the registrant’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence on, such a registrant.
On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act from three years to two.
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On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions.
On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (SOP) Agreement with the CSRC and the MOF of the PRC regarding cooperation in the oversight of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in the PRC and Hong Kong. The SOP remains unpublished and is subject to further interpretation and implementation. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the SOP disclosed by the SEC, the SOP seeks to establish a method for the PCAOB to conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in the PRC and Hong Kong, as contemplated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Under the agreement, (a) the PCAOB has sole discretion to select the firms, audit engagements and potential violations it inspects and investigates without consultation with, or input from, PRC authorities; (b) procedures are in place for PCAOB inspectors and investigators to view complete audit work papers with all information included and for the PCAOB to retain information as needed; (c) the PCAOB has direct access to interview and take testimony from all personnel associated with the audits the PCAOB inspects or investigates; and (d) the PCAOB shall have the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the SEC can use the information for all regulatory purposes, including administrative or civil enforcement actions. The PCAOB is required to reassess its determinations as to whether it is able to carry out inspections and investigations completely and without obstruction by the end of 2022.
On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB will consider the need to issue a new determination.
Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis with the last inspection in November 2021, and our auditor is not subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. Despite that we have a U.S. based auditor that is registered with the PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection, there are still risks to the company and investors if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction. Such risks include but not limited to that trading in our securities may be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and as a result an exchange may determine to delist our securities.
These recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. It remains unclear what the SEC’s implementation process related to the March 2021 interim final amendments will entail or what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national securities exchange or over-the-counter stock market). In addition, the March 2021 interim final amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected, trading in our securities may be prohibited and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time.
The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. For example, the M&A Rules require that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that impact or may impact national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the SCNPC effective in 2008 requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds (i.e., during the previous fiscal year, (i) the total global turnover of all operators participating in the transaction exceeds RMB10 billion and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China, or (ii) the total turnover within China of all the operators participating in the concentration exceeded RMB 2 billion, and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB 400 million within China) must be cleared by MOFCOM before they can be completed.
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Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOC shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOC that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOC, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOC or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
We are required to fulfill the Trial Measures filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC; and, since the interpretation and implementation of the new regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the filings for any future offerings, and fully comply with the relevant new rules on a timely basis, if at all.
On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in accordance with the Law, which emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. This opinions and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. As of the date hereof, no official guidance or related implementation rules have been issued. As a result, the opinions remain unclear on how they will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. We cannot assure that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.
On December 24, 2021, the CSRC published the Draft Administrative Provisions and the Administrative Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comment) (the “Draft Filing Measures”). The Draft Administrative Provisions and the Draft Filing Measures lay out requirements for filing and include unified regulation management, strengthening regulatory coordination, and cross-border regulatory cooperation.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC released a set of new regulations which consists of the Trial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. On the same date, the CSRC also released the Notice. The Trial Measures refine the regulatory system by subjecting both direct and indirect overseas offering and listing activities to the CSRC filing-based administration. Requirements for filing entities, time points and procedures are specified. A PRC domestic company that seeks to offer and list securities in overseas markets shall fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC per the requirements of the Trial Measures. Where a PRC domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in overseas markets, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity, which shall, as the domestic responsible entity, file with the CSRC. The Trial Measures also lay out requirements for the reporting of material events. Breaches of the Trial Measures, such as offering and listing securities overseas without fulfilling the filing procedures, shall bear legal liabilities, including a fine between RMB 1.0 million (approximately $150,000) and RMB 10.0 million (approximately $1.5 million), and the Trial Measures heighten the cost for offenders by enforcing accountability with administrative penalties and incorporating the compliance status of relevant market participants into the Securities Market Integrity Archives.
According to the Notice, since the date of effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023, PRC domestic enterprises falling within the scope of filing that have been listed overseas or met certain circumstances are “existing enterprises.” Existing enterprises are not required to file with the CSRC immediately, and filings with the CSRC should be made as required if they involve refinancing and other filing matters. As confirmed by our PRC counsel, Grandall Law Firm, since we have submitted uplisting documents to the SEC and Nasdaq before March 31, 2023, we are required to file with the CSRC pursuant to the Trial Measures before completing the uplisting and offering on Nasdaq.
However, if we fail to obtain the CSRC approval of the filing procedure in a timely manner under PRC laws and regulations, we may be subject to investigations by competent regulators, fines or penalties, ordered to suspend our relevant operations and rectify any non-compliance, prohibited from engaging in a relevant business or conducting any offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operating entities’ operations, limit our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. The Trial Measures and Notice were newly published and are subject to change from time to time. Any failure or perceived failure of us to fully comply with such new regulatory requirements could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, cause significant disruption to our business operations, and severely damage our reputation, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
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Risks Relating to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ Business and Industry
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizer business is seasonal and affected by factors beyond the VIE and its subsidiaries’ control, which may cause the VIE and its subsidiaries’ sales and operating results to fluctuate significantly.
The sale of products from the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizer-related segments is partially dependent upon planting and growing seasons, which vary from year to year, and are expected to result in both seasonal patterns and substantial fluctuations in quarterly sales and profitability. Different from the traditional organic fertilizer that mostly be only used as starter fertilizer, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products can be used as both the starter fertilizer and regular fertilizer, which can be applied during all the periods through the crops’ growth. Weather conditions and natural disasters, such as heavy rains, hail, floods, freezing conditions, windstorms or fire, also affect decisions by the VIE and its subsidiaries’ distributors, direct customers and end users about the types and amounts of products to use and the timing of harvesting and planting. As we increase the VIE and its subsidiaries’ sales in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current markets and expand into new markets in different geographies, it is possible that we may experience different seasonality patterns in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
Disruptions may lead to delays in harvesting or planting by growers which can result in pushing orders to a future quarter, which could negatively affect results for the quarter in question and cause fluctuations in operating results. Seasonal variations may be especially pronounced because the VIE and its subsidiaries’ product lines are mainly sold in China. Planting and growing seasons, climatic conditions and other variables on which sales of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products are dependent vary from year to year and quarter to quarter. As a result, we may experience substantial fluctuations in quarterly sales.
The overall level of seasonality in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is difficult to evaluate as a result of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ relatively early stage of development, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ limited number of commercialized products, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ expansion into new geographical territories, the introduction of new products and the timing of introductions of new products. Even though we have implemented safety measures, the Company had insufficient inventory in April, May, October and November. It is possible that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business may be more seasonal or experience seasonality in different periods than anticipated. Other factors may also contribute to the unpredictability of the operating results, including the size and timing of significant distributor transactions, the delay or deferral of use of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ commercial technology or products and the fiscal or quarterly budget cycles of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ direct customers, distributors, licensees and end users. Customers may purchase large quantities of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products in a particular quarter to store and use over long periods of time or time their purchases to manage their inventories, which may cause significant fluctuations in the operating results for a particular quarter or year.
Unavoidable Insufficient Inventory during busy seasons may cause us to lose some portion of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ sales.
Traditional organic fertilizers do have seasonal sales because their use can only be applied as starter fertilizers before the crops are planted. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ organic fertilizers can be used as a starter fertilizer or as regular fertilizers which can be applied during the entire growing period of the crops to supplement the nutrients needed for growth. The Company’s inventory during the peak seasons (such as April to May, and October to November) is insufficient. The Company’s fertilizer production capacity has been upgraded from the original 50,000 tons to 70,000 tons, however, and the seasonal inventory supply gap is still unavoidable. The inevitable inventory shortage may cause us to lose some portion of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ sales.
Competition in fertilizer and agricultural industrial products is intense and requires continuous technological development.
We currently face significant direct and indirect competition in the markets in which we operate. The markets for fertilizers are intensely competitive and rapidly changing. Many companies engage in the development of fertilizers, and speed in commercializing a new product can be a significant competitive advantage.
In most segments of the fertilizer markets, the number of products available to end customers is steadily increasing as new products are introduced. We may be unable to compete successfully against the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current and future competitors, which may result in price reductions, reduced margins and the inability to achieve market acceptance for products containing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ seed traits and technology. In addition, many of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors have substantially greater financial, marketing, sales, distribution and technical resources than us, and some of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors have more experience in R&D, regulatory matters, manufacturing and marketing. We anticipate increased competition in the future as new companies enter the market and new technologies become available. Programs to improve genetics and crop protection chemicals are generally concentrated within a relatively small number of large companies, while non-genetic approaches are underway with a broader set of companies. Mergers and acquisitions in the plant science, specialty food ingredient and agricultural biotechnology seed and chemical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors.
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The VIE and its subsidiaries’ technology may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by technological advances or entirely different approaches developed by one or more of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors, which will prevent or limit the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to generate revenues from the commercialization of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ seed traits and technology. At the same time, the expiration of patents covering existing products reduces the barriers to entry for competitors. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to compete effectively and to achieve commercial success depends, in part, on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to control manufacturing and marketing costs; effectively price and market the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products, successfully develop an effective marketing program and an efficient supply chain, develop new products with properties attractive to food manufacturers or growers and commercialize the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products quickly without incurring major regulatory costs. We may not be successful in achieving these factors and any such failure may adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may not be successful in developing marketable or commercial technologies.
Through the VIE and its subsidiaries’ patented technology, we process crop straw in three hours (including corn, rice, wheat, cotton, and other crops) into high quality organic nutritious fertilizer rich in small molecules, easily absorbed by crops. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ success depends in part on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to identify and develop high value fertilizer and agriculture industrial technologies for use in commercial products. Through the VIE and its subsidiaries’ technology sourcing and product development collaborations we commit substantial efforts and other resources to accomplish this. It may take several years, if at all, before many of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products complete the development process and become available for production and commercialization.
As of the date of this registration statement, many of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products have been commercialized by the VIE and its subsidiaries’ patented technology. There can be no assurance that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ future fertilizer productivity and agriculture industrial technologies will be viable for commercial use, or that we will be able to generate revenues from those technologies, in a significant manner or at all. If seeds or other products that utilize the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizer or technology are unsuccessful in achieving their desired effect or otherwise fail to be commercialized, we will not receive revenues from the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers or royalty payments from the commercialization of the fertilizer and technologies we develop, which could materially and adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition, results of operations and growth strategy.
Fertilizers containing the following traits or biological treatments that we develop may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve commercialization for any of the following reasons:
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizers may not be successfully validated in the target crops; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizers may not have the desired effect on the relevant crop sought by the end market; |
● | We, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ joint ventures or collaborators may be unable to obtain the requisite regulatory approvals for the fertilizers; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors may launch competing or more effective fertilizers; |
● | we may be unable to patent and/or obtain breeders’ rights or any other intellectual property rights on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ traits and technologies in the necessary jurisdictions; |
● | even if we obtain patent and/or breeders’ rights or any other intellectual property rights on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizers or processing technologies, such rights may be later challenged by competitors or other parties; and |
● | even if we obtain patent and/or breeders’ rights or any other intellectual property rights on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ fertilizers, competitors may design competing products that do not infringe these intellectual property rights. |
If we are unable to compete successfully with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial condition and results of operations may be harmed.
We encounter intense competition in each of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business segments on a national, regional and local level. Competition in the industry is primarily based on quality of services, brand name recognition, geographic coverage and range of services. New and existing competitors may offer competitive rates, greater convenience or superior services, which could attract customers away from us, resulting in lower revenues for operations. Competition among fertilizer companies may cause a decrease in price of sales to attract or retain talented employees.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ major competitors are Shijiazhuang Xixing Fertilizer Science and Technology Limited, Nanjing Ningliang Bio-chemistry Engineering Limited, Shijiazhuang Jintaiyang Biology Organic Fertilizer Limited, Beijing Wotu Tiandi Biological Science Limited, Zhenzhou Yongfeng Biology Fertilizer Limited, Shandong Jianong Biological Engineering Limited, Beijing Aeronautics Hengfeng Technology Limited, Beijing Century Armstrong Biological Technology Limited, GengLiduo Biological Technology Limited.
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We do not have multinational competitors. Due to the high price of organic fertilizers from other countries, China has few organic fertilizer imports. The fertilizers produced by international fertilizer companies entering the Chinese organic fertilizer market are mainly special functional fertilizers such as foliar fertilizers. These functional fertilizers are not selling well in the domestic market due to high price.
Some of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors may have a broader national presence than us, a more established branding recognition than us in major markets and more financial or other resources than us. Others may have smaller aggregate businesses than us but may be more established and have greater market presence and brand name recognition on a local or regional basis. We are also subject to competition from other large national and international companies. These companies may have more financial or other resources than us. If we fail to compete effectively, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business operations and financial condition will suffer.
The loss of any of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key suppliers and/or customers could have a materially adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ results of operations.
We consider the VIE and its subsidiaries’ major suppliers in each period to be those suppliers that accounted for more than 10% of overall purchases in such period. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, 76% and 77% of our supplies came from two and five key suppliers, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, 91% of our supplies came from four key suppliers. Although we believe that we can locate replacement suppliers readily on the market for prevailing prices and that we may not have significant difficulty replacing a given supplier, any difficulty in replacing such a supplier could adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ company’s performance to the extent it results in higher prices, slower supply chain and ultimately less desirable results of operations.
In addition, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, two key customers accounted for 77% and 78% of our revenues, respectively. As the majority of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ revenues are driven by individual orders for organic fertilizers, there can be no assurance that we will maintain or improve the relationships with customers who do not have long-term contracts with us. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ major customers often change each period based on when a given order is placed. If we cannot maintain long-term relationships with major customers or replace major customers from period to period with equivalent customers, the loss of such sales could have an adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have engaged in transactions with related parties, and such transactions present possible conflicts of interest that could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We have entered into a number of transactions with related parties, including our shareholders, directors and executive officers. For example, for fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, we have due to related parties balance of $197,196, $96,092, and $42,199, respectively, from Mr. Lirong Wang, Ms. Xueying Sheng, and Mr. Guohua Lin. See “Related Party Transactions.” We may in the future enter into additional transactions with entities in which members of our board of directors and other related parties hold ownership interests.
Transactions with the entities in which related parties hold ownership interests present potential for conflicts of interest, as the interests of these entities and their shareholders may not align with the interests of the Company and our unaffiliated shareholders with respect to the negotiation of, and certain other matters related to, our purchases from and other transactions with such entities. Conflicts of interest may also arise in connection with the exercise of contractual remedies under these transactions, such as the treatment of events of default.
Currently, our Board of Directors has authorized the Audit Committee upon its formation to review and approve all material related party transaction. We rely on the laws of the State of Nevada, which provide that directors owe a duty of care and a duty of loyalty to our company. Nevertheless, we may have achieved more favorable terms if such transactions had not been entered into with related parties and these transactions, individually or in the aggregate, may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations or may result in government enforcement actions or other litigation.
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The VIE and its subsidiaries’ product development cycle is lengthy and uncertain and we may never generate revenues or earn revenues on the sale of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products currently in development.
The research and development in the crop productivity and agriculture biotech industries is expensive, complex, prolonged and uncertain. We may spend many years and dedicate significant financial and other resources developing products that may never generate revenues or come to market. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ process of developing and commercializing technologies involves several phases and can take several years from discovery to commercialization of a product.
Development of new or improved agricultural products involves risks of failure inherent in the development of products based on innovative and complex technologies. These risks include the possibility that:
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products will fail to perform as expected in the field; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products will not receive necessary regulatory permits and governmental clearances in the markets in which we intend to sell them; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products may have adverse effects on consumers; |
● | consumer preferences, which are unpredictable and can vary greatly, may change quickly, making the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products no longer desirable; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors develop new products that have other more appealing characteristics than the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products will be viewed as too expensive by food companies or growers as compared to competitive products; |
● | the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products will be difficult to produce on a large scale or will not be economical to grow; |
● | intellectual property and other proprietary rights of third parties will prevent us, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ research and development partners or the VIE and its subsidiaries’ licensees from marketing and selling the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products; |
● | we may be unable to patent or otherwise obtain intellectual property protection for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ discoveries in the necessary jurisdictions; |
● | we or the customers that we sell the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products to may be unable to fully develop or commercialize the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products in a timely manner or at all; and |
● | third parties may develop superior or equivalent products. |
We intend to continue to invest in research and development including additional and expanded field testing to validate potential products in real world conditions. Because of the long product development cycle and the complexities and uncertainties associated with biotech and agricultural industrial technologies, there can be no assurance that we will ever generate significant revenues from the technologies or products that we are currently developing without significant delay, without the incurrence of unanticipated costs or at all.
We depend on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key personnel and research employees, and we may be adversely affected if we are unable to attract and retain qualified scientific and business personnel.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ business is dependent on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to recruit and maintain highly skilled and qualified individuals through direct employment or collaboration arrangements, with expertise in a range of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, plant genetics, agronomics, mathematics programming and other subjects relevant to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to recruit such a work force depends in part on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to maintain the VIE and its subsidiaries’ market leadership in agricultural biotech industry in China. Maintaining the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to attract highly-skilled workers and leading scientific institutions depends in part on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to maintain a strong technology platform and state-of-the-art facilities, as well as the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to consistently and successfully commercialize the VIE and its subsidiaries’ technology. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain leading scientific capabilities or continue to successfully maintain advanced technology in the market.
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We do not enter into non-compete agreements with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees, and therefore we may be unable to prevent the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors from benefiting from the expertise of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ former employees.
We do not enter into non-compete agreements with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees, which prevents us from limiting the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key employees from joining the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors or competing directly against us. As a result, we may be unable to prevent the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors from benefiting from the expertise of such employees. Direct competition by a former employee could materially adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, results of operations and ability to capitalize on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ proprietary information.
We have a limited operating history in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ market, which makes it difficult to evaluate the VIE and its subsidiaries’ future prospects.
We started engaging in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business in the last few years and have limited revenues to date. As the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business develops or responds to competition, we may continue to introduce new products and services or make adjustments to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ existing offerings and business model. In connection with the introduction of new products or in response to general economic conditions, we may impose more stringent borrower qualifications to ensure the quality of loans facilitated by the VIE and its subsidiaries’ companies, which may negatively affect the growth of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. Any significant change to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business model may not achieve expected results and may have a material and adverse impact on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial conditions and results of operations. It is therefore difficult to effectively assess the VIE and its subsidiaries’ future prospects. The risks and challenges we encounter or may encounter in this developing and rapidly evolving market may have impacts on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and prospects. These risks and challenges include the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things:
● | navigate an evolving regulatory environment; |
● | expand the base of borrowers and lenders; |
● | broaden the VIE and its subsidiaries’ loan product offerings; |
● | enhance the VIE and its subsidiaries’ risk management capabilities; |
● | improve the VIE and its subsidiaries’ operational efficiency; |
● | cultivate a vibrant consumer finance ecosystem; |
● | maintain the security of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ IT infrastructure and the confidentiality of the information provided and utilized across the VIE and its subsidiaries’ platform; |
● | attract, retain and motivate talented employees; and |
● | defend ourselves against litigation, regulatory, intellectual property, privacy or other claims. |
If we fail to educate potential borrowers and lenders about the value of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services, if the market for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services does not develop as we expect, or if we fail to address the needs of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ target market, or other risks and challenges, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations will be harmed.
The loss of any of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key customers could reduce the VIE and its subsidiaries’ revenues and the profitability.
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, revenue from two customers represented 77% and 78% of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ revenue, respectively. As the majority of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ revenues are driven by individual orders for fertilizer products, there can be no assurance that we will maintain or improve the relationships with customers who do not have long-term contracts with us. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ major customers often change each period based on when a given order is placed. If we cannot maintain long-term relationships with major customers or replace major customers from period to period with equivalent customers, the loss of such sales could have an adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Any failure of any of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key suppliers to deliver necessary materials could result in delays in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products development or marketing schedules.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, two suppliers accounted for 76% and 77% of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ purchases, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, four suppliers accounted for 91% of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ purchases, respectively. We are dependent on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ suppliers for our products. Our suppliers may fail to meet timelines or contractual obligations or provide us with sufficient products, which may adversely affect our business. Certain of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ contracts with key suppliers can be terminated by the supplier upon giving notice within a certain period and restrict us from using other suppliers. Failure to appropriately structure or adequately manage our agreements with third parties may adversely affect our supply of products. We are also subject to credit risk with respect to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ third-party suppliers. If any such suppliers become insolvent, an appointed trustee could potentially ignore the service contracts we have in place with such party, resulting in increased charges or the termination of the service contracts. We may not be able to replace a service provider within a reasonable period of time, on as favorable terms or without disruption to our operations. Any adverse changes to our relationships with third-party suppliers could have a material adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ image, brand and reputation, as well as on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, to the extent that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ creditworthiness might be impaired, or general economic conditions decline, certain of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key suppliers may demand onerous payment terms that could materially adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ working capital position, or such suppliers may refuse to continue to supply to us. A number of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key suppliers have taken out trade credit insurance on our ability to pay them. To the extent that such trade credit insurance becomes unobtainable or more expensive due to market conditions, we may face adverse changes to payment terms by the VIE and its subsidiaries’ key suppliers, or they may refuse to continue to supply us.
We may have difficulty managing the risk associated with doing business in the Chinese fertilizer and agricultural products industry.
In general, the fertilizer and agricultural products industry in China is affected by a series of factors, including, but not limited to, natural, economic and social such as climate, market, technology, regulation, and globalization, which makes risk management difficult. Fertilizer and agricultural products operations in China face similar risks as present in other countries, however, in the PRC these can either be mitigated or exacerbated due to governmental intervention through policy promulgation and implementation either in the fertilizer and agricultural products or sectors which provide critical inputs to fertilizer and agricultural products such as energy or outputs such as transportation. While not an exhaustive list, the following factors could significantly affect our ability to do business:
● | food, feed, and energy demand; |
● | agricultural, financial, energy and renewable energy and trade policies; |
● | input and output pricing due to market factors and regulatory policies; |
● | production and crop progress due to adverse weather conditions, equipment deliveries, and water and irrigation conditions; and |
● | infrastructure conditions and policies. |
Currently, we do not hold and do not intend to purchase insurance policies to protect revenue in the case that the above conditions cause losses of revenue.
If we do not compete effectively, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ results of operations could be harmed.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ industry in China is intensely competitive and evolving. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors operate with different business models, have different cost structures or participate selectively in different market segments. They may ultimately prove more successful or more adaptable to new regulatory, technological and other developments. Some of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current and potential competitors have significantly more financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their services. the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors may also have longer operating histories, more extensive borrower or lender bases, greater brand recognition and brand loyalty and broader partner relationships than us. Additionally, a current or potential competitor may acquire one or more of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ existing competitors or form a strategic alliance with one or more of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitors. If we are unable to compete with such companies and meet the need for innovation in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ industry, the demand for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services could stagnate or substantially decline, we could experience reduced revenues or the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services could fail to achieve or maintain more widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations.
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If we fail to promote and maintain the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand in an effective and cost-efficient way, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations may be harmed.
The continued development and success of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business relies on the recognition of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brands. We believe that developing and maintaining awareness of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand effectively is critical to attracting new and retaining existing borrowers and lenders to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services. Successful promotion of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to attract qualified borrowers and sufficient lenders depend largely on the effectiveness of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ marketing efforts and the success of the channels we use to promote the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ efforts to build the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand have caused us to incur significant expenses, and it is likely that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ future marketing efforts will require us to incur significant additional expenses. These efforts may not result in increased revenues in the immediate future or at all and, even if they do, any increases in revenues may not offset the expenses incurred. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand while incurring substantial expenses, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected, which may impair the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to grow the business.
If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.
Our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. We also have a history of not filing our periodic reports on time due to uncontrollable reasons. As defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States, or PCAOB, a “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
One material weakness that has been identified related to our lack of sufficient financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements to properly address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures to fulfil U.S. GAAP and SEC financial reporting requirements. The other material weakness that has been identified related to our lack of comprehensive accounting policies and procedures manual in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
We have implemented a number of measures to address the material weaknesses that have been identified in connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the two years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. However, there is no assurance that we will not have any material weakness in the future. Failure to discover and address any control deficiencies could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements and related regulatory filings on a timely basis. Moreover, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could significantly hinder our ability to prevent fraud. Ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.
Failure to maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.
If we fail to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding internal control over financial reporting or to remedy any material weaknesses in our internal controls that we may identify, such failure could result in material misstatements in our financial statements, cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and have a negative effect on the trading price of our common shares.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and current SEC regulations, we are required to prepare assessments regarding internal controls over financial reporting. In connection with our on-going assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, we may discover “material weaknesses” in our internal controls as defined in standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB. A material weakness is a significant deficiency, or combination of significant deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected. The PCAOB defines “significant deficiency” as a deficiency that results in more than a remote likelihood that a misstatement of the financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected. We determined that our disclosure controls and procedures over financial reporting are not effective and were not effective as of December 31, 2023.
The process of designing and implementing effective internal controls is a continuous effort that requires us to anticipate and react to changes in our business and the economic and regulatory environments and to expend significant resources to maintain a system of internal controls that is adequate to satisfy our reporting obligations as a public company. We cannot assure you that we will implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial process and reporting in the future or that the measures we will take will remediate any material weaknesses that we may identify in the future.
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Our business depends on the continued efforts of our senior management. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business may be severely disrupted.
Our business operations depend on the continued services of our senior management, particularly the executive officers named in this report. While we have provided different incentives to our management, we cannot assure you that we can continue to retain their services. We currently do not carry a “key man” life insurance on the officers. Therefore, if one or more of our key executives are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may incur substantial cost or may not be able to replace them at all. Consequently, our future growth may be constrained, our business may be severely disrupted, and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. If that is the case, we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. In addition, although we have entered into confidentiality and non-competition agreements with our management, there is no assurance that any member of our management team will not join our competitors or form a competing business. If any dispute arises between our current or former officers and us, we may have to incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce such agreements in China or we may be unable to enforce them at all.
Competition for employees is intense, and we may not be able to attract and retain the qualified and skilled employees needed to support our business.
We believe our success depends on the efforts and talent of our employees, including risk management, software engineering, financial and marketing personnel. Our future success depends on our continued ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain qualified and skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled technical, risk management and financial personnel is extremely intense. We may not be able to hire and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Some of the companies with which we compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we have and may be able to offer more attractive terms of employment.
In addition, we invest significant time and expenses in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may seek to recruit them. If we fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training their replacements, and the quality of our services and our ability to serve borrowers and lenders could diminish, resulting in a material adverse effect to our business.
Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations.
The economy in China has experienced increases in inflation and labor costs in recent years. As a result, average wages in the PRC are expected to continue to increase. In addition, we are required by PRC laws and regulations to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pension, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments to the statutory employee benefits, and those employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties. We expect that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to control the VIE and its subsidiaries’ labor costs or pass on these increased labor costs to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ users by increasing the fees of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ services, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We do not have any business insurance coverage.
Insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive of an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies do. Currently, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover the VIE and its subsidiaries’ operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may result in the VIE and its subsidiaries’ incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ results of operations and financial condition.
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We face Risks Relating to natural disasters, health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt operations.
We are vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology service failures or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware, as well as adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to provide products and services on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ service.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ business could also be adversely affected by the effects of virus, flu and other diseases. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ business operations could be disrupted if any of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees is suspected of having virus, flu and other diseases, since it could require the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees to be quarantined and/or the VIE and its subsidiaries’ offices to be disinfected. In addition, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that any of these epidemics harms the Chinese economy in general.
We may be subject to the general risks underlying the agriculture industry in PRC market.
The agriculture industry in the PRC market has been mature. Particularly, we are principally engaged in the fertilizer processing and distribution business in the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, we need to be cautious in selecting the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business focus and expansion strategy, and we should be constantly aware of the innovation risk, technology risk and market risk in the industries. If we fail to make an accurate judgment of the current market, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ performance can be severely impacted.
We may be adversely affected by global economic conditions.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to continue to develop and grow the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, build proprietary distribution channels and generate revenues from product sales and royalty payments may be adversely affected by global economic conditions in the future, including instability in credit markets, declining consumer and business confidence, fluctuating commodity prices and interest rates, volatile exchange rates and other challenges that could affect the global economy such as the changing financial regulatory environment. For example, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers and licensees may experience deterioration of their businesses, cash flow shortages or difficulties obtaining financing, which could adversely affect the demand for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ technologies, products and services. In addition, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ earnings may be adversely affected by fluctuations in the price of certain commodities, such as grains, milk, meat, biofuels and biomaterials. If commodity prices are negatively impacted, the value of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products could be directly and negatively impacted. Additionally, growers’ incomes have historically been negatively affected by commodity prices. As a result, fluctuations in commodity prices could have an impact on growers’ purchasing decisions and negatively affect their ability and decisions to purchase the VIE and its subsidiaries’ seeds or products that incorporate the VIE and its subsidiaries’ proprietary technology. We cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the current economic climate and financial market conditions could adversely impact the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
Changes in laws and regulations to which we are subject, or to which we may become subject in the future, may materially increase the VIE and its subsidiaries’ costs of operation, decrease operating revenues and disrupt business.
Laws and regulatory standards and procedures that impact the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business are continuously changing. Responding to these changes and meeting existing and new requirements may be costly and burdensome. Changes in laws and regulations may occur that could:
● | impair or eliminate the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to source technology and develop the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products, including validating the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products through field trials and passing biosafety evaluations; |
● | increase the VIE and its subsidiaries’ compliance and other costs of doing business through increases in the cost to protect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ intellectual property, including know-how, trade secrets and regulatory data, or increases in the cost to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to commercialize and market the products we develop directly or jointly; |
● | require significant product redesign or redevelopment; |
● | render the VIE and its subsidiaries’ seed traits and technology and products that incorporate them less profitable or less attractive compared to competing products; |
● | reduce the amount of revenues we receive from government grants, licenses or other royalties; and |
● | discourage us and other collaborators from offering, and end markets from purchasing, products that incorporate the VIE and its subsidiaries’ seed traits and technology. |
Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, results of operations and financial condition. Legislation and jurisprudence on intellectual property in the key markets where we seek protection, primarily in China, is evolving and changes in laws could affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to obtain or maintain intellectual property protection for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products. Any changes to these existing laws and regulations may materially increase the VIE and its subsidiaries’ costs, decrease the VIE and its subsidiaries’ revenues and disrupt the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
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The overall agricultural industry is susceptible to commodity price changes and we, along with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ food manufacturing customers and grower customers, are exposed to market risks from changes in commodity prices.
Changes in the prices of certain commodity products could result in higher overall cost along the agricultural supply chain, which may negatively affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to commercialize the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products We will be susceptible to changes in costs in the agricultural industry as a result of factors beyond the VIE and its subsidiaries’ control, such as general economic conditions, seasonal fluctuations, weather conditions, demand, food safety concerns, product recalls and government regulations. As a result, we may not be able to anticipate or react to changing costs by adjusting the VIE and its subsidiaries’ practices, which could cause operating results to deteriorate.
The VIE and its subsidiaries’ operations are subject to various health and environmental risks associated with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ use, handling and disposal of potentially toxic materials.
We are subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures, the handling, use, storage, treatment, manufacture and disposal of wastes, discharge of pollutants into the environment and human health and safety matters.
Although there are no hazardous substances in the raw materials used by us that will affect and damage the company’s employees, factory, other property and the environment. The safety of raw materials is also one of the requirements when applying for the fertilizer registration certificate. We cannot completely eliminate the risk of contamination or discharge and any resultant injury from these materials. If these risks were to materialize, we could be subject to fines, liability, reputational harm or otherwise adverse effects on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. We may be sued for any injury or contamination that results from the VIE and its subsidiaries’ use or the use by third parties of these materials, or may otherwise be required to remedy the contamination, and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ liability may exceed any insurance coverage and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ total assets. Furthermore, compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations may be expensive and may impair the VIE and its subsidiaries’ Research & Development efforts. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we could incur substantial costs and liabilities, including civil or criminal fines and penalties, clean-up costs or capital expenditures for control equipment or operational changes necessary to achieve and maintain compliance. In addition, we cannot predict the impact on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business of new or amended environmental, health and safety laws or regulations or any changes in the way existing and future laws and regulations are interpreted and enforced. These current or future laws and regulations may impair the VIE and its subsidiaries’ research, development or production efforts.
Failure to maintain or enhance the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brands or image could have a material and adverse effect on the business and results of operations.
We believe the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brands are associated with a well-recognized, integrated fertilizers company in the local markets in which it operates, with consistent high-quality products for end customers in China. the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brands are integral to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ sales and marketing efforts. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ continued success in maintaining and enhancing the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand and image depends to a large extent on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to satisfy customer needs by further developing and maintaining quality of services across the VIE and its subsidiaries’ operations, as well as the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to respond to competitive pressures. If we are unable to satisfy customer needs or if our public image or reputation are otherwise diminished, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business transactions with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers may decline, which could, in turn, adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ results of operations.
Any failure to protect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ trademarks and other intellectual property rights could have a negative impact on the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business.
We believe the VIE and its subsidiaries’ intellectual property rights are critical to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ success. Any unauthorized use of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ intellectual property rights could harm the VIE and its subsidiaries’ competitive advantages and business. Implementation of Chinese intellectual property-related laws have historically been lacking, primarily because of ambiguities in Chinese laws and enforcement difficulties. Accordingly, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other western countries. Furthermore, policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive, and we may need to resort to litigation to enforce or defend patents issued to us or to determine the enforceability, scope and validity of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ proprietary rights or those of others. Such litigation and an adverse determination in any such litigation, if any, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention, which could harm the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and competitive position. If we are unable to adequately protect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ brand, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, we may lose these rights and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business may suffer materially.
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Our outstanding long-term loan and other financing arrangement payable may adversely affect our available cash flow and our ability to operate our business.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our current portion of long-term debt were $773,039 and $1,039,243 respectively. We also have advances from related parties (Mr. Lirong Wang, Ms. Xueying Sheng and Mr. Guohua Lin) for working capital of the Company which are due on demand, non-interest bearing, and unsecured. For further information, see “Related Party Transactions.”
Our outstanding and future loans, combined with our other financial obligations and contractual commitments, could have negative consequences on our business and financial condition. We believe that our cash, cash equivalents on hand will be sufficient to meet our current and anticipated needs for general corporate purposes for at least the next 12 months. However, we need to make continued investment for our expansion in facilities and to retain talents to remain competitive. There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise additional capital on terms favorable to us, or at all, if and when required, especially if we experience disappointing operating results. If adequate capital is not available to us as required, our ability to fund operations, take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop or enhance our facilities or respond to competitive pressures could be significantly limited.
Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ profitability.
China’s economy has experienced increases in labor costs in recent years. China’s overall economy and the average wage in China is expected to continue to grow. The average wage level for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers by increasing prices for the VIE and its subsidiaries’ products or services, the VIE and its subsidiaries’ profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and childbearing insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law, or the Labor Contract Law, that became effective in January 2008 and its implementing rules that became effective in September 2008 and its amendments that became effective in July 2013, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees’ probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees or otherwise change the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employment or labor practices, the Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit the VIE and its subsidiaries’ ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business and results of operations. Besides, pursuant to the Labor Contract Law and its amendments, dispatched employees are intended to be a supplementary form of employment and the fundamental form should be direct employment by enterprises and organizations that require employees. Further, it is expressly stated in the Interim Provisions on Labor Dispatch that became effective on March 1, 2014 that the number of seconded employees an employer uses may not exceed 10% of its total labor force and the employer has a two-year transition period to comply with such requirement. The VIE and its consolidated subsidiaries and consolidated branch offices used seconded employees for their principal business activities. The transition period ended on February 29, 2016, and those PRC subsidiaries have taken steps to decrease the number of seconded employees. If the relevant PRC subsidiaries are deemed to have violated the limitation on the use of seconded employees under the relevant labor laws and regulations, we may be subject to fines and incur other costs to make required changes to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ current employment practices.
As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employment practice does not and will not violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business, and the VIE and its subsidiaries’ financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
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We may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers.
We may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. In particular, there are numerous laws and regulations regarding privacy and the collection, sharing, use, processing, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other user data. Such laws and regulations often vary in scope, may be subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among different jurisdictions.
We expect to obtain information about various aspects of operations as well as regarding the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees and third parties. We also maintain information about various aspects of operations as well as regarding the VIE and its subsidiaries’ employees. The integrity and protection of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ customer, employee and company data is critical to the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business. The VIE and its subsidiaries’ customers and employees expect that we will adequately protect their personal information. We are required by applicable laws to keep strictly confidential the personal information that we collect, and to take adequate security measures to safeguard such information.
The PRC Criminal Law, as amended by its Amendment 7 (effective on February 28, 2009) and Amendment 9 (effective on November 1, 2015), prohibits institutions, companies and their employees from selling or otherwise illegally disclosing a citizen’s personal information obtained during the course of performing duties or providing services or obtaining such information through theft or other illegal ways. On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress issued the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, or Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017.
Pursuant to the Cyber Security Law, network operators must not, without users’ consent, collect their personal information, and may only collect users’ personal information necessary to provide their services. Providers are also obliged to provide security maintenance for their products and services and shall comply with provisions regarding the protection of personal information as stipulated under the relevant laws and regulations.
The Civil Code of the PRC (issued by the PRC National People’s Congress on May 28, 2020 and effective from January 1, 2021) provides main legal basis for privacy and personal information infringement claims under the Chinese civil laws. PRC regulators, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of data security and data protection.
The PRC regulatory requirements regarding cybersecurity are constantly evolving. For instance, various regulatory bodies in China, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Public Security and the SAMR, have enforced data privacy and protection laws and regulations with varying and evolving standards and interpretations. In April 2020, the Chinese government promulgated Cybersecurity Review Measures, which came into effect on June 1, 2020. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security.
In November 2016, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress passed China’s first Cybersecurity Law (“CSL”), which became effective in June 2017. The CSL is the first PRC law that systematically lays out the regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and data protection, subjecting many previously under-regulated or unregulated activities in cyberspace to government scrutiny. The legal consequences of violation of the CSL include penalties of warning, confiscation of illegal income, suspension of related business, winding up for rectification, shutting down the websites, and revocation of business license or relevant permits. In April 2020, the Cyberspace Administration of China and certain other PRC regulatory authorities promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective in June 2020. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security. On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comments (“Draft Measures”), which required that, in addition to “operator of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security should also be subject to cybersecurity review, and further elaborated the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities, including, among others, (i) the risk of core data, important data or a large amount of personal information being stolen, leaked, destroyed, and illegally used or exited the country; and (ii) the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data or a large amount of personal information being affected, controlled, or maliciously used by foreign governments after listing abroad. The Cyberspace Administration of China has said that under the proposed rules companies holding data on more than 1,000,000 users must now apply for cybersecurity approval when seeking listings in other nations because of the risk that such data and personal information could be “affected, controlled, and maliciously exploited by foreign governments,” The cybersecurity review will also investigate the potential national security risks from overseas IPOs. We do not know what regulations will be adopted or how such regulations will affect us and our listing on Nasdaq. In the event that the Cyberspace Administration of China determines that we are subject to these regulations, we may be required to delist from Nasdaq and we may be subject to fines and penalties.
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On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The law requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and stipulates that, for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and hierarchical protection system for data security.
On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market and promote the high-quality development of the capital market, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over Mainland China-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws.
On August 20, 2021, the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the “Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China”, or “PRC Personal Information Protection Law”, which became effective on November 1, 2021. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law applies to the processing of personal information of natural persons within the territory of Mainland China that is carried out outside of Mainland China where (1) such processing is for the purpose of providing products or services for natural persons within Mainland China, (2) such processing is to analyze or evaluate the behavior of natural persons within Mainland China, or (3) there are any other circumstances stipulated by related laws and administrative regulations.
On December 24, 2021, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”), together with other relevant government authorities in Mainland China issued the Provisions of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments), and the Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments) (“Draft Overseas Listing Regulations”). The Draft Overseas Listing Regulations require that a Mainland China domestic enterprise seeking to issue and list its shares overseas (“Overseas Issuance and Listing”) shall complete the filing procedures of and submit the relevant information to CSRC. The Overseas Issuance and Listing includes direct and indirect issuance and listing. Where an enterprise whose principal business activities are conducted in Mainland China seeks to issue and list its shares in the name of an overseas enterprise (“Overseas Issuer”) on the basis of the equity, assets, income or other similar rights and interests of the relevant Mainland China domestic enterprise, such activities shall be deemed an indirect overseas issuance and listing (“Indirect Overseas Issuance and Listing”) under the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC released the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five supporting guidelines, effective on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedure and report relevant information to the CSRC. Since these statements and regulatory actions by the PRC government are newly published, their interpretation, application and enforcement of unclear and there also remains significant uncertainty as to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of other regulatory requirements related to overseas securities offerings and other capital markets activities,; our ability to offer, or continue to offer, securities to investors would be potentially hindered and the value of our securities might significantly decline or be worthless, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry or by intervene or interruption by PRC governmental authorities, if we or our subsidiaries (i) do not receive or maintain such filings, permissions or approvals required by the PRC government, (ii) inadvertently conclude that such filings, permissions or approvals are not required, (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such filings, permissions or approvals in the future, or (iv) any intervention or interruption by PRC governmental with little advance notice.
In the event that we are subject to any mandatory cybersecurity review and other specific actions required by the CAC or any other PRC governmental authorities, we face uncertainty as to whether any clearance or other required actions can be timely completed, or at all. Given such uncertainty, we may be further required to suspend our relevant business, shut down our website, or face other penalties, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
A severe or prolonged downturn in the global or Chinese economy could materially and adversely affect our business and our financial condition.
The Chinese economy has slowed down since 2012 and such slowdown may continue. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. There have been concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, which have resulted in volatility in oil and other markets, and over the conflicts involving Ukraine and Syria. There have also been concerns on the relationship among China and other Asian countries, which may result in or intensify potential conflicts in relation to territorial disputes. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access capital markets to meet liquidity needs.
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Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure
If the PRC government deems that the contractual arrangements in relation to Shanghai Muliang, our consolidated variable interest entity, do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.
The PRC government regulates telecommunications-related businesses through strict business licensing requirements and other government regulations. These laws and regulations also include limitations on foreign ownership of PRC companies that engage in telecommunications-related businesses. Specifically, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunications service provider (except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communication, storage and forwarding classes and call centers) under the Special Administrative Measures for Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (Edition 2020), which was promulgated on June 23, 2020 and implemented on July 23, 2020, and such major foreign investor in a Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprise must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services, or VATS, and maintain a good track record in accordance with the Administrative Provisions on Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises (revised in 2016), and other applicable laws and regulations.
Muliang Viagoo is a holding company incorporated in Nevada. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct a substantial majority of operations in the People’s Republic of China, or “PRC” or “China,” though the variable interest entity, Shanghai Muliang and its subsidiaries. We receive the economic benefits of the VIE and its subsidiaries’ business operations through certain contractual arrangements. Investors in our common shares offered in our future offerings are purchasing shares of the U.S. holding company and not shares of the VIE and its subsidiaries in China that are conducting the business operations. For a description of the VIE contractual arrangements, see “Corporation History and Structure-Contractual Arrangements.”
The VIE contributed 100% of the Company’s revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the VIE accounted for 100% and 99% of the consolidated total assets and total liabilities of the Company respectively.
We rely on and expect to continue to rely on our wholly owned PRC subsidiary’s contractual arrangements with Shanghai Muliang and its shareholders to operate our business. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing us with control over Shanghai Muliang as ownership of controlling equity interests would be in providing us with control over, or enabling us to derive economic benefits from the operations of Shanghai Muliang. Under the current contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if Shanghai Muliang or any of its shareholders executing the VIE Agreements fails to perform its, his or her respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies available under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective. For example, if shareholders of a variable interest entity were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in such variable interest entity to us or our designated persons when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, we may have to take a legal action to compel them to fulfill their contractual obligations.
If (i) the applicable PRC authorities invalidate these contractual arrangements for violation of PRC laws, rules and regulations, (ii) any variable interest entity or its shareholders terminate the contractual arrangements (iii) any variable interest entity or its shareholders fail to perform its/his/her obligations under these contractual arrangements, or (iv) if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, our business operations in China would be materially and adversely affected, and the value of your shares would substantially decrease or even become worthless. Further, if we fail to renew these contractual arrangements upon their expiration, we would not be able to continue our business operations unless the then current PRC law allows us to directly operate businesses in China.
In addition, if any variable interest entity or all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of the variable interest entities undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business and our ability to generate revenues.
All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over operating entities and we may be precluded from operating our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIE. For example, the VIE and their shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of the VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by the VIE and their shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise control over the VIE. The shareholders of our consolidated VIE may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate certain portions of our business through the contractual arrangements with the VIE.
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If the VIE or their shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIE to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they otherwise act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations. In addition, if any third parties claim any interest in such shareholders’ equity interests in the VIE, our ability to exercise shareholders’ rights or foreclose the share pledge according to the contractual arrangements may be impaired. If these or other disputes between the shareholders of the VIE and third parties were to impair our control over the VIE, our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIE would be affected, which would in turn result in a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
In the opinion our PRC legal counsel, each of the contractual arrangements among our WFOE, the VIE and its shareholders governed by PRC laws are valid, binding and enforceable, and will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect. However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may ultimately take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. In addition, it is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. PRC government authorities may deem that foreign ownership is directly or indirectly involved in the VIE’s shareholding structure. If our corporate structure and contractual arrangements are deemed by the MIIT or the MOFCOM or other regulators having competent authority to be illegal, either in whole or in part, we may lose control of our consolidated VIE and have to modify such structure to comply with regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that we can achieve this without material disruption to our VATS business. Furthermore, if we or the VIE is found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including, without limitation:
The imposition of any of these penalties would result in a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business. In addition, it is unclear what impact the PRC government actions would have on us and on our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIE in our consolidated financial statements, if the PRC government authorities were to find our corporate structure and contractual arrangements to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations. If the imposition of any of these government actions causes us to lose our right to direct the activities of the VIE or our right to receive substantially all the economic benefits and residual returns from the VIE and we are not able to restructure our ownership structure and operations in a satisfactory manner, we would no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of the VIE in our consolidated financial statements. Either of these results, or any other significant penalties that might be imposed on us in this event, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
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We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and their shareholders for a large portion of our business operations. These arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control. Any failure by the VIE or their shareholders to perform their obligations under such contractual arrangements would have a material and adverse effect on our business.
We have relied and expect to continue relying on contractual arrangements with the VIE and their shareholders to operate our business in China. The revenues contributed by the VIE and their subsidiaries constituted substantially 100% of our net revenue for the year of 2023.
These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIE. For example, the VIE and their shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of the VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by the VIE and their shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise control over the VIE. The shareholders of our consolidated VIE may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate certain portions of our business through the contractual arrangements with the VIE.
If the VIE or their shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have difficulty in enforcing any rights the Company may have under the VIE Agreements in PRC and have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIE to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they otherwise act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations. In addition, if any third parties claim any interest in such shareholders’ equity interests in the VIE, our ability to exercise shareholders’ rights or foreclose the share pledge according to the contractual arrangements may be impaired. If these or other disputes between the shareholders of the VIE and third parties were to impair our control over the VIE, our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIE would be affected, which would in turn result in a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
Any failure by Shanghai Muliang, our consolidated variable interest entity, or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.
We refer to the shareholders of the VIE as its nominee shareholders because although they remain the holders of equity interests on record in the VIE, pursuant to the terms of the relevant power of attorney, such shareholders have irrevocably authorized the individual appointed by Shanghai Mufeng to exercise their rights as a shareholder of the relevant VIE. If the VIE, or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of Shanghai Muliang were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in Shanghai Muliang to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.
All the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. See “Risks Relating to Doing Business in China-Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system and changes in laws and regulations in China could adversely affect us.” Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a consolidated variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our consolidated variable interest entity, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.
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We are a holding company and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our common stock.
We are a holding company and conduct substantially all of our business through Shanghai Muliang, which is a limited liability company established in China and its subsidiaries. We may rely on dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiary to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay operating expenses. If our PRC subsidiary incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiary, which is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China, may pay dividends only out of its accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital.
Our PRC subsidiary generates primarily all of its revenue in Renminbi, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our PRC subsidiary to use its Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put forward by State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”) for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises are incorporated. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
The shareholders of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
As of the date of this report, we are not aware any conflicts between the shareholders of the VIE and us. However, the shareholders of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us in the future. These shareholders may refuse to sign or breach, or cause the VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and the VIE, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control the VIE and receive economic benefits from it. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with the VIE to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor, particularly given the relatively large number of shareholders that Shanghai Muliang Industry Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Zongbao and Shanghai Zongbao Environmental Construction Co., Ltd., two of the VIE, has. Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and these shareholders, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.
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Our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law, and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures.
Investors in our shares of common stock should be aware that they are purchasing equity in Muliang Viagoo Technology Inc., our Nevada holding company, which does not directly own substantially all of our business in China conducted by the VIE. Although we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel that our contractual arrangements constitute valid and binding obligations enforceable against each party of such agreements in accordance with their terms, they may not be as effective in providing control over Shanghai Muliang Industry Co., Ltd., the operating entities, as direct ownership. If the PRC operating entities or the registered shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may incur substantial costs and expend substantial resources to enforce our rights. All of these contractual arrangements are governed by and interpreted in accordance with PRC laws, and disputes arising from these contractual arrangements will be resolved through arbitration or litigation in the PRC. However, the legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the United States. There are very few precedents and little official guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the outcome of arbitration or litigation. These uncertainties could limit our ability to enforce these Contractual Arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements or we experience significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our affiliated entities and may lose control over the assets owned by Shanghai Muliang Industry Co., Ltd. Our financial performance may be adversely and materially affected as a result and we may not be eligible to consolidate the financial results of the PRC Operating Entities into our financial results.
Contractual arrangements in relation to the VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or the VIE owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.
Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The PRC enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements between Shanghai Mufeng, the variable interest entity Shanghai Muliang and the shareholders of Shanghai Muliang were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust Shanghai Muliang income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by Shanghai Muliang for PRC tax purposes, which could, in turn, increase their tax liabilities without reducing Shanghai Mufeng tax expenses. In addition, if Shanghai Mufeng requests the Shanghai Muliang Shareholders to transfer their equity interests in Shanghai Muliang at nominal or no value pursuant to these contractual arrangements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Shanghai Mufeng to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on Shanghai Muliang for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if Shanghai Muliang’s tax liabilities increase or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.
We may lose the ability to use, or otherwise benefit from, the licenses, approvals and assets held by the VIE, which could severely disrupt our business, render us unable to conduct some or all of our business operations and constrain our growth.
We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE to use, or otherwise benefit from, certain foreign restricted licenses and permits that we need or may need in the future as our business continues to expand, such as the internet content provider license, or the ICP license held by Shanghai Muliang, the VIE.
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The contractual arrangements contain terms that specifically obligate the VIE’ shareholders to ensure the valid existence of the VIE and restrict the disposal of material assets of the VIE. However, in the event the VIE’ shareholders breach the terms of these contractual arrangements and voluntarily liquidate the VIE, or the VIE declare bankruptcy and all or part of their assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, we may be unable to conduct some or all of our business operations or otherwise benefit from the assets held by the VIE, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, if the VIE undergo a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, their shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of the assets of the VIE, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business as well as constrain our growth.
If the custodians or authorized users of our controlling non-tangible assets, including chops and seals, fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Under PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions, including agreements and contracts that our business relies on, are executed using the chop or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation, (“SMAR”) formerly known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”). We generally execute legal documents by affixing chops or seals, rather than having the designated legal representatives sign the documents.
We use two major types of chops: corporate chops and finance chops. Chops are seals or stamps used by a PRC company to legally authorize documents, often in place of a signature. We use corporate chops generally for documents to be submitted to government agencies, such as applications for changing business scope, directors or company name, and for legal letters. We use finance chops generally for making and collecting payments, including issuing invoices. Use of corporate chops must be approved by our legal department and administrative department, and use of finance chops must be approved by our finance department. The chops of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE are generally held by the relevant entities so that documents can be executed locally. Although we usually utilize chops to execute contracts, the registered legal representatives of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops, unless such contracts set forth otherwise.
In order to maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them stored in secured locations accessible only to the designated key employees of our legal, administrative or finance departments. Our designated legal representatives generally do not have access to the chops. Although we have approval procedures in place and monitor our key employees, including the designated legal representatives of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE, the procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. In addition, we also separate the authorized user of chops from the keeper of keys to the storage room and install security camera for the storage room. There is a risk that our key employees or designated legal representatives could abuse their authority, for example, by binding our subsidiary and consolidated VIE with contracts against our interests, as we would be obligated to honor these contracts if the other contracting party acts in good faith in reliance on the apparent authority of our chops or signatures of our legal representatives. If any designated legal representative obtains control of the chop in an effort to obtain control over the relevant entity, we would need to have a shareholder or board resolution to designate a new legal representative to take legal action to seek the return of the chop, apply for a new chop with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal remedies for the legal representative’s misconduct. If any of the designated legal representatives obtains and misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling intangible assets for whatever reason, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve the matter, while distracting management from operations, and our business operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
The Ministry of Commerce published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law in January 2015, or the 2015 FIL Draft, which expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company is considered a foreign-invested enterprise, or an FIE. Under the 2015 FIL Draft, VIE that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as foreign invested enterprises, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors.
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On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the FIL, which will come into effect on January 1, 2020, repealing simultaneously the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Ventures, the Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises and the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. Pursuant to the FIL, foreign investment refers to any investment activity directly or indirectly carried out by foreign natural persons, enterprises, or other organizations, including investment in new construction project, establishment of foreign funded enterprise or increase of investment, merger and acquisition, and investment in any other way stipulated under laws, administrative regulations, or provisions of the State Council. Although the FIL has deleted the particular reference to the concept of “actual control” and contractual arrangements compared to the 2015 FIL Draft, there is still uncertainty regarding whether the VIE would be identified as a FIE in the future.
Even if the VIE were to be identified as a FIE in the future, we believe that our current business would not be adversely affected. However, if we were to engage in any business conduct involving third parties identified as prohibited or restricted on the Negative List, the VIE as well as its subsidiary may be subject to laws and regulations on foreign investment. In addition, our shareholders would also be prohibited or restricted to invest in certain sectors on the Negative List. However, even if the VIE were to be identified as a FIE, the validity of our contractual arrangements with Shanghai Muliang and its shareholders as well as our corporate structure would not be adversely affected. We would still be able to receive benefits from the VIE in accordance with the contractual agreements. In addition, as the Chinese government has been updating the Negative List in recent years and reducing the sectors prohibited or restricted for foreign investment, it is probable in the future that, even if the VIE is identified as a FIE, it is still allowed to acquire or hold equity of enterprises in sectors currently prohibited or restricted for foreign investment.
Furthermore, the PRC Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign invested enterprises established according to the existing laws regulating foreign investment may maintain their structure and corporate governance within five years after the implementing of the PRC Foreign Investment Law.
In addition, the PRC Foreign Investment Law also provides several protective rules and principles for foreign investors and their investments in the PRC, including, among others, that a foreign investor may freely transfer into or out of China, in Renminbi or a foreign currency, its contributions, profits, capital gains, income from disposition of assets, royalties of intellectual property rights, indemnity or compensation lawfully acquired, and income from liquidation, among others, within China; local governments shall abide by their commitments to the foreign investors; governments at all levels and their departments shall enact local normative documents concerning foreign investment in compliance with laws and regulations and shall not impair legitimate rights and interests, impose additional obligations onto FIEs, set market access restrictions and exit conditions, or intervene with the normal production and operation activities of FIEs; except for special circumstances, in which case statutory procedures shall be followed and fair and reasonable compensation shall be made in a timely manner, expropriation or requisition of the investment of foreign investors is prohibited; and mandatory technology transfer is prohibited.
Notwithstanding the above, the PRC Foreign Investment Law stipulates that foreign investment includes “foreign investors invest through any other methods under laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council”. Therefore, there are possibilities that future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council may regard contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, and then whether our contractual arrangement will be recognized as foreign investment, whether our contractual arrangement will be deemed to be in violation of the foreign investment access requirements and how the above-mentioned contractual arrangement will be handled are uncertain.
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The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
For example, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2 that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s app be removed from smartphone app stores.
As such, the Company’s business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. The Chinese government may intervene or influence operations at any time with little advance notice, which could result in a material change in operations and in the value of our common stock. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry. As a result, our common stock may decline in value dramatically or even become worthless should we become subject to new requirement to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchange in the future.
Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Severe and Lawful Crackdown on Illegal Securities Activities, which was available to the public on July 6, 2021. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies. These opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection. Moreover, the State Internet Information Office issued the Measures of Cybersecurity Review (Revised Draft for Comments, not yet effective) on July 10, 2021, which requires operators with personal information of more than 1 million users who want to list abroad to file a cybersecurity review with the Office of Cybersecurity Review. The aforementioned policies and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. While we believe that operations are not affected by this, as these opinions were recently issued, official guidance and interpretation of the opinions remain unclear in several respects at this time. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.
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Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.
We conduct most operations in China and substantially all operations outside of the United States. Most of our assets are located in China, and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and most are PRC nationals. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the U.S. and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.
Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws on foreign investments in China, namely, the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law and the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic invested enterprises in China. The Foreign Investment Law establishes the basic framework for the access to, and the promotion, protection and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition.
According to the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by one or more natural persons, business entities, or otherwise organizations of a foreign country (collectively referred to as “foreign investor”) within China, and the investment activities include the following situations: (i) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, establishes a foreign-invested enterprise within China; (ii) a foreign investor acquires stock shares, equity shares, shares in assets, or other like rights and interests of an enterprise within China; (iii) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, invests in a new project within China; and (iv) investments in other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations, or the State Council.
According to the Foreign Investment Law, the State Council will publish or approve to publish the “negative list” for special administrative measures concerning foreign investment. The Foreign Investment Law grants national treatment to foreign-invested entities, or FIEs, except for those FIEs that operate in industries deemed to be either “restricted” or “prohibited” in the “negative list”. Because the “negative list” has yet to be published, it is unclear whether it will differ from the current Special Administrative Measures for Market Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List). The Foreign Investment Law provides that FIEs operating in foreign restricted or prohibited industries will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC governmental authorities. If a foreign investor is found to invest in any prohibited industry in the “negative list”, such foreign investor may be required to, among other aspects, cease its investment activities, dispose of its equity interests or assets within a prescribed time limit and have its income confiscated. If the investment activity of a foreign investor is in breach of any special administrative measure for restrictive access provided for in the “negative list”, the relevant competent department shall order the foreign investor to make corrections and take necessary measures to meet the requirements of the special administrative measure for restrictive access.
The “variable interest entity” structure, or VIE structure, has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, including us, to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China. Under the Foreign Investment Law, variable interest entities that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as FIEs, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors. Therefore, for any companies with a VIE structure in an industry category that is included in the “negative list” as restricted industry, the VIE structure may be deemed legitimate only if the ultimate controlling person(s) is/are of PRC nationality (either PRC companies or PRC citizens). Conversely, if the actual controlling person(s) is/are of foreign nationalities, then the variable interest entities will be treated as FIEs and any operation in the industry category on the “negative list” without market entry clearance may be considered as illegal.
The PRC government will establish a foreign investment information reporting system, according to which foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises shall submit investment information to the competent department for commerce concerned through the enterprise registration system and the enterprise credit information publicity system, and a security review system under which the security review shall be conducted for foreign investment affecting or likely affecting the state security.
Furthermore, the Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign invested enterprises established according to the existing laws regulating foreign investment may maintain their structure and corporate governance within five years after the implementing of the Foreign Investment Law.
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In addition, the Foreign Investment Law also provides several protective rules and principles for foreign investors and their investments in the PRC, including, among others, that a foreign investor may freely transfer into or out of China, in Renminbi or a foreign currency, its contributions, profits, capital gains, income from disposition of assets, royalties of intellectual property rights, indemnity or compensation lawfully acquired, and income from liquidation, among others, within China; local governments shall abide by their commitments to the foreign investors; governments at all levels and their departments shall enact local normative documents concerning foreign investment in compliance with laws and regulations and shall not impair legitimate rights and interests, impose additional obligations onto FIEs, set market access restrictions and exit conditions, or intervene with the normal production and operation activities of FIEs; except for special circumstances, in which case statutory procedures shall be followed and fair and reasonable compensation shall be made in a timely manner, expropriation or requisition of the investment of foreign investors is prohibited; and mandatory technology transfer is prohibited.
Notwithstanding the above, the Foreign Investment Law stipulates that foreign investment includes “foreign investors invest through any other methods under laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council”. Therefore, there are possibilities that future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council may regard contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, and then whether our contractual arrangement will be recognized as foreign investment, whether our contractual arrangement will be deemed to be in violation of the foreign investment access requirements and how the above-mentioned contractual arrangement will be handled are uncertain.
The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
61
For example, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2 that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s app be removed from smartphone app stores.
Additionally, on July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, or the Opinions, which emphasized the need to strengthen administration over illegal securities activities and supervision of overseas listings by China-based companies. The Opinions proposed promoting regulatory systems to deal with risks facing China-based overseas-listed companies, and provided that the State Council will revise provisions regarding the overseas issuance and listing of shares by companies limited by shares and will clarify the duties of domestic regulatory authorities. However, the Opinions did not provide detailed rules and regulations. As a result, uncertainties remain regarding the interpretation and implementation of the Opinions.
As such, the Company’s business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply.
Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Smaller reporting companies are not required to provide the information required by this item.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Risk Management
We recognize the importance of developing, implementing, and maintaining robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard our information systems and protect our data’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability. We have implemented, including testing software and our computer systems, our facilities, systems and procedures, from cybersecurity threats. We assess risks arising from cybersecurity threats against our information systems that may result in adverse effects on our information systems or any information residing therein. We conduct periodic assessments to identify such cybersecurity threats.
Governance
Management is responsible for identifying and assessing material risks for the business on an ongoing basis, including in relation to cybersecurity. Our Chief Executive Officer oversees our information technology department which monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of cyber incidents, if any.
We have not encountered cybersecurity risks, threats, or incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition during the financial year ended December 31, 2023.
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