UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 20-F
|
¨ |
REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 12(b) or (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1934 |
OR
|
x |
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
OR
|
¨ |
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934 |
OR
|
¨ |
SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934 |
Date of event requiring this shell company report _____________
For the transition period from _______ to _______
Commission file number: 001-33765
AIRNET TECHNOLOGY INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)
Cayman Islands
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
Suite 301 No. 26
Dongzhimenwai Street
Dongcheng District, Beijing 100027
The People’s Republic of China
(Address of principal executive offices)
Herman Man Guo
Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer
AirNet Technology Inc.
Suite 301 No. 26
Dongzhimenwai Street
Dongcheng District, Beijing 10027
The People’s Republic of China
Phone:+86 10 8460 8818
Email: herman@ihangmei.com
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of
Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to
Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each
class |
Trading Symbol |
Name of each exchange on which
registered |
American Depositary Shares, each
representing ten ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per
share |
ANTE |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (The
Nasdaq Capital Market) |
Ordinary shares, par value
US$0.001 per share* |
|
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (The
Nasdaq Capital Market) |
* Not
for trading, but only in connection with the listing on the Nasdaq
Capital Market of American depositary shares.
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to
Section 12(g) of the Act.
None
(Title of Class)
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to
Section 15(d) of the Act.
None
(Title of Class)
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s
classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period
covered by the annual report: As of December 31, 2020, 149,541,085
ordinary shares (excluding 2,032,278 ordinary shares and ordinary
shares represented by ADSs reserved for settlement upon exercise of
our incentive share awards), par value US$0.001 per share, were
outstanding.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned
issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check
mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed
all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject
to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted
electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted
pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period
that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large
accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer,
or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large
accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth
company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
|
Large Accelerated Filer ¨ |
Accelerated Filer ¨ |
|
|
|
|
Non-Accelerated Filer x |
Emerging growth company ¨ |
If an emerging growth company that prepare its financial statements
in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the
registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period
for complying with any new or revised financial accounting
standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the
Exchange Act. ¨
†The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to
any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to
its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on
and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under
Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.
7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report. ¨
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has
used to prepare the financial statements included in this
filing:
U.S. GAAP x |
International
Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International
Accounting standards Board ¨ |
Other ¨ |
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question,
indicate by check mark which financial statement Item the
registrant has elected to follow.
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act).
(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS
DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all
documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the
distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.
AIRNET TECHNOLOGY INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Except as otherwise indicated by the context, in this annual
report:
|
· |
“ADSs” refers to our American
depositary shares, each of which represents ten ordinary
shares; |
|
· |
“China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic
of China, excluding, for the purpose of this annual report only,
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; |
|
· |
“ordinary shares” refers to our
ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share; |
|
· |
“RMB” or “Renminbi” refers to the
legal currency of China; |
|
· |
“U.S. dollars,” “$,” “US$” or
“dollars” refers to the legal currency of the United
States; |
|
· |
“VIEs” means our variable
interest entities; and |
|
· |
“we,”
“us,” “our,” the “Company” or “AirNet” refers to the combined
business of AirNet Technology Inc., its subsidiaries, its VIEs and
VIEs’ subsidiaries. |
Although AirNet does not directly or indirectly own any equity
interests in its consolidated VIEs or their subsidiaries, AirNet is
the primary beneficiary of and effectively controls these entities
through a series of contractual arrangements with these entities
and their record owners. We have consolidated the financial results
of these VIEs and their subsidiaries in our consolidated financial
statements in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. See “Item 4.
Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure,”
“Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—B.
Related Party Transactions” and “Item 3. Key Information—D.
Risk Factors” for further information on our contractual
arrangements with these parties.
Our financial statements are expressed in U.S. dollars, which is
our reporting currency. Certain Renminbi figures in this annual
report are translated into U.S. dollars solely for the reader’s
convenience. Unless otherwise noted, all convenience translations
from Renminbi to U.S. dollars in this annual report were made at a
rate of RMB6.5250 to $1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the
H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board on
December 31, 2020. We make no representation that any Renminbi
or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into
U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular
rate, at the rate stated above, or at all.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This annual report contains statements of a forward-looking nature.
These statements are made under the “safe harbor provisions” of the
U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or
phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,”
“estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “likely to” or other
similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements
largely on our current expectations and projections about future
events and financial trends that we believe may affect our
financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and
financial needs. These forward-looking statements include but are
not limited to:
|
· |
our
future business development, results of operations and financial
condition, including the products and services combining in-flight
connectivity, entertainment and cryptocurrency mining; |
|
· |
competition in the advertising
industry and in particular, the travel advertising industry in
China; |
|
· |
the expected growth in consumer
spending, average income levels and advertising spending
levels; |
|
· |
the growth of the air, train and
long-haul bus travel sectors in China; |
|
· |
the length and severity of the
COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our business and industry;
and |
|
· |
PRC governmental policies
relating to the advertising industry. |
You should read this annual report and the documents that we refer
to in this annual report thoroughly and with the understanding that
our actual future results may be materially different from and
worse than what we expect. Moreover, we operate in an evolving
environment. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to
time and it is not possible for our management to predict all risk
factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all
factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or
combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these
cautionary statements.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions
of future events. The forward-looking statements made in this
annual report relate only to events or information as of the date
on which the statements are made in this annual report. Except as
required by law, we assume no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons
actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in
any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes
available in the future.
PART I
ITEM 1. |
IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR
MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 2. |
OFFER
STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE |
Not applicable.
A. Selected
Financial Data
Selected Consolidated Financial Data
The following table represents our selected consolidated financial
information. The selected consolidated statements of operations
data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and
the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019
and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial
statements, which are included in this annual report. The selected
consolidated statements of operations data for the year ended
December 31, 2016 and 2017 and the selected consolidated
balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016, 2017 and 2018,
except for the impact of retrospective adjustments for the
deconsolidation of our media business in airports (excluding
digital TV screens in airports and TV-attached digital frames) and
all billboard and LED media business outside of airports (excluding
gas station media network and digital TV screens on airplanes), all
of which have been classified as discontinued operations, have been
derived from our financial statements for the relevant periods,
which are not included in this annual report. Our consolidated
financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with
U.S. GAAP.
These selected consolidated financial data below should be read in
conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference
to, our consolidated financial statements and related notes
included elsewhere in this annual report and “Item 5.
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” below. Our historical
results do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future
periods.
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2016 |
|
|
2017 |
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars, except share, per share and per ADS
data) |
|
Consolidated Statements of Operations Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air Travel Media Network |
|
$ |
12,178 |
|
|
$ |
18,702 |
|
|
$ |
22,212 |
|
|
$ |
25,954 |
|
|
$ |
23,474 |
|
Gas Station Media Network |
|
|
4,009 |
|
|
|
4,093 |
|
|
|
413 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Other Media |
|
|
410 |
|
|
|
1,533 |
|
|
|
2,151 |
|
|
|
271 |
|
|
|
72 |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
16,597 |
|
|
|
24,328 |
|
|
|
24,776 |
|
|
|
26,225 |
|
|
|
23,546 |
|
Business tax and other sales tax |
|
|
(84 |
) |
|
|
(569 |
) |
|
|
(230 |
) |
|
|
(203 |
) |
|
|
(112 |
) |
Net revenues |
|
|
16,513 |
|
|
|
23,759 |
|
|
|
24,546 |
|
|
|
26,022 |
|
|
|
23,434 |
|
Cost of revenues |
|
|
(49,042 |
) |
|
|
(58,967 |
) |
|
|
(32,630 |
) |
|
|
(33,587 |
) |
|
|
(19,588 |
) |
Gross (loss) profit |
|
|
(32,529 |
) |
|
|
(35,208 |
) |
|
|
(8,084 |
) |
|
|
(7,565 |
) |
|
|
3,846 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling and marketing |
|
|
(12,056 |
) |
|
|
(12,747 |
) |
|
|
(7,492 |
) |
|
|
(4,445 |
) |
|
|
(2,533 |
) |
General and administrative |
|
|
(44,401 |
) |
|
|
(62,818 |
) |
|
|
(31,502 |
) |
|
|
(20,208 |
) |
|
|
(9,807 |
) |
Research and development |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(689 |
) |
|
|
(1,110 |
) |
|
|
(1,157 |
) |
|
|
(724 |
) |
Impairment of fixed assets, prepaid equipment cost and intangible
assets |
|
|
(826 |
|
|
|
(67,342 |
) |
|
|
(564 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
(57,283 |
) |
|
|
(143,596 |
) |
|
|
(40,668 |
) |
|
|
(25,810 |
) |
|
|
(13,064 |
) |
Loss from operations |
|
|
(89,812 |
) |
|
|
(178,804 |
) |
|
|
(48,752 |
) |
|
|
(33,375 |
) |
|
|
(9,218 |
) |
Interest income (expense) |
|
|
843 |
|
|
|
2,645 |
|
|
|
(106 |
) |
|
|
(436 |
) |
|
|
(742 |
) |
Loss and impairment on long-term investments |
|
|
(33 |
) |
|
|
(2,603 |
) |
|
|
(52,337 |
) |
|
|
(2,703 |
) |
|
|
(2,947 |
) |
Other income, net |
|
|
4,243 |
|
|
|
214 |
|
|
|
7,926 |
|
|
|
3,301 |
|
|
|
9,120 |
|
Loss before income taxes |
|
|
(84,759 |
) |
|
|
(178,548 |
) |
|
|
(93,269 |
) |
|
|
(33,213 |
) |
|
|
(3,787 |
) |
Less: income tax expenses (benefits) |
|
|
4,483 |
|
|
|
633 |
|
|
|
150 |
|
|
|
691 |
|
|
|
(10,235 |
) |
Net (loss) income |
|
|
(89,242 |
) |
|
|
(179,181 |
) |
|
|
(93,419 |
) |
|
|
(33,904 |
) |
|
|
6,448 |
|
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests |
|
|
(23,617 |
) |
|
|
(22,705 |
) |
|
|
(3,322 |
) |
|
|
(2,427 |
) |
|
|
(1,079 |
) |
Net (loss) income attributable to AirNet Technology Inc.’s
shareholders |
|
|
(65,625 |
) |
|
|
(156,476 |
) |
|
|
(90,097 |
) |
|
|
(31,477 |
) |
|
|
7,527 |
|
Weighted average shares outstanding used in computing net loss per
ordinary share |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-basic |
|
|
125,277,056 |
|
|
|
125,629,779 |
|
|
|
125,653,175 |
|
|
|
125,664,777 |
|
|
|
125,795,606 |
|
-diluted |
|
|
125,277,056 |
|
|
|
125,629,779 |
|
|
|
125,653,175 |
|
|
|
125,664,777 |
|
|
|
125,795,606 |
|
Net (loss) income attributable to AirNet Technology Inc.’s
shareholders per ordinary share—basic |
|
$ |
(0.52 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.25 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.72 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.25 |
) |
|
$ |
0.06 |
|
Net (loss) income attributable to AirNet Technology Inc.’s
shareholders per ordinary share—diluted |
|
$ |
(0.52 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.25 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.72 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.25 |
) |
|
$ |
0.06 |
|
Net
(loss) income attributable to AirNet Technology Inc.’s shareholders
per ADS—basic(1) |
|
$ |
(5.24 |
) |
|
$ |
(12.46 |
) |
|
$ |
(7.17 |
) |
|
$ |
(2.50 |
) |
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
Net
(loss) income attributable to AirNet Technology Inc.’s shareholders
per ADS—diluted(1) |
|
$ |
(5.24 |
) |
|
$ |
(12.46 |
) |
|
$ |
(7.17 |
) |
|
$ |
(2.50 |
) |
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
|
(1) |
Each
ADS represents ten ordinary shares effective on April 11,
2019, and per ADS information has been retrospectively restated for
all periods presented. |
The following table presents a summary of our consolidated balance
sheet data as of December 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and
2020:
|
|
As of December 31, |
|
|
|
2016 |
|
|
2017 |
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands of U.S. Dollars) |
|
Balance
Sheet Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
117,547 |
|
|
$ |
15,355 |
|
|
$ |
15,536 |
|
|
$ |
958 |
|
|
$ |
283 |
|
Total assets |
|
|
381,190 |
|
|
|
225,002 |
|
|
|
129,816 |
|
|
|
97,706 |
|
|
|
115,078 |
|
Total
liabilities |
|
|
114,593 |
|
|
|
101,323 |
|
|
|
115,417 |
|
|
|
116,669 |
|
|
|
116,436 |
|
Total AirNet Technology Inc.’s shareholders’ equity |
|
|
268,737 |
|
|
|
147,649 |
|
|
|
51,399 |
|
|
|
20,464 |
|
|
|
31,623 |
|
Non-controlling
interests |
|
|
(2,140 |
) |
|
|
(23,970 |
) |
|
|
(37,000 |
) |
|
|
(39,427 |
) |
|
|
(32,981 |
) |
Total equity
(deficit) |
|
$ |
266,597 |
|
|
$ |
123,679 |
|
|
$ |
14,399 |
|
|
$ |
(18,963 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,358 |
) |
B. Capitalization
and Indebtedness
Not applicable.
C. Reasons
for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
Not applicable.
D. Risk
Factors
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks, including risks
that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may
adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of
operations, cash flows, and prospects. These risks are discussed
more fully below and include, but are not limited to, risks related
to:
Risks Related to Our Business
· |
We
incurred net losses in the past and we may incur losses in the
future. |
· |
We
have a limited operating history, which may make it difficult for
you to evaluate our business and prospects. |
· |
We
may fail to successfully implement our new business initiatives in
cryptocurrency mining, where we have limited
experience. |
· |
If
advertisers or the viewing public do not accept, or lose interest
in, our air travel media network, we may be unable to generate
sufficient cash flow from our operating activities and our business
and results of operations could be materially and adversely
affected. |
· |
If we
do not succeed in launching our in-flight business, our future
results of operations and growth prospects may be materially and
adversely affected. |
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
· |
If
the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the
structure for operating our China business do not comply with PRC
governmental restrictions on foreign investment in the advertising
industry and in the operating of non-advertising content, our
business could be materially and adversely affected. |
· |
Because
some of the shareholders of our VIEs in China are our directors and
officers, their fiduciary duties to us may conflict with their
respective roles in the VIEs, and their interest may not be aligned
with the interests of our unaffiliated public security holders. If
any of the shareholders of our VIEs fails to act in the best
interests of our company or our shareholders, our business and
results of operations may be materially and adversely
affected. |
· |
We
rely on contractual arrangements with our consolidated variable
interest entities and their shareholders for a substantial portion
of our China operations, which may not be as effective as direct
ownership in providing operational control. |
· |
We
have not registered the pledge of equity interest by certain
shareholder of our consolidated affiliated entities with the
relevant authority, and we may not be able to enforce the equity
pledge against any third parties who acquire the equity interests
in good faith in the relevant consolidated affiliated entities
before the pledge is registered. |
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
· |
Adverse
changes in the political and economic policies of the PRC
government could have a material adverse effect on the overall
economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our
services and have a material adverse effect on our competitive
position. |
· |
Uncertainties
with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal
protections available to us or result in substantial costs and the
diversion of resources and management attention. |
· |
A
severe or prolonged downturn in the global or Chinese economy could
materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects. |
Risks Related to the Market for Our ADSs
· |
The
trading price of our ADSs has been and may continue to be
volatile. |
· |
If we
fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq,
we would face possible delisting, which would result in a limited
public market for our ADSs and make obtaining future debt or equity
financing more difficult for us. |
· |
We
have been named as a defendant or respondent in legal proceedings
that could have a material adverse impact on our business,
financial condition, results of operation, cash flows and
reputation. |
Risks Related to Our Business
We incurred net losses in the past and we may incur losses in
the future.
In an effort to realign our business, we:
|
· |
divested most of our airport travel advertising business in
2015;
|
|
· |
terminated our advertising service at long-haul buses, gas stations
completely and scaled down our on-train Wi-Fi business
significantly in 2018 and in early 2019 ceased operations for Wi-Fi
services on trains altogether;
|
|
· |
consolidated our efforts in providing in-flight contents of
entertainment, advertising and digital multimedia in China; and
|
|
· |
strengthened our efforts in
launching and operating our in-flight connectivity business and
cryptocurrency mining business. |
In anticipation of the immediate impacts of COVID-19, we diverted
our resources into the development of mining of cryptocurrencies
since the beginning of 2021 while the staggering effects of
COVID-19 on the economy and airline industry were being
evaluated.
We have incurred net losses in recent years, and notwithstanding we
recorded net income in 2020 and in spite of our efforts to
transition into our new business, we may incur loss in the future.
With respect to the termination of our advertising service at gas
station and our on-train Wi-Fi business, we no longer pay
concession fees. With respect to providing contents on flights, we
have paid, and expect to continue to pay concession fees to secure
time intervals to play advertising contents. With respect to our
in-flight connectivity business, we have incurred, and expect to
continue to incur, substantial expenses in the form of acquisition
of concession rights, initial system development and installation
investments and ongoing system operation and maintenance costs. In
the event of any significant technology development, we may need to
incur further system development expenses.
Concession fees constitute a significant part of our cost of
revenues and most of our concession fees are fixed under the
concession rights contracts with an escalation clause. These fees
payments are usually due in advance. However, our revenues may
fluctuate significantly from period to period for various reasons.
For instance, when new concession rights contracts are signed for a
period, additional concession fees are incurred immediately, but it
may take some time for us to generate revenues from these
concession rights contracts because it takes time to find
advertisers for the time slots and locations made available under
these new contracts. Similarly, we need to purchase the bandwidth
before we sell our Wi-Fi services to users and we need to maintain
our system regardless of the level of revenue. If we are not able
to attract enough advertisers and customers, or at all, our revenue
will decrease and we may continue to incur losses given most of our
costs and expenses are fixed.
We have a limited operating history, which may make it
difficult for you to evaluate our business and
prospects.
Although we began our business operations in August 2005, we
started to explore our in-flight connectivity business in 2015, and
began operating our in-flight content business in 2015 as well
divested our airport travel advertising business in 2015. As a
result of our business realignment, our advertising service at
long-haul buses and gas stations were terminated and on-train Wi-Fi
business were scaled down significantly in 2018 and in early 2019
ceased operations for Wi-Fi services on trains altogether. Our
limited operating history may not provide a meaningful basis for
you to evaluate our business, financial performance and prospects.
It is also difficult to evaluate the viability of our business
model because we do not have sufficient experience to address the
risks that we may encounter as we conduct our businesses. Certain
members of our senior management team, especially those who joined
us only recently due to our Wi-Fi business, have worked together
for a relatively short period of time and it may be difficult for
us to evaluate their effectiveness, on an individual or collective
basis, and their ability to address future challenges to our
business. Because of our limited operating history, we may not be
able to:
|
· |
manage our relationships with
relevant parties to retain existing concession rights and obtain
new concession rights on commercially advantageous terms or at
all; |
|
· |
retain existing and acquire new
advertisers and third-party content providers; |
|
· |
secure a sufficient number of
low-cost hardware for our business from our suppliers; |
|
· |
successfully launch new business
and operate our existing business; |
|
· |
respond to competitive market
conditions; |
|
· |
respond to changes in the PRC
regulatory regime; |
|
· |
maintain adequate control of our
costs and expenses; or |
|
· |
attract, train, motivate and
retain qualified personnel. |
We may fail to successfully implement our new business
initiatives in cryptocurrency mining, where we have limited
experience.
We have established a new line of business in relation to
cryptocurrency mining to mitigate the adversary impacts of COVID-19
on our in-flight connectivity business. On December 30, 2020 and
February 4, 2021, we entered into investment agreements with
Unistar Group Holdings Limited and Northern Shore Group Limited,
respectively, pursuant to which we issued ordinary shares in
exchange for the delivery and transfer of computer servers
specifically designed for mining cryptocurrencies. We will generate
revenue from the cryptocurrency we earn through our mining
activities, which we may hold for our own account and or sell at
prices and times as determined by our executive management team in
accordance with our corporate strategy. However, cryptocurrency
mining is substantially different from our existing business in
many ways, such as business model and governmental and regulatory
requirements. In addition, the cryptocurrency mining industry is
characterized by constant changes, including rapid technological
evolution, continual shifts in government regulations, frequent
introductions of new products and solutions and constant emergence
of new industry standards and practices. Specifically, relevant
restrictions from existing and future regulations on mining,
holding, using, or transferring of cryptocurrencies may adversely
affect our future business operations and results of operations.
For example, although mining activities have not been explicitly
prohibited by the PRC government, any further order of the PRC
government to limit cryptocurrency mining may result in a crackdown
on the cryptocurrency market and adversely affect the outcome of
our new business initiatives. It is possible that the
cryptocurrency market may respond to such regulations by moving to
other countries or changing its practices to comply. However, it is
unclear how various countries will regulate the blockchain or how
the market will respond to such regulations. If any jurisdictions
impose limitations on the mining, use, holding or transferring of
cryptocurrencies or any other cryptocurrency-related activities, we
may fail to achieve the expected benefits, and our business
prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Based on our
limited experience in cryptocurrency mining business and the
unpredictable policy changes towards such business, there can be no
assurance that we will be successful in implementing our new
business initiatives in cryptocurrency mining, and our existing
business, results of operations and financial condition may be
materially and adversely affected.
If advertisers or the viewing public do not accept, or lose
interest in, our air travel media network, we may be unable to
generate sufficient cash flow from our operating activities and our
business and results of operations could be materially and
adversely affected.
Our success in our air travel media business depends on the
acceptance of our advertising network by advertisers and their
interest in it as a part of their advertising strategies. In this
annual report, the term “advertisers” refer to the ultimate
brand-owners whose brands and products are being publicized by our
advertisements, including both advertisers that purchase
advertisements directly from us and advertisers that do so through
third-party advertising agencies. Our advertisers may elect not to
use our services if they believe that consumers are not receptive
to our media network or that our network is not a sufficiently
effective advertising medium. If consumers find our network to be
disruptive or intrusive, airplane companies may refuse to allow us
to place our programs on airplanes, and our advertisers may reduce
spending on our network.
If we are not able to adequately track air traveler responses to
our programs, in particular track the demographics of air travelers
most receptive to air travel media, we will not be able to provide
sufficient feedback and data to existing and potential advertisers
to help us generate demand and determine pricing. Without improved
market research, advertisers may reduce their use of air travel
media and instead turn to more traditional forms of advertising
that have more established and proven methods of tracking the
effectiveness of advertisements.
Demand for our advertising services and the resulting advertising
spending by our advertisers may fluctuate from time to time, and
our advertisers may reduce the money they spend to advertise on our
network for any number of reasons. If a substantial number of our
advertisers lose interest in advertising on our media network for
these or other reasons or become unwilling to purchase advertising
time slots or locations on our network, we will be unable to
generate sufficient revenues and cash flow to operate our business,
and our business and results of operations could be materially and
adversely affected.
If we do not succeed in launching our in-flight business, our
future results of operations and growth prospects may be materially
and adversely affected.
Driven by innovation, we gradually reinvented ourselves and shaped
our core competence in providing in-flight solutions to
connectivity, entertainment and digital multimedia in China. We
began to explore the in-flight business in 2018, which has
sustained adversary impacts caused by the spread of COVID-19 and
the measurements taken to contain such spread. We collaborated with
partners to deliver in-flight connectivity solutions and a wide
range of in-flight entertainment and advertising contents streaming
via the connectivity. We may face unexpected new risks as we
continue to launch this new business. As a result, we cannot assure
you that we will be able to generate enough, or any, revenue from
this business. If we fail to do so, our considerable amounts of
investment on system development, will materially and adversely
affect our business and financial results.
In our new business, we may face new competition. If we cannot
successfully address the foregoing new challenges and compete
effectively, we may not be able to develop a sufficiently large
advertiser base, recover costs incurred for developing and
marketing our new business, and eventually achieve profitability
from these businesses, and, consequently, our future results of
operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely
affected.
We may be adversely affected by a significant or prolonged
economic downturn in the level of consumer spending in the
industries and markets served by our customers.
Our business depends on demand for our advertising services from
our customers, which is affected by the level of business activity
and economic condition of our customers and is in turn affected by
the level of consumer spending in the markets our customers serve.
Therefore, our businesses and earnings are affected by general
business and economic conditions in China as well as abroad.
Advertising revenues from advertisers in the automobile industry
accounted for a significant portion of our revenues. Any
significant or prolonged slowdown or decline of this industry or
the economy of China, countries with close economic ties with China
or the overall global economy will affect consumers’ disposable
income and consumer spending in these industries, and lead to a
decrease in demand for our services.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations
was and may continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19
outbreak.
The recent outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, the COVID-19,
has spread rapidly to many parts of the world. In March 2020,
the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic,
which has resulted in quarantines, travel restrictions, and the
temporary closure of facilities in China and many other countries
for the past few months. The spread of the pandemic and efforts to
contain and counter the spread of the pandemic has restrained the
flow of travelers both domestically and internationally. As our
primary business is to provide in-flight connectivity and contents
in the nature of information and entertainment to travelers by air,
our results of operations and financial condition have been
adversely affected and may continue to be adversely affected by the
COVID-19, to the extent that COVID-19 exerts long-term negative
impact on the global economy.
Government efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 through city
lockdowns or “stay-at-home” orders, widespread business closures,
restrictions on travel and emergency quarantines, among others,
have caused significant and unprecedented disruptions to the global
economy and normal business operations across sectors and
countries. In 2020, many businesses and social activities in China
and other countries and regions were severely disrupted.
The COVID-19 pandemic may also affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations for the full year
2021 to some extent. The extent to which this outbreak impacts our
results of operations will depend on future developments which are
highly uncertain and unpredictable, including new outbreaks
of COVID-19, the severity of the disease, the success or
failure of efforts to contain or treat the disease, and future
actions we or the authorities may take in response to these
developments.
We derive a significant portion of our revenues from the
provision of air travel media services. A contraction in the air
travel media industry in China may materially and adversely affect
our business and results of operations.
Approximately 99.7% of our revenues from continuing operations in
2020 was generated from the provision of air travel media services
through the display of advertisements on digital TV screens on
airplanes. We expect digital TV screens on airplanes to contribute
substantially all of our air travel network revenue and a majority
of all our revenue in the foreseeable future. If we cannot
successfully generate revenues from our Wi-Fi business, this
situation will continue into the foreseeable future. A contraction
in air travel media industry in China could therefore have a
material adverse effect on our business and results of
operations.
If we are unable to carry out our operations as specified in
existing concession rights contracts, retain or renew existing
concession rights contracts or to obtain new concession rights
contracts on commercially advantageous terms, we may be unable to
maintain or expand our network coverage and our costs may increase
significantly in the future.
Except for our new cryptocurrency business started in early 2021,
our ability to carry out almost all of our wi-fi and advertising
business depends on the availability of the necessary concession
rights. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to carry
out our operations as specified in our concession rights contracts,
and any failure to perform may affect the availability of our
concession rights and materially and negatively affect our
business.
We may also be unable to retain or renew concession rights
contracts when they expire. Most of our concession rights contracts
have no automatic renewal provisions. We cannot assure you that we
will be able to renew any or all of our concession contracts when
they expire. In particular, failure to renew our Wi-Fi concession
right contracts will render it hard or impossible for us to recoup
our investment in related system development and installation. We
enter into Wi-Fi contracts with private companies operating those
vehicles or the relevant advertising companies or agencies operated
or hired by the relevant airline companies, and those companies are
usually price sensitive and may choose not to renew our concession
rights but instead enter into contracts with other players who can
offer more competitive pricing. Furthermore, even if we manage to
renew a concession right contract, the terms of the new contract
may not be commercially favorable to us. The concession fees that
we incur under our concession rights contracts comprise a
significant portion of our cost of revenues, which may further
increase upon renewals. If we cannot pass increased concession
costs onto our customers, our earnings and our results of
operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition,
many of our concession rights contracts contain provisions granting
us certain exclusive concession rights. We cannot assure you that
we will be able to retain these exclusivity provisions when we
renew these contracts. If we were to lose exclusivity, our
advertisers may decide to advertise with our competitors or
otherwise reduce their spending on our network and we may lose
market share.
We cannot assure you that our concession rights contracts will not
be unilaterally terminated during their terms, whether with or
without justification. In addition, many of our concession rights
contracts were entered into with the advertising companies operated
by or advertising agencies hired by airline companies, and not with
the airline companies directly. Although these advertising
companies and agents have generally represented to us in writing
that they have the rights to operate advertising media on airplanes
and all of them have performed their contractual obligations, we
cannot assure you that airline companies will not challenge or
revoke the contractual concession rights granted to us by their
advertising companies or agents; if such challenges or revocations
occur, our revenues and results of operations could be materially
and adversely affected.
If we fail to properly perform our existing concession rights
contracts, retain existing concession rights contracts or obtain
new concession rights contracts on commercially advantageous terms,
we may be unable to maintain or expand our network coverage and our
costs may increase significantly in the future.
A significant portion of our revenues has been derived from a
limited number of airline companies in China. If any of these
airline companies experiences a material business or flight
disruption or if there are changes in our arrangements with these
airline companies, we may incur substantial losses of
revenues.
We derived a significant portion of our revenues from operations in
2020 from six airline companies in China. As of the date of this
annual report, we have concession rights contracts to place our
programs on China Southern Airline, China Eastern Airline, Shanghai
Airline, Xiamen Airline, Air China and Shenzhen Airline, which in
the aggregate contributed more than a majority of our revenue from
digital TV screens on airplanes in 2020. A material business or
flight disruption of any of those airline companies could
negatively affect our advertising media on airplanes operated by
those companies.
We expect our advertising platform with these abovementioned
airline companies to continue to contribute a significant portion
of our revenues in the foreseeable future. If any such companies
experience a material business or flight disruption, we would
likely lose a substantial amount of revenues.
We depend on third-party program producers to provide the
non-advertising content that we include in our programs. Failure to
obtain high-quality content on commercially reasonable terms could
materially reduce the attractiveness of our network, harm our
reputation and materially and adversely affect our business and
results of operations.
The programs on the majority of our digital TV screens include both
advertising and non-advertising content. Third-party content
providers and various other television stations and television
production companies have contracts with us to provide the majority
of the non-advertising content played on our digital TV screens on
airplanes. There is no assurance that we will be able to renew
these contracts, enter into substitute contracts to obtain similar
contents or obtain non-advertising content on satisfactory terms,
or at all. To make our programs more attractive, we must continue
to secure contracts with third-party content providers. If we fail
to obtain a sufficient amount of high-quality content on a
cost-effective basis, advertisers may find advertising on our
network unattractive and may not wish to purchase advertising time
slots or locations on our network, which would materially and
adversely affect our business and results of operations.
When our current advertising network of digital TV screens
and LED screens becomes saturated on the airlines where we operate,
we may be unable to offer additional time slots or locations to
satisfy all of our advertisers’ needs, which could hamper our
ability to generate higher levels of revenues and profitability
over time.
When our network of digital TV screens and LED screens in airplanes
becomes saturated in any particular airline where we operate, we
may be unable to offer additional advertising time slots or
locations to satisfy all of our advertisers’ needs. We would need
to increase our advertising rates for advertising in such airlines
or other locations to increase our revenues. However, advertisers
may be unwilling to accept rate increases, which could hamper our
ability to generate higher levels of revenues over time. In
particular, the utilization rates of our advertising time slots and
locations on the three largest airlines in China are higher than
those on other airlines, and saturation or oversaturation of
digital TV screens on these airlines could have a material adverse
effect on our growth prospects.
Our advertising agencies could engage in activities that are
harmful to our reputation in the industry and to our
business.
We engage third-party advertising agencies to help source
advertisers from time to time. These third-party advertising
agencies assist us in identifying advertisers and introduce
advertisers to us. In return, we pay fees to these advertising
agencies if they generate advertising revenues for us. Fees that we
pay to these third-party agencies are calculated based on a pre-set
percentage of revenues generated from the advertisers introduced to
us by the third-party agencies and are paid when payments are
received from the advertisers. Our contractual arrangements with
these advertising agencies do not provide us with control or
oversight over their everyday business activities, and one or more
of these agencies may engage in activities that violate PRC laws
and regulations governing the advertising industry and related
non-advertising content, or other laws and regulations. If the
advertising agencies we use violate PRC advertising or other laws
or regulations, it could harm our reputation in the industry and
have detrimental effects on our business operations.
Because we rely on third-party advertising agencies to help
obtain advertisers, if we fail to maintain stable business
relations with key third-party agencies or to attract additional
agencies on competitive terms, our business and results of
operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We engage third-party advertising agencies to help obtain
advertisers from time to time. We do not have long-term or
exclusive agreements with these advertising agencies, including our
key third-party advertising agencies, and cannot assure you that we
will continue to maintain stable business relations with them.
Furthermore, the fees we pay to these third-party advertising
agencies constitute a significant portion of our cost of revenues.
If we fail to retain key third-party advertising agencies or to
attract additional advertising agencies, we may not be able to
retain existing advertisers or attract new advertisers or
advertising agencies, or the fees we pay them may have to
significantly increase. If any of the above happens, our business
and results of operations could be materially and adversely
affected.
A limited number of advertisers have historically accounted
for a significant portion of our revenues and this dependence may
reoccur in the future, which would make us more vulnerable to the
loss of major advertisers or delays in payments from these
advertisers.
A limited number of advertisers historically accounted for a
significant portion of our revenues, for the years ended
December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, two, four and two individual
customers accounted for over 10% of total revenue,
respectively.
If we fail to sell our services to one or more of our major
advertisers in any particular period, or if a major advertiser
purchases fewer of our services, fails to purchase additional
advertising time on our network, or cancels some or all of its
purchase orders with us, our revenues could decline and our
operating results could be adversely affected. The dependence on a
small number of advertisers could leave us more vulnerable to
payment delays from these advertisers. We are required under some
of our concession rights contracts to make prepayments and although
we do receive some prepayments from advertisers, there is typically
a lag between the time of our prepayment of concession fees and the
time that we receive payments from our advertisers. As our business
expands and revenues grow, we have experienced and may continue to
experience an increase in our accounts receivable. If any of our
major advertisers are significantly delinquent with its payments,
our liquidity and financial conditions may be materially and
adversely affected.
We face significant competition in the advertising industry
in China, and if we do not compete successfully against new and
existing competitors, we may lose our market share, and our profits
may be reduced.
We face significant competition in the advertising industry in
China. We compete for advertisers primarily on the basis of price,
program quality, the range of services offered and brand
recognition. We primarily compete for advertising dollars spent in
the air travel media industry. We may also face competition from
new competitors as we enter into new markets.
Significant competition could reduce our operating margins and
profitability and lead to a loss of market share. Some of our
existing and potential competitors may have competitive advantages
such as significantly greater brand recognition, a longer history
in the out-of-home advertising industry and financial, marketing or
other resources, and may be able to mimic and adopt our business
model. In addition, several of our competitors have significantly
larger advertising networks than we do, which gives them an ability
to reach a larger number of overall potential consumers and which
may make them less susceptible than we are to downturns in
particular advertising sectors, such as air travel. Moreover,
significant competition will provide advertisers with a wider range
of media and advertising service alternatives, which could lead to
lower prices and decreased revenues, gross margins and profits
focus. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully
compete against new or existing competitors, and failure to compete
may reduce for existing market share and profits.
Our results of operations are largely subject to fluctuations
in the demand for air travel. A decrease in the demand for air
travel may make it difficult for us to sell our advertising time
slots and locations.
To a large extent, our results of operations are linked to the
demand for air travel, which fluctuates greatly from period to
period, and is subject to seasonality due to holiday travel and
weather conditions. Other factors that may affect our results
include:
|
· |
Downturns in the economy.
Business travel is one of the primary drivers of the air travel
industry and it tends to increase in times of economic growth and
decrease in times of economic slowdown. A decrease in air
passengers in China could lead to lower advertiser spending on our
air travel media network. |
|
· |
Plane crashes or other
accidents. An aircraft crash or other accident, such as those
in 2014 involving certain Asian-based airlines, could create a
public perception that air travel is not safe or reliable, which
could result in air travelers being reluctant to fly. Significant
aircraft delays due to capacity constraints, weather conditions or
mechanical problems could also reduce demand for air travel,
especially for shorter domestic flights. |
|
|
|
|
· |
Adversely affect by the COVID-19
outbreak. As our primary business is to provide in-flight
connectivity and contents in the nature of information and
entertainment to travelers by air, our results of operations and
financial condition have been adversely affected and may continue
to be adversely affected by the COVID-19, to the extent that
COVID-19 exerts long-term negative impact on the global economy.
See “—Our business, financial condition and results of operations
was and may continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19
outbreak.” |
If the demand for air travel within our network decreases for any
of these or other reasons, advertisers may be reluctant to
advertise on our network and we may be unable to sell our
advertising time slots or locations or charge premium prices.
Past and future acquisitions may have an adverse effect on
our ability to manage our business.
We have acquired and may continue to acquire businesses,
technologies, services or products which are complementary to our
business in relation to cryptocurrency mining in the future. Past
and future acquisitions may expose us to potential risks, including
risks associated with:
|
· |
the integration of new
operations, services and personnel; |
|
· |
unforeseen or hidden
liabilities; |
|
· |
the diversion of resources from
our existing business and technology; or |
|
· |
failure to achieve the intended
objectives of our acquisitions. |
Any of these potential risks could have a material and adverse
effect on our ability to manage our business, our revenues and net
income.
We may need to raise additional debt or sell additional equity
securities to make future acquisitions. The raising of additional
debt funding by us, if required, would increase debt service
obligations and may lead to additional operating and financing
covenants, or liens on our assets, that would restrict our
operations. The sale of additional equity securities could cause
additional dilution to our shareholders.
Our acquisition strategy also depends on our ability to obtain
necessary government approvals. See “—Risks Related to Doing
Business in China—The M&A Rule sets forth complex
procedures for acquisitions conducted by foreign investors which
could make it more difficult to pursue growth through
acquisitions.”
Our quarterly and annual operating results are difficult to
predict and have fluctuated and may continue to fluctuate
significantly from period to period.
Our quarterly and annual operating results are difficult to predict
and have fluctuated and may continue to fluctuate significantly
from period to period based on the performance of our new business,
the seasonality of air travel, consumer spending and corresponding
advertising trends in China. Air travel, and advertising spending
in China generally tend to increase during major national holidays
in October and tend to decrease during the first quarter of
each year. Air travel and advertising spending in China is also
affected by certain special events and related government measures.
As a result, and also due to the unpredictable performance of our
new business, you may not be able to rely on period-to-period
comparisons of our operating results as an indication of our future
performance. Other factors that may cause our operating results to
fluctuate include a deterioration of economic conditions in China
and potential changes to the regulation of the advertising industry
in China. If our revenues for a particular quarter are lower than
we expect, we may be unable to reduce our operating costs and
expenses for that quarter by a corresponding amount, and it would
harm our operating results for that quarter relative to our
operating results for other quarters.
Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts
of our senior executives and other key employees, and our business
may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.
Our future success heavily depends upon the continued services of
our senior executives and other key employees. We rely on their
industry expertise, their experience in business operations and
sales and marketing, and their working relationships with our
advertisers, airlines, and relevant government authorities.
If one or more of our senior executives and other key employees
were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we
might not be able to replace them easily or at all. If any of our
senior executives and other key employees joins a competitor or
forms a competing company, we may lose advertisers, suppliers, key
professionals and staff members. Each of our executive officers and
other key employees has entered into an employment agreement with
us which contains non-competition provisions. However, if any
dispute arises between any of our executive officers and other key
employees and us, we cannot assure you the extent to which any of
these agreements could be enforced in China, where most of these
executive officers and other key employees reside, in light of the
uncertainties with China’s legal system. See “—Risks Related to
Doing Business in China—Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal
system could limit the legal protections available to us or result
in substantial costs and the diversion of resources and management
attention.”
Failure to maintain an effective system of internal control
over financial reporting and effective disclosure controls and
procedures could have a material and adverse effect on the trading
price of our ADSs.
We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities
laws. The SEC, as required by Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, adopted
rules requiring every public company to include a management
report on such company’s internal control over financial reporting
in its annual report, which must also contain management’s
assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s internal control
over financial reporting. SEC rules also require every public
company to include a management report containing management’s
assessment of the effectiveness of such company’s disclosure
controls and procedures in its annual report.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over
financial reporting in the past. If we fail to develop or maintain
an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to
accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a
result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in
our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the
trading price of our securities. In connection with the audit of
our consolidated financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2020, our management concluded we had material
weaknesses in our internal controls. Despite our continued efforts
and the improvement achieved, our management has concluded that we
had not maintained effective internal control over financial
reporting and disclosure controls and procedures as of
December 31, 2020. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a
combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a
material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial
statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The
material weakness as of December 31, 2020 was related to the
weak operating effectiveness and lack of monitoring of controls
over financial reporting due to inadequate resources or resources
with insufficient experience or training in our financial reporting
team, administration team and human resource team. See
“Item 15. Controls and Procedures.” Any failure to achieve and
maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could
negatively affect the reliability of our financial information and
reduce investors’ confidence in our reported financial information,
which in turn could result in lawsuits being filed against us by
our shareholders, otherwise harm our reputation or negatively
impact the trading price of our ADSs. Furthermore, we have incurred
and anticipate that we will continue to incur considerable costs
and use significant management time and other resources in an
effort to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
and other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
We may need additional capital which, if obtained, could
result in dilution or significant debt service obligations. We may
not be able to obtain additional capital on commercially reasonable
terms, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial
position.
We may require additional cash resources due to changed business
conditions or other future developments, especially given our
investment in our cryptocurrency mining business. If our current
resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may
seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a
credit facility. The sale of convertible debt securities or
additional equity securities could result in additional dilution to
our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in
increased debt service obligations and could result in operating
and financing covenants that would restrict our operations and
liquidity.
In addition, our ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable
terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including:
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investors’ perception of, and demand for,
securities of alternative advertising media companies; |
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conditions of the market; |
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our
future results of operations, financial condition and cash flows;
and |
|
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PRC
governmental regulation of foreign investment in advertising
services companies in China. |
We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or
on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure to raise
additional funds on favorable terms could have a material adverse
effect on our liquidity and financial condition.
Compliance with PRC laws and regulations may be difficult and
could be costly, and failure to comply could subject us to
government sanctions.
As an advertising service provider, we are obligated under PRC laws
and regulations to monitor the advertising content shown on our
network for compliance with applicable law. Violation of these laws
or regulations may result in penalties, including fines,
confiscation of advertising fees, orders to cease dissemination of
the offending advertisements and orders to publish advertisements
correcting the misleading information. In case of serious
violations, the PRC authorities may revoke our license for
advertising business operations. In general, the advertisements
shown on our network have previously been broadcast over public
television networks and have been subjected to internal review and
verification by such networks, but we are still required to
independently review and verify these advertisements for content
compliance before displaying them. In addition, if a special
government review is required for certain product advertisements
before they are shown to the public, we are required to confirm
that such review has been performed and approval obtained. For
advertising content related to certain types of products and
services, such as food products, alcohol, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals and medical procedures, we are required to confirm
that the advertisers have obtained requisite government approvals,
including review of operating qualifications, proof of quality
inspection of the advertised products, government pre-approval of
the contents of the advertisement and filing with local
authorities.
We endeavor to comply with such requirements through means such as
requesting relevant documents from the advertisers. However, we
cannot assure you that each advertisement that an advertiser
provides to us and which we include in our network programs is in
full compliance with all relevant PRC advertising laws and
regulations or that such supporting documentation and government
approvals provided to us are complete. Although we employ qualified
advertising inspectors who are trained to review advertising
content for compliance with relevant PRC laws and regulations, the
content standards in the PRC are less certain and less clear than
those in more developed countries such as the United States and we
cannot assure you that we will always be able to properly review
all advertising content to comply with the PRC standards imposed on
us with certainty.
In addition, although we use our best efforts to comply with all
relevant laws and regulations and to obtain all necessary
certificates, registrations and approvals for our business, due to
the complexity of local laws and regulations across China governing
outdoor media advertising platforms, there can be no assurance that
we will be able to obtain or maintain all necessary approvals. For
example, our Wi-Fi business might be regarded as value-added
telecommunication service. To provide this type of services, we are
required to obtain the relevant telecommunication license from the
communication authorities. As a result, we cannot assure you that
we will be able to obtain the necessary license soon, if at all, to
provide Wi-Fi service. Any delay or failure in obtaining such
approvals or licenses could materially and adversely affect our
results of operations.
We may be subject to, and may expend significant resources in
defending against government actions and civil suits based on the
content we provide through our advertising network.
Because of the nature and content of the information displayed on
our network, civil claims may be filed against us for fraud,
defamation, subversion, negligence, copyright or trademark
infringement or other violations. Offensive and objectionable
content and legal standards for defamation and fraud in China are
less defined than in other more developed countries and we may not
be able to properly screen out unlawful content. If consumers find
the content displayed on our network to be offensive, the relevant
airlines, gas stations, railway bureaus and long-haul bus companies
may seek to hold us responsible for any consumer claims or may
terminate their relationships with us.
In addition, if the security of our content management system is
breached and unauthorized images, text or audio sounds are
displayed on our network, viewers or the PRC government may find
these images, text or audio sounds to be offensive, which may
subject us to civil liability or government censure despite our
efforts to ensure the security of our content management system.
Any such event may also damage our reputation. If our advertising
viewers do not believe our content is reliable or accurate, our
business model may become less appealing to viewers in China and
our advertisers may be less willing to place advertisements on our
network.
Furthermore, we have
established a new line of business in relation to
cryptocurrency mining since early 2021. Governmental authorities
are likely to continue to issue new laws, rules and regulations
governing the cryptocurrency industry and enhance enforcement of
existing laws, rules and regulations. For example, seven PRC
governmental authorities including the People’s Bank of China,
promulgated an announcement in September 2017 prohibiting
financial institutions from engaging in initial coin offering
transactions. Some jurisdictions, including the PRC, restrict
various uses of cryptocurrencies, including the use of
cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange, the conversion between
cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies or between cryptocurrencies,
the provision of trading and other services related to
cryptocurrencies by financial institutions and payment
institutions, and initial coin offerings and other means of capital
raising based on cryptocurrencies. In addition, cryptocurrencies
may be used by market participants for black market transactions,
to conduct fraud, money laundering and terrorism-funding, tax
evasion, economic sanction evasion or other illegal activities. As
a result, governments may seek to regulate, restrict, control or
ban the mining, use, holding and transferring of cryptocurrencies.
We may not be able to eliminate all instances where other parties
use our products to engage in money laundering or other illegal or
improper activities. We cannot assure you that we will successfully
detect all money laundering or other illegal or improper activities
which may adversely affect our reputation, business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We may be subject to intellectual property infringement
claims, which may force us to incur substantial legal expenses and,
if determined adversely against us, may materially and adversely
affect our business.
Our commercial success depends to a large extent on our ability to
operate without infringing the intellectual property rights of
third parties. We cannot assure you that our displays or other
aspects of our business do not or will not infringe patents,
copyrights or other intellectual property rights held by third
parties. We may become subject to legal proceedings and claims from
time to time relating to the intellectual property of others in the
ordinary course of our business. If we are found to have violated
the intellectual property rights of others, we may be enjoined from
using such intellectual property, incur licensing fees or be forced
to develop alternatives. In addition, we may incur substantial
expenses and diversion of management time in defending against
these third-party infringement claims, regardless of their merit.
Successful infringement or licensing claims against us may result
in substantial monetary liabilities, which may materially and
adversely affect our business.
We face risks related to natural disasters, health epidemics
and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt our
operations.
Our business could be materially and adversely affected by natural
disasters or the outbreak of health epidemic. Any such occurrences
could cause severe disruption to our daily operations, and may even
require a temporary closure of our facilities. In August 2014,
a strong earthquake hit part of Yunnan province in south, and
resulted in significant casualties and property damage. While we
did not suffer any loss or experience any significant increase in
cost resulting from these earthquakes, if a similar disaster were
to occur in the future affecting Beijing or another city where we
have major operations in China, our operations could be materially
and adversely affected due to loss of personnel and damages to
property. In addition, any outbreak of avian flu, severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS), influenza A (H1N1), H7N9, Ebola,
COVID-19 or other adverse public health epidemic in China may have
a material and adverse effect on our business operations. These
occurrences could require the temporary closure of our offices or
prevent our staff from traveling to our customers’ offices to
provide services. Such closures could severely disrupt our business
operations and adversely affect our results of operations. These
occurrences could reduce air and train traveling in China and
adversely affect the results of operations of our related
business.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
If the PRC government finds that the agreements that
establish the structure for operating our China business do not
comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in
the advertising industry and in the operating of non-advertising
content, our business could be materially and adversely
affected.
Substantially all of our operations are conducted through
contractual arrangements with our consolidated VIEs in China:
Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group Co., Ltd.
(previously known as AirMedia Online Network Technology Group
Co., Ltd.), or AirNet Online, Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd., or Linghang Shengshi, Wangfan Tianxia
Network Technology Co., Ltd., or Iwangfan. As the
Foreign-invested Advertising Enterprise Management Regulations, or
the Foreign-invested Advertising Regulations, which became
effective on October 1, 2008 and has been abolished on
June 29, 2015, it permitted 100% foreign ownership of
companies that provide advertising services, subject to approval by
relevant PRC government authorities. Also according to the Special
Administrative Measures for Access of Foreign Investment (Negative
List) (2020 Edition), which became effective on July 23, 2020,
the television program production and operation falls into the
category of prohibited foreign investment industry, but the
advertising business still does not fall into the category of
restricted or prohibited foreign investment industry. We believe
that these regulations apply to our business and are therefore
carrying out the portions of our business that involve the
production of non-advertising content through our VIEs. Our wholly
owned Hong Kong subsidiary Air Net (China) Limited, or AN China,
the 100% shareholder of our three wholly foreign owned subsidiaries
in China, has been operating an advertising business in Hong Kong
since 2008, and thus it is allowed to directly invest in
advertising business in China. In December 2014, we
transferred 100% equity interest in Shenzhen Yuehang Information
Technology Co., Ltd., or Shenzhen Yuehang, to AN China to
provide advertising services in China directly. In July 2015,
Shenzhen Yuehang obtained the approval to include advertising in
its scope of business. We therefore intent to gradually shift our
advertising business to Shenzhen Yuehang to gradually reduce our
reliance on the current VIE structure in terms of our advertising
business. Our advertising business is currently primarily provided
through our contractual arrangements with certain of our
consolidated VIEs in China. These entities directly operate our air
advertising network, enter into concession rights contracts related
to our air advertising network and sell advertising time slots and
locations to our advertisers. In addition, under current PRC
regulations, a foreign entity is prohibited from owning more than
50% of any PRC entity that provides value-added telecommunication
services, and Wi-Fi services might be regarded as value-added
telecommunication business. As a result, we enter into concession
rights contracts related to our Wi-Fi business via AirNet Online,
which is expected to directly operate this business. We have
contractual arrangements with these VIEs pursuant to which we,
through Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., or
Chuangyi Technology, provide technical support and consulting
services and other services to these entities. We also have
agreements with our VIEs and each of their individual shareholders
(except Yi Zhang) that provide us with the substantial ability to
control these entities. For a description of these contractual
arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C.
Organizational Structure” and “Item 7. Major Shareholders and
Related Party Transactions—B. Related Party
Transactions—Contractual Arrangements.”
In January 2016, we, through the nominee shareholders of the
respective VIEs, transferred 3.5% equity interest in each of AirNet
Online and Linghang Shengshi to Yi Zhang. Yi Zhang is an unrelated
third-party minority shareholder of those VIEs and did not enter
into the same VIE arrangements with us as did the other nominee
shareholders. In December 2018 and February 2020, Yi Zhang
withdrew all his equity interests in Linghang Shengshi and AirNet
Online, respectively. Accordingly, we can exert control over the
equity interests in the VIEs previously owned by Yi Zhang.
Some of our VIE arrangements with Linghang Shengshi may expire on
June 13, 2027 if any party thereto sends a no-extension notice
to the other at least twenty (20) days in advance. Although we
believe we can renew those agreements with the VIEs and their
shareholders at that time, if we fail to do so, our control over
such VIEs might be adversely affected.
In the opinion of Commerce & Finance Law Offices, our PRC
counsel, except as described in this annual report, the VIE
arrangements between Chuangyi Technology and our consolidated VIEs,
as described in this annual report, do not violate PRC law and are
valid, binding and legally enforceable. However, uncertainties in
the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these
contractual arrangements and if the shareholders of the VIEs were
to reduce their interest in us, their interests may diverge from
ours and that may potentially increase the risk that they would
seek to act contrary to the contractual terms, for example by
influencing the VIEs not to pay the service fees when required to
do so.
Our ability to control the VIEs also depends on the power of
attorney Chuangyi Technology has to vote on all matters requiring
shareholder approval in the VIEs. As noted above, we believe this
power of attorney is legally enforceable but may not be as
effective as direct equity ownership.
In addition, if the PRC government were to find that the VIE
arrangements do not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on
foreign investment in the advertising industry and in the operating
of non-advertising content, or if the legal structure and
contractual arrangements were found to be in violation of any other
existing PRC laws and regulations, the PRC government could:
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revoke the business and operating licenses of our
PRC subsidiaries and affiliates; |
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discontinue or restrict our PRC subsidiaries’ and
affiliates’ operations; |
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impose conditions or requirements with which we
or our PRC subsidiaries and affiliates may not be able to comply;
or |
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require us or our PRC subsidiaries and affiliates
to restructure the relevant ownership structure or
operations. |
While we do not believe that any penalties imposed or actions taken
by the PRC government would result in the liquidation of us,
Chuangyi Technology, or the VIEs, the imposition of any of these
penalties may result in a material and adverse effect on our
ability to conduct our business. In addition, if the imposition of
any of these penalties causes us to lose the power to direct the
activities of the VIEs (and VIEs’ subsidiaries) that most
significantly impact the VIEs (and VIEs’ subsidiaries) economic
performance or the right to receive substantially all of the
benefits from the VIEs (and VIEs’ subsidiaries), we would no longer
be able to consolidate the VIEs (and VIEs’ subsidiaries).
In December 2018, the National People’s Congress of the PRC,
or the NPC, released another draft of foreign investment law, or
the Foreign Investment Law, for soliciting public comments. On
March 15, 2019, the Foreign Investment Law was enacted by the
NPC and was effective on January 1, 2020. Although the Foreign
Investment Law does not explicitly define the contractual
arrangements with VIEs as a form of foreign investment, it contains
an ambiguous clause that covers other form stipulated in laws,
administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State
Council within its definition of foreign investment. Therefore,
uncertainties still exist about whether our contractual
arrangements with VIEs will be deemed to violate the market access
requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws.
Additionally, if the State Council or laws, administrative
regulations require further actions regarding the existing
contractual arrangements with VIEs, we may not complete such
actions in a timely manner, or at all, which may materially and
adversely affect our business operation and financial
condition.
Because some of the shareholders of our VIEs in China are our
directors and officers, their fiduciary duties to us may conflict
with their respective roles in the VIEs, and their interest may not
be aligned with the interests of our unaffiliated public security
holders. If any of the shareholders of our VIEs fails to act in the
best interests of our company or our shareholders, our business and
results of operations may be materially and adversely
affected.
Certain of our directors and officers are shareholders in the VIEs,
namely AirNet Online, Linghang Shengshi, and Iwangfan.
Mr. Herman Man Guo, our chairman and chief executive officer,
in addition to holding 15.35% in our company, also directly and
indirectly holds approximately 80.00% of AirNet Online, 86.9193% of
Linghang Shengshi and 90.00% of Iwangfan. Mr. Qing Xu, our
director and executive president, in addition to holding 1.3% of
our company, also directly and indirectly holds approximately
15.00% of AirNet Online, and 12.9954% of Linghang Shengshi. In
addition, Mr. Guo is a director of AirNet Online, Linghang
Shengshi and Iwangfan, the general manager of Linghang Shengshi,
and the legal representative of AirNet Online and Linghang
Shengshi; Mr. Xu is a director of Linghang Shengshi, the
general manager and legal representative of Iwangfan. For these
directors and officers, their fiduciary duties toward our company
under Cayman Islands law — to act honestly, in good faith and with
a view to our best interests — may conflict with their roles in the
VIEs, as what is in the best interest of the VIEs may not be in the
best interests of our company or the unaffiliated public
shareholders of our company.
Currently, we do not have agreements in place that solely target to
resolve conflicts of interest arising between our company and the
VIEs and their operations. In addition, we have not appointed a
separate fiduciary — one without potential conflicts of interest —
to serve as the fiduciary of the public unaffiliated security
holders of our company. Although our independent directors or
disinterested officers may take measures to prevent the parties
with dual roles from making decisions that may favor themselves as
shareholders of the VIEs, we cannot assure you that these measures
would be effective in all instances. If the parties with dual roles
do find ways to make and carry out decisions on our behalf that are
detrimental to our interest, our business and results of operations
may be materially and adversely affected.
Certain provisions in the contractual agreements between Chuangyi
Technology and our VIEs do impose limits on the rights of the
shareholders of the VIEs. For example, each of the individual
shareholders of the VIEs (except Yi Zhang) has signed an
irrevocable power of attorney authorizing the person designated by
Chuangyi Technology to exercise its rights as shareholder,
including the voting rights, the right to enter into legal
documents and the right to transfer its equity interest in the
VIEs. However, we cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest
arise that each of our VIEs and its respective shareholders will
act completely in our interests or that conflicts of interests will
be resolved in our favor, or that the above contractual provisions
would be sufficient protection for us in the event that
shareholders of the VIEs fail to perform under their contracts with
Chuangyi Technology. In any such event, we would have to rely on
legal remedies under PRC law, which may not be effective. See “—We
rely on contractual arrangements with our consolidated variable
interest entities and their shareholders for a substantial portion
of our China operations, which may not be as effective as direct
ownership in providing operational control” and “Item 7. Major
Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—B. Related Party
Transactions—Contractual Arrangements.”
We rely on contractual arrangements with our consolidated
variable interest entities and their shareholders for a substantial
portion of our China operations, which may not be as effective as
direct ownership in providing operational control.
We rely on contractual arrangements with AirNet Online, Linghang
Shengshi, and Iwangfan to operate our Wi-Fi and air advertising
business. For a description of these arrangements, see
“Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational
Structure” and “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party
Transactions—B. Related Party Transactions—Contractual
Arrangements.” These contractual arrangements may not be as
effective as direct ownership in providing control over our VIEs.
Under these contractual arrangements, if our VIEs or their
shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations, we may
have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such
arrangements and rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including
seeking specific performance or injunctive relief and claiming
damages, and we may not be successful.
Many of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and
provide for disputes to be resolved through arbitration or
litigation in the PRC. The legal environment in the PRC is not as
developed as in 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, which may make
it difficult to exert effective control over our VIEs, and our
ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.
We have not registered the pledge of equity interest by
certain shareholder of our consolidated affiliated entities with
the relevant authority, and we may not be able to enforce the
equity pledge against any third parties who acquire the equity
interests in good faith in the relevant consolidated affiliated
entities before the pledge is registered.
The individual shareholders of our VIEs, each a consolidated
affiliated entity of ours, have pledged all of their equity
interests, including the right to receive declared dividends, in
the relevant VIEs to Chuangyi Technology, our wholly-owned
subsidiary. An equity pledge agreement becomes effective among the
parties upon execution, but according to the PRC Civil Code, an
equity pledge is not perfected as a security property right unless
it is registered with the relevant local administration for
industry and commerce. We have not yet registered the share pledges
by shareholders of AirNet Online, Linghang Shengshi and Iwangfan.
As the registration of these pledges has not yet been completed so
far, the pledges, as property rights, have not yet become effective
under the PRC Civil Code. Before the registration procedures are
completed, we cannot assure you that the effectiveness of these
pledges will be recognized by PRC courts if disputes arise with
respect to certain pledged equity interests or that Chuangyi
Technology’s interests as pledgee will prevail over those of third
parties. Chuangyi Technology may not be able to successfully
enforce these pledges against any third parties who have acquired
property right interests in good faith in the equity interests in
AirNet Online, Linghang Shengshi and Iwangfan. As a result, if
AirNet Online, Linghang Shengshi or Iwangfan breaches their
respective obligations under the various agreements described
above, and there are third parties who have acquired equity
interests in good faith, Chuangyi Technology would need to resort
to legal proceedings to enforce its contractual rights under the
equity pledge agreements, or the underlying agreements secured by
the pledges. We do not have agreements that pledge the assets of
the VIEs and their respective subsidiaries for the benefit of us or
our wholly owned subsidiaries.
Contractual arrangements we have entered into among our
subsidiaries and variable interest entities may be subject to
scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and a finding that we owe
additional taxes could substantially increase our taxes owed and
reduce our net income and the value of your investment.
Under PRC law, arrangements and transactions among related parties
may be audited or challenged by the PRC tax authorities. If any
transactions we have entered into among Chuangyi Technology and our
VIEs are found not to be on an arm’s length basis, or to result in
an unreasonable reduction in tax under PRC law, the PRC tax
authorities have the authority to disallow our tax savings, adjust
the profits and losses of our respective PRC entities and assess
late payment interest and penalties. A finding by the PRC tax
authorities that we are ineligible for the tax savings we achieved
would substantially increase our taxes owed and reduce our net
income and the value of your investment.
We may rely principally on dividends and other distributions
on equity paid by our wholly-owned operating subsidiaries to fund
any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation
on the ability of our operating subsidiaries to pay dividends to us
could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our
business.
We are a holding company, and we may rely principally on dividends
and other distributions on equity paid by Chuangyi Technology,
Shenzhen Yuehang and Xi’an Shengshi Dinghong Information Technology
Co., Ltd., or Xi’an Shengshi for our cash requirements,
including the funds necessary to service any debt we may incur. If
Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang or Xi’an Shengshi incurs debt
on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt
may restrict the ability of these entities to pay dividends or make
other distributions to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may
require us to adjust our taxable income under the contractual
arrangements Chuangyi Technology currently has in place with our
VIEs in a manner that would materially and adversely affect
Chuangyi Technology’s ability to pay dividends and other
distributions to us.
Furthermore, relevant PRC laws and regulations permit payments of
dividends by Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang and Xi’an
Shengshi only out of their accumulated profits, if any, as
determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and
regulations. Under PRC laws and regulations, Chuangyi Technology,
Shenzhen Yuehang and Xi’an Shengshi are also required to set aside
at least 10% of after-tax income based on PRC accounting standards
each year to their general reserves until the accumulative amount
of such reserves reaches 50% of their respective registered
capital.
The registered capital of Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang and
Xi’an Shengshi is $42.0 million, $96.4 million (approximately
RMB700 million) and $50.0 million, respectively. Xi’an Shengshi and
Chuangyi Technology have made the applicable annual appropriations
required under PRC law. Shenzhen Yuehang is not currently required
to fund any statutory surplus reserve because Shenzhen Yuehang
still has accumulated losses. Any direct or indirect limitation on
the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to distribute dividends and
other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our
ability to make investments or acquisitions at the holding company
level, pay dividends or otherwise fund and conduct our
business.
Although none of Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang or Xi’an
Shengshi has any present plan to pay any cash dividends to us in
the foreseeable future, any limitation on the ability of Chuangyi
Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang or Xi’an Shengshi 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, or otherwise fund and conduct our
business.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Adverse changes in the political and economic policies of the
PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall
economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our
services and have a material adverse effect on our competitive
position.
Substantially all of our assets are located in China and
substantially all of our revenues are derived from our operations
in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results
of operations and prospects are affected significantly by China’s
economic, political and legal developments. The Chinese economy
differs from the economies of most developed countries in many
respects, including the level of government involvement and the
level and growth rate of economic development.
While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth in the
past decades, growth has been uneven both geographically and among
various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been
slowing. The PRC 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 also have a negative effect on us. We cannot predict the future
direction of political or economic reforms or the effects such
measures may have on our business, financial position or results of
operations. Any adverse change in the political or economic
conditions in China, including changes in the policies of the PRC
government or in laws and regulations in China, could have a
material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China and
the industries in which we operate. Such developments could have a
material adverse effect on our business, lead to a reduction in
demand for our services and materially and adversely affect our
competitive position.
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could
limit the legal protections available to us or result in
substantial costs and the diversion of resources and management
attention.
We conduct our business primarily through Beijing Yuehang Digital
and AirNet Online, which are subject to PRC laws and regulations
applicable to foreign investment in China and, in particular, laws
applicable to wholly-foreign owned companies. The PRC legal system
is based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited
for reference but have limited precedential value. PRC legislation
and regulations afford significant protections to various forms of
foreign investments in China, but 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 involve uncertainties, which may
limit the legal protections available to us. In addition, any
litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial
costs and the diversion of resources and management attention.
A severe or prolonged downturn in the global or Chinese
economy could materially and adversely affect our business,
financial condition, results of operations and
prospects.
The global macroeconomic environment is facing challenges,
including the economic slowdown in the Eurozone since 2014,
potential impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European
Union on January 31, 2020, and the adverse impact on the
global economies and financial markets as the COVID-19 outbreak
continues to evolve into a worldwide health crisis in 2020. The
growth of the PRC economy has slowed down since 2012 compared to
the previous decade and the trend 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 and over the conflicts involving Ukraine, Syria
and North Korea. 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,
and the trade disputes between the United States and China. The
ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China may have
tremendous negative impact on the economies of not merely the two
countries concerned, but the global economy as a whole. It is
unclear whether these challenges and uncertainties will be
contained or resolved, and what effects they may have on the global
political and economic conditions in the long term.
Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic
conditions, changes in domestic economic and political policies,
and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in
China. While the economy in China has grown significantly over the
past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among
various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been
slowing in recent years. Although growth of China’s economy
remained relatively stable, there is a possibility that China’s
economic growth may materially decline in the near future. Any
severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or PRC economy may
materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
Fluctuations in the value of the Renminbi may have a material
adverse effect on your investment.
The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies
is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions
and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. In
July 2005, the PRC government changed its decades-old policy
of pegging the value of the RMB to the U.S. dollar, and the RMB
appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the
following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010,
this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the RMB and
the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since
June 2010, the RMB has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at
times significantly and unpredictably. Since October 1, 2016,
Renminbi has joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s basket
of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right (SDR), along
with the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the British
pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Renminbi has depreciated
significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and
persistent capital outflows of China. While
appreciating approximately by 7% against the U.S. dollar in 2017,
the Renminbi in 2018 depreciated approximately by 5% against the
U.S. dollar. Starting from the beginning of 2019, the
Renminbi has depreciated significantly against the U.S. dollar
again. In early August 2019, the PBOC set the Renminbi's daily
reference rate at RMB7.0039 to US$1.00, the first time that the
exchange rate of Renminbi to U.S. dollar exceeded 7.0 since 2008.
With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress
towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi
internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce
further changes to the exchange rate system and there is no
guarantee that Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate
significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is
difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government
policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S.
dollar in the future.
The reporting and functional currency of our Cayman Islands parent
company is the U.S. dollar. However, substantially all of the
revenues and expenses of our consolidated operating subsidiaries
and affiliate entities are denominated in Renminbi. Substantially
all of our sales contracts are denominated in Renminbi and
substantially all of our costs and expenses are denominated in
Renminbi. Any significant appreciation or depreciation of the RMB
may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and
financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on,
our ADSs in U.S. dollars. To the extent that we need to convert
U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, depreciation of the
Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on
the Renminbi amount we receive from the conversion. Conversely, if
we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose
of dividend distribution or for other business purposes,
depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a
negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.
Fluctuations in the exchange rate will also affect the relative
value of any dividend we issue which will be exchanged into U.S.
dollars and earnings from and the value of any U.S.
dollar-denominated investments we make in the future.
Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce
our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not
entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our
exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to
enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and
effectiveness of these hedges may be limited so that we may not be
able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our
currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control
regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into
foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may
have a material adverse effect on your investment.
Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to
receive and use our revenues or financing effectively.
Substantially all of our revenues and expenses are denominated in
Renminbi. We may need to convert a portion of our revenues into
other currencies to meet our foreign currency obligations,
including, among others, payments of dividends declared, if any, in
respect of our ordinary shares or ADSs. Under China’s existing
foreign exchange regulations, Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang
and Xi’an Shengshi are able to pay dividends in foreign currencies,
without prior approval from the State Administration of Foreign
Exchange, or the SAFE, by complying with certain procedural
requirements. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government
will not take measures in the future to restrict access to foreign
currencies for current account transactions.
Foreign exchange transactions by our subsidiaries and VIEs in China
under capital accounts continue to be subject to significant
foreign exchange controls and require the approval of, or
registration with, PRC governmental authorities. In particular, if
we or other foreign lenders make foreign currency loans to our
subsidiaries or VIEs in China, these loans must be registered with
the SAFE, and if we finance them by means of additional capital
contributions, these capital contributions must be approved by or
registered with certain government authorities including the SAFE,
the Ministry of Commerce or their local counterparts. These
limitations could affect the ability of our subsidiaries in China
to exchange the foreign currencies obtained through debt or equity
financing, and could affect our business and financial
condition.
On August 29, 2008, SAFE promulgated the Circular on the
Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the
Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency
Capital of Foreign Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 142,
regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of
foreign currency registered capital into RMB by restricting how the
converted RMB may be used. SAFE Circular 142 provides that the RMB
capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a
foreign-invested enterprise may only be used within the purpose
within the business scope approved by the applicable government
authority and unless otherwise provided by law, such RMB capital
may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. In addition,
SAFE strengthened its oversight of the flow and use of the RMB
capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a
foreign-invested company. The use of such RMB capital may not be
altered without SAFE approval, and such RMB capital may not in any
case be used to repay RMB loans if the proceeds of such loans have
not been used. Violations of SAFE Circular 142 could result in
severe monetary or other penalties. On November 9, 2011, SAFE
promulgated the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign
Exchange on Issues Relating to Further Clarification and
Regulation of Certain Capital Account Items under Foreign
Exchange Control (“Circular 45”) to further strengthen and clarify
its existing regulations on foreign exchange control under SAFE
Circular 142. Circular 45 expressly prohibits foreign invested
entities, including wholly foreign owned enterprises such as
Chuangyi Technology, from converting RMB funds derived from
settlement of foreign exchange capital for the purpose of domestic
equity investment, granting certain loans, repayment of
inter-company loans, and repayment of bank loans which have been
transferred to a third party. Further, Circular 45 generally
prohibits a foreign invested entity from converting RMB funds
derived from settlement of foreign exchange capital for the payment
of various types of cash deposits. If our VIEs require financial
support from us or our wholly foreign-owned enterprises in the
future and we find it necessary to use foreign currency-denominated
capital to provide such financial support, our ability to fund the
VIEs’ operations will be subject to statutory limits and
restrictions, including those described above.
Circular 45 was abolished by SAFE on March 19, 2015 according
to a Circular on Promulgating the Abolishment and Invalidation of
50 Foreign Exchange-related Regulatory Documents. On March 30,
2015, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming the Management
Approach Regarding the Foreign Exchange Capital Settlement of
Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, which took
effect on June 1, 2015 and replaced SAFE Circular 142. On
June 9, 2016, the SAFE promulgated the Circular of the State
Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Regulating
Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital
Accounts, or SAFE Circular 16, which revised some provisions of
SAFE Circular 19. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 allow
foreign-invested enterprises to settle 100% of their foreign
exchange capitals on a discretionary basis and allows ordinary
foreign-invested enterprises to make domestic equity investments by
capital transfer in the original currencies, or with the amount
obtained from foreign exchange settlement, subject to complying
with certain requirements. According to SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE
Circular 16, the RMB funds obtained by foreign-invested enterprises
from the discretionary settlement of foreign exchange capitals
shall be managed under the accounts pending for foreign exchange
settlement payment, and foreign-invested enterprise shall not use
its capital and the RMB funds obtained from foreign exchange
settlement for the purposes within the following negative list: for
expenditure beyond its business scope or expenditure prohibited by
laws and regulations, for investments in securities or other
investments than banks’ principal-secured products, for the
granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is
expressly permitted in the business license, or for construction or
expenses related to the purchase of real estate not for self-use,
unless it is a foreign-invested real estate enterprise.
Nevertheless, it is still not clear whether foreign-invested
enterprises like our PRC subsidiaries are allowed to extend
intercompany loans to our VIEs.
PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore
special purpose companies by PRC residents and registration
requirements for employee stock ownership plans or share option
plans may subject our PRC resident beneficial owners or the plan
participants to personal liability, limit our ability to inject
capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our subsidiaries’ ability
to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us,
or may otherwise adversely affect us.
Regulations promulgated by the SAFE require PRC residents and PRC
corporate entities to register with local branches of the SAFE in
connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment
activities. These regulations apply to our shareholders who are PRC
residents and may apply to any offshore acquisitions that we make
in the future.
On February 15, 2012, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on
Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for
Domestic Individuals Participating in an Employee Share Incentive
Plan of an Overseas-Listed Company (which replaced the old Circular
78, “Application Procedure of Foreign Exchange Administration for
Domestic Individuals Participating in an Employee Stock Holding
Plan or Stock Option Plan of an Overseas-Listed Company”
promulgated on March 28, 2007), or the New Share Incentive
Rule. Under the New Share Incentive Rule, PRC citizens who
participate in a share incentive plan of an overseas publicly
listed company are required to register with SAFE and complete
certain other procedures. All such participants need to retain a
PRC agent through a PRC subsidiary to register with SAFE and handle
foreign exchange matters such as opening accounts, transferring and
settlement of the relevant proceeds. The New Share Incentive
Rule further requires that an offshore agent should also be
designated to handle matters in connection with the exercise or
sale of share options and proceeds transferring for the share
incentive plan participants.
We and our PRC employees who have been granted stock options are
subject to the New Share Incentive Rule. We are in the process of
completing the registration and procedures which the New Share
Incentive Rule requires, but the application documents are
subject to the review and approval of SAFE, and we can make no
assurance as to when the registration and procedures could be
completed. If we or our PRC employees fail to comply with the New
Share Incentive Rule, we and/or our PRC employees may face
sanctions imposed by the foreign exchange authority or any other
PRC government authorities.
In addition, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, has
issued a few circulars concerning employee stock options. Under
these circulars, our employees working in China who exercise stock
options will be subject to PRC individual income tax. Our PRC
subsidiaries have obligations to file documents related to employee
stock options with relevant tax authorities and withhold individual
income taxes of those employees who exercise their stock options.
If our employees fail to pay and we fail to withhold their income
taxes, we may face sanctions imposed by tax authorities or any
other PRC government authorities.
Under the SAFE regulations, PRC residents who make, or have
previously made, direct or indirect investments in offshore
companies, will be required to register those investments. In
addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder
of an offshore company is required to file or update the
registration with the local branch of the SAFE, with respect to
that offshore company, any material change involving its round-trip
investment and capital variation. The PRC subsidiaries of that
offshore company are required to urge the PRC resident shareholders
to make such updates. If any PRC shareholder fails to make the
required SAFE registration or file or update the registration, the
PRC subsidiaries of that offshore parent company may be prohibited
from distributing their profits and the proceeds from any reduction
in capital, share transfer or liquidation, to their offshore parent
company, and the offshore parent company may also be prohibited
from injecting additional capital into their PRC subsidiaries.
Moreover, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration
requirements described above could result in liability under PRC
laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions, such
as restrictions on distributing dividend to our offshore entities
or monetary penalties against us. We cannot assure you that all of
our shareholders who are PRC residents will make or obtain any
applicable registrations or approvals required by these SAFE
regulations. The failure or inability of our PRC resident
shareholders to comply with these SAFE registration procedures may
subject us to fines and legal sanctions, restrict our cross-border
investment activities, or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to
distribute dividends to or obtain foreign-exchange-dominated loans
from our company.
As it is uncertain how the SAFE regulations will be interpreted or
implemented, we cannot predict how these regulations will affect
our business operations or future strategy. For example, we may be
subject to 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 results of operations and financial condition. 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 SAFE
regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our
acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and
prospects.
Certain measures promulgated by the People’s Bank of China on
foreign exchange for individuals set forth the respective
requirements for foreign exchange transactions by PRC individuals
under either the current account or the capital account.
Implementing rules for these measures were promulgated by the
SAFE which, among other things, specified approval requirements for
certain capital account transactions such as a PRC citizen’s
participation in the employee stock ownership plans or stock option
plans of an overseas publicly-listed company. The SAFE also
promulgated rules under which PRC citizens who are granted
stock options by an overseas publicly-listed company are required,
through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such overseas
publicly-listed company, to register with the SAFE and complete
certain other procedures. We and our PRC employees who have been
granted stock options are subject to these rules, and we are in the
process of completing the required registration and procedures, but
the application documents are subject to the review and approval of
SAFE, and we can make no assurance as to when the registration and
procedures could be completed. If we or our PRC optionees fail to
comply with these regulations, we or our PRC optionees may be
subject to fines and legal sanctions. See “Item 4. Information
on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation— SAFE Regulations on
Offshore Investment by PRC Residents and Employee Stock
Options.”
The M&A Rule sets forth complex procedures for
acquisitions conducted by foreign investors which could make it
more difficult to pursue growth through
acquisitions.
Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by
Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rule, sets forth complex
procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition
activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex.
Part of our growth strategy includes acquiring complementary
businesses or assets. Complying with the requirements of the
M&A Rule to complete such transactions could be
time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including
obtaining approval from the Ministry of Commerce, may delay or
inhibit the completion of such transactions, which could affect our
ability to expand our business or maintain our market share. In
addition, if any of our acquisitions were subject to the M&A
Rule and were found not to be in compliance with the
requirements of the M&A Rule in the future, relevant PRC
regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our
operations in the PRC, limit our operating privileges in the PRC,
or take other actions that could materially and adversely affect
our business and results of operations.
Changes in laws and regulations governing air travel media or
otherwise affecting our business in China may result in substantial
costs and diversion of resources and may materially and adversely
affect our business and results of operations.
There are no existing PRC laws or regulations that specifically
define or regulate air travel media. Changes in existing laws and
regulations or the implementation of new laws and regulations
governing the content of air travel media and our business licenses
or otherwise affecting our business in China may result in
substantial costs and diversion of resources and may materially and
adversely affect our business prospects and results of
operations.
The enforcement of the Labor Contract Law and other
labor-related regulations in China may adversely affect our
business and our results of operations.
The Labor Contract Law, which came into effect January 1, 2008
and was amended on December 28, 2012, established more
restrictions and increased costs for employers to dismiss employees
under certain circumstances, including specific provisions relating
to fixed-term employment contracts, non-fixed-term employment
contracts, task-based employment, part-time employment, probation,
consultation with the labor union and employee representative’s
council, employment without a contract, dismissal of employees,
compensation upon termination and for overtime work, and collective
bargaining. Under the Labor Contract Law, unless otherwise provided
by law, an employer is obligated to sign a labor contract with a
non-fixed term with an employee, if the employer continues to hire
the employee after the expiration of two consecutive fixed-term
labor contracts, or if the employee has worked for the employer for
10 consecutive years. Severance pay is required if a labor contract
expires and is not renewed because of the employer’s refusal to
renew or seeking to renew with less favorable terms. In addition,
under the Regulations on Paid Annual Leave for Employees, which
became effective on January 1, 2008, employees who have served
more than one year for an employer are entitled to a paid vacation
for five to 15 days, depending on the employee’s number of years of
employment. Employees who waive such vacation at the request of
employers are entitled to compensation that equals to three times
their regular daily salary for each waived vacation day. As a
result of these new labor protection measures, our labor costs are
expected to increase, which may adversely affect our business and
our results of operations. It is also possible that the PRC
government may enact additional labor-related legislations in the
future, which would further increase our labor costs and affect our
operations.
We have limited insurance coverage in China, and any business
disruption or litigation we experience may result in our incurring
substantial costs and the diversion of resources.
Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance
products and do not, to our knowledge, offer business liability
insurance. While business disruption insurance is available to a
limited extent in China, we have determined that the risks of
disruption, cost of such insurance and the difficulties associated
with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make
it impractical for us to have such insurance. As a result, except
for our liability insurance for directors and officers, we do not
have any business liability, disruption or litigation insurance
coverage for our operations in China. Any business disruption or
litigation may result in our incurring substantial costs and the
diversion of resources.
We may have claims and lawsuits against us that may result in
material adverse outcomes.
We have been and will be possibly subject to a variety of claims
and lawsuits. See “Item 8. Financial Information—A.
Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal
Proceedings.” This litigation and other claims that may be made
against us from time to time are subject to inherent uncertainties.
Adverse outcomes in one or more of those claims may result in
significant monetary damages or injunctive relief that could
adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. A material
adverse impact on our financial statements also could occur for the
period in which the effect of an unfavorable final outcome becomes
probable and reasonably estimable.
If one or more of our PRC subsidiaries fails to maintain or
obtain qualifications to receive PRC preferential tax treatments,
we will be required to pay more taxes, which may have a material
adverse effect on our result of operations.
The Enterprise Income Tax Law (revised in 2018), or the EIT law,
which became effective on December 29, 2018, imposes a uniform
income tax rate of 25% on most domestic enterprises and foreign
investment enterprises. Under this law, entities that qualify as
“high and new technology enterprises strongly supported by the
state,” or HNTE, are entitled to the preferential EIT rate of 15%.
A company’s status as a HNTE is valid for three years, after which
the company must re-apply for such qualification in order to
continue to enjoy the preferential EIT rate. In addition, according
to relevant guidelines, “new software enterprises” can enjoy an
income tax exemption for two years beginning with their first
profitable year and a 50% tax reduction to a rate of 12.5% for the
subsequent three years.
Wangfan Linghang Mobile Network Technology Co., Ltd., one of our
PRC subsidiaries, or Linghang received the HNTE certificate at the
end of 2017 and was entitled to an EIT rate of 15% from 2017,
expiring on December 26, 2020, and will be entitled to an EIT rate
of 25% afterwards.
Air Esurfing Information Technology Co., Ltd., one of our PRC
subsidiaries, or Air Esurfing received the HNTE certificate in 2018
and entitled to an EIT rate of 15% from 2018, expiring on September
10, 2021.
We cannot assure you that our PRC subsidiaries will be able to
maintain or obtain qualifications to receive the above preferential
tax treatments; we will be required to pay more taxes if they fail
to become or continue to be eligible to receive PRC tax benefits,
which may materially and adversely affect our business and results
of operations.
Dividends payable to us by our wholly-owned operating
subsidiaries may be subject to PRC withholding taxes, or we may be
subject to PRC taxation on our worldwide income, and dividends
distributed to our investors may be subject to more PRC withholding
taxes under PRC tax law.
Under the EIT Law and related regulations, dividends payable by a
foreign-invested enterprise in China to its foreign investors who
are non-resident enterprises are subject to a 10% withholding tax,
unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation
has a tax treaty with China that provides for a different
withholding arrangement. The British Virgin Islands, or BVI, where
Broad Cosmos Enterprises Ltd., or Broad Cosmos, our wholly-owned
subsidiary, is incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with
AN China, the 100% shareholder of Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen
Yuehang and Xi’an Shengshi, is incorporated in Hong Kong. According
to the Mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Arrangement on Avoiding Double Taxation or Evasion of Taxation on
Income between China and Hong Kong and the relevant rules,
dividends paid by a foreign-invested enterprise in China to its
direct holding company in Hong Kong will be subject to withholding
tax at a rate of 5% (if the foreign investor owns directly at least
25% of the shares of the foreign-invested enterprise). However,
under recently implemented PRC regulations, now our Hong Kong
subsidiary must obtain approval from the competent local branch of
the State Administration of Taxation in accordance with the
double-taxation agreement among the PRC and Hong Kong in order to
enjoy the 5% preferential withholding tax rate. In
February 2009, SAT issued Notice No. 81. According to
Notice No. 81, in order to enjoy the preferential treatment on
dividend withholding tax rates, an enterprise must be the
“beneficial owner” of the relevant dividend income, and no
enterprise is entitled to enjoy preferential treatment pursuant to
any tax treaties if such enterprise qualifies for such preferential
tax rates through any transaction or arrangement, the major purpose
of which is to obtain such preferential tax treatment. The tax
authority in charge has the right to make adjustments to the
applicable tax rates, if it determines that any taxpayer has
enjoyed preferential treatment under tax treaties as a result of
such transaction or arrangement. In October 2009, SAT issued
another notice on this matter, or Notice No. 601, to provide
guidance on the criteria to determine whether an enterprise
qualifies as the “beneficial owner” of the PRC sourced income for
the purpose of obtaining preferential treatment under tax treaties.
Pursuant to Notice No. 601, the PRC tax authorities will
review and grant tax preferential treatment on a case-by-case basis
and adopt the “substance over form” principle in the review. Notice
601 specifies that a beneficial owner should generally carry out
substantial business activities and own and have control over the
income, the assets or other rights generating the income.
Therefore, an agent or a conduit company will not be regarded as a
beneficial owner of such income. Since the two notices were issued,
it has remained unclear how the PRC tax authorities will implement
them in practice and to what extent they will affect the dividend
withholding tax rates for dividends distributed by our subsidiaries
in China to our Hong Kong subsidiary. If the relevant tax authority
determines that our Hong Kong subsidiary is a conduit company and
does not qualify as the “beneficial owner” of the dividend income
it receives from our PRC subsidiaries, the higher 10% withholding
tax rate may apply to such dividends. On February 3, 2018, SAT
issued Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on
Issues concerning “Beneficial Owners” in Tax Treaties, or Circular
9, which became effective on April 1, 2018 and superseded
Notice No. 601. In comparison with Notice No. 601,
Circular 9 enlarging and further explaining the scope of beneficial
owner, supplementing the applicants deemed as beneficial owners who
obtain proceeds from China as direct or indirect 100% shareholder,
increasing the certainty of identifying beneficial owner.
Under the EIT Law and EIT Implementation Rules, an enterprise
established outside of the PRC with “de facto management bodies”
within the PRC is considered a PRC resident enterprise and is
subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. The
EIT Implementation Rules define the term “de facto management
bodies” as “establishments that carry out substantial and overall
management and control over the manufacturing and business
operations, personnel, accounting, properties, etc. of an
enterprise.” The SAT issued the Notice Regarding the Determination
of Chinese-Controlled Overseas Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax
Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies, or
SAT Circular 82, on April 22, 2009. SAT Circular 82 provides
certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto
management body” of a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated
enterprise is located in China.
In addition, the SAT issued a bulletin on July 27, 2011 to
provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 with
an effective date to be September 1, 2011. The bulletin made
clarification in the areas of resident status determination,
post-determination administration, as well as competent tax
authorities. It also specifies that when provided with a copy of
the Chinese tax resident determination certificate from a resident
Chinese controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, the payer
should not withhold 10% income tax when paying the Chinese-sourced
dividends, interest, royalties, etc. to the Chinese controlled
offshore incorporated enterprise. Although both SAT Circular 82 and
the bulletin only apply to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC
enterprises, not to those that, like our company, are controlled by
PRC individuals, the determination criteria set forth in SAT
Circular 82 and administration clarification made in the bulletin
may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto
management body” test should be applied in determining the tax
residency status of offshore enterprises and the administration
measures that should be implemented, regardless of whether they are
controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC individuals.
After consulting with our PRC counsel, we do not believe that our
holding company and other overseas subsidiaries should be deemed
PRC resident enterprises as, among other things, certain of our
company’s key assets and records, including register of members,
board resolutions and shareholder resolutions, are located and
maintained outside of the PRC, and we also hold our board and board
committee meetings outside of the PRC from time to time. However,
we have been advised by our PRC counsel, Commerce &
Finance Law Offices, that because there remains uncertainty
regarding the interpretation and implementation of the EIT Law and
EIT Implementation Rules, it is uncertain whether we will be deemed
a PRC resident enterprise. If the PRC authorities were to
subsequently determine, or any further regulations provide, that we
should be treated as a PRC resident enterprise, we would be subject
to a 25% EIT on our global income. To the extent our holding
company earns income outside of China, a 25% EIT on our global
income may increase our tax burden and could adversely affect our
financial condition and results of operations.
If we are regarded as a PRC resident enterprise, dividends
distributed from our PRC subsidiaries to us could be exempt from
the PRC dividend withholding tax, since such income is exempt under
the EIT Law and the EIT Implementation Rules to the extent
such dividends are deemed “dividends among qualified PRC resident
enterprises.” If we are considered a resident enterprise for
enterprise income tax purposes, dividends we pay with respect to
our ADSs or ordinary shares may be considered income derived from
sources within the PRC and subject to PRC withholding tax of 10%.
In addition, non-PRC shareholders may be subject to PRC tax on
gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary
shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC.
It is unclear whether our non-PRC shareholders would be able to
claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their tax residence
and the PRC in the event that we are considered as a PRC resident
enterprise.
With the 10% PRC dividend withholding tax, we will incur an
incremental PRC tax cost when we distribute our PRC profits to our
ultimate shareholders if we are deemed not to be a PRC resident
enterprise. On the other hand, if we are determined to be a PRC
resident enterprise under the EIT Law and receive income other than
dividends, our profitability and cash flow would be adversely
impacted due to our worldwide income being taxed in China under the
EIT Law.
Moreover, under the EIT Law, foreign ADS holders may be subject to
a 10% withholding tax upon dividends payable by us and gains
realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary
shares, if we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise and such
income is deemed to be sourced from within the PRC. Although we are
incorporated in the Cayman Islands, it is unclear whether the
dividends payable by us or the gains our foreign ADS holders may
realize on disposition will be regarded as income from sources
within the PRC if we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise.
Any such tax on our dividend payments will reduce the returns of
your investment.
Scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax
authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we
may pursue in the future.
In connection with the EIT Law, the Ministry of Finance and the
State Administration of Taxation jointly issued, on April 30,
2009, the Notice on Issues Concerning Process of Enterprise Income
Tax in Enterprise Restructuring Business, or Circular 59. On
December 10, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation issued
the Notice on Strengthening the Management on Enterprise Income Tax
for Non-resident Enterprises Equity Transfer, or Circular 698. Both
Circular 59 and Circular 698 became effective retroactively on
January 1, 2008. By promulgating and implementing these
circulars, the PRC tax authorities have enhanced their scrutiny
over the direct or indirect transfer of equity interests in a PRC
resident enterprise by a non-resident enterprise. However, SAT
issued Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on
Matters concerning Withholding of Income Tax of Non-resident
Enterprises at Source, or Circular 37, which became effective on
December 1, 2017 and superseded Circular 698. In comparison
with Circular 698, Circular 37 releases the obligations of
withholding agent, taxpayer by adopting straightforward procedures
and simple calculation concerning withholding income tax of
non-resident enterprises at source.
On February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Announcement on
Several Issues concerning the Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect
Transfers of Properties by Non-Resident Enterprises, or Public
Notice 7, to supersede tax rules in relation to the Indirect
Transfer of Shares under the original SAT Circular 698. Public
Notice 7 covers transactions involving not only Indirect Transfer
of Shares as set forth under SAT Circular 698 but also transactions
involving an overseas company’s indirect transfer of other property
or assets (such as real properties) located in China (collectively,
‘‘PRC Taxable Properties’’) through transfer of shares of an
offshore intermediary company. Pursuant to Public Notice 7, in the
event that non-residential enterprises indirectly transfer PRC
Taxable Properties without reasonable commercial purposes in order
to evade PRC enterprise income tax, such indirect transfer will be
deemed as direct transfer of PRC Taxable Properties and, therefore,
be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. In addition, Public Notice
7 provides clearer criteria on how to assess reasonable commercial
purposes and allows for safe harbor scenarios applicable to
internal group restructurings. Under Public Notice 7, subject to
certain exceptions such as internal group restructurings and
purchase and sale of shares of the same publicly-listed oversea
enterprise in a public securities market, an indirect transfer of
PRC Taxable Properties shall be directly deemed as having no
reasonable commercial purposes if the following circumstances are
satisfied: (i) more than 75% of the value of overseas
enterprises’ shares directly or indirectly comes from PRC Taxable
Properties; (ii) at any time within one year before the
indirect transfer of PRC Taxable Properties, more than 90% the
total amount of overseas enterprises’ assets (excluding cash) are
directly or indirectly constituted by their investment within the
PRC, or within one year before the indirect transfer of PRC Taxable
Properties, more than 90% of the overseas enterprises’ income
directly or indirectly derive from the PRC; (iii) the overseas
enterprises and their controlling enterprises, which directly or
indirectly hold PRC Taxable Properties, cannot justify the economic
substance of the corporate structure; and (iv) overseas tax
payment regarding indirect transfer of PRC Taxable Properties is
lower than PRC tax payment regarding direct transfer of PRC Taxable
Properties. Public Notice 7 also brings uncertainties to the
offshore transferor and transferee of the indirect transfer of PRC
Taxable Properties as they have to make self-assessment on whether
the transaction should be subject to PRC tax and to file or
withhold the PRC tax accordingly. As a result, where non-resident
investors were involved in our private equity financing or share
transfer of our company between two or more offshore parties, if
such transactions were determined by the tax authorities to lack
reasonable commercial purpose, we and our non-resident investors
may become at risk of being taxed under Circular 37 and Public
Notice 7 and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply
with Circular 37 and Public Notice 7 or to establish that we should
not be taxed under Circular 37 and Public Notice 7, which may have
an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of
operations.
The PRC tax authorities have the discretion under Public Notice 7
to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the
difference between the fair value of the equity interests
transferred and the cost of investment. We may pursue acquisitions
in the future that may involve complex corporate structures. If we
are considered a non-resident enterprise under the PRC Enterprise
Income Tax Law and if the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to
the taxable income of the transactions under SAT Circular 59,
Circular 37 or Public Notice 7, our income tax costs associated
with such potential acquisitions will be increased, which may have
an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of
operations. Although Circular 37 requires less scrutiny on
withholding income tax of non-resident enterprises at source, we
cannot assure you that the PRC government will not take harsh
measures in the future with respect to tax related regulations over
acquisition transactions.
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 and could result in a loss of your investment in our
stock, especially if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved
favorably.
Occasionally, U.S. public companies that have substantially all of
their operations in China, particularly companies which have
completed so-called reverse merger transactions, 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 around 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. For
example, in December 2012, the SEC initiated administrative
proceedings against the China affiliates of the Big Four public
accounting firms for allegedly refusing to produce audit work
papers and other documents related to certain China-based companies
under investigation by the SEC for potential accounting fraud
against U.S. investors. Although the firms reached a settlement
with the SEC and although we were not and are not subject to any
ongoing SEC investigations, many U.S. listed Chinese companies are
now subject to, or may become subject to, shareholder lawsuits and
SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external
investigations into the allegations. As a result of this proceeding
and the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly
traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies has sharply
decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually
worthless. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny,
criticism and negative publicity will have on our Company, 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 growing our company.
If additional remedial measures are imposed on the “Big Four”
PRC-based accounting firms, including Deloitte, our previous
independent registered public accounting firm, in administrative
proceedings brought by the SEC alleging the firms’ failure to meet
specific criteria set by the SEC, with respect to requests for the
production of documents, investors’ confidence in our reported
financial information and the price of our ADSs could be adversely
affected.
Starting in 2011, the Chinese affiliates of the “big four”
accounting firms, including Deloitte, our previous independent
registered public accounting firm, were affected by a conflict
between the United States’ and Chinese laws. Specifically, for
certain U.S. listed companies operating and audited in mainland
China, the SEC and the PCAOB sought to obtain from these Chinese
accounting firms access to their audit work papers and related
documents. The firms were, however, advised and directed that under
PRC law they could not respond directly to the U.S. regulators on
those requests, and that requests by foreign regulators for access
to such papers in China had to be channeled through the China
Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC.
In late 2012, this impasse led the SEC to commence administrative
proceedings under Rule 102(e) of its Rules of
Practice and also under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 against the
Chinese accounting firms, including Deloitte. A first instance
trial of the proceedings in July 2013 in the SEC’s internal
administrative court resulted in an adverse judgment against the
firms. The administrative law judge proposed penalties on the firms
including a temporary suspension of their right to practice before
the SEC, although such proposed penalties did not take effect
pending review by the Commissioners of the SEC. On February 6,
2015, before a review by the Commissioner had taken place, the
firms reached a settlement with the SEC. Under the settlement, the
SEC accepts that future requests by the SEC for the production of
documents will normally be made to the CSRC. The firms will receive
matching Section 106 requests, and are required to abide by a
detailed set of procedures with respect to such requests, which in
substance require them to facilitate production via the CSRC. If
they fail to meet the specified criteria, the SEC retains authority
to impose a variety of additional remedial measures on the firms,
depending on the nature of the failure. Under the terms of the
settlement, the underlying proceeding against the four PRC-based
accounting firms was deemed dismissed with prejudice at the end of
four years starting from the settlement date, which was
February 6, 2019. We cannot predict if the SEC will further
challenge the four PRC-based accounting firms’ compliance with U.S.
law in connection with U.S. regulatory requests for audit work
papers or if the results of such a challenge would result in the
SEC imposing penalties such as suspensions.
In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings,
depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United
States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or
impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the
PRC, which could result in financial statements being determined to
not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act and
possible delisting. Moreover, any negative news about any such
future proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor
uncertainty regarding China-based, United States-listed companies
and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.
The custodians or authorized users of our controlling
non-tangible assets, including chops and seals, may fail to fulfill
their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these
assets.
Under the PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions,
including agreements and contracts 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
relevant PRC market regulation administrative authorities.
In order to secure the use of our chops and seals, we have
established internal control procedures and rules for using these
chops and seals. In any event that the chops and seals are intended
to be used, the responsible personnel will submit the application
through our office automation system and the application will be
verified and approved by authorized employees in accordance with
our internal control procedures and rules. In addition, in order to
maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them
stored in secured locations accessible only to authorized
employees. Although we monitor such authorized employees, the
procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse
or negligence. There is a risk that our employees could abuse their
authority, for example, by entering into a contract not approved by
us or seeking to gain control of one of our subsidiaries or our
affiliated entities or their subsidiaries. If any employee obtains,
misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling
non-tangible 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 and divert management from our operations.
It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct
investigations or collect evidence within China.
Shareholder claims or regulatory investigations that are common in
jurisdictions outside China are difficult to pursue as a matter of
law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are
significant legal and other obstacles to providing information
needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated
outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a
regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory
authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border
supervision and administration, such cooperation with the
securities regulatory authorities in the United States or other
jurisdictions may not be efficient in the absence of a mutual and
practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, 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, and without the consent
by the Chinese securities regulatory authorities under the State
Council and the relevant competent departments
under the State Council, no entity or individual may provide
documents or materials related to securities business to any
foreign party. While detailed interpretation of or implementation
rules under Article 177 has yet to be promulgated, the inability of
an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation
or evidence collection activities within China and the potential
obstacles for information provision may further increase
difficulties you face in protecting your interests. See “—You may
face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to
protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited,
because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law, conduct
substantially all of our operations in China and most of our
directors and officers reside outside the United States” for risks
associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands company.
You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and
your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts
may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands
law, conduct substantially all of our operations in China and most
of our directors and officers reside outside the United
States.
We are an exempted company with limited liability incorporated
under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are
governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the
Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the common law
of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action
against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the
fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law
are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman
Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part
from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands
as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose
courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court
in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the
fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not
as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial
precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In
particular, the Cayman Islands have a less developed body of
securities laws than the United States. Some states in the United
States, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially
interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In
addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to
initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the
United States.
Shareholders of exempted companies in Cayman Islands like us have
no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate
records (other than our memorandum and articles of association,
special resolutions passed by our shareholders, and our register of
mortgages and chargers) or to obtain copies of lists of
shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion to
determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate
records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged
to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more
difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any
facts necessary for a shareholder resolution or to solicit proxies
from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.
Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which
is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for
companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the United
States. If we choose to follow home country practice in the future,
our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they
otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S.
domestic issuers.
In addition, we conduct substantially all of our business
operations in China, and substantially all of our directors and
senior management are based in China. The SEC, U.S. Department of
Justice and other authorities often have substantial difficulties
in bringing and enforcing actions against non-U.S. companies and
non-U.S. persons, including company directors and officers, in
certain emerging markets, including China. Additionally, our public
shareholders may have limited rights and few practical remedies in
emerging markets where we operate, as shareholder claims that are
common in the United States, including class action securities law
and fraud claims, generally are difficult or impossible to pursue
as a matter of law or practicality in many emerging markets,
including China. For example, in China, there are significant legal
and other obstacles for the SEC, the DOJ and other U.S. authorities
to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or
litigation. Although the competent authorities in China may
establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities
regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement
cross-border supervision and administration, the regulatory
cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the
United States has not been efficient in the absence of a mutual and
practical cooperation mechanism. In China, without the consent of
the Chinese securities regulatory authorities under the State
Council and the relevant competent departments under the State
Council, no organization or individual may provide the documents
and materials relating to securities business activities to foreign
securities regulators. See “—It may be difficult for overseas
regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within
China.”
As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have
more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of
actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or
controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of
a company incorporated in the United States.
Risks Related to the Market for Our ADSs
The trading price of our ADSs has been and may continue to be
volatile.
The trading price of our ADSs has been and may continue to be
subject to wide fluctuations. During the year of 2020, the trading
prices of our ADSs on the Nasdaq Capital Market ranged from $0.64
to $2.19 per ADS, and the last reported trading price on May 5,
2021 was $3.51 per ADS. Effective on April 11, 2019, we
adjusted the ratio of our ADSs to ordinary shares from one ADS
representing two ordinary shares to one ADS representing ten
ordinary shares. The aforementioned trading prices have not been
adjusted for the ADS ratio change. The price of our ADSs may
fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors including,
changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other
advertising companies, conditions in the air travel media industry
and the sales or perceived potential sales of additional ordinary
shares or ADSs.
In addition, the securities market has from time to time
experienced significant price and volume fluctuations unrelated to
the operating performance of particular companies. These market
fluctuations may also have a material adverse effect on the market
price of our ADSs.
Additional sales of our ordinary shares in the public market, or
the perception that these sales could occur, could also cause the
market price of our ADSs to decline.
If we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements
of Nasdaq, we would face possible delisting, which would result in
a limited public market for our ADSs and make obtaining future debt
or equity financing more difficult for us.
Our ADSs are currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under
the symbol “ANTE.” We are required to meet certain qualitative and
financial requirements to maintain the listing of our ADSs on
Nasdaq.
We received a notification letter from Nasdaq on March 30, 2020
indicating that the closing bid price per ADS had been below $1.00
for a period of 30 consecutive business days and that we did not
meet the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Rule 5550(a)(2)
of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Due to the tolling of compliance
period through June 30, 2020, as determined by Nasdaq, we had until
December 10, 2020, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price
requirement. We received a notification letter from the Listing
Qualifications Department of Nasdaq dated November 13, 2020
notifying us that we have regained compliance with the
requirement.
In addition, we received a notification letter from Nasdaq on
September 16, 2020 indicating that we failed to comply with Rule
5550(b) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, which requires a minimum $2.5
million stockholders’ equity, or $35 million market value of listed
securities, or $500,000 of net income from continuing operations.
The letter also noted that we have until November 2, 2020 to submit
a plan to Nasdaq to regain compliance with Rule 5550(b) of the
Nasdaq Listing Rules. After reviewing the compliance plan which we
submitted, Nasdaq granted us an extension to regain compliance.
Under the terms of the extension, we must, on or before March 15,
2021, complete the actions undertaken by us in the compliance plan
and evidence compliance with the Rule 5550(b) of the Nasdaq Listing
Rules. We received a notification letter from the Listing
Qualifications Department of Nasdaq dated February 18, 2021,
notifying us that we have regained compliance with the market value
requirement.
However,
there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to
maintain our compliance with the continued listing requirements of
Nasdaq. If we fail to satisfy the requirements going forward or
fail to regain compliance on a timely basis, our ADSs could be
delisted from Nasdaq Capital Market and they would likely be traded
on the over-the-counter markets. As a result, selling our ADSs
could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would
likely be bought and sold, and security analysts’ coverage of us
may be reduced. In addition, in the event our ADSs are delisted,
broker-dealers would bear certain regulatory burdens which may
discourage them from effecting transactions in our ADSs and further
limit the liquidity. These factors could result in lower trading
prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our ADSs.
Such delisting from Nasdaq could also greatly impair our
ability to raise additional funds through equity or debt
financing.
We have been named as a defendant or respondent in legal
proceedings that could have a material adverse impact on our
business, financial condition, results of operation, cash flows and
reputation.
We will have to defend against the legal proceedings described in
“Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and
Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings,” including any
appeals of such legal proceedings should our initial defense be
unsuccessful. We are currently unable to estimate the possible loss
or possible range of loss, if any, associated with the resolution
of these legal proceedings. In the event that our initial defense
of these legal proceedings is unsuccessful, there can be no
assurance that we will prevail in any appeal. Any adverse outcome
of these cases, including any plaintiff’s or claimant’s appeal of a
judgment in these legal proceedings, could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition, results of operation,
cash flows and reputation. In addition, there can be no assurance
that our insurance carriers will cover all or part of the defense
costs, or any liabilities that may arise from these matters. The
legal proceeding process may utilize a significant portion of our
cash resources and divert management’s attention from the
day-to-day operations of our company, all of which could harm our
business. We also may be subject to claims for indemnification
related to these matters, and we cannot predict the impact that
indemnification claims may have on our business or financial
results.
You may not have the same voting rights as the holders of our
ordinary shares and may not receive voting materials in time to be
able to exercise your right to vote.
Except as described in this annual report and in the deposit
agreement, holders of our ADSs will not be able to exercise voting
rights attaching to the shares evidenced by our ADSs on an
individual basis. Holders of our ADSs will appoint the depositary
or its nominee as their representative to exercise the voting
rights attaching to the shares represented by the ADSs. You may not
receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to
vote, and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their ADSs
through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the
opportunity to exercise a right to vote.
Your right to participate in any future rights offerings may
be limited, which may cause dilution to your holdings and you may
not receive cash dividends if it is impractical to make them
available to you.
We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders,
including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make
rights available to you in the United States unless we register
both the rights and the securities to which the rights relate under
the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act,
or an exemption from the registration requirements is available.
Under the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will not make
rights available to you unless both the rights and the underlying
securities to be distributed to ADS holders are either registered
under the Securities Act or exempt from registration under the
Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration
statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to
endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared
effective and we may not be able to establish a necessary exemption
from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you may be
unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience
dilution in your holdings.
The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash
dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on
our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting
its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in
proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent.
However, the depositary may, at its discretion, decide that it is
inequitable or impractical to make a distribution available to any
holders of ADSs. For example, the depositary may determine that it
is not practicable to distribute certain property through the mail,
or that the value of certain distributions may be less than the
cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may decide not
to distribute such property to you.
You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your
ADSs.
Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However,
the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from
time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the
performance of its duties.
In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or
register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of
the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary
deem it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of
any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the
deposit agreement, or for any other reason.
Anti-takeover provisions in our memorandum and articles of
association and rights agreement could adversely affect the rights
of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.
We have included certain provisions in our memorandum and articles
of association that could limit the ability of others to acquire
control of our company and deprive our shareholders of the
opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over the prevailing
market price by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain
control of our company in a tender offer or similar transactions.
The following provisions in our articles may have the effect of
delaying or preventing a change of control of our company:
|
· |
Our
board of directors has the authority to establish from time to time
one or more series of preferred shares without action by our
shareholders and to determine, with respect to any series of
preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, including
the designation of the series, the number of shares of the series,
the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting
rights, and the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation
preferences. |
|
· |
Subject to applicable regulatory requirements,
our board of directors may issue additional ordinary shares or
rights to acquire ordinary shares without action by our
shareholders to the extent of available authorized but unissued
shares. |
On August 13, 2020, our board of directors adopted a rights
agreement between us and American Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, LLC, as the rights agent, and declared a dividend
distribution of one right with respect to each of our outstanding
ordinary share held of record at the close of business on
August 24, 2020. When exercisable, each right will entitle the
registered holder to purchase one ordinary share of our company at
an exercise price of US$0.9 per right, subject to adjustment. In
general terms, it works by imposing a significant penalty upon any
person or group that acquires 15% or more of our ordinary shares
without the approval of our board of directors. As a result, the
overall effect of the rights agreement and the issuance of the
rights may be to render more difficult or discourage a merger,
tender or exchange offer or other business combination involving us
that is not approved by our board. The issuance of additional
ordinary shares of our company pursuant to the rights agreement
would cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts
to acquire us on terms not approved by our board of directors.
Our corporate actions are substantially controlled by our
principal shareholders who could exert significant influence over
important corporate matters, which may reduce the price of our ADSs
and deprive you of an opportunity to receive a premium for your
shares.
Certain principal shareholders hold a substantial percentage of the
outstanding shares of our company. For example, as of March 31,
2021, our principal shareholder, Mr. Herman Man Guo, along
with his wife, Ms. Dan Shao, beneficially owned approximately
25.0% of our outstanding ordinary shares. Mr. Guo and other
principal shareholders of our company could exert substantial
influence over matters such as electing directors and approving
material mergers, acquisitions or other business combination
transactions. This concentration of ownership may also discourage,
delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could
have the dual effect of depriving our shareholders of an
opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale
of our company and reducing the price of our ADSs. These actions
may be taken even if they are opposed by our other
shareholders.
We are a “foreign private issuer,” and have disclosure
obligations that are different from those of U.S. domestic
reporting companies so you should not expect to receive the same
information about us at the same time as a U.S. domestic reporting
company may provide.
We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not
subject to certain of the requirements imposed upon U.S. domestic
issuers by the SEC. For example, we are not required by the SEC or
the federal securities laws to issue quarterly reports or proxy
statements with the SEC. We are required to file our annual report
within four months of our fiscal year end. We are not required to
disclose certain detailed information regarding executive
compensation that is required from U.S. domestic issuers. Further,
our directors and executive officers are not required to report
equity holdings under Section 16 of the Securities Act. We are
also exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair
Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select
groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an
issuer before other investors. We are, however, still subject to
the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as
Rule 10b-5. Since many of the disclosure obligations required
of us as a foreign private issuer are different from those required
by other U.S. domestic reporting companies, our shareholders should
not expect to receive information about us in the same amount and
at the same time as information is received from, or provided by,
other U.S. domestic reporting companies. We are liable for
violations of the rules and regulations of the SEC which do
apply to us as a foreign private issuer. Violations of these
rules could affect our business, results of operations and
financial condition.
We believe we were a passive foreign investment company for
our taxable year ended December 31, 2020, which could subject
United States investors in the ADSs or ordinary shares to
significant adverse U.S. federal income tax
consequences.
Based on the market price of our ADSs and composition of our assets
(in particular the retention of a substantial amount of cash), we
believe that we were a “passive foreign investment company,” or
“PFIC,” for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our taxable year
ended December 31, 2020, and we may be a PFIC for our current
taxable year ending December 31, 2021 unless the market price
of our ADSs increases and/or we invest a substantial amount of cash
and other passive assets we hold in assets that produce or are held
for the production of non-passive income. A non-U.S. corporation
will be considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either
(1) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of
certain types of “passive” income or (2) 50% or more of the
average quarterly value of its assets (as generally determined on
the basis of fair market value) during such year produce or are
held for the production of passive income.
If we were to be classified as a PFIC in any taxable year, a U.S.
Holder (as defined in Item 10. Additional
Information—E.—Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Taxation) may incur
significantly increased U.S. income tax on gain recognized on the
sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares and on the
receipt of distributions on the ADSs or ordinary shares to the
extent such gain or distribution is treated as an “excess
distribution” under the U.S. federal income tax rules. Furthermore,
a U.S. Holder will generally be treated as holding an equity
interest in a PFIC in the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder’s
holding period in which we become a PFIC and subsequent taxable
years even if, we, in fact, cease to be a PFIC in subsequent
taxable years. Accordingly, a U.S. Holder of our ADSs or ordinary
shares is urged to consult its tax advisor concerning the U.S.
federal income tax consequences of an investment in our ADSs or
ordinary shares, including the possibility of making a
“mark-to-market” election. For more information, see “Item 10.
Additional Information—E. Taxation—U.S. Federal Income
Taxation.”
|
ITEM 4. |
INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY |
A. History
and Development of the Company
We were incorporated in the Cayman Islands on April 12, 2007
and conducted our operations in China through our subsidiaries,
consolidated VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries. We commenced
operations in August 2005 in China through Linghang Shengshi,
a consolidated variable interest entity of our principal
subsidiary, Chuangyi Technology. Later, we established additional
PRC consolidated VIEs to conduct our operations in China.
Substantially all of our current operations are conducted through
contractual arrangements with these VIEs.
On November 7, 2007, we listed our ADSs on the Nasdaq Global
Market under the symbol “AMCN.” We and certain of our then
shareholders completed the initial public offering of 17,250,000
ADSs, representing 34,500,000 of our ordinary shares, on
November 13, 2007. Our ADSs were subsequently transferred to
the Nasdaq Global Select Market, and transferred to the Nasdaq
Capital Market in November 2018. On April 11, 2019, we
changed our ADS share ratio from one ADS representing two ordinary
shares to one ADS representing ten ordinary shares. Our trading
symbol on the Nasdaq Capital Market has been changed from “AMCN” to
“ANTE” effective on June 13, 2019.
During 2014 and 2015, we dissolved certain non-operating holding
entities, including Glorious Star Investment Limited, Dominant City
Ltd. and Easy Shop Limited.
In 2015, we sold all equity interest of Jinsheng Advertising, the
operating entity of our TV-attached digital frames business. In
connection with such equity interest transfer, we have transferred
all relevant assets, liabilities and managerial duties related to
the TV-attached digital frames operated by Jinsheng Advertising
with net carrying value of $1.1 million. In 2015, we also divested
our digital TV screens in airports and did not renew the relevant
concession right contracts as they expired. As a result, we ceased
our operation of the business line of digital TV screens in
airports.
In June 2015, we entered into an equity interest transfer
agreement with Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund Management
Co., Ltd. to sell 75% equity interest of AM Advertising, for a
consideration of RMB2.1 billion in cash. In
November 2015, Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund
Management Co., Ltd. assigned and transferred its rights and
obligations under the equity interest transfer agreement relating
to 46.43% equity interest of AM Advertising to Beijing Cultural
Center Construction and Development Fund (Limited Partnership)
(“Culture Center”). As part of the transaction, we effected an
internal business reorganization and transferred all our media
business in airports (excluding digital TV screens in airports and
TV-attached digital frames) and all billboard and LED media
business outside of airports (excluding gas station media network
and digital TV screens on airplanes) to AM Advertising to form the
target business to be sold (the “Disposed Business”) and
transferred our other business out of AM Advertising. To effectuate
the sale, we removed the VIE structure with respect to AM
Advertising. The change in the equity ownership of AM Advertising
was registered with the local branch of the State Administration
for Industry and Commerce, or the SAIC (which has merged into the
State Administration for Market Regulation, or the SAMR, in
March 2018), in December 2015. We have ceased to
consolidate the results of AM Advertising after the sale.
In addition, the agreement’s earnout provisions will continue to
apply until all profit targets are achieved. In the event the
adjusted net profit of AM Advertising after the provided
restructuring in 2015, 2016 and 2017 is less than the profit target
provided for in the agreement, we, as a shareholder of AM
Advertising, will be obligated to compensate the buyers for the
deficiency by nil-consideration equity interest transfers or other
means of compensation. On March 28, 2018, August 23, 2018
and November, 2018, we entered into a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) and its supplemental agreement respectively, with, among
others, Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund Management Co.,
Ltd and Beijing Cultural Center Construction and Development Fund
(Limited Partnership), under which, among other things, Linghang
Shengshi, Mr. Guo and Mr. Xu have agreed to pay or make
available to AM Advertising on or prior to May 30, 2018 and
further extended to September 30, 2018 and December 31,
2018 an aggregate of RMB304.5 million to hedge the following
amounts (i) the RMB152.0 million profits attributable to
Linghang Shengshi, Mr. Guo and Mr. Xu for the first nine
months of 2015, based on a third-party pro forma audit report on
the Target Business; (ii) the loan of RMB88.0 million in
principal balance and RMB7.8 million in interests; and
(iii) the payment of RMB56.7 million in cash after the sale of
the 20.32% equity interests in AM Advertising, which consisted of
20.18% equity interests held by us and 0.14% equity interests held
by Mr. Man Guo and Mr. Qing Xu on behalf of our company,
and following the completion of the foregoing arrangements, our
obligations with respect to the profit target for 2015, the earnout
provision for the first nine months of 2015 and the loans between
AM Advertising and Linghang Shengshi shall be deem completed. As
the primary rights and obligations of the MoU have been fulfilled
including the transfer all its media business in airports
(excluding digital TV screens in airports and TV-attached digital
frames) and all billboard and LED media business outside of
airports (excluding gas station media network and digital TV
screens on airplanes) to AM Advertising, and transfer of the
trademark to AM advertising, and we did not received any notice of
cancellation of the MoU from Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment
Fund Management Co., Ltd and Beijing Cultural Center Construction
and Development Fund (Limited Partnership), we believe the MoU is
legally valid. We will make payment according to the MoU once the
application for tax refund of AM Advertising finishes as agreed in
the MoU. And once the tax refund finishes, the net settlement
amount may be reduced pursuant to the MoU.
In January 2021, we were informed that two of Linghang Shengshi’s
bank accounts amounted to $1 in aggregate was frozen by the court
as Culture Center applied to the court regardless of the
arbitration process in the China International Economic and Trade
Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) in connection with the sale
by us of 75% equity interests in AM Advertising. We believed the
application is non-excused as it conflicted with the arbitration
proceeding already submitted by the Culture Center to the CIETAC
and defended the actions by applying to the court to unfreeze
Linghang Shengshi’s bank accounts. In March 2021, we discovered
that the equity interest of AirNet Online held by Mr. Herman Man
Guo and Mr. Qing Xu was frozen by the court, which was applied to
the court by AM Advertising to urge all parties to settle the
Transfer (the “Case”). However, we believed that the court has no
right of jurisdiction to judge this Case as it was an arbitration
process in the CIETAC and would be conflicting, and we submitted
the objection to the court. The judge of the Case has orally
approved the objection and the Case will be withdrawn.
In April 2015, we established AirNet Online, a variable
interest entity of us, to operate the Wi-Fi business.
In January 2017, we, through AirNet Online, established Unicom
AirNet (Beijing) Network Co., Ltd., or Unicom AirNet, jointly
with Unicom Broadband Online Co., Ltd., a wholly owned
subsidiary of China Unicom, and Chengdu Haite Kairong Aeronautical
Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of a listed
company providing aeronautical technical services. Pursuant to a
capital contribution agreement entered into by the relevant
parties, AirNet Online invested an aggregate of
RMB117.9 million in Unicom AirNet. AirNet Online currently
holds 39% of equity interests in Unicom AirNet, and can designate
three directors to its seven-member board. We and the other two
shareholders of Unicom AirNet intend to build global network for
aeronautical communication and provide in-flight Internet and other
value-added services through this newly established company. We
believe that our respective expertise and advantages in
telecommunication and aeronautical technology can be fully utilized
under this joint venture.
In November 2018, Linghang Shengshi, Mr. Guo and
Mr. Xu entered into an equity transfer agreement with Jiangsu
Hongzhou Investment Co., Ltd., an independent third party to
sell 20.32% equity interest of AM Advertising for an initial
transfer price of RMB 580 million in cash. We have completed
the equity interest transfer and have received the installment
payment of RMB 200 million for the transfer pursuant to this
equity transfer agreement and a supplemental agreement entered into
by the same parties in November 2019.
In conjunction with the realignment of our business to further
develop the in-flight connectivity business, our shareholders
resolved to change our name from “AirMedia Group Inc.” to “AirNet
Technology Inc.” in an extraordinary general meeting on
May 20, 2019.
We have established a new line of business in relation to
cryptocurrency mining to mitigate the adversary impacts of COVID-19
on our in-flight connectivity business. On December 30, 2020, we
entered into an investment agreement with Unistar Group Holdings
Limited (“Unistar”), an unaffiliated party. Pursuant to the
agreement, we issued 23,876,308 ordinary shares, or approximately
19% of our then outstanding ordinary shares, to Unistar on December
31, 2020, in exchange for the delivery and transfer by Unistar to
us of computer servers specifically designed for mining
cryptocurrencies. On February 4, 2021, we entered into an
investment agreement with Northern Shore Group Limited (“Northern
Shore”), an unaffiliated party. Pursuant to the agreement, we
issued 28,412,806 ordinary shares, or approximately 19% of our then
outstanding ordinary shares, to Northern Shore in exchange for the
delivery and transfer by Northern Shore to us of computer servers
specifically designed for mining cryptocurrencies.
Our principal executive offices are located at Suite 301 No. 26
Dongzhimenwai Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100027, People’s
Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is
+86-10-8450-8818 and our fax number is +86-10-8460-8658. Our
registered office in the Cayman Islands is at the offices of Maples
Corporate Services Limited, P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand
Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands.
B. Business
Overview
General
Driven by innovation, we gradually reinvented ourselves and shaped
our core competence in providing in-flight solutions to
connectivity, entertainment and digital multimedia in China.
Collaborating with our partners, we provide Chinese airlines with
seamless and immersive Internet connections through a network of
satellites and land-based beacons, furnish airline travelers with
interactive entertainment and coverage of breaking news, and
provide corporate clients with advertisements tailored to the
changing perceptions of the travelers.
Collaborating with China Unicom, we are licensed to provide
in-flight connectivity over the Internet. Furthermore, backed by
our partners’ next-generation satellite communications hardware, we
are able to provide airline travelers with a seamless and immersive
Internet connection delivering the same experience as it would’ve
been otherwise on the ground. Moreover, our strategic partnership
with China Eastern Airlines Media Co., Ltd. enables us to
deliver multimedia contents to travelers on airplanes operated by
China Eastern Airlines through a mobile app.
In addition to our active endeavors in in-flight connectivity, we
maintain a wide range of in-flight entertainment and advertising
contents. As of May 6, 2021, we have access to in-flight
entertainment and advertising contents including exclusive
in-flight copyrights to over 80% of movies previously shown in
domestic theaters, more than 900 archived films, and thousands of
hours of multimedia programs of entertainment nature covering a
variety of topics such as sports, comedies, local attractions,
reality shows, commentaries, documentaries. As of May 6, 2021, we
were engaged to provide copyrighted entertainment contents to more
than 30 airlines. Furthermore, we are engaged by hundreds of
corporate clients to provide advertising contents across different
in-flight entertainment systems. Built upon our experiences, we are
capable of developing entertainment contents independently and
producing advertising contents tailored to the needs of corporate
clients.
Our entertainment contents usually show as individual programs
lasting from approximately 45 minutes to 120 minutes of which
approximately 3 minutes to 15 minutes are divided into slots sold
to advertisers to show advertising contents of their choice. Our
contents are usually showed on digital TV screens that are highly
visible to travelers or on mobile devices brought by travelers. We
usually offer advertising time slots to the advertisers at a fix
duration, time and frequency of displaying advertisements. Payments
of certain offering are subject to the receipt of monitoring
reports verified by the advertisers. We generally require a
screening of the advertising contents at least 10 working days for
digital media or 14 working days for conventional media before the
contents are to be aired. We reserve the right to refuse providing
the service shall the advertising content fail to meet the
requirements under PRC laws and regulations.
Our products and services combine in-flight connectivity and
entertainment. To further grow our business, we are committed to
take full advantage of our partnership with China Unicom and
partners to improve travelers’ experience when they connect to the
Internet en route of their travel. Meanwhile, we are devoted to
maintaining a versatile collection of entertainment contents
covering a variety of aspects of lifestyles attracting traveling
consumers. We are also satisfying the advertising needs of
corporate clients through our influence on travelling
consumers.
Advertisers, Sales and Marketing
Our Advertisers
Our advertisers purchase advertising time slots and locations on
our advertising network either directly from us or through
advertising agencies. Many advertisers negotiate the terms of the
advertising purchase agreements directly with us, however we also
rely on advertising agencies for a significant portion of our
sales.
We have a broad base of international and domestic advertisers in
various industries. In each of 2018, 2019 and 2020, advisors from
one industry, which is automobiles, accounted for more than 10% of
our total revenues from continuing operations. There were two, four
and two of our customers accounted for more than 10% of our total
revenues for 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Sales and Marketing
We rely on our experienced sales team to assist advertisers in
structuring advertising campaigns by analyzing advertisers’ target
audiences and the form and contents of the advertisement they may
be interested in, as well as consumer products and services. We
conduct market research, consumer surveys, demographic analysis and
other advertising industry research for internal use to help our
advertisers to create effective advertisements. We also use
third-party market research firms from time to time to obtain the
relevant market study data, and at the same time hire such research
firms to evaluate the effects of our advertising, so as to evaluate
the effectiveness of our network for our advertisers and to
illustrate to our advertisers our ability to reach targeted
demographic groups effectively.
Our experienced advertising sales team is organized by region and
city with a presence in many cities in China. We provide in-house
education and training to our sales force to ensure they provide
our current and prospective advertisers with comprehensive
information about our services, the advantages of using our
advertising network as a marketing channel, and relevant
information regarding the advertising industry. Our
performance-linked compensation structure and career-oriented
training are key drivers that motivate our sales employees.
We actively attend various public relation events to promote our
brand image and the value of air travel digital advertising. We
market our advertising services by displaying our name and logo on
all of our digital TV screens on airplanes and gas station LED
screens and by placing advertisements on third-party media from
time to time, including China Central Television. We also engage
third-party advertising agencies to help source advertisers.
Pricing
The listing prices of our air travel media services depend on the
passenger flow of each airline, the needs of each airline, the
number of time slots and display locations purchased, the cost of
the relevant media assets, our costs for the relevant concession
rights, and competition. Going forward, we intend to review our
listing prices periodically and make adjustments as necessary in
light of market conditions.
Prices for advertisements on our network are fixed under our sales
contracts with advertisers or advertising agencies, typically at a
discount to our listing prices.
Programming
Our digital TV screens on network airplanes play programs ranging
from 45 minutes to 120 minutes once per flight. We compile each
cycle from advertisements of 5-, 15- or 30-seconds in length
provided by advertisers to us and from non-advertising content
generated by our VIEs in China or provided by third-party content
providers. We generally create a programming list on a weekly and
monthly basis for programs played on airplanes, respectively. We
create this list by first fixing the schedule for advertising
content according to the respective sales contracts with our
advertisers to guarantee the agreed duration, time and frequency of
advertisements for each advertiser, then adding the non-advertising
content to achieve an optimal blend of advertising and
non-advertising content.
Substantially all of the advertisements on our network are provided
by our advertisers. All of the advertising content displayed on our
advertising network is reviewed by us to ensure compliance with PRC
laws and regulations. See “—Regulation—Regulation of
Advertising Services—Advertising Content.” We update advertising
content for our programs played on digital TV screens on airplanes
on a monthly basis. A majority of the non-advertising content
played on our network is provided by third-party content providers
such as Dragon TV, the Travel Channel and various satellite and
cable television stations and television production companies. In
January 2014, we entered into a strategic partnership with
China Radio International Oriental Network (Beijing) Co., Ltd,
which manages the internet TV business of China International
Broadcasting Network, to operate the CIBN-AirNet channel to
broadcast network TV programs to air travelers in China.
Our programming team edits, compiles and records into digital
format for all of our network programs according to the programming
list. Each programming list and pre-recorded program is carefully
reviewed to ensure the accuracy of the order, duration and
frequency as well as the appropriateness of the programming
content.
Display Equipment Supplies and Maintenance
The primary hardware required for the operation of our air travel
media network are the digital TV screens that we use in our media
network. The majority of our digital TV screens consist of plasma
display panels and LCDs. Maintaining a steady supply of our display
equipment is important to our operations and the growth of our
network. Our TV screen suppliers typically provide us with one-year
warranties. Our service team cleans, maintains and monitors our
digital TV screens on airplanes regularly.
For our gas stations media network, the primary hardware consisted
of basic display equipment that we install and maintain. In early
2018, the management assessed the operational underperformance of
our Wi-Fi services on trains, long-haul buses and gas station media
service, which indicated that the underperformance could be
ascribed to i) the wide spread of 4G technology and affordable
data plans; and ii) the depleting marketing budget of some of
our advertisers. In order to prevent further losses while seizing
the opportunities from other components such as air travel media
service, we terminated our advertising service at long-haul buses
and gas stations completely and scaled down our on-train Wi-Fi
business significantly in 2018 and in early 2019 ceased operations
for Wi-Fi services on trains altogether.
Customer Service
Our customer service team is responsible for contacting third-party
research firms to compile evaluation reports based on selective
sampling of the status of advertising on our network and providing
advertisers with monthly monitoring reports once the relevant
advertising campaign is launched on our network. At the same time,
we also provide our advertisers with monthly reports prepared by
third parties that verify the proper functioning of our displays
and the proper dissemination of the advertisement when required by
our advertisers; such reports are done through online survey to
analyze the effectiveness of and public reaction to the
advertisements. In addition, our network airlines, as well as
trains are also actively involved in the monitoring process.
Competition
We compete primarily with several different groups of competitors
in the air travel media market:
|
· |
in-house advertising companies of airlines that
may operate their own advertising networks; and |
|
· |
traditional advertising media, such as
newspapers, television, magazines and radio. |
We compete for advertisers primarily on the basis of location,
price, program quality, range of services offered and brand
recognition. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk
Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—We face significant
competition in the PRC advertising industry, and if we do not
compete successfully against new and existing competitors, we may
lose our market share, and our profits may be reduced.”
Intellectual Property
To protect our brand and other intellectual property, we rely on a
combination of trademark and trade secret laws as well as
confidentiality agreements with our employees, sales agents,
contractors and others. As of May 6, 2021, we have registered 23
major trademarks and one patent in China, including “往返”,
“忘返” and
“众伴”. We cannot
be certain that our efforts to protect our intellectual property
rights will be adequate or that third parties will not infringe or
misappropriate these rights.
Regulation
We operate our business in China under a legal regime consisting of
the State Council, which is the highest authority of the executive
branch of the National People’s Congress, and several ministries
and agencies under its authority including the SAMR.
China’s Advertising Law was promulgated in 1994, and was revised in
2015 and further revised in 2018. In addition, the State Council,
SAIC (which has merged into the SAMR in March 2018) and other
ministries and agencies have issued regulations that regulate our
business, all of which are discussed below.
Limitations on Foreign Ownership in the Advertising
Industry
Investment activities in the PRC by foreign investors are
principally governed by the Catalogue of Industries for Encouraged
Foreign Investment (2020 Edition) and the Special Administrative
Measures for Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2020
Edition). The Catalogue of Industries for Encouraged Foreign
Investment (2020 Edition) and the Special Administrative Measures
for Access of Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2020 Edition)
classified the foreign-invested industries into two categories,
namely (i) encouraged industries and (ii) industries within the
catalogue of special administrative measures. As updated and
clarified by the Special Administrative Measures for Access of
Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2020 Edition), industries
within the catalogue of special administrative measures are further
divided into two sub-categories: “restricted” industries and
“prohibited” industries. Unless otherwise prescribed by the PRC
laws, industries which are not set out in the Catalogue of
Industries for Encouraged Foreign Investment (2020 Edition) and the
Special Administrative Measures for Access of Foreign Investment
(Negative List) (2020 Edition) are permitted foreign-invested
industries. Applicable regulations and approval requirements vary
based on the different categories. Investments in the PRC by
foreign investors through wholly foreign-owned enterprises must be
in compliance with the applicable regulations, and such foreign
investors must obtain governmental approvals as required by these
regulations. Since the advertising industry is not listed in the
Catalogue of Industries for Encouraged Foreign Investment (2020
Edition) or the Special Administrative Measures for Access of
Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2020 Edition), it falls into
the permitted foreign investment category.
Since December 10, 2005, foreign investors have been permitted
to directly own a 100% interest in advertising companies in China.
PRC laws and regulations do not permit the transfer of any
approvals, licenses or permits, including business licenses
containing a scope of business that permits engaging in the
advertising industry. In the event we are permitted to acquire the
equity interests of our VIEs under the rules allowing for
complete foreign ownership, our VIEs would continue to hold the
required advertising licenses consistent with current regulatory
requirements.
Currently, our advertising business is mainly conducted through
contractual arrangements with our consolidated VIEs in China,
including AirNet Online, Linghang Shengshi and Iwangfan.
Our VIEs are the major companies through which we provide
advertising services in China. Our subsidiary, Chuangyi Technology,
has entered into a series of contractual arrangements with AirNet
Online, Linghang Shengshi and Iwangfan and their shareholders under
which:
|
· |
we are able to exert effective
control over our PRC operating affiliates and their respective
subsidiaries; |
|
· |
a
substantial portion of the economic benefits of our PRC operating
affiliates and their respective subsidiaries could be transferred
to us; and |
|
· |
we
have an exclusive option to purchase all of the equity interests in
our PRC operating affiliates in each case when and to the extent
permitted by PRC law. |
See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational
Structure” and “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party
Transactions—B. Related Party Transactions—Contractual
Arrangements.”
In the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, Commerce &
Finance Law Offices, save as described in this annual report, the
respective ownership structures of Chuangyi Technology and our
consolidated VIEs do not violate existing PRC laws and regulations,
and the contractual arrangements among Chuangyi Technology and our
consolidated VIEs, in each case governed by PRC law, are valid,
binding and enforceable.
We have been advised by our PRC legal counsel, however, that there
are some uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application
of current and future PRC laws and regulations. Accordingly, there
can be no assurance that the PRC regulatory authorities, in
particular the SAMR (which regulates advertising companies), will
not in the future take a view that is contrary to the opinion of
our PRC legal counsel. We have been further advised by our PRC
counsel that if the PRC government determines that the agreements
establishing the structure for operating our PRC advertising
business do not comply with PRC government restrictions on foreign
investment in the advertising industry, we could be subject to
certain penalties. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk
Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC
government finds that the agreements that establish the structure
for operating our China business do not comply with PRC
governmental restrictions on foreign investment in the advertising
industry and in the operating of non-advertising content, our
business could be materially and adversely affected.”
Regulation on Foreign Investment
On March 15, 2019, the Foreign Investment Law was enacted by
the National People’s Congress, which became effective on
January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws
regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign
Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative
Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested
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 investments.
The Foreign Investment Law does not explicitly define the
contractual arrangements with VIEs as a form of foreign investment.
It contains an ambiguous clause that covers other form stipulated
in laws, administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by
the State Council within its definition of foreign investment.
Therefore, uncertainties still exist about whether the contractual
arrangements with VIEs will be deemed to violate the market access
requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws.
Moreover, the Foreign Investment Law establishes a foreign
investment information reporting system. Foreign investors or
foreign-funded enterprises shall submit the investment information
to competent authorities through the enterprise registration system
and the enterprise credit information publicity system. The
contents and scope of foreign investment information to be reported
shall be determined by the principle of necessity. Where
foreign-investors or foreign-invested enterprises are found to be
non-compliant with these information reporting obligations,
competent commerce authority shall ask for corrections with a
specified period; if such corrections are not made in time, a
penalty of not less than RMB100,000 yet not more than RMB500,000
shall be imposed. Other than reporting foreign investment
information, the Foreign Investment Law also establishes a security
examination mechanism for foreign investment and conducts security
review of foreign investment that affects or may affect national
security. The decision made upon the security examination in
accordance with the law shall be final.
Regulation of Advertising Services
Business License for Advertising Companies
Under applicable regulations governing advertising businesses in
China, companies that engage in advertising activities must obtain
from the SAMR or its local branches a business license which
specifically includes within its scope the operation of an
advertising business. Companies conducting advertising activities
without such a license may be subject to penalties, including
fines, confiscation of advertising income and orders to cease
advertising operations. The business license of an advertising
company is valid for the duration of its existence, unless the
license is suspended or revoked due to a violation of any relevant
law or regulation. We do not expect to encounter any difficulties
in maintaining our business licenses. Each of our VIEs which
conducts such advertising business has obtained such a business
license from the local branches of the SAMR as required by existing
PRC regulations.
Advertising Content
PRC advertising laws and regulations set forth certain content
requirements for advertisements in China, which include
prohibitions on, among other things, misleading content,
superlative wording, socially destabilizing content or content
involving obscenities, superstition, violence, discrimination or
infringement of the public interest. Advertisements for anesthetic,
psychotropic, toxic or radioactive drugs are prohibited. The
dissemination of tobacco advertisements via media is also
prohibited as well as the display of tobacco advertisements in
public areas. There are also specific restrictions and requirements
regarding advertisements that relate to matters such as patented
products or processes, pharmaceuticals, medical instruments,
agrochemicals, foodstuff, alcohol and cosmetics. In addition, all
advertisements relating to pharmaceuticals, medical instruments,
agrochemicals and veterinary pharmaceuticals advertised through any
media, together with any other advertisements subject to censorship
by administrative authorities under relevant laws and
administrative regulations, must be submitted to the relevant
administrative authorities for content approval prior to
dissemination. We do not believe that advertisements containing
content subject to restriction or censorship comprise a material
portion of the advertisements displayed on our network.
Advertisers, advertising operators and advertising distributors are
required by PRC advertising laws and regulations to ensure that the
content of the advertisements they prepare or distribute are true
and in full compliance with applicable law. In providing
advertising services, advertising operators and advertising
distributors must review the prescribed supporting documents
provided by advertisers for advertisements and verify that the
content of the advertisements comply with applicable PRC laws and
regulations. In addition, prior to distributing advertisements for
certain items which are subject to government censorship and
approval, advertising distributors are obligated to ensure that
such censorship has been performed and approval has been obtained.
Violation of these regulations may result in penalties, including
fines, confiscation of advertising income, orders to cease
dissemination of the advertisements and orders to publish an
advertisement correcting the misleading information. In
circumstances involving serious violations, the SAMR or its local
branches may revoke violators’ licenses or permits for advertising
business operations. Furthermore, advertisers, advertising
operators or advertising distributors may be subject to civil
liability if they infringe the legal rights and interests of third
parties in the course of their advertising business.
Outdoor Advertising
The PRC Advertising Law stipulates that the exhibition and display
of outdoor advertisements must not:
|
· |
utilize traffic safety facilities
and traffic signs; |
|
· |
impede the use of public
facilities, traffic safety facilities and traffic
signs; |
|
· |
obstruct commercial and public
activities or create an unpleasant sight in urban
areas; |
|
· |
be placed in restrictive areas
near government offices, cultural landmarks or historical or scenic
sites; or |
|
· |
be placed in areas prohibited by
the local governments at or above county level from having outdoor
advertisements. |
In addition, according to a relevant SARFT circular, displaying
audio-video programs such as television news, films and television
shows, sports, technology and entertainment through public
audio-video systems located in automobiles, buildings, airports,
bus or train stations, shops, banks and hospitals and other outdoor
public systems must be approved by the SARFT. The relevant
authority in China has not promulgated any implementation
rules on the procedure of applying for the requisite approval
pursuant to the SARFT circular.
PRC Policies and Regulations relating to the Bitcoin
Industry
According
to the Circular of the People’s Bank of China, Ministry of Industry
and Information Technology, China Banking Regulatory Commission,
China Securities Regulatory Commission, and China Insurance
Regulatory Commission on the Prevention of Risks from Bitcoin
jointly promulgated by People’s Bank of China, Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology, China Banking Regulatory
Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, or CSRC, and
China Insurance Regulatory Commission on December 3, 2013, or the
Circular, Bitcoin shall be a kind of virtual commodity in nature,
which shall not be in the same legal status with currencies and
shall not be circulated as currencies and used in markets as
currencies. The Circular also provides that financial institutions
and payment institutions shall not engage in business in connection
with Bitcoin.
According
to Announcement of the People’s Bank of China, the Cyberspace
Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the
China Banking Regulatory Commission, the China Securities
Regulatory Commission and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission
on Preventing Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) Risks promulgated by
seven PRC governmental authorities including the People’s
Bank of China on September 4, 2017, or the Announcement, activities
of offering and financing of tokens, including initial coin
offerings, have been forbidden in the PRC since they may be
suspected to be considered as illegal offering of securities or
illegal fundraising. All so-called token trading platform should
not (i) engage in the exchange between any statutory currency with
tokens and “virtual currencies,” (ii) trade or trade the tokens or
“virtual currencies” as central counterparties, or (iii) provide
pricing, information agency or other services for tokens or
“virtual currencies.” The Announcement further provides that
financial institutions and payment institutions shall not engage in
business in connection with transactions of offering and financing
of tokens.
Regulations on Foreign Exchange
The principal regulation governing foreign currency exchange in
China is the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, which became
effective in 1996, and was further amended in 2008. Under these
Rules, RMB is freely convertible for current account items, such as
trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not
for capital account items, such as direct investment, loan or
investment in securities outside China unless the prior approval
of, and/or registration with, SAFE or its local counterparts (as
the case may be) is obtained.
On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming
the Management Approach Regarding the Foreign Exchange Capital
Settlement of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19,
which will took effect on June 1, 2015. On June 9, 2016,
the SAFE promulgated the Circular of the State Administration of
Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the
Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, or
SAFE Circular 16, which revised some provisions of SAFE Circular
19. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 allows foreign-invested
enterprises to settle 100% of their foreign exchange capitals on a
discretionary basis and allows ordinary foreign-invested
enterprises to make domestic equity investments by capital transfer
in the original currencies, or with the amount obtained from
foreign exchange settlement, subject to complying with certain
requirements. According to SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16,
the RMB funds obtained by foreign-invested enterprises from the
discretionary settlement of foreign exchange capitals shall be
managed under the accounts pending for foreign exchange settlement
payment, and foreign-invested enterprise shall not use its capital
and the RMB funds obtained from foreign exchange settlement for the
purposes within the following negative list: for expenditure beyond
its business scope or expenditure prohibited by laws and
regulations, for investments in securities or other investments
than banks’ principal-secured products, for the granting of loans
to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly
permitted in the business license, or for construction or expenses
related to the purchase of real estate not for self-use, unless it
is a foreign-invested real estate enterprise. Moreover, on
January 26, 2017, SAFE promulgated Circular of the State
Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Advancing the Reform
of Foreign Exchange Administration and Improving Examination of
Authenticity and Compliance, or Circular 3. The Circular 3 states
several control measures with respect to the outbound remittance of
any profit from domestic entities to offshore entities, including
(i) under the principle of genuine transaction, banks should
review board resolutions, the original version of tax filing
records and audited financial statements before wiring the foreign
exchange profit distribution of a foreign-invested enterprise
exceeding $50,000; and (ii) domestic entities should hold
income to make up previous years’ losses before remitting the
profits to offshore entities. Meanwhile, verification on the
genuineness and compliance of foreign direct investments in
domestic entities has also been tightened in accordance with
Circular 3,
Pursuant to SAFE Circular 19, SAFE Circular 16 and SAFE Circular 3,
foreign invested enterprises in China may convert part or all of
the amount of the foreign currency in its capital account, special
account for foreign debt or special account for overseas listing
into RMB at any time after going through capitals review process
with bank and supplement necessary supporting documents upon bank’s
request for verification on genuineness and compliance.
Nevertheless, it is still not clear whether foreign-invested
enterprises like our PRC subsidiaries are allowed to extend
intercompany loans to our VIEs.
Regulations on Dividend Distribution
Under applicable PRC regulations, wholly foreign-owned companies in
the PRC may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits as
determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and
regulations. Additionally, these wholly foreign-owned companies are
required to set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated
profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until
their cumulative total reserve funds have reached 50% of the
companies’ registered capitals. At the discretion of these wholly
foreign-owned companies, they may allocate a portion of their
after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to staff
welfare and bonus funds. These reserve funds and staff welfare and
bonus funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the
event of liquidation and cannot be used for working capital
purposes.
In addition, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules,
dividends generated after January 1, 2008 and payable by a FIE
in China to its foreign investors who are non-resident enterprises
will be subject to a 10% withholding tax unless any such foreign
investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with
China that provides for a different withholding arrangement. BVI,
where Broad Cosmos, our wholly owned subsidiary, is incorporated,
does not have such a tax treaty with China. AN China, the 100%
shareholder of Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang and Xi’an
Shengshi, is incorporated in Hong Kong. According to the Mainland
and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Arrangement on Avoiding
Double Taxation or Evasion of Taxation on Income agreed between
China and Hong Kong in August 2006, dividends paid by a
foreign-invested enterprise in China to its direct holding company
in Hong Kong will be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 5% (if
the foreign investor owns directly at least 25% of the shares of
the foreign-invested enterprise). On October 14, 2019, the
State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, issued Announcement
of the State Taxation Administration on Issuing the Measures for
Non-resident Taxpayers' Enjoyment of Treaty Benefits, or SAT
Circular 35, which became effective on January 1, 2020. Under
these measures, our Hong Kong subsidiary needs to obtain approval
from the competent local branch of the State Administration of
Taxation in order to enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of
5% in accordance with the Double Taxation Arrangement. In
February 2009, SAT issued Notice No. 81. According to
Notice No. 81, in order to enjoy the preferential treatment on
dividend withholding tax rates, an enterprise must be the
“beneficial owner” of the relevant dividend income, and no
enterprise is entitled to enjoy preferential treatment pursuant to
any tax treaties if such enterprise qualifies for such preferential
tax rates through any transaction or arrangement, the major purpose
of which is to obtain such preferential tax treatment. The tax
authority in charge has the right to make adjustments to the
applicable tax rates, if it determines that any taxpayer has
enjoyed preferential treatment under tax treaties as a result of
such transaction or arrangement. In October 2009, SAT issued
another notice on this matter, or Notice No. 601, to provide
guidance on the criteria to determine whether an enterprise
qualifies as the “beneficial owner” of the PRC sourced income for
the purpose of obtaining preferential treatment under tax treaties.
Pursuant to Notice No. 601, the PRC tax authorities will
review and grant tax preferential treatment on a case-by-case basis
and adopt the “substance over form” principle in the review. Notice
601 specifies that a beneficial owner should generally carry out
substantial business activities and own and have control over the
income, the assets or other rights generating the income.
Therefore, an agent or a conduit company will not be regarded as a
beneficial owner of such income. On February 3, 2018, SAT
issued Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on
Issues concerning “Beneficial Owners” in Tax Treaties, or Circular
9, which became effective on April 1, 2018 and superseded
Notice No. 601. In comparison with Notice No. 601,
Circular 9 enlarging and further explaining the scope of beneficial
owner, supplementing the applicants deemed as beneficial owners who
obtain proceeds from China as direct or indirect 100% shareholder,
increasing the certainty of identifying beneficial owner. Since the
two notices were issued, it has remained unclear how the PRC tax
authorities will implement them in practice and to what extent they
will affect the dividend withholding tax rates for dividends
distributed by our subsidiaries in China to our Hong Kong
subsidiary. If the relevant tax authority determines that our Hong
Kong subsidiary is a conduit company and does not qualify as the
“beneficial owner” of the dividend income it receives from our PRC
subsidiaries, the higher 10% withholding tax rate may apply to such
dividends.
The EIT Law provides, however, that dividends distributed between
qualified resident enterprises are exempted from the withholding
tax. According to the Implementation Regulations of the EIT Law,
the qualified dividend and profit distribution from equity
investment between resident enterprises shall refer to investment
income derived by a resident enterprise from its direct investment
in other resident enterprises, except the investment income from
circulating stocks issued publicly by resident enterprises and
traded on stock exchanges where the holding period is less than 12
months. As the term “resident enterprises” needs further
clarification and interpretation, we cannot assure you that the
dividends distributed by Chuangyi Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang and
Xi’an Shengshi to their direct shareholders would be regarded as
dividends distributed between qualified resident enterprises and be
exempted from the withholding tax.
Under the EIT Law and related regulations, an enterprise
established outside of the PRC with “de facto management bodies”
within the PRC is considered a PRC resident enterprise and is
subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. The
related regulations define the term “de facto management bodies” as
“establishments that carry out substantial and overall management
and control over the manufacturing and business operations,
personnel, accounting, properties, etc. of an enterprise.” The
SAT issued the Notice Regarding the Determination of
Chinese-Controlled Overseas Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax
Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies, or
SAT Circular 82, on April 22, 2009, which was amended in 2013
and 2017 respectively. SAT Circular 82 provides certain specific
criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of
a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated enterprise is located in
China. In addition, the SAT issued a bulletin on July 27, 2011
to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82
with an effective date to be September 1, 2011. The bulletin
provided clarification in the areas of resident status
determination, post-determination administration, as well as
competent tax authorities. It also specifies that when provided
with a copy of a Chinese tax resident determination certificate
from a resident Chinese controlled offshore incorporated
enterprise, the payer should not withhold 10% income tax when
paying the Chinese-sourced dividends, interest,
royalties, etc. to the Chinese controlled offshore
incorporated enterprise. Although both SAT Circular 82 and the
bulletin only apply to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC
enterprises, not to those that, like our company, are controlled by
PRC individuals, the determination criteria set forth in SAT
Circular 82 and administration clarification made in the bulletin
may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto
management body” test should be applied in determining the tax
residency status of offshore enterprises and the administration
measures that should be implemented, regardless of whether they are
controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC individuals.
Moreover, under the EIT Law, if we are classified as a PRC resident
enterprise and such income is deemed to be sourced from within the
PRC, foreign ADS holders may be subject to a 10% withholding tax
upon dividends payable by us and gains realized on the sale or
other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares.
See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to
our Business—Dividends payable to us by our wholly-owned operating
subsidiaries may be subject to PRC withholding taxes, or we may be
subject to PRC taxation on our worldwide income, and dividends
distributed to our investors may be subject to more PRC withholding
taxes under the PRC tax law.”
SAFE Regulations on Offshore Investment by PRC Residents and
Employee Stock Options
In October 2005, the SAFE issued the Notice on Issues Relating
to the Administration of Foreign Exchange in Fund-raising and
Return Investment Activities of Domestic Residents Conducted via
Offshore Special Purpose Companies, or SAFE Circular 7, which
became effective as of November 1, 2005. SAFE Circular 7
suspends the implementation of two prior regulations promulgated in
January and April of 2005 by the SAFE. On July 4,
2014, SAFE issued the SAFE’s Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning
Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents to Engage in
Outbound Investment and Financing and Inbound Investment via
Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which has superseded
SAFE Circular 75. Under SAFE Circular 75, SAFE Circular 37 and
other relevant foreign exchange regulations, PRC residents who
make, or have previously made, prior to the implementation of these
foreign exchange regulations, direct or indirect investments in
offshore companies will be required to register those investments.
In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect
shareholder of an offshore company is also required to file or
update the registration with the local branch of SAFE, with respect
to that offshore company for any material change involving its
round-trip investment, capital variation, such as an increase or
decrease in capital, transfer or swap of shares, merger, division,
long-term equity or debt investment or the creation of any security
interest. If any PRC shareholder fails to make the required
registration or update the previously filed registration, the PRC
subsidiary of that offshore parent company may be prohibited from
distributing their profits and the proceeds from any reduction in
capital, share transfer or liquidation to their offshore parent
company, and the offshore parent company may also be prohibited
from injecting additional capital into its PRC subsidiary.
Moreover, failure to comply with the various foreign exchange
registration requirements described above could result in liability
under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange
restrictions.
In December 2006, the People’s Bank of China, or the PBOC,
promulgated the Administrative Measures of Foreign Exchange Matters
for Individuals, or the PBOC Regulation, setting forth the
respective requirements for foreign exchange transactions by PRC
individuals under either the current account or the capital
account. In January 2007, the SAFE issued implementing
rules for the PBOC Regulation, which, among other things,
specified approval requirements for certain capital account
transactions such as a PRC citizen’s participation in the employee
stock ownership plans or stock option plans of an overseas
publicly-listed company. On February 15, 2012, the SAFE
promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign
Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in
an Employee Share Incentive Plan of an Overseas-Listed Company
(which replaced the old Circular 78, “Application Procedure of
Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals
Participating in an Employee Stock Holding Plan or Stock Option
Plan of an Overseas-Listed Company” promulgated on March 28,
2007), or the New Share Incentive Rule. Under the New Share
Incentive Rule, PRC citizens who participate in a share incentive
plan of an overseas publicly listed company are required to
register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. All such
participants need to retain a PRC agent through a PRC subsidiary to
register with SAFE and handle foreign exchange matters such as
opening accounts and transferring and settlement of the relevant
proceeds. The New Share Incentive Rule further requires that
an offshore agent should also be designated to handle matters in
connection with the exercise or sale of share options and proceeds
transferring for the share incentive plan participants.
We and our PRC employees who have been granted stock options are
subject to the New Share Incentive Rule. We are in the process of
completing the required registration and the procedures for the New
Share Incentive Rule under PRC laws, but the application
documents are subject to the review and approval of the SAFE, and
we can make no assurance as to when the registration and procedures
will be completed. If we or our PRC employees fail to comply with
the New Share Incentive Rule, we and/or our PRC employees may face
sanctions imposed by the foreign exchange authority or any other
PRC government authorities.
In addition, the State Administration of Taxation has issued a few
circulars concerning employee stock options. Under these circulars,
our employees working in China who exercise stock options will be
subject to PRC individual income tax. Our PRC subsidiaries have
obligations to file documents related to employee stock options
with relevant tax authorities and withhold individual income taxes
of those employees who exercise their stock options. If our
employees fail to pay and we fail to withhold their income taxes,
we may face sanctions imposed by tax authorities or any other PRC
government authorities.
Seasonality
Our operating results and operating cash flows historically have
been subject to seasonal variations. This pattern may change,
however, as a result of new market opportunities or new product
introductions.
C. Organizational Structure
The following diagram illustrates our principal subsidiaries, VIEs
and VIEs’ subsidiaries as of May 6, 2021:
Notes:
|
(1) |
Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group
Co., Ltd. is 80.0%, 15.0% and 5.0% owned by Herman Man Guo,
Qing Xu and Tao Hong, respectively. Yi Zhang divested all his
equity interests in Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group Co.,
Ltd in April 2019. |
|
(2) |
On
December 15, 2016, AirNet Online and an individual signed
concurrently an equity transfer agreement and an entrusted equity
holding agreement, pursuant to which AirNet Online transferred 100%
equity interests in Beijing Yuehang Digital Media Advertising
Co., Ltd., or Beijing Yuehang, to the individual and entrusted
the individual to act as the nominee shareholder of the foregoing
equity interests. |
|
In
December 2017, AirNet Online signed another entrusted equity
holding agreements with a third-party company, pursuant to which
AirNet Online transferred 15% equity interests in Beijing Yuehang,
entrusted the third-party company to act as one of the nominee
shareholders of the foregoing equity interests. The entrusted
equity holding agreement with this third-party company terminates
upon the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the
entrusted equity holding agreement or (ii) the transfer of all
entrusted equity by AirNet Online to AirNet Online itself or a
third party designated by AirNet Online. |
|
The
entrusted equity holding agreement signed with an individual
terminated in 2019, then AirNet Online signed entrusted equity
holding agreements with another individual in September 2019,
pursuant to which AirNet Online transferred 85% equity interests in
Beijing Yuehang to the individual, entrusted him to act as one of
the nominee shareholders of the foregoing equity interest. The
entrusted equity holding agreement with this individual terminates
upon the earlier of (i) two years from the date of the
entrusted equity holding agreement or (ii) the transfer of all
entrusted equity by AirNet Online to AirNet Online itself or a
third party designated by AirNet Online. AirNet Online as the
actual investor in Beijing Yuehang continues to hold actual
shareholder rights and receive benefits from the investment in
Beijing Yuehang. |
|
(3) |
Wangfan Tianxia Network
Technology Co., Ltd. is 90.0% and 10.0% owned by Herman Man
Guo and Tao Hong, respectively. |
|
(4) |
Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising
Co., Ltd. is 86.9193%, 12.9954%, 3.8% and 0.0852% owned by
Herman Man Guo, Qing Xu, Yi Zhang and Xiao Ya Zhang, respectively.
Yi Zhang divested all his equity interests in Beijing Linghang
Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd in December 2018. |
Substantially all of our operations are conducted through
contractual arrangements with our consolidated VIEs in China,
namely Linghang Shengshi, Iwangfan and AirNet Online. We do
not have any equity interests in our VIEs, but instead enjoy the
economic benefits derived from them through a series of contractual
arrangements. See “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related
Party Transactions—B. Related Party Transactions—Contractual
Arrangements” for a description of these arrangements.
D. Property,
Plants and Equipment
As of May 6, 2021, our headquarters locates in Beijing, China,
where we lease approximately 417.01 square meters of office space.
Our branch offices lease approximately 865 square meters of office
space in four other locations.
In addition, we own approximately 2,109 square meters of office
space in China. In September 2014 and April 2015, we
entered into the agreements to purchase an office space of
approximately 2,109 square meters in Beijing for a total
consideration of RMB65 million ($9.4 million).
ITEM 4A. |
UNRESOLVED STAFF
COMMENTS |
None.
ITEM 5. |
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND
PROSPECTS |
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our
financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with
our consolidated financial statements and the related notes
included elsewhere in this annual report. This discussion may
contain forward-looking statements. See “Forward-looking
Information.” Our actual results may differ materially from those
anticipated in these forward-looking statements because of various
factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. Key
Information—D. Risk Factors” or in other parts of this annual
report.
A. Operating
Results
Important Factors Affecting the Results of Operations of Our
Air Travel Media Network Business
In early 2018, the management assessed the operational
underperformance of our Wi-Fi services on long-haul buses and gas
station media service and terminated Wi-Fi services on long-haul
buses and gas station media network service in 2018, and scaled
down operations in providing Wi-Fi services on trains and in early
2019 ceased operations for Wi-Fi services on trains
altogether.
The operating results of our air travel media network are
substantially affected by the following factors and trends.
Demand for Our Advertising Time Slots and Locations
The demand for our advertising time slots and locations for each of
the last three fiscal years was directly related to our customers’
available advertising budgets and the attractiveness of our network
to our customers. Our network’s attractiveness is largely affected
by the coverage of our network, which in turn depends on the number
of intended audience that our network has the ability to reach. The
number of intended audience of our air travel media network we can
reach is largely affected by the number of air travelers in China
in generally and the scale of our network. The demand for air
travel is in turn affected by general economic conditions, the
affordability of air travel in China and certain special events
that may attract air travelers into and within China. Our
customers’ advertising spending was also particularly sensitive to
changes in general economic conditions. The demand for our time
slots and locations on airline is related to the amount of our
customers’ advertising spending budget and the attractiveness of
our services as a platform across major airlines for their
advertisements. The amount of available advertising budget is
largely affected by the general economic conditions in China. The
attractiveness of our services as an advertising platform across
major airlines depends on whether our service has the ability to
reach the advertisers’ intended audience, which will in turn be
affected by factors including the number and types of travelers who
will use our service and whether advertisements on our platform can
effectively attract the attention of such travelers.
Number of Our Advertising Time Slots and Locations Available for
Sale
The number of time slots available for our digital TV screens on
airplanes during the period presented is calculated by multiplying
the time slots per month for a given airline by the number of
months during the period presented when we had operations on such
airline and then calculating the sum of all the time slots for each
of our network airlines.
Pricing
The average selling price for our advertising time slots is
generally calculated by dividing our advertising revenues from
these time slots by the number of 30-second equivalent advertising
time slots for digital TV screens on airplanes sold during that
period. The primary factors that affect the effective price we
charge advertisers for time slots and locations on our network and
our utilization rate include the attractiveness of our network to
advertisers, which depends on the number of displays and locations,
the number and scale of airplanes in our network, the level of
demand for time slots and locations, and the perceived
effectiveness by advertisers of their advertising campaigns placed
on our network. We may increase the selling prices of our
advertising time slots and locations from time to time depending on
the demand for our advertising time slots, spaces and
locations.
A significant percentage of the programs played on our digital TV
screens on airplanes included non-advertising content such as TV
programs or public service announcements. We also generated
revenues from non-advertising content obtained from third party
content providers by providing to airlines. We believe that the
combination of non-advertising content with advertising content
makes people more receptive to our programs, which in turn makes
the advertising content more effective for our advertisers. We
believe this in turn allows us to charge a higher price for each
advertising time slot. We closely track the program blend and
advertiser demand to optimize our ability to generate revenues for
each program cycle.
Utilization Rate
The utilization rate of our advertising time slots is the total
time slots sold as a percentage of total time slots available
during the relevant period. In order to provide meaningful
comparisons of the utilization rate of our advertising time slots,
we generally normalize our time slots into 30-second units for
digital TV screens on airplanes, which we can then compare across
network airlines and periods to chart the normalized utilization
rate of our network by airlines over time. Our overall utilization
rate was primarily affected by the demand for our advertising time
slots and locations and our ability to increase the sales of our
advertising time slots and locations.
Network Coverage and Concession Fees
The demand for our advertising time slots and locations and the
effective price we charged advertisers for time slots and locations
on our network depended on the attractiveness and effectiveness of
our network as viewed by our advertisers which, in turn, related to
the breadth of our network coverage, including significant coverage
on major airlines that advertisers wish to reach. As a result, it
has been, and will continue to be, important for us to secure and
retain concession rights contracts to place our programs on major
airlines and to increase the number of programs we place on those
airlines. It is also important to our results of operations of our
advertising business that we secure and retain these concession
rights contracts on commercially advantageous terms.
Concession fees constituted a significant portion of our cost of
revenues. Concession fees tend to increase over time, and a
significant increase in concession fees will increase our cost
while our revenues may not increase proportionately, or at all.
Therefore, it will be important to our results of operations that
we secure and retain these concession rights contracts on
commercially advantageous terms.
Recent
Developments
On December 30, 2020, we entered into an investment agreement with
Unistar Group Holdings Limited (“Unistar”), an unaffiliated party.
Pursuant to the agreement, we issued 23,876,308 ordinary shares, or
approximately 19% of our then outstanding ordinary shares, to
Unistar on December 31, 2020, in exchange for the delivery and
transfer by Unistar to us of computer servers specifically designed
for mining cryptocurrencies. On February 4, 2021, we entered into
an investment agreement with Northern Shore Group Limited
(“Northern Shore”), an unaffiliated party. Pursuant to the
agreement, we issued 28,412,806 ordinary shares, or approximately
19% of our then outstanding ordinary shares, to Northern Shore in
exchange for the delivery and transfer by Northern Shore to us of
computer servers specifically designed for mining cryptocurrencies.
We will generate revenue from the cryptocurrency we earn through
our mining activities, which we may hold for our own account and or
sell at prices and times as determined by our executive management
team in accordance with our corporate strategy. See “Item 3.
Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—We
may fail to successfully implement our new business initiatives in
cryptocurrency mining, where we have limited experience.”
We expect to restructure our business in 2021 by selling our air
travel media network business to our chairman and chief executive
officer, Mr. Herman Man Guo, and then primarily focus on
cryptocurrency mining business. Such restructuring plan has not
been considered or approved by our board of directors as of the
date of this annual report.
Revenues
We mainly generate revenues from the sale of advertising time slots
and locations on our advertising network.
|
|
Fiscal Years Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% of
Total
Revenues |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% of
Total
Revenues |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% of
Total
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands of U.S. dollars, except percentages) |
|
Air
Travel Media Network |
|
$ |
22,212 |
|
|
|
89.7 |
% |
|
$ |
25,954 |
|
|
|
99.0 |
% |
|
$ |
23,474 |
|
|
|
99.7 |
% |
Gas station Media
Network |
|
|
413 |
|
|
|
1.6 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Other
Media |
|
|
2,151 |
|
|
|
8.7 |
% |
|
|
271 |
|
|
|
1.0 |
% |
|
|
72 |
|
|
|
0.3 |
% |
Total
revenues |
|
|
24,776 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
26,225 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
23,546 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
Business tax and other sales tax |
|
|
(230 |
) |
|
|
(0.9 |
)% |
|
|
(203 |
) |
|
|
(0.8 |
)% |
|
|
(112 |
) |
|
|
(0.5 |
)% |
Net
revenues |
|
$ |
24,546 |
|
|
|
99.1 |
% |
|
$ |
26,022 |
|
|
|
99.2 |
% |
|
$ |
23,434 |
|
|
|
99.5 |
% |
Revenues from Air Travel Media Network and Other Media
Our air travel media network revenues from operations in 2018, 2019
and 2020 mainly consisted of revenues from advertising and
programming on digital TV screens on airplanes and other revenues
in air travel.
Revenues from our air travel media network accounted for 89.7%,
99.0% and 99.7% of our total revenues for the years ended
December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Our network
consisted of seven airlines as of December 31, 2018, and six
airlines as of December 31, 2019 and 2020.
Revenues from other media were primarily revenues from our trains
Wi-Fi advertising promotion, public account promotion, long-haul
buses Wi-Fi advertising. Starting from early 2018, we gradually
ceased our operations of Wi-Fi service on long-haul buses, and
scaled down operations in providing Wi-Fi services on trains, which
was then ceased in 2019.
The most significant factors that directly or indirectly affect our
revenues from digital TV screens on airplanes and other revenues in
air travel include the following:
|
· |
our
ability to retain existing advertisers and attract new
advertisers; |
|
· |
our
ability to retain existing concession rights to operate digital TV
screens on airplanes and to add additional airlines to our
network; |
|
· |
our
ability to continue providing effective advertising solutions that
enable advertisers to reach their target audiences; |
|
· |
the
demand in general for air travel media network; and |
|
· |
the
state of the PRC and global economy. |
Revenues from Gas Station Media Network
Revenues from our gas station media network, consisting of outdoor
advertising platforms such as LED screens, billboards and light
boxes at Sinopec gas stations in China, accounted for 1.6%of our
total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2018. In early
2018, the management assessed the operational underperformance of
our gas station media service, which indicated that the
underperformance could be ascribed to (i) the wide spread of
4G technology and affordable data plans; and (ii) the
depleting marketing budget of some of our advertisers. In order to
prevent further losses while seizing the opportunities from other
components such as air travel media network, we ceased our
operations of our gas station media services in 2018. No further
revenues will be generated from gas station media network in 2019
and thereafter.
Business Tax, Value-added Tax (“VAT”) and Other Sales Related
Tax
Our PRC subsidiaries are subject to value-added tax at a rate of 6%
on revenues from advertising services and paid after deducting
input VAT on purchases. The net VAT balance between input VAT and
output VAT is reflected in the account under input VAT receivable
or other taxes payable. Our gross revenue is presented net of the
VAT.
Our net revenue is presented net of such business tax and other
sale related taxes. Pursuant to the Circular on Comprehensively
Promoting the Pilot Program of Replacing Business Tax with Value
Added Tax promulgated by the Ministry of Finance of China and the
State Administration of Taxation of China on March 23, 2016,
which took effect on May 1, 2016, the Chinese government will
levy VAT in lieu of business tax on a trial basis across China, and
the tax rate for taxpayers who are service providers, such as us,
is 6%.
Pursuant to the Circular on Adjustment of Governmental Funds by the
Ministry of Finance of China on April 22, 2019, which took
effect on July 1, 2019, the construction fee for cultural
undertakings attributed to the central government reduces by 50%,
and the construction fee for cultural undertakings attributed to
regional government reduced by a percentage within the limits of
50%.
Cost of Revenues
During the periods covered by this annual report, our cost of
revenues consisted primarily of concession fees, agency fees and
advertisement publishing fees, non-deductible input VAT that
generate in prior years and other costs, including equipment
depreciation costs, operating costs and non-advertising content
costs. The following table sets forth the major components of our
cost of revenues, both in amounts and as percentages of net
revenues for the periods indicated.
|
|
Fiscal Years Ended
December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars, except
percentages) |
|
Net
revenues |
|
$ |
24,546 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
$ |
26,022 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
$ |
23,434 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
Cost of revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Concession fees |
|
|
(20,976 |
) |
|
|
(85.5 |
)% |
|
|
(13,526 |
) |
|
|
(52.0 |
)% |
|
|
(10,752 |
) |
|
|
(45.9 |
)% |
Agency fees and advertisement publishing
fees |
|
|
(4,879 |
) |
|
|
(19.9 |
)% |
|
|
(7,003 |
) |
|
|
(26.9 |
)% |
|
|
(5,225 |
) |
|
|
(22.3 |
)% |
Non-deductible input VAT that generate in prior
years |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(10,998 |
) |
|
|
(42.3 |
)% |
|
|
(1,318 |
) |
|
|
(5.6 |
)% |
Others |
|
|
(6,775 |
) |
|
|
(27.6 |
)% |
|
|
(2,060 |
) |
|
|
(7.9 |
)% |
|
|
(2,293 |
) |
|
|
(9.8 |
)% |
Total cost of
revenues |
|
$ |
(32,630 |
) |
|
|
(133.0 |
)% |
|
$ |
(33,587 |
) |
|
|
(129.1 |
)% |
|
$ |
(19,588 |
) |
|
|
(83.6 |
)% |
Concession Fees
We incur concession fees to airlines for placing our programs on
their digital TV screens, to gas stations for operating our media
displays and to train administration authorities for our Wi-Fi
business. This type of fee constitutes a significant portion of our
cost of revenues. Most of the concession fees paid to airlines were
fixed under the relevant concession rights contracts with
escalation clauses, which required fixed fee increases over each
year of the relevant contract, and payments were usually due three
or six months in advance.
We recorded these concession fees related to Wi-Fi business in the
amount of $5.1 million, nil and nil in 2018, 2019 and 2020,
respectively. The concession fee related to Wi-Fi business
decreased significantly from 2018 and 2019 mainly due to the
winding down of our operations of Wi-Fi service on long-haul buses
and scaled down operations in providing Wi-Fi services on trains
since early 2018. In early 2019, we completely ceased operations
for Wi-Fi services on trains.
The rest of our concession fees consisted of those related to our
non-Wi-Fi business, that is air travel media network business and
gas station business, and decreased from $15.9 million in 2018 to
$13.5 million in 2019 and $10.8 million in 2020. The decreased from
2018 to 2019 was mainly because that we ceased our gas station
business in 2018. No further confession fees related to non-Wi-Fi
business will be generated from gas stations thereafter. The
further decrease from 2019 to 2020 was mainly because that airline
companies discounted concession fees during the outbreak of
COVID-19.
Agency Fees and Advertisement Publishing Fees
We engaged third-party advertising agencies to help source
advertisers from time to time or to help advertise publishing.
These third-party advertising agencies assisted us in identifying
and introducing advertisers to us or help us to publish
advertisement. In return, we paid fees to these third-party
agencies if they generated advertising revenues or published
advertisement for us. Fees that we paid to these third-party
agencies were calculated based on a pre-set percentage of revenues
generated from the advertisers by the third-party agencies and were
paid when payments were received from the advertisers. We recorded
these agency fees and advertisement publishing fees as cost of
revenues ratably over the period in which the related
advertisements were displayed.
Non-deductible input VAT that generate in prior years
We recognized the certified and estimated input VAT as asset. We
written off the estimated input VAT and recognized a cost of
non-deductible input VAT that was generated in prior years of nil,
$11.0 million and $1.3 million for the year ended December 31,
2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. In 2018, we ceased operation in
gas station media network and on long-haul bus Wi-Fi, and planned
to dispose the assets related to these businesses. The input VAT
was expected to be used to deduct the output VAT of assets
disposal. However, in 2019, only a small part of the related assets
has been discarded instead of disposal, and for the remaining, we
estimated that these assets would not be disposed in the future,
and no such output VAT would be generated. Apart from that, the
entities with relevant business were not expected to generate
enough revenue of which the output VAT could cover the balance of
input VAT. As a result, we wrote off $11.0 million of the input VAT
that was estimated to be used from the sale of assets or generation
of revenue in 2019 in the year ended December 31, 2019. In 2020,
the economy was adversely affected by COVID-19 and we determined
that the possibility of receiving invoices to offset the remaining
estimated input VAT was remote. Therefore, we wrote off the
remaining balance of $1.3 million in the year ended December 31,
2020 as cost.
Others
Other cost of revenues includes the following:
|
· |
Equipment Depreciation. Generally, we
capitalized the cost of our airline related equipment, digital TV
screens, light boxes, LED screens and billboards in the gas station
media network and related Wi-Fi equipment and Portable Android Device on high-speed trains
and recognized depreciation costs on a straight-line basis over the
term of their useful lives, which we estimate to be five years. The
primary factors affecting our depreciation costs were the number of
digital TV screens, LED screens in gas stations and Wi-Fi equipment
and the unit cost and impairment for this equipment, as well as the
remaining useful life of the equipment. |
|
· |
Equipment Maintenance Cost. Our
maintenance cost consisted of salaries for our network maintenance
staff, travel expenses in relation to on-site visits and monitoring
and costs for materials and maintenance in connection with the
upkeep of our media network. The primary factor affecting our
equipment maintenance cost was the size of our network maintenance
staff. |
|
· |
Non-advertising Content Cost. The programs
on the majority of our digital TV screens combine advertising
content with non-advertising content, such as comedy clips, movie
and TV series. Our in-flight programs typically range from
approximately 45 to 120 minutes per flight, approximately 40 to 45
minutes of which consist of non-advertising content. The majority
of the non-advertising content broadcast on our network was
provided by third-party content providers such as various local
television stations and television production companies. We pay a
fixed price for some content. |
As we ceased our operations in long haul buses, gas stations and
trains since early 2019, our other cost of revenues decreased from
2018 to 2019 and remained at a consistent level in 2020 compared to
2019.
Operating Expenses
During the periods covered by this report, our operating expenses
consisted of general and administrative expenses, selling and
marketing expenses and research and development expenses. The
following table sets forth the three components of our operating
expenses, and as a percentage of net revenues for the periods
indicated.
|
|
Fiscal Years Ended
December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars, except
percentages) |
|
Net revenues |
|
$ |
24,546 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
$ |
26,022 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
$ |
23,434 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
Operating expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
General and administrative expenses |
|
|
(31,502 |
) |
|
|
(128.3 |
)% |
|
|
(20,208 |
) |
|
|
(77.7 |
)% |
|
|
(9,807 |
) |
|
|
(41.8 |
)% |
Selling and marketing expenses |
|
|
(7,492 |
) |
|
|
(30.5 |
)% |
|
|
(4,445 |
) |
|
|
(17.1 |
)% |
|
|
(2,533 |
) |
|
|
(10.8 |
)% |
Research and development expenses |
|
|
(1,110 |
) |
|
|
(4.5 |
)% |
|
|
(1,157 |
) |
|
|
(4.4 |
)% |
|
|
(724 |
) |
|
|
(3.1 |
)% |
Impairment of fixed assets, prepaid
equipment cost and intangible assets |
|
|
(564 |
) |
|
|
(2.3 |
)% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total
operating expenses |
|
$ |
(40,668 |
) |
|
|
(165.7 |
)% |
|
$ |
(25,810 |
) |
|
|
(99.2 |
)% |
|
$ |
(13,064 |
) |
|
|
(55.7 |
)% |
General and Administrative Expenses
Our general and administrative expenses consisted primarily of
office and utility expenses, salaries and benefits for general
management, finance and administrative personnel, allowance for
doubtful accounts, depreciation of office equipment, public
relations related expenses and other administration related
expenses.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Our selling and marketing expenses consisted primarily of salaries
and benefits for our sales and marketing personnel, office and
utility expenses related to our selling and marketing activities,
travel expenses incurred by our sales personnel, expenses for the
promotion, advertisement, and other sales and marketing related
expenses.
Research and Development Expenses
Our research and development expenses consisted primarily of
salaries and benefits for our research and development personnel,
office and utility expenses related to our research and development
activities, travel expenses incurred by our research and
development personnel and other research and development related
expenses.
Impairment of fixed assets, prepaid equipment cost and
intangible assets
We accrued a fully impairment loss for the leasehold improvement
and the construction in progress equipment of Tianjin VR store for
the year ended December 31, 2018 because Tianjin VR store did
not go into operation. For the year ended December 31, 2019
and 2020, the management assessed that no impairment should be
accrued for fixed assets, prepaid equipment cost and intangible
assets.
Taxation
Cayman Islands
We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. The
Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on Islands or corporations
based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no
taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty.
British Virgin Islands
We are exempted from income tax in the British Virgin Islands on
our foreign-derived income. There are no withholding taxes in the
British Virgin Islands.
Hong Kong
Under the current Hong Kong Inland Revenue Ordinance, from the year
of assessment 2018/2019 onwards, the subsidiaries in Hong Kong are
subject to profits tax at the rate of 8.25% on assessable profits
up to HK$2.0 million; and 16.5% on any part of assessable profits
over HK$2.0 million. Under the Hong Kong tax laws, we are exempted
from the Hong Kong income tax on our foreign-derived income. In
addition, payments of dividends from our Hong Kong subsidiary to us
are not subject to any Hong Kong withholding tax. No provision for
Hong Kong profits tax was made as we had no estimated assessable
profit that was subject to Hong Kong profits tax during 2018, while
a small profit was accrued during 2019 and 2020.
Singapore
In Singapore, startups (where any of the first 3 years falls in or
after 2020) are allowed to claim a 75% tax exemption on the first
S$100,000 of qualifying expenses for the first three years falls in
2020 onwards, 50% tax exemption on the next S$100,000 of normal
chargeable income for which they are to be taxed. Any further
income earned is taxed at the usual corporate tax rate of 17%. No
provision for Singapore corporate tax was made as we had no
estimated assessable profit that was subject to Singapore corporate
tax during 2019 and 2020.
PRC
Effective as of January 1, 2008 and revised on December 29,
2018, the EIT Law applies a uniform EIT rate of 25% to all domestic
enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises and defines new tax
incentives for qualified entities. Under the EIT Law, entities that
qualify as HNTE are entitled to the preferential income tax rate of
15%. A company’s status as a HNTE is valid for three years, after
which the company must re-apply for such qualification in order to
continue to enjoy the preferential income tax rate.
Chuangyi Technology is subject to EIT at a rate of 25% from 2018
afterwards.
Xi’an Shengshi is subject to EIT at a rate of 25% from 2017
afterwards.
Shenzhen Yuehang is subject to EIT at a rate of 25% from 2013
afterwards.
Linghang qualified for the HNTE at the end of 2017 and entitled to
an EIT rate of 15% until December 26, 2020, and will be
entitled to an EIT rate of 25% afterwards.
Air Esurfing qualified for the HNTE in 2018 and entitled to an EIT
rate of 15% until September 10, 2021.
Furthermore, under the EIT Law, a “resident enterprise,” which
includes an enterprise established outside of China with “de facto
management bodies” located in China, is subject to PRC income tax.
The SAT issued the Notice Regarding the Determination of
Chinese-Controlled Overseas Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax
Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies,
i.e. SAT Circular 82, on April 22, 2009. SAT Circular 82
provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de
facto management body” of a Chinese-controlled
overseas-incorporated enterprise is located in China.
In addition, the SAT issued a bulletin on July 27, 2011 to
provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 with
an effective date of September 1, 2011. The bulletin made
clarification in the areas of resident status determination,
post-determination administration, as well as competent tax
authorities. It also specifies that when provided with a copy of
the Chinese tax resident determination certificate from a resident
Chinese controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, the payer
should not withhold 10% income tax when paying the Chinese-sourced
dividends, interest, royalties, etc. to the Chinese controlled
offshore incorporated enterprise. Although both SAT Circular 82 and
the bulletin only apply to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC
enterprises, not to those that, like our company, are controlled by
PRC individuals, the determination criteria set forth in SAT
Circular 82 and administration clarification made in the bulletin
may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto
management body” test should be applied in determining the tax
residency status of offshore enterprises and the administration
measures should be implemented, regardless of whether they are
controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC individuals.
We do not believe we and our subsidiaries established outside of
the PRC are PRC resident enterprises. However, if the PRC tax
authorities subsequently determine that we and our subsidiaries
established outside of China should be deemed as a resident
enterprise, we and our subsidiaries established outside of China
will be subject to PRC income tax at a rate of 25%. In addition,
under the EIT law, dividends generated after January 1, 2008
and payable by a foreign-invested enterprise in China to its
foreign investors who are non-resident enterprises are subject to
10% withholding tax, unless any such foreign investor’s
jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that
provides for a different withholding arrangement. The BVI, where
Broad Cosmos and Air Net International, our wholly owned
subsidiaries, are incorporated, do not have such a tax treaty with
China. Air Net (China) Limited, the 100% shareholder of Chuangyi
Technology, Shenzhen Yuehang and Xi’an Shengshi, is incorporated in
Hong Kong. According to the Mainland and Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region Arrangement on Avoiding Double Taxation or
Evasion of Taxation on Income agreed between China and Hong Kong in
August 2006, dividends paid by a foreign-invested enterprise
in China to its direct holding company in Hong Kong will be subject
to withholding tax at a rate of 5% (if the foreign investor owns
directly at least 25% of the shares of the foreign-invested
enterprise). However, if the Hong Kong company is not considered to
be the beneficial owner of dividends paid to it by its PRC
subsidiaries under a tax notice promulgated on October 27,
2009 and the bulletin No.30 of 2012, such dividends would be
subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10%. See “Item 3. Key
Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to our Business—Dividends
payable to us by our wholly-owned operating subsidiaries may be
subject to PRC withholding taxes, or we may be subject to PRC
taxation on our worldwide income, and dividends distributed to our
investors may be subject to more PRC withholding taxes under the
PRC tax law.”
Critical Accounting Policies
The selection of critical accounting policies should be considered
when reviewing our financial statements. For further information on
our critical accounting policies, see Note 2 to our consolidated
financial statement.
We prepare our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP,
which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect our
reporting of, among other things, assets and liabilities,
contingent assets and liabilities and revenues and expenses. We
continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on the
most recently available information, our own historical experiences
and other factors that we believe to be relevant under the
circumstances. Since our financial reporting process inherently
relies on the use of estimates and assumptions, our actual results
could differ from our expectations. This is especially true with
some accounting policies that require higher degrees of judgment
than others in their application. We consider the policies
discussed below to be critical to an understanding of our audited
consolidated financial statements because they involve the greatest
reliance on our management’s judgment.
Revenue Recognition
On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASC Topic 606, “Revenue from
Contracts with Customers,” applying the modified retrospective
method. The adoption did not result in a material adjustment to the
accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2018.
In accordance with ASC Topic 606, revenues are recognized when
control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our
customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect
to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. In
determining when and how much revenue is recognized from contracts
with customers, we perform the following five-step analysis: (1)
identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the
performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the
transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the
performance obligations in the contract; (5) recognize revenue when
(or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.
Our contracts with customers do not include multiple performance
obligations, significant financing component and any variable
consideration.
We are a principal as we control the specified good or service
before that good or service is transferred to a customer. We are
primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the
specified good or service, have inventory risk before the specified
good or service has been transferred to a customer and have
discretion in establishing the price for the specified good or
service.
Generally, we recognize revenue under ASC Topic 606 for each type
of its performance obligation either over time (generally, the
transfer of a service) or at a point in time (generally, the
transfer of content) as follows:
Our revenues are mainly derived from selling advertising time slots
on our advertising networks. For the years ended December 31, 2018,
2019 and 2020, the advertising revenues were generated from ourair
travel media network including digital TV screens on airlines, gas
station media network and other media network such as on-train and
on long-haul bus Wi-Fi.
Revenue by service categories:
|
|
For the years ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars) |
|
Revenues from operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air Travel Media Network |
|
$ |
22,212 |
|
|
$ |
25,954 |
|
|
$ |
23,474 |
|
Gas Station Media Network |
|
|
413 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Other Media |
|
|
2,151 |
|
|
|
271 |
|
|
|
72 |
|
|
|
$ |
24,776 |
|
|
$ |
26,225 |
|
|
$ |
23,546 |
|
Air
Travel Media Network: Revenues are generated from
advertising and programming on airplanes. There are also other
revenues from the display of media content in airports. For the
advertising business, we typically enter into standard contracts
with its advertising clients, who require us to run the client’s
advertisements for a fixed fee on airlines with for a specified
time period. We recognize advertising revenues ratably over the
service period for which the advertisements are displayed, so long
as collection remains probable.
We also generate revenue from programs that are run on airlines for
a period of time. We enter into standard contracts with the
customer who has the copyright of movies or TV programs and
requires us to play the program for a fixed fee on airlines for a
specified time We recognize program display revenues ratably over
the performance period for which the program is played, so long as
collection remains probable.
Gas Station Media Network: Prior to the disposal of the gas
station media network 2018, we sold advertising time slots through
digital TV screens in gas stations. We entered into fixed fee
contracts with the end customers or agencies to run an
advertisement for a specified period at specified gas stations. The
revenue was recognized on a straight-line basis over the period the
advertisement is displayed. No revenue was generated subsequent to
2018.
Other Media: Prior to terminating our media network on
trains, long-haul buses and self-owned and third parties’ public
accounts, we provided Wechat public account promotion and
advertising and promotion articles publishing services. For the
public account promotion business, the passengers in the trains
could connect to Wi-Fi for free via our Wi-Fi equipment after
registering as a member to that public account as a follower in
WeChat. We charged a fix rate per new member and collected a
service fee from the client who owns the public accounts.
For the advertising and promotion articles publishing business, we
had developed a public accounts pool which had already accumulated
hundreds and thousands of registered users (there are both
self-owned and third parties’ public accounts). Wechat public
account promotion through on long-haul bus Wi-Fi network and
on-train Wi-Fi network was ceased in 2018 and 2019, respectively,
and no revenue was generated from Wechat public account promotion
through Wi-Fi network since 2019. We still generate immaterial
revenue in other self-owned and third parties’ public accounts.
Deferred Revenue
Prepayments from customers for advertising service are deferred
when corresponding performance obligation is not satisfied and
recognized as revenue when the advertising services are rendered.
The balance of deferred revenue as of December 31, 2020 is $2,589,
the majority of which is $1,735 for the unsatisfied performance
obligation with two customers with contracts amount of
$1,839.
Nonmonetary exchanges
We occasionally exchange advertising time slots and locations with
other entities for assets or services, such as equipment and other
assets. The amount of assets and revenue recognized is based on the
fair value of the advertising provided or the fair value of the
transferred assets, whichever is more readily determinable. In
2019, we provided advertising time slots and locations to SINOPEC
Yijie Sales Co., Ltd. (“Yijie”) as a part of settlement of the
concession fee due to Yijie and recognized revenue of $792. In
addition, we provided gas station display network equipment to
settle the concession fee of $3,678 due to Yijie.
In 2019 we also entered into a contract with Beijing Kingsoft Co.,
Ltd.(“Kingsoft”) to provide advertising services in exchange for
office software and recognized revenue of $431. As of December 31,
2019, we have received the office software and accounted it as
property and equipment, while a deferred revenue was accrued in the
meantime as the agreed advertising services has not been provided.
As of December 31, 2020, the advertising services have not been
provided as Kingsoft did not require the advertising service
considering the low efficiency of advertisement due to the impact
from COVID-19. No direct costs are attributable to the revenues.
There were no revenue recognized for nonmonetary transactions for
the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2020.
Concession Fees
We enter concession right agreements with vendors such as airlines
and railway bureaus, under which we obtain the right to use the
spaces or equipment of the vendors to display the
advertisements.
Fees under concession right agreements are usually due every three,
six or twelve months. Payments made are recorded as current assets
and current liabilities according to the respective payment terms.
Most of the concession fees with airlines and railway bureaus are
fixed with escalation, which means a fixed increase over each year
of the agreements. The total concession fee under the concession
right agreements with airlines is charged to the consolidated
statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the
agreement periods, which is generally between three to five
years.
Agency Fees and Advertisement Publishing Fees
We pay fees to advertising agencies for identifying and introducing
advertisers to us and assisting in advertisement publishing based
on a certain percentage of revenues made through the advertisement
agencies upon receipt of payment from advertisers. The agency fees
and advertisement publishing fees are charged to cost of revenues
in the consolidated statements of operations ratably over the
period in which the advertisement is displayed. Prepaid and accrued
agency fees and advertisement publishing fees are recorded as
current assets and current liabilities according to relative timing
of payments made and advertising service provided.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We conduct credit evaluations of clients and generally do not
require collateral or other security from clients. We establish an
allowance for doubtful accounts based upon estimates, historical
experience and other factors surrounding the credit risk of
specific clients and utilizes both specific identification and a
general reserve to calculate allowance for doubtful accounts. The
amounts of receivables ultimately not collected by us have
generally been consistent with expectations and the allowance
established for doubtful accounts. If the frequency and amount of
customer defaults change due to the clients’ financial condition or
general economic conditions, the allowance for uncollectible
accounts may require adjustment. As a result, we continuously
monitor outstanding receivables and adjusts allowances for accounts
where collection may be in doubt.
Impairment of long-lived assets
Long-lived assets held and used by us are reviewed for impairment
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the
carrying value of such assets may not be fully recoverable. It is
possible that these assets could become impaired as a result of
technology, economy or other industry changes. If circumstances
require a long-lived asset or asset group to be tested for possible
impairment, we first compare undiscounted cash flows expected to be
generated by that asset or asset group to its carrying value. If
the carrying value of the long-lived asset or asset group is not
recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, an impairment is
recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds its fair
value. Fair value is determined through various valuation
techniques, including discounted cash flow models, relief from
royalty income approach, quoted market values and third-party
independent appraisals, as considered necessary.
We make various assumptions and estimates regarding estimated
future cash flows and other factors in determining the fair values
of the respective assets. The assumptions and estimates used to
determine future values and remaining useful lives of long-lived
assets are complex and subjective. They can be affected by various
factors, including external factors such as industry and economic
trends, and internal factors such as our business strategy and
forecasts for specific market expansion.
As of December 31, 2020, the net carrying amount of long-lived
assets consisted of right of use asset of $683 and property and
equipment of $12,883. The property and equipment mainly included
office building located in the center of Beijing of $10,246,
leasehold improvement of $624, digital display network equipment of
$740, and office equipment and furniture of $1,273.
Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences
between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported
amounts in the financial statements, net operating loss carry
forwards and credits, by applying enacted statutory tax rates
applicable to future years. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a
valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more
likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets
will not be realized. Current income taxes are provided for in
accordance with the laws and regulations applicable to us as
enacted by the relevant tax authorities.
The impact of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax
return must be recognized at the largest amount that is
more-likely-than not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant tax
authorities. An uncertain income tax position will not be
recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained.
Additionally, we classify the interest and penalties, if any, as a
component of the income tax expense. According to the PRC Tax
Administration and Collection Law, the statute of limitations is
three years if the underpayment of taxes is due to computational
errors made by the taxpayer or the withholding agent. The statute
of limitations is extended to five years under special
circumstances, where the underpayment of taxes is more than RMB100
thousand. In the case of transfer pricing issues, the statute of
limitation is ten years. There is no statute of limitation in the
case of tax evasion. According to Hong Kong Inland Revenue
Department, the statute of limitation is six years if any company
chargeable with tax has not been assessed or has been assessed at
less than the proper amount, the statute of limitation is extended
to 10 years if the underpayment of taxes is due to fraud or willful
evasion.
We evaluate each uncertain tax position (including the potential
application of interest and penalties) based on the technical
merits, and measure the unrecognized benefits associated with the
tax positions. As of December 31, 2020, we had no uncertain tax
positions that if recognized would affect the annual effective tax
rate.
We are not currently under examination by any income taxing
authority, nor has it been notified of an impending examination. As
of December 31, 2020, tax years 2016 to present are subject to
examination by the tax authorities.
Our Results of Operations
The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated
results of operations for the periods indicated. This information
should be read together with our consolidated financial statements,
including the related notes that appear elsewhere in this annual
report. We do not believe our historical consolidated results of
operations are indicative of our results of operations you may
expect for any future period.
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands of U.S. Dollars, except
share, per share and per ADS data) |
|
Consolidated Statements of Operations Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air
Travel Media Network |
|
|
22,212 |
|
|
|
25,954 |
|
|
|
23,474 |
|
Gas Station Media
Network |
|
|
413 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Other
Media |
|
|
2,151 |
|
|
|
271 |
|
|
|
72 |
|
Total
revenues |
|
|
24,776 |
|
|
|
26,225 |
|
|
|
23,546 |
|
Business tax and other sales tax |
|
|
(230 |
) |
|
|
(203 |
) |
|
|
(112 |
) |
Net
revenues |
|
|
24,546 |
|
|
|
26,022 |
|
|
|
23,434 |
|
Cost of
revenues |
|
|
(32,630 |
) |
|
|
(33,587 |
) |
|
|
(19,588 |
) |
Gross income
(loss) |
|
|
(8,084 |
) |
|
|
(7,565 |
) |
|
|
3,846 |
|
Operating
expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling and
marketing |
|
|
(7,492 |
) |
|
|
(4,445 |
) |
|
|
(2,533 |
) |
General and
administrative |
|
|
(31,502 |
) |
|
|
(20,208 |
) |
|
|
(9,807 |
) |
Research and
development |
|
|
(1,110 |
) |
|
|
(1,157 |
) |
|
|
(724 |
) |
Impairment of fixed assets, prepaid equipment cost and intangible
assets |
|
|
(564 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total
operating expenses |
|
|
(40,668 |
) |
|
|
(25,810 |
) |
|
|
(13,064 |
) |
Loss from
operations |
|
|
(48,752 |
) |
|
|
(33,375 |
) |
|
|
(9,218 |
) |
Interest expense,
net |
|
|
(106 |
) |
|
|
(436 |
) |
|
|
(742 |
) |
Loss from and
impairment on long-term investments |
|
|
(52,337 |
) |
|
|
(2,703 |
) |
|
|
(2,947 |
) |
Other income,
net |
|
|
7,926 |
|
|
|
3,301 |
|
|
|
9,120 |
|
Loss from
operations before income taxes |
|
|
(93,269 |
) |
|
|
(33,213 |
) |
|
|
(3,787 |
) |
Less:
income tax expenses (benefits) |
|
|
150 |
|
|
|
691 |
|
|
|
(10,235 |
) |
Net
income (loss) |
|
|
(93,419 |
) |
|
|
(33,904 |
) |
|
|
6,448 |
|
Less:
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests |
|
|
(3,322 |
) |
|
|
(2,427 |
) |
|
|
(1,079 |
) |
Net
income (loss) attributable to AirNet Technology Inc.’s
shareholders |
|
$ |
(90,097 |
) |
|
$ |
(31,477 |
) |
|
$ |
7,527 |
|
Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended
December 31, 2019
Net Revenues. Our net revenues decreased by 9.9% to
$23.4 million in 2020 from $26.0 million in 2019. The
decrease was primarily due to the decrease in revenues from air
travel media network affected by COVID-19 outbreak.
Revenues from air travel media network: Revenues from air
travel media network decreased by 9.6% from $26.0 million in
2019 to $ 23.5 million in 2020. Among our revenues from air
travel media network, revenues from digital TV screens on airplanes
were $23.7 million and $21.6 million in 2019 and 2020,
respectively. The slight decrease in revenues from digital TV
screens on airplanes mainly resulted from a decrease in
advertisers’ demand for digital TV screens during the COVID-19
outbreak.
Revenues from other media: Revenues from other media were
primarily revenues from our trains Wi-Fi advertising promotion,
which we no longer provide, and public account promotion. Revenue
from other media is insignificant and is not expected to be
significant in the future.
Cost of
Revenues. Our cost of revenues decreased by 41.7% to
$19.6 million in 2020 from $33.6 million in 2019. Our
cost of revenues as a percentage of our net revenues decreased to
83.6% in 2020 from 129.1% in 2019. This decrease was mainly due to
decreases in both cost of non-deductible input VAT that was
generated in prior years and concession fees. Cost of
non-deductible input VAT that was generated in prior years were
$11.0 and $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019
and 2020, respectively. We ceased the operation in gas station
media network and on long-haul bus Wi-Fi in 2018, and planned to
dispose the assets related to these businesses. The input VAT was
expected to be used to deduct the output VAT of assets disposal.
However, in 2019, only a small part of the related assets has been
discarded instead of disposal, and for the remaining, we estimate
that these assets would not be disposed in the future, and no such
output VAT would be generated. Apart from that, the entities with
relevant business were not expected to generate enough revenue of
which the output VAT could cover the balance of input VAT. As a
result, we wrote off $11.0 million of the input VAT that was
estimated to be used from the sale of assets or generation of
revenue in 2019 in the year ended December 31, 2019. In 2020, the
economy was adversely affected by COVID-19 and we determined that
the possibility of receiving invoices to offset the remaining the
estimated input VAT was remote. Therefore, we wrote off the
remaining balance in the year ended December 31, 2020..
Concession fees decreased by 20.5% to $10.8 million in 2020
from $13.5 million in 2019, and concession fees as a
percentage of net revenues decreased to 45.9% in 2020 from 52.0% in
2019, mainly due to concession fee discounts granted by airline
companies during the outbreak of COVID-19. The concession fees are
expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2021 as the impact
from COVID-19 has gradually been mitigated.
Operating Expenses. Our operating expenses decreased by
49.4% to $13.1 million in 2020 from $25.8 million in
2019.
|
· |
Selling and Marketing Expenses. Our selling and marketing
expenses decreased by 43.0% to $2.5 million in 2020 from
$4.4 million in 2019. Our selling and marketing expenses
mainly consisted of $1.7 million and $3.0 million staff
expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively. The selling expense decreased primarily due to (1) a
decrease in staff number as we ceased operations in Wi-Fi services
on trains in 2019 and laid off a certain number of staff to
mitigate the impact from COVID-19, and (2) government’s favorable
policy on reducing social security cost during the COVID-19
outbreak.
|
|
· |
General and Administrative Expenses. Our general and
administrative expenses decreased by 51.5% to $9.8 million in
2020 from $20.2 million in 2019. This decrease was mainly due
to decreases in bad debt expenses and staff expenses. Our bad debt
expenses decreased to $0.4 million in 2020 from
$7.2 million in 2019 primarily due to decreases in allowance
provided for other current assets and prepaid equipment cost of air
Wi-Fi and satellite equipment, partially offset by an increase in
allowance provided for accounts receivable. The staff expenses
decreased to $4.4 million in 2020 from $7.1 million in 2019,
because we dismissed approximately one third of the employees in
administrative departments in the first half of 2020 to mitigate
the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
|
|
· |
Research and Development Expenses. Our
research and development expenses decreased by 37.4% to $0.7
million in 2020 from $1.2 million in 2019. This decrease was mainly
due to the fact that we paused our research and development
activities during the outbreak of COVID-19. |
Loss from Operations. Loss from operation decreased to $9.2
million in 2020 from $33.4 million in 2019 as a cumulative
result of the above factors.
Other income, net. Other income, net increased significantly
to $9.1 million in 2020 from $3.3 million in 2019, mainly due to
the disposal of three of our VIE’s subsidiaries, namely GreatView
Media, AMHL Mobile and Flying Dragon, in 2020 that had generated
significant accumulative deficits as of their respective disposal
dates. We recorded income from disposing of these subsidiaries of
$9.0 million in 2020.
Income tax expenses (benefits). We recognized income tax
benefits of $10.2 million in 2020, primarily due to the reversal of
an uncertain tax position (“UTP”) of $11.1 million as a result of
the expiration of statute of limitations as of December 31, 2020,
while we incurred income tax expenses of $0.7 million in 2019
related to taxable income for 2019.
Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to Year Ended
December 31, 2018
Net Revenues. Our net revenues increased by 6.0% to
$26.0 million in 2019 from $24.5 million in 2018. The
increase was primarily due to the increase in revenues from air
travel media network.
Revenues from air travel media network: Revenues from air
travel media network increased by 16.8% from $22.2 million in
2018 to $26.0 million in 2019. Among our revenues from air
travel media network, revenues from digital TV screens on airplanes
were $20.9 million and $23.7 million in 2018 and 2019,
respectively. The increase in revenues from digital TV screens on
airplanes mainly resulted from a strong advertising market and an
increase in advertisers’ demand for digital TV screens.
Revenues from the gas station media network: We did not
record revenue from the gas station media network in 2019, as
compared with revenues from this segment of $0.4 million in
2018, because we gradually ceased our gas station media services
starting in 2018.
Revenues from other media: Revenues from other media were
primarily revenues from our trains Wi-Fi advertising promotion and
public account promotion. Revenues from other media decreased by
87.4% to $0.3 million in 2019 from $2.2 million in 2018,
primarily due to that we ceased our operations in Wi-Fi service on
long-haul buses and trains in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Cost of Revenues. Our cost of revenues increased by 2.9% to
$33.6 million in 2019 from $32.6 million in 2018. Our
cost of revenues as a percentage of our net revenues decreased to
129.1% in 2019 from 133.0% in 2018. This increase was mainly due to
a cost of non-deductible input VAT that generate in prior years,
partially offset by significant decrease in our concession fee
costs. Cost of non-deductible input VAT that generate in prior
years were nil and $11.0 million for the year ended
December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively, mainly due to the
fact that we ceased the operation in gas station media network and
on long-haul bus Wi-Fi in 2018, and planned to dispose the assets
related to these business, the input VAT was expected to be used to
deduct the output VAT of assets disposal. However, in 2019, only a
small part of the related assets has been discarded instead of
disposal, and for the remaining, we estimate that these assets
would not be disposed in the future, and no such output VAT would
generate. Apart from that, the entities with relevant business were
expected not to generate enough revenue of which the output VAT
could cover the balance of input VAT. Concession fees decreased by
35.5% to $13.5 million in 2019 from $21.0 million in
2018, resulting from no confession fee of long-haul buses, gas
station and trains recognized in 2019. Concession fees as a
percentage of net revenues decreased to 52.0% in 2019 from 85.5% in
2018. The concession fees of long-haul buses, gas station and
trains decreased significantly because we ceased operation of Wi-Fi
service on long-haul buses and our gas station media services, and
scaled down operations in providing Wi-Fi services on trains
starting from 2018, and then totally ceased Wi-Fi services on
trains in 2019. The concession fees of airline increased by
$1.2 million mainly due to the decrease in the agreed-upon
refund received from BEMC that deduct the concession fee.
Operating Expenses. Our operating expenses decreased by
36.5% to $25.8 million in 2019 from $40.7 million in
2018.
|
· |
Selling and Marketing Expenses. Our
selling and marketing expenses decreased by 40.7% to
$4.4 million in 2019 from $7.5 million in 2018. Our
selling and marketing expenses mainly consisted of
$3.0 million and $5.0 million staff expenses for the year
ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The selling
expense decreased primarily due to the decrease of staff numbers,
because we ceased operations of Wi-Fi service on long-haul buses
and our gas station media services, and scaled down operations in
providing Wi-Fi services on trains in early 2018, and then totally
ceased operations in Wi-Fi services on trains in 2019. |
|
· |
General and Administrative Expenses. Our
general and administrative expenses decreased by 35.9% to
$20.2 million in 2019 from $31.5 million in 2018. This
decrease was mainly due to the decrease in our staff expenses and
bad debt expenses. The staff expenses decreased to $7.1 million in
2019 from $10.4 million in 2018, because we ceased our operations
of Wi-Fi service on long-haul buses and gas station media services,
and scaled down operations in providing Wi-Fi services on trains in
early 2018, and then totally ceased operations in Wi-Fi services on
trains in early 2019. Our bad debt expenses decreased to
$7.2 million in 2019 from $11.9 million in 2018 primarily
due to the decrease in allowance provided for other current assets,
accounts receivable and amount due from related parties, partially
offset by the increase in allowance provided for prepaid equipment
cost of air Wi-Fi and satellite equipment. |
|
· |
Research and Development Expenses. Our
research and development expenses increased by 4.2% to $1.2 million
in 2019 from $1.1 million in 2018. This increase was mainly due to
the fact that we kept developing our technology in airline Wi-Fi
related software and we completed development of seven software in
2019. |
|
· |
Impairment of fixed assets, prepaid equipment
cost and intangible assets. Our impairment of fixed assets,
prepaid equipment cost and intangible assets decreased by 100% to
nil in 2019 from $0.6 million in 2018, primarily due to that
the fact that fixed assets and prepaid equipment cost related to
gas station, bus and train business were fully impaired in 2018 and
before, while , and intangible assets were fully impaired in 2017
and no impairment indicators noticed in 2019. |
Loss from Operations. We recorded a loss from operations of
$33.4 million in 2019, as compared to a loss from operations
of $48.8 million in 2018 as a cumulative result of the above
factors.
Share-based Compensation
2012 Share incentive plan
In 2012 , we adopted the 2012 Share Incentive Plan (the “Plan”)
which provides for 6,000,000 ordinary shares options to be granted
to employees and directors. Share options under this Plan may vest
over a service period, performance condition or market condition,
as specified in each award. Share options expire 5 years from the
grant date.
The fair value of each option granted was estimated on the date of
grant/modification using the Black-Scholes option pricing
model.
We recorded share-based compensation of $0.1 million,
$0.2 million and $0.2 million for the years ended
December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Inflation
Historically inflation has not had a significant effect on our
business. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China,
the year-over-year percent changes in the consumer price index for
December 2018, 2019 and 2020 was increase of 1.9%, 4.5%, and
2.5%, respectively.
We can provide no assurance that we will not be affected in the
future by potentially higher rates of inflation in China. For
example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee
compensation and office operating expenses, may increase as a
result of higher inflation. Additionally, because a substantial
portion of our assets consists of cash and cash equivalent, high
inflation could significantly reduce the value and purchasing power
of these assets. We are not able to hedge our exposure to higher
inflation in China.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
See Item. 17 of Part III, “Financial Statements—Note 2—Summary
of significant accounting policies—Recent issued accounting
standard.”
B. Liquidity
and Capital Resources
To date, we have financed our operations primarily through
internally generated cash, the sale of preferred shares in private
placements and the proceeds we received from our initial public
offering.
We incurred losses from operations of $33.4 million and $9.2
million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020,
respectively. As of December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated
deficit of $286.4 million and a working capital deficiency of $55.2
million. We had negative cash flows from operating activities for
the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 of
$14.9 million and $5.6 million, respectively. These conditions
raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going
concern.
We intend to meet the cash requirements for the next 12 months from
the date of this annual report through business restructuring plan.
We plan to restructure our business by selling air travel media
network business to our chairman and chief executive officer, Mr.
Herman Man Guo, and then focus on cryptocurrency mining. We issued
23,876,308 ordinary shares to purchase computer servers
specifically designed for mining cryptocurrencies, which were
valued at $2,531 on December 30, 2020. These computer servers were
placed in service in January 2021. On February 4, 2021, we issued
28,412,806 ordinary shares to purchase additional computer servers
specifically designed for mining cryptocurrencies, which were
valued at $5,540. These computer servers were placed in service in
April 2021.
As a result, our management prepared the consolidated financial
statements assuming our company will continue as a going concern.
As described above, we have a significant working capital
deficiency, have incurred significant losses and have generated
negative cash flows from operations. We need to raise additional
funds to meet our obligations and sustain our operations. These
conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as
a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are
also described above. However, there is no assurance that the
measures above can be achieved as planned. The consolidated
financial statements do not include any adjustments that might
result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
We generally deposit our excess cash in interest-bearing bank
accounts. Although we consolidate the results of our VIEs in our
consolidated financial statements, we can only receive cash
payments from them pursuant to our contractual arrangements with
them and their shareholders. See “Item 4. Information on the
Company—C. Organizational Structure.” Our principal uses of cash
primarily include contractual concession fees and other investments
and, to a lesser extent, salaries and benefits for our employees
and other operating expenses. We expect that these will remain our
principal uses of cash in the foreseeable future. We may also use
additional cash to fund strategic acquisitions.
Cash Flow
The following table shows our cash flows with respect to operating
activities, investing activities and financing activities for the
years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars) |
|
Net
cash used in operating activities |
|
|
(19,774 |
) |
|
|
(14,916 |
) |
|
|
(5,555 |
) |
Net cash provided
by investing activities |
|
|
20,096 |
|
|
|
4,440 |
|
|
|
352 |
|
Net cash provided
by (used in) financing activities |
|
|
(1,695 |
) |
|
|
(4,323 |
) |
|
|
19,164 |
|
Effect of exchange
rate changes |
|
|
(1,560 |
) |
|
|
219 |
|
|
|
690 |
|
Net decrease in
cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
|
|
(2,933 |
) |
|
|
(14,580 |
) |
|
|
14,651 |
|
Cash, cash
equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the year |
|
|
18,472 |
|
|
|
15,539 |
|
|
|
959 |
|
Cash, cash
equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the year |
|
|
15,539 |
|
|
|
959 |
|
|
|
15,610 |
|
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $5.6 million for the
year ended December 31, 2020. Net cash used in operating
activities was primarily attributable to (1) a net income of
$6.4 million adjusted by non-cash adjustments including income tax
benefit due to reverse of UTP of $11.1 million, other income on the
disposal subsidiaries of $9.0 million, loss on long-term investment
of $2.9 million, depreciation and amortization of $1.3 million
and write off of non-deductible input VAT of $1.3 million;
(2) an increase in income tax payable of $1.4 million and an
increase in accounts payable of $1.1 million, partially offset by
an increase in accounts receivable of $1.7 million.
Net cash used in operating activities was $14.9 million for
the year ended December 31, 2019. Net cash used in operating
activities was primarily attributable to (1) a net loss of
$33.9 million adjusted by non-cash adjustments including the
cost of non-deductible input of $11.0 million, bad debt expenses of
$7.2 million, loss and impairment on long-term investment of
$2.7 million, and other income on concession payable of $4.1
million; (2) an increase in other current assets of $2.5
million, partially offset by a decrease in accounts payable of $1.9
million.
Net cash used in operating activities was $19.8 million for
the year ended December 31, 2018. Net cash used in operating
activities was primarily attributable to (1) a net loss of
$93.4 million adjusted by non-cash loss and impairment on
long-term investment of $52.3 million and bad debt expenses of
$11.9 million, and (2) a decrease in accrued expenses and
other current liabilities of $3.7 million, partially offset by
(1) an increase in accounts payable of $7.8 million, and
(2) a decrease in prepaid concession fees of $5.1 million.
Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities was $0.4 million for
the year ended December 31, 2020 due to proceeds from the
disposal of subsidiaries of $0.4 million.
Net cash provided by investing activities was $4.4 million for
the year ended December 31, 2019. Net cash provided by
investing activities was primarily attributable to proceeds from
the disposal of a long-term investment of $7.2 million, partially
offset by purchases of property and equipment of
$2.8 million.
Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended
December 31, 2018 was $20.1 million principally
attributable to the disposal of a long-term investment of $22.6
million, partially offset by purchases of property and equipment of
$3.6 million.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities amounted to
$19.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020,
mainly consisting of cash financed from the two third parties of
$14.5 million, cash received from short-term loan of $5.2 million
and proceeds from non-controlling shareholder of $1.4 million,
partially offset by cash repaid for loan due to related parties of
$1.8 million.
Net cash used in financing activities amounted to $4.3 million
for the year ended December 31, 2019, mainly consisting of
cash repaid for short-term loans of $11.9 million and cash paid for
non-controlling interests withdraw of $1.1 million, partially
offset by cash received from short-term loans of $5.9 million and
cash received from loan due to related parties of 2.9 million.
Net cash used in financing activities amounted to $1.7 million
for the year ended December 31, 2018, consisting of capital
withdraw by non-controlling shareholder of $10.9 million, which was
offset by cash received from short-term loans of $6.3 million
and cash received from long-term loans of $2.9 million.
Capital Expenditures
Our capital expenditures were made primarily to purchase equipment
for our network and our development in technology of airline
Wi-Fi.
Our capital expenditures were $3.6 million in 2018,
$2.8 million in 2019 and $0.1 million in 2020,
respectively.
Intra-Company Transfers
Transfers of cash between our PRC operating subsidiaries and our
non-PRC entities are regulated by certain PRC laws. For a
description of these laws and the effect that they may have on our
ability to meet cash obligations, please refer to “Item 3. Key
Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to our Business—Dividends
payable to us by our wholly-owned operating subsidiaries may be
subject to PRC withholding taxes, or we may be subject to PRC
taxation on our worldwide income, and dividends distributed to our
investors may be subject to more PRC withholding taxes under PRC
tax law,” “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks
Related to our Corporate Structure—We may rely principally on
dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our
wholly-owned operating subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing
requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our
operating subsidiaries to pay dividends to us could have a material
adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business,”
“Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to
Doing Business in China—Restrictions on currency exchange may limit
our ability to receive and use our revenues or financing
effectively,” “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks
Related to Doing Business in China—PRC regulations relating to the
establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC
residents and registration requirements for employee stock
ownership plans or share option plans may subject our PRC resident
beneficial owners or the plan participants to personal liability,
limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries,
limit our subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered
capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely
affect us,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—A. History and
Development of the Company—B. Business
Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Dividend Distribution,” and
“Item 4. Information on the Company—A. History and Development
of the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—SAFE Regulations on
Offshore Investment by PRC Residents and Employee Stock Options.”
None of these regulations have had a material effect on our ability
to meet our cash obligations.
C. Research
and Development, Patents and Licenses, Etc.
We have been developing certain technologies for airline Wi-Fi
purposes. However, our financial commitment to development of these
technologies has been limited. We incurred research and development
expense of $1.1 million, $1.2 million and $0.7 million for the year
ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. While we
are interested in and may experiment with new technologies from
time to time, we do not intend to materially increase our research
and development spending in the foreseeable future even for the new
cryptocurrency business.
D. Trend
Information
The COVID-19 has resulted in quarantines, travel restrictions, and
temporary closure of facilities in China and many other countries
since early 2020. Consequently, the COVID-19 outbreak may
materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and
financial condition for the current fiscal year and beyond,
including but not limited to business disturbances, slowdown in
revenue growth and delayed collection of accounts receivables from
our customers. Because of the significant uncertainties surrounding
the COVID-19 outbreak, the extent of business disturbances and
related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this
time. See “Item 3. Key Information— D. Risk Factors” of this annual
report.
Other than as disclosed in this annual report, we are not aware of
any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events that are
reasonably likely to have a material effect on our net revenues,
income from continuing operations, profitability, liquidity or
capital resources, or that would cause reported financial
information not necessarily to be indicative of future operating
results or financial condition.
E. Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
On February 4, 2021, we entered into an investment agreement with
Northern Shore, an unaffiliated party. Pursuant to the agreement,
we agreed to issue 28,412,806 ordinary shares, or approximately 19%
of our then outstanding ordinary shares, to Northern Shore in
exchange for the delivery and transfer from Northern Shore to us of
computer servers specifically designed for mining cryptocurrencies
depending upon availability prior to the closing date.
Apart from above, we have not entered into any financial guarantees
or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any
third parties. We have not entered into any derivative contracts
that are indexed to our shares and classified as shareholder’s
equity, or that are not reflected in our consolidated financial
statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent
interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that
serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity.
We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity
that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support
to us or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development
services with us.
F. Tabular
Disclosure of Contractual Obligations
We have entered into operating lease agreements primarily for our
offices in China. These leases expire through 2021 and are
renewable upon negotiation. In addition, the contract terms of our
concession rights contracts are usually three to five years. Most
of these concession rights expire through 2022 and are renewable
upon negotiation. The following table sets forth our contractual
obligations and commercial commitments as of December 31,
2020:
|
|
Payments Due by Period |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
Less than 1
year |
|
|
1-3 years |
|
|
3-5 years |
|
|
More than 5
years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars) |
|
Operating lease agreements |
|
$ |
1,037 |
|
|
$ |
1,017 |
|
|
$ |
20 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Concession rights contracts |
|
|
39,797 |
|
|
|
12,072 |
|
|
|
18,712 |
|
|
|
9,013 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
$ |
40,834 |
|
|
$ |
13,089 |
|
|
$ |
18,732 |
|
|
$ |
9,013 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
G. Safe
Harbor
See “Forward-Looking Information.”
ITEM 6. |
DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND
EMPLOYEES |
A. Directors
and Senior Management
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our
directors and executive officers as of the date of this annual
report. Mr. Xin Li resigned as our chief financial officer,
effective from March 5, 2021, and Mr. Herman Man Guo was appointed
to serve as the interim chief financial officer until a suitable
candidate for chief financial officer is identified.
NAME |
|
AGE |
|
|
POSITION |
Herman Man Guo |
|
|
57 |
|
|
Chairman of the Board, Chief
Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qing
Xu |
|
|
60 |
|
|
Director and Executive President |
Dong
Wen |
|
|
55 |
|
|
Independent Director |
Songzuo Xiang |
|
|
56 |
|
|
Independent Director |
Hua
Zhuo |
|
|
51 |
|
|
Independent Director |
Hong
Zhou |
|
|
48 |
|
|
Chief
Operating Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Herman Man
Guo is our founder and has served as the chairman of our
board of directors and our chief executive officer since our
inception. Mr. Guo has served as our interim chief financial
officer since March 5, 2021. Mr. Guo also served as our interim
chief financial officer previously from December 2018 to
February 2019. He was the general manager of Beijing Sunshine
Media Co., Ltd. from 1997 to 2004. From 1991 to 1996,
Mr. Guo served as the deputy general manager of Beijing
Trade & Technology Development Company. Prior to that, he
worked in China Civil Aviation Development Service Company from
1988 to 1990. Mr. Guo received his bachelor’s degree in
applied mathematics from People’s Liberation Army Information
Engineering University in China in 1983 and an Executive MBA degree
from Peking University in China in 2011.
Mr. Qing Xu has served as our director since our
inception and as our executive president since June 2010. From
October 2005 to our inception, Mr. Xu served as a
director of certain of our pre-existing affiliated entities. From
2003 to 2005, Mr. Xu served as a vice president of Zhongyuan
Guoxin Investment Guarantee Co., Ltd. Prior to that, he served
as a department director of China Haohua Group Co., Ltd. from
1997 to 2003 and as a department manager of Beijing
Trade & Technology Development Company from 1991 to 1997.
Mr. Xu was a secretary at the PRC State Council Secretary
Bureau from 1984 to 1991. Mr. Xu received his associate’s
degree in business and economics management from Beijing Normal
University in 1996.
Mr. Dong Wen has served as our independent director
since July 2015 and as the chairperson of our compensation
committee since October 2019. Mr. Wen has been the
general manager of the home furnishing business division of Leju
Holdings Limited (NYSE: LEJU) since 2011. Prior to that, he worked
for four years as the chief executive officer of Lianlian
Technology Group, which is the largest channel management vendor
for authorized third-party prepayment for China Mobile subscribers
according to that company. From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Wen worked
as a senior vice president of B&Q China.
Dr. Songzuo Xiang has served as our independent
director since November 2008 and as the chairperson of our
audit committee since October 2019. He currently serves on the
board of China Digital TV Co. Ltd., an NYSE-listed company
providing conditional access systems to China’s digital television
market. From March 2009 to October 2009 and from
July 2000 to July 2009, Dr. Xiang served as chief
executive officer and director, respectively, of Ku6 Media
Co., Ltd., a Nasdaq-listed company. He previously served as
the Deputy Director of the Fund Planning Department at the People’s
Bank of China Shenzhen Branch and was an investment manager at
Shenzhen Resources & Property Development Group. He was a
visiting scholar at Columbia University from May 1999 to
July 2000 and at Cambridge University from October 1998
to May 1999. Dr. Xiang received his bachelor’s degree in
engineering in Huazhong University of Science and Technology in
1986, his master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia
University in 1999, his master’s degree in management science in
1993 and his Ph.D. degree in economics in 1993 from Renmin
University in China.
Mr. Hua Zhuo has served as our independent director
since July 2015 and as a member to each of our audit committee
and the compensation committee since October 2019. He has
worked as the chairman and president of Zhongyuan Guoxin Credit
Financing Guarantee Co., Ltd. since 2003. Prior to that, he
worked as the general manager at several other companies.
Mr. Zhuo received his MBA degree from Peking University.
Mr. Hong Zhou has served as our Chief Operating Officer
since May 2018. Previously, Mr. Zhou served as the head
of a large-scale production and scientific consortium of China
Aerospace Science and Technology Group. Prior to that,
Mr. Zhou served as deputy chief engineer and senior project
director of enterprise development department under aviation
airborne communication division of China Satcom Group.
Mr. Zhou received a Doctor of Engineering degree from the
school of aeronautical science and engineering, Beihang
University.
No family relationship exists between any of our directors and
executive officers. There are no arrangements or understandings
with major shareholders, customers, suppliers or others pursuant to
which any person referred to above was selected as a director or
member of senior management.
Employment Agreements
We have entered into employment agreements with Herman Man Guo. Our
employment agreements with Mr. Guo has an unfixed duration as
required by the PRC Employment Law. Mr. Guo may terminate the
respective agreement with a one-month prior notice while we will
only be able to terminate such agreement in limited circumstances,
such as for cause. We have also entered into employment agreements
with our other executive officers. Each of the contract terms was a
period of two or three years. We may terminate the employment for
cause, at any time, without notice or remuneration, for certain
acts of the employee, including but not limited to a conviction or
plea of guilty to certain crimes, negligence or dishonesty to our
detriment and failure to perform the agreed-to duties after a
reasonable opportunity to cure the failure. Furthermore, either we
or an executive officer may terminate the employment at any time
without cause upon advance written notice to the other party. These
agreements do not provide for any special termination benefits, nor
do we have other arrangements with these executive officers for
special termination benefits.
Each executive officer has agreed to hold, both during and after
the employment agreement expires or is earlier terminated, in
strict confidence and not to use, except as required in the
performance of his duties in connection with the employment, any
confidential information, trade secrets and know-how of our company
or the confidential information of any third party, including our
VIEs and our subsidiaries, received by us. In addition, each
executive officer has agreed to be bound by non-competition
restrictions set forth in his or her employment agreement.
Specifically, each executive officer has agreed not to, for a
period ranging from one to two years following the termination or
expiration of the employment agreement, (i) carry on or be
engaged or interested, directly or indirectly, as shareholder,
director, employee, partner, agent or otherwise carry on any
business in direct competition with our business; (ii) solicit
or entice away from us, or attempt to solicit or entice away from
us, any person or entity who has been our customer, client or our
representative or agent or in the habit of dealing with us within
two years prior to such executive officer’s termination of
employment; (iii) solicit or entice away from us, or attempt
to solicit or entice away from us, any person or entity who has
been our officer, manager, consultant or employee within two years
prior to such executive officer’s termination of employment; or
(iv) use the words used by us in our name or in the name of
any of our products or services, in such a way as to be capable of
or likely to be confused with our name or the name of our products
or services.
B. Compensation
In 2020, the aggregate cash compensation to our executive officers
was approximately $0.5 million and the aggregate cash
compensation to our non-executive directors was approximately $0.1
million.
Our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated VIEs are required by law to
make contributions equal to certain percentages of each employee’s
salary for his or her pension insurance, medical insurance, housing
fund, unemployment and other statutory benefits. Other than the
above-mentioned pension insurance mandated by applicable PRC law,
we have not set aside or accrued any amount to provide pension,
retirement or other similar benefits to our executive officers and
directors. No executive officer is entitled to any severance
benefits upon termination of his or her employment with our company
except as required under applicable PRC law.
Share Options
In July 2007, we adopted the 2007 Option Plan to attract and
retain the best available personnel, provide additional incentives
to employees, directors and consultants, and promote the success of
our business. In December 2009, we amended the 2007 Option
Plan by increasing the maximum aggregate number of shares issuable
under the plan from 12,000,000 to 17,000,000. In March 2011,
our board of directors authorized the issuance of 2,000,000
ordinary shares under the 2011 Option Plan with the same aim as the
2007 Option Plan. In 2012, our board of directors adopted the 2012
Option Plan, under which we are authorized to grant restricted
shares or options and other awards for a total issuance of up to
6,000,000 ordinary shares. As of March 31, 2021, options to
purchase 5,800,000 of our ordinary shares were outstanding. The
majority of these options will vest on a straight-line basis over a
three-year period, with one-twelfth of the options vesting each
quarter from the date of grant.
The following table summarizes, as of March 31, 2021, the
outstanding options and restricted share units granted to our
executive officers and directors under our 2007 Option Plan, as
amended, 2011 Option Plan and 2012 Option Plan.
Name |
|
Ordinary
Shares
Underlying
Options |
|
|
Exercise
Price
($/Share)(1) |
|
|
Date of Grant |
|
Expiration Date |
Herman Man Guo |
|
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
|
0.24 |
|
|
February 15, 2019 |
|
February 15, 2024 |
Xin
Li(2) |
|
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
|
0.23 |
|
|
March 1, 2019 |
|
March 4, 2022 |
Xin
Li(2) |
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
March 5, 2021 |
|
March 4, 2022 |
Qing Xu |
|
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
|
0.24 |
|
|
February 15, 2019 |
|
February 15, 2024 |
Hong Zhou |
|
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
|
0.24 |
|
|
February 15, 2019 |
|
February 15, 2024 |
Total |
|
|
5,800,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
On
August 23, 2011, in order to provide better incentive to our
employees, our board of directors approved an adjustment to the
exercise price of a portion of the stock options previously granted
to certain optionees on July 2, 2007, July 20, 2007,
November 29, 2007, July 10, 2009 and March 22, 2011.
The exercise price for the adjusted portion of the options is $1.15
per ordinary share and the exercise price for the unadjusted
portion will remain the same at $1.57 per ordinary
share. |
|
|
(2) |
Mr.
Xin Li resigned as our chief financial officer, effective from
March 5, 2021. |
The following paragraphs summarize the terms of our 2007 Option
Plan, as amended, 2011 Option Plan and 2012 Option Plan:
Plan Administration. Our board of directors, or a committee
designated by our board or directors, will administer the plans.
The committee or the full board of directors, as appropriate, will
determine the provisions and terms and conditions of each option
grant.
Award Agreements. Options and stock purchase rights granted
under our plans are evidenced by a stock option agreement or a
stock purchase right agreement, as applicable, that sets forth the
terms, conditions and limitations for each grant. In addition, the
stock option agreement and the stock purchase right agreement also
provide that securities granted are subject to a 180-day lock-up
period following the effective date of a registration statement
filed by us under the Securities Act, if so requested by us or any
representative of the underwriters in connection with any
registration of the offering of any of our securities.
Eligibility. We may grant awards to our employees, directors
and consultants or any of our related entities, which include our
subsidiaries or any entities in which we hold a substantial
ownership interest.
Acceleration of Options upon Corporate Transactions. The
outstanding options will terminate and accelerate upon occurrence
of a change-of-control corporate transaction where the successor
entity does not assume our outstanding options under the plans. In
such event, each outstanding option will become fully vested and
immediately exercisable, and the transfer restrictions on the
awards will be released and the repurchase or forfeiture rights
will terminate immediately before the date of the change-of-control
transaction provided that the grantee’s continuous service with us
shall not be terminated before that date.
Exercise Price and Terms of the Options. The exercise price
per share subject to an option may be amended or adjusted in the
absolute discretion of the compensation committee, the
determination of which shall be final, binding and conclusive. To
the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange rules, a
re-pricing of options mentioned in the preceding sentence shall be
effective without the approval of our shareholders or the approval
of the optionees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exercise price
per share subject to an option may not be increased without the
approval of the affected optionees. If we grant an option to an
individual who, at the date of grant, possesses more than ten
percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of our
shares, the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair
market value of our ordinary shares on the date of that grant. The
compensation committee shall determine the time or times at which
an option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise
prior to vesting, and shall determine any conditions, if any, that
must be satisfied before all or part of an option may be exercised.
The term of each option grant shall be stated in the stock option
agreement, provided that the term shall not exceed 10 years from
the date of the grant.
Vesting Schedule. In general, the plan administrator
determines, or the stock option agreement specifies, the vesting
schedule.
Transfer Restrictions. Options to purchase our ordinary
shares may not be transferred in any manner by the optionee other
than by will or the laws of succession and may be exercised during
the lifetime of the optionee only by the optionee.
Termination of the Plan. Unless terminated earlier, the 2007
Option Plan will expire and no further awards may be granted under
it after July 2017, our 2011 Option Plan will expire and no
further awards may be granted under it after March 2021, and
our 2012 Option Plan will expire and no further awards may be
granted under it after November 2022. Our board of directors
has the authority to amend or terminate the plan subject to
shareholder approval to the extent necessary to comply with
applicable law. However, no such action may impair the rights of
any optionee unless agreed by the optionee.
C. Board
Practices
Our board
of directors currently consists of five directors. A director is
not required to hold any shares in our company by way of
qualification. A director may vote with respect to any contract,
proposed contract or arrangement notwithstanding that he may be
interested therein and if he does so his vote shall be counted and
he may be counted in the quorum at any meeting of our directors at
which any such contract or proposed contract or arrangement is
considered. Our directors may exercise all the powers of our
company to borrow money and mortgage or change its undertaking,
property and uncalled capital or any part thereof, and to
issue debentures, debenture stock or other securities whenever
money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or
obligation of our company or of any third party. The remuneration
to be paid to the directors is determined by the board of
directors. There is no age limit requirement for directors.
Board Committees
We have established three committees under the board of directors:
an audit committee, a compensation committee, and a compliance
committee. We currently do not plan to establish a nominating
committee. The independent directors of our company will select and
recommend to the board for nomination by the board such candidates
as the independent directors, in the exercise of their judgment,
have found to be well qualified and willing and available to serve
as our directors prior to each annual meeting of our shareholders
at which our directors are to be elected or reelected. In addition,
our board of directors has resolved that director nominations be
approved by a majority of the board as well as a majority of the
independent directors of the board. A majority of our board of
directors are independent directors. We have adopted a charter for
each of the board committees. Each committee’s members and
responsibilities are described below.
Audit Committee. Our audit committee consists of
Mr. Songzuo Xiang, Mr. Dong Wen and Mr. Hua Zhuo.
Mr. Xiang is the chairperson. Our board of directors has
determined that all members of our audit committee satisfy the
“independence” requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and the
rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. We have
determined that Songzuo Xiang qualifies as an “audit committee
financial expert.” The audit committee oversees our accounting and
financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial
statements of our company. The audit committee is responsible for,
among other things:
|
· |
selecting the independent auditors and
pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to
be performed by the independent auditors; |
|
· |
reviewing with the independent auditors any audit
problems or difficulties and management’s response; |
|
· |
reviewing and approving all proposed
related-party transactions on an ongoing basis; |
|
· |
discussing the annual audited financial
statements with management and the independent
auditors; |
|
· |
reviewing major issues as to the adequacy of our
internal controls and any special audit steps adopted in light of
material control deficiencies; |
|
· |
annually reviewing and reassessing the adequacy
of our audit committee charter; |
|
· |
other
matters specifically delegated to our audit committee by our board
of directors from time to time; |
|
· |
meeting separately and periodically with
management and the independent auditors; and |
|
· |
reporting regularly to the full board of
directors. |
Compensation Committee. Our compensation committee consists
of Mr. Songzuo Xiang, Mr. Dong Wen and Mr. Hua Zhuo.
Mr. Wen is the chairperson. Our board of directors has
determined that all members of our compensation committee satisfy
the “independence” requirements of the rules and regulations
of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. Our compensation committee assists
the board in reviewing and approving the compensation structure of
our directors and executive officers, including all forms of
compensation to be provided to our directors and executive
officers. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any
committee meeting during which his compensation is deliberated. The
compensation committee is responsible for, among other things:
|
· |
reviewing and recommending to the board with
respect to the total compensation package for our executive
officers; |
|
· |
reviewing and making recommendations to the board
with respect to the compensation of our directors; and |
|
· |
reviewing periodically and approving any
long-term incentive compensation or equity plans, programs or
similar arrangements, annual bonuses, employee pension and welfare
benefit plans. |
Compliance Committee. Our compliance committee consists of
Mr. Songzuo Xiang, Mr. Dong Wen and Mr. Hua Zhuo.
Mr. Wen is the chairperson. Our compliance committee assists
our board in overseeing our compliance with the laws and
regulations applicable to our business, and compliance with our
code of business conduct and ethics and related policies by our
employees, officers, directors and other agents and associates. The
compliance committee is responsible for, among other things:
|
· |
establishing and revising project and purchase
control policies; |
|
· |
establishing and revising administration and
business supervision policies; |
|
· |
accepting, investigating, and settling any
comments, complaints, and reports from employees; |
|
· |
investigating and settling any matters delegated
from our board of directors; and |
|
· |
monitoring the status of implementation of
company policies. |
Duties of Directors
Under Cayman Islands law, our directors owe fiduciary duties to our
company, including a duty to act honestly, and a duty to act in
what they consider in good faith to be in our best interests. Our
directors must also exercise their powers only for a proper
purpose. Our directors also owe to our company a duty to act with
skills and care. It was previously considered that a director need
not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of
skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his
knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts
have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the
required skill and care and these authorities are likely to be
followed in the Cayman Islands. In fulfilling their duty of care to
our company, our directors must ensure compliance with our amended
and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended and
restated from time to time, and the rights vested thereunder in the
holders of the shares. Our directors owe their fiduciary duties to
our company and not to our company’s individual shareholders, and
it is our company which has the right to seek damages if a duty
owed by our directors is breached. In limited exceptional
circumstances, a shareholder may have the right to seek damages in
our name if a duty owed by our directors is breached.
Terms of Directors and Officers
All directors hold office until the expiration of their terms and
until their successors have been elected and qualified. A director
may be removed from office before the expiry of his term by a
special resolution passed by the shareholders. The directors shall
be subject to retirement by rotation. Any director shall serve a
term of office which shall expire on the 31st day of
July which is not less than one year nor more than two years
after the date of his appointment. Upon the expiry of each
director’s term of office, he shall automatically retire and cease
to be a director, but shall be eligible for re-election by the
board of directors. Any director who is so re-elected shall serve
an additional term which shall expire on the 31st day of
July of the year which is two years after such re-election.
There shall be no limit on the number of times which a director may
be re-elected or the number of additional terms which any such
director may serve. Every director is subject to retirement in
accordance with our articles of association at least once every two
years. Our articles of association also provide that the office of
a director shall be vacated in a limited number of circumstances,
namely if the director: (a) becomes bankrupt or makes any
arrangement or composition with his creditors; (b) is found to
be or becomes of unsound mind; (c) resigns his office by
notice in writing to our Company; or (d) without special leave
of absence from the board of directors, is absent from meetings of
the board of directors for six consecutive months and the board of
directors resolves that his office be vacated. Officers are elected
by and serve at the discretion of our board of directors.
In addition, our service agreements with our directors do not
provide benefits upon termination of their services.
D.
Employees
We had 315, 220 and 123 employees as of December 31, 2018,
2019, and 2020, respectively. The following table sets forth the
number of our employees by area of business as of December 31,
2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively:
|
|
As of December 31, |
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
Number of
Employees |
|
|
% of Total |
|
|
Number of
Employees |
|
|
% of Total |
|
|
Number of
Employees |
|
|
% of Total |
|
Sales and Marketing
Department |
|
|
59 |
|
|
|
18.7 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
13.6 |
|
|
|
18 |
|
|
|
14.6 |
|
Quality Control and Technology
Department |
|
|
85 |
|
|
|
27.0 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
11.8 |
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
16.3 |
|
Programming Department |
|
|
84 |
|
|
|
26.7 |
|
|
|
58 |
|
|
|
26.4 |
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
25.2 |
|
Resources Development
Department |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
4.9 |
|
General Administrative and
Accounting |
|
|
85 |
|
|
|
27.0 |
|
|
|
104 |
|
|
|
47.3 |
|
|
|
48 |
|
|
|
39.0 |
|
Total |
|
|
315 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
|
|
220 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
The following table sets forth the breakdown of employees by
geographic location as of December 31, 2020:
City |
|
Number of
Employees |
|
|
% of Total |
|
Beijing |
|
|
106 |
|
|
|
86.2 |
|
Guangzhou |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
2.4 |
|
Shenyang |
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
9.0 |
|
Others |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
2.44 |
|
Total |
|
|
123 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
Generally, we enter into standard employment contracts with our
officers, managers and other employees. According to these
contracts, all of our employees are prohibited from engaging in any
other employment during the period of their employment with us. The
employment contracts with officers and managers are subject to
renewal every three years and the employment contracts with other
employees are subject to renewal every year.
In addition, we enter into standard confidentiality agreements with
all of our employees including officers and managers that prohibit
any employee from disclosing confidential information obtained
during their employment with us. Furthermore, the confidentiality
agreements include a covenant that prohibits all employees from
engaging in any activities that compete with our business up to two
years after their employment with us terminates.
Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining
agreement. We consider our relations with our employees to be
generally good.
E. Share
Ownership
The following table sets forth information with respect to the
beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of March 31, 2021,
by:
|
· |
each
of our directors and executive officers; and |
|
· |
each
principal shareholder, or person known to us to own beneficially
more than 5.0% of our ordinary shares. |
The calculations in the shareholder table below are based on
177,953,891 ordinary shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021
(excluding 2,032,278 ordinary shares and ordinary shares
represented by ADSs reserved for settlement upon exercise of our
incentive share awards). Beneficial ownership is determined in
accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. In
computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and
the percentage ownership of that person, we have included shares
that the person has the right to acquire within 60 days after March
31, 2021, the most recent practicable date, including through the
exercise of any option, or other right or the conversion of any
other security. These shares, however, are not included in the
computation of the percentage ownership of any other person.
|
|
Shares Beneficially Owned |
|
|
|
Number |
|
|
% |
|
Directors and Executive
Officers: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Herman Man Guo(1) |
|
|
24,155,824 |
|
|
|
13.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qing
Xu(2) |
|
|
2,800,000 |
|
|
|
1.6 |
|
Dong
Wen |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Songzuo Xiang |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
Hua
Zhuo |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Hong
Zhou |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
All
directors and executive officers |
|
|
27,020,824 |
|
|
|
15.0 |
|
Principal Shareholders: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Shore Group
Limited(3) |
|
|
28,412,806 |
|
|
|
16.0 |
|
Herman Man Guo(1) |
|
|
24,155,824 |
|
|
|
13.5 |
|
Unistar Group Holdings
Limited(4) |
|
|
23,876,308 |
|
|
|
13.4 |
|
Dan
Shao(5) |
|
|
20,584,214 |
|
|
|
11.6 |
|
Bison
Capital Media Limited(6) |
|
|
12,000,000 |
|
|
|
6.7 |
|
* |
Aggregate beneficial ownership of our company by
such director or officer is less than 1% of our total outstanding
ordinary shares. |
** |
The
business address of our directors and executive officers is Suite
301 No. 26 Dongzhimenwai Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
100027, The People’s Republic of China. |
(1) |
Includes
(i) 16,105,980 ordinary shares held by Wealthy Environment
Limited, a BVI company wholly owned by Mr. Herman Man Guo,
(ii) 4,849,844 ordinary shares represented by ADSs held by
Wealthy Environment Limited, (iii) 2,000,000 ordinary shares
represented by ADSs held by Mr. Herman Man Guo, and
(iv) 1,200,000 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of
options held by Mr. Guo that are exercisable within
60 days after March 31, 2021. The registered address of
Wealthy Environment Limited is P.O. Box 173, Kingston
Chambers, Road Town Tortola, BVI. |
(2) |
Includes
(i) 1,000,000 ordinary shares held by Mambo Fiesta Limited, a
BVI company wholly owned by Mr. Qing Xu, (ii) 600,000
ordinary shares represented by American Depositary Shares held by
Mr. Qing Xu, and (iii) 1,200,000 ordinary shares issuable
upon exercise of options held by Mr. Xu that are exercisable
within 60 days after March 31, 2021. |
|
|
(3) |
Includes
28,412,806 ordinary shares held by Northern Shore Group Limited, a
BVI company. The principal business address of Northern Shore Group
Limited is Level 23, China World Tower B, 1 Jianguomenwai Ave,
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100004. Mr. Zhichao Li is the
sole director of Northern Shore Group Limited and possesses the
sole voting and dispositive power of the shares owned by Northern
Shore Group Limited. Therefore, Mr. Li may be deemed to have
beneficial ownership of such shares. |
|
|
(4) |
Includes
23,876,308 ordinary shares held by Unistar Group Holdings Limited,
a BVI company. The principal business address of Unistar Group
Holdings Limited is 3rd Floor, J&C Building, Road Town,
Tortola, British Virgin Islands, VG1110. Mr. Rui Du is the sole director of Unistar Group
Holdings Limited and possesses the sole voting and dispositive
power of the shares owned by Unistar Group Holdings Limited.
Therefore, Mr. Du may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of
such shares. |
(5) |
Includes
(i) 20,000,000 ordinary shares held by Global Earning Pacific
Limited and (ii) 584,214 ordinary shares represented by ADSs
that Ms. Dan Shao purchased in one or more open-market
transactions. Global Earning Pacific Limited, a company
incorporated in BVI, is wholly owned and controlled by Ms. Dan
Shao, Mr. Herman Man Guo’s wife. The registered address of
Global Earning Pacific Limited is OMC Chambers, Wickham Cay 1, Road
Town Tortola, BVI. |
(6) |
The
address of Bison Capital Media Limited is c/o Bison Capital Holding
Company Limited, 609-610, 21st Century Tower, 40
Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Republic of
China, 100016. Bison Capital Media Limited, a Cayman Islands
company, is wholly-owned by Bison Capital Holding Company Limited,
a Cayman Islands company, which is in turn wholly owned by
Ms. Fengyun Jiang, a citizen of Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. Ms. Jiang is the sole director of both
Bison Capital Media Limited and Bison Capital Holding Company
Limited. Ms. Jiang possesses the power to direct the voting
and disposition of the shares owned by Bison Capital Media Limited
and may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of such
shares. |
Other than as otherwise disclosed in this annual report, we are not
directly or indirectly owned or controlled by another corporation,
by any foreign government or by any other natural or legal person
severally or jointly. None of our major shareholders have different
voting rights from other shareholders. We are not aware of any
arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of
control of our company.
As of March 31, 2021, 179,986,169 of our ordinary shares were
issued and outstanding, of which 2,032,278 ordinary shares are
issued to our depositary bank reserved for future exercise of
vested options. To our knowledge, we had only one record
shareholder in the United States, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., which
is the depositary of our ADS program and held approximately 50.2%
of our total outstanding ordinary shares as of March 31, 2021. The
number of beneficial owners of our ADSs in the United States is
likely to be much larger than the number of record holders of our
ordinary shares in the United States.
For the options granted to our directors, officers and employees,
please refer to “—B. Compensation—Share Options.”
ITEM 7. |
MAJOR
SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
A. Major
Shareholders
Please refer to “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and
Employees—E. Share Ownership.”
B. Related
Party Transactions
Contractual Arrangements
Our consolidated VIEs, Beijing Yuehang, and Linghang Shengshi,
together with their subsidiaries, directly operate our air travel
media network, enter into related concession rights contracts and
sell advertising time slots and advertising locations to our
advertisers. Our consolidated VIE, AirNet Online, along with its
subsidiaries, enters into concession rights contracts in relation
to our Wi-Fi business and is directly operate this business and
enter into related business contracts. We have been and expect to
continue to be dependent on our VIEs to operate our advertising
business and programming business. Chuangyi Technology has entered
into contractual arrangements with our VIEs, pursuant to which
Chuangyi Technology provides exclusive technology support and
service and technology development services in exchange for
payments from them. In addition, Chuangyi Technology has entered
into agreements with our VIEs and each of their individual
shareholders (except Yi Zhang), which provide Chuangyi Technology
with the substantial ability to control our VIEs. These agreements
are summarized in the following paragraphs.
|
· |
Technology support and service
agreements: Chuangyi Technology provides exclusive
technology support and consulting services to our VIEs and in
return, the VIEs are required to pay Chuangyi Technology service
fees. Linghang Shengshi pays to Chuangyi Technology annual service
fees in the amount that guarantee that Linghang Shengshi can
achieve, after deducting such service fees payable to Chuangyi
Technology, a net cost- plus rate of no less than 0.5%. It is at
Chuangyi Technology’s sole discretion that the rate and amount of
service fees ultimately charged the VIEs under these agreements are
determined. The “net cost-plus rate” refers to the operating profit
as a percentage of total costs and expenses of a certain entity.
The technology support and service fees for each given year payable
by AirNet Online to Chuangyi Technology under AirNet Online’s
technology support and service agreement shall be determined by
AirNet Online and Chuangyi Technology at the first month of such
year taking into account several factors. Those factors include the
credential of the team of Chuangyi Technology that provides
services to AirNet Online, the number of service hours, the nature
and value of the services provided by Chuangyi Technology, the
extent to which Chuangyi Technology provides patent or other
license to AirNet Online in its provision of technology support and
service and the correlation between AirNet Online’s results of
operations and the technology support and service provided by
Chuangyi Technology. In the event Chuangyi Technology finds it
necessary to make subsequent adjustment to the amount of fees,
AirNet Online shall negotiate in good faith with Chuangyi
Technology to determine the new fee. The technology support and
service agreements are effective for ten years and such term is
automatically renewed upon their expiration unless either party to
an agreement informs the other party of its intention not to extend
at least twenty days prior to the expiration of these
agreements. |
|
· |
Technology development agreements:
Our VIEs exclusively engage Chuangyi Technology to provide
technology development services. Chuangyi Technology owns the
intellectual property rights developed in the performance of these
agreements. Linghang Shengshi pays to Chuangyi Technology annual
service fees in the amount that guarantee that the VIEs can
achieve, after deducting such service fees payable to Chuangyi
Technology, a net cost-plus rate of no less than 0.5%, which final
rate should be determined by Chuangyi Technology. It is at Chuangyi
Technology’s sole discretion the rate and amount of fees ultimately
charged the VIEs under these agreements are determined. The “net
cost-plus rate” refers to the operating profit as a percentage of
total costs and expenses of a certain entity. The technology
development fees for each given year payable by AirNet
Online/Iwangfan to Chuangyi Technology under AirNet
Online/Iwangfan’s technology development agreement shall be
determined by AirNet Online/Iwangfan and Chuangyi Technology at the
first month of such year taking into account several factors. Those
factors include the credential of the team of Chuangyi Technology
that provides services to AirNet Online/Iwangfan, the number of
service hours, the nature and value of the services provided by
Chuangyi Technology, the extent to which Chuangyi Technology
provides patent or other license to AirNet Online/Iwangfan in its
provision of technology development service and the correlation
between AirNet Online/Iwangfan’s results of operations and the
technology development service provided by Chuangyi Technology. In
the event Chuangyi Technology finds it necessary to make subsequent
adjustment to the amount of fees, AirNet Online/Iwangfan shall
negotiate in good faith with Chuangyi Technology to determine the
new fee. The technology development agreements are effective for
ten years and such term is automatically renewed upon their
expiration unless either party informs the other party of its
intention not to extend at least twenty days prior to the
expiration of these agreements. |
|
· |
Exclusive technology consultation and
service agreement: AirNet Online exclusively engages
Chuangyi Technology to provide consultation services in relation to
management, training, marketing and promotion. AirNet Online agrees
to pay to Chuangyi Technology the amount of annual service fees as
determined by Chuangyi Technology. In the event Chuangyi Technology
finds it necessary to make subsequent adjustment to the amount of
fees, AirNet Online shall negotiate in good faith with Chuangyi
Technology to determine the new fees. The exclusive technology
consultation and service agreement remains effective for ten years
and such term may be reviewed by Chuangyi Technology’s written
confirmation prior to the expiration of the agreement
term. |
|
· |
Call option agreements: Under the
call option agreements between Chuangyi Technology and the
individual shareholders (except Yi Zhang) of Linghang Shengshi and
Iwangfan, the shareholders of those VIEs irrevocably granted
Chuangyi Technology or its designated third party an exclusive
option to purchase from the VIEs’ shareholders, to the extent
permitted under PRC law, all the equity interests in the VIEs, as
the case may be, for the minimum amount of consideration permitted
by the applicable law without any other conditions. Under the call
option agreements between Chuangyi Technology and the shareholders
of AirNet Online, the shareholders of AirNet Online (except Yi
Zhang) irrevocably granted Chuangyi Technology or its designated
third party an exclusive option to purchase from the shareholders
of AirNet Online, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all the
equity interests in AirNet Online, as the case may be. To the
extent the applicable PRC law does not require the valuation of the
subject equity interests and does not otherwise restrict the
purchase price for such equity interests, such purchase price shall
equal the amount of actual payment made by the respective
shareholders of AirNet Online with respect to the equity interests
whether in the form or share capital injection or secondary
purchase price. If and where the applicable PRC law requires the
valuation of the subject equity interests or otherwise has
restrictions on the purchase price for such equity interests, such
purchase price shall equal the minimum amount of consideration
permitted by the applicable law. In addition, under these
agreements (except for the call option agreements between Chuangyi
Technology and the shareholders of AirNet Online), Chuangyi
Technology has undertaken to act as guarantor of VIEs in all
operations-related contracts, agreements and transactions and
commit to provide loans to support the business development needs
of VIEs or if the VIEs suffer operating difficulties, provided that
the relevant VIE’s shareholders satisfy the terms and conditions in
the call option agreements. Under PRC laws, to provide an effective
guarantee, a guarantor needs to execute a specific written
agreement with the beneficiary of the guarantee. As Chuangyi
Technology has not entered into any written guarantee agreements
with any third party beneficiaries to guarantee the VIEs’
performance obligations to these third parties, none of these third
parties can demand performance from Chuangyi Technology as a
guarantor of the VIEs’ performance obligations. The absence of a
written guarantee agreement, however, does not affect our
conclusion that we are the primary beneficiary of the VIEs and in
turn should consolidate the financials of the VIEs. The term of
each call option agreement is ten years and such terms can be
renewed upon expiration at Chuangyi Technology’s sole discretion.
In January 2016, shareholders of AirNet Online and Linghang
Shengshi (except Yi Zhang) entered into a supplement agreement to
provide that, without respect to the changes in equity interest
percentages of those shareholders in the respective VIEs, the
relevant provisions of the respective call option agreements shall
continue to apply. |
|
· |
Equity pledge agreements: Under the
equity pledge agreements between Chuangyi Technology and the
individual shareholders of our VIEs other than AirNet Online, the
individual shareholders of those VIEs (except Yi Zhang) pledged all
of their equity interests, including the right to receive declared
dividends, in those VIEs to Chuangyi Technology to guarantee those
VIEs’ performance of their obligations under the technology support
and service agreement and the technology development agreement.
Under the equity pledge agreements between Chuangyi Technology and
the shareholders of AirNet Online, the shareholders of AirNet
Online (except Yi Zhang) pledged all of their equity interests,
including the right to receive declared dividends, in AirNet Online
to Chuangyi Technology to guarantee the performance by AirNet
Online of its obligations under its call option agreement and its
exclusive technology consultation and service agreement. If the
VIEs fail to perform its obligations set forth in the applicable
agreements, Chuangyi Technology shall be entitled to exercise all
the remedies and powers set forth in the provisions of the
applicable equity pledge agreements. Those agreements remain
effective for as long as the technology support and service
agreements and technology development agreement are effective, or,
in the case of AirNet Online, until two years after the term of the
obligations under the call option agreement and exclusive
technology consultation and service agreement. Pursuant to the PRC
Property Rights Law, an equity pledge is not perfected as a
security property right unless it is registered with the competent
local administration for industry and commerce. We have not yet
registered the share pledges by shareholders of AirNet Online,
Linghang Shengshi and Iwangfan. In January 2016, shareholders
of AirNet Online, Linghang Shengshi and Iwangfan (except Yi Zhang)
entered into a supplement agreement to provide that, without
respect to the changes in equity interest percentages of those
shareholders in the respective VIEs, the relevant provisions of the
respective equity pledge agreements shall continue to
apply. |
|
· |
Authorization letters: Each
individual shareholder of the VIEs (except Yi Zhang) has executed
an authorization letter to authorize persons appointed by Chuangyi
Technology to exercise certain of its rights, including voting
rights, the rights to enter into legal documents and the rights to
transfer any or all of its equity interest in the VIEs. The
authorization letters by the shareholders of our VIEs will remain
effective during the operating periods of the respective VIEs and
for so long as the respective parties remain shareholders of the
VIEs unless terminated earlier by Chuangyi Technology or unless the
call option agreement with respect to VIEs is terminated prior to
its expiration. |
Through the above contractual arrangements, Chuangyi Technology has
obtained the voting interest in the VIEs of all their shareholders
(except Yi Zhang), has the right to receive substantially all
dividends declared and paid by the VIEs and may receive
substantially all of the net income of the VIEs through the
technical support and service fees as determined by Chuangyi
Technology at its sole discretion. Accordingly, we have
consolidated the VIEs because we believe, through the contractual
arrangements, (1) Chuangyi Technology could direct the
activities of the VIEs that most significantly affect its economic
performance and (2) Chuangyi Technology could receive
substantially all of the benefits that could be potentially
significant to the VIEs. Other than the contractual arrangements
described above, because the management and certain employees of
Chuangyi Technology also serve in the VIEs as management or
employees, certain operating costs paid by Chuangyi Technology,
such as payroll costs and office rental, were re-charged to the
VIEs.
Chuangyi Technology also entered into loan agreements with each
shareholder of AirNet Online (except Yi Zhang), pursuant to which
Chuangyi Technology agrees to make loans in an aggregate amount of
RMB50 million to the shareholders of AirNet Online solely for
the incorporation and capitalization of AirNet Online. The loan is
interest free and the term of the loan is ten years and shall be
automatically renewed on an annual basis unless Chuangyi Technology
objects. Chuangyi Technology can require the shareholders to repay
all or a portion of the loan before the maturity date with a 15
days prior written notice. Under such circumstances, Chuangyi
Technology is entitled to, or designate a third party to, buy all
or a portion of the shareholders’ equity interests in AirNet Online
on a pro rata basis based on the amount of the repaid principal of
the loan. As of the date of this annual report, no loan had been
made and the capital of AirNet Online subscribed by shareholders
was not injected.
Amounts due from related parties
As of December 31, 2018, we had $16 thousand due from Mambo
Fiesta Limited, an entity controlled by Mr. Qing Xu,
representing an interest free advance to it on a short term basis
for operation purpose. We also have $1 thousand due from Shanghai
Qingxuan Co., Ltd., an entity controlled by Mr. Herman
Man Guo, representing an interest free advance to it on a short
term basis for operation purpose. In addition, we have $1 thousand
due from Global Earning Pacific Ltd., an entity controlled by
Ms. Dan Shao, who is our principal shareholder, representing
an interest free advance to it on a short-term basis for operation
purpose.
As of December 31, 2019, we had $17 thousand due from Mambo
Fiesta Limited, representing an interest free advance to it on a
short-term basis for operation purpose. We also have $1 thousand,
$1 thousand, $3 thousand and $3 thousand due from Shanghai Qingxuan
Co., Ltd., Wealthy Environment Limited, AirMedia Holding Ltd.
and AirMedia Merger Company Ltd., respectively, all controlled by
Mr. Herman Man Guo, representing an interest free advance to
it on a short-term basis for operation purpose. In addition, we
have $2 thousand due from Global Earning Pacific Ltd., an entity
controlled by Ms. Dan Shao, who is our principal shareholder,
representing an interest free advance to it on a short-term basis
for operation purpose.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $17 thousand due from Mambo Fiesta
Limited, representing an interest free advance to it on a
short-term basis for operation purpose. We also have $1 thousand,
$1 thousand, $3 thousand and $3 thousand due from Shanghai Qingxuan
Co., Ltd., Wealthy Environment Limited, AirMedia Holding Ltd.
and AirMedia Merger Company Ltd., respectively, all controlled by
Mr. Herman Man Guo, representing interest free advances on a
short-term basis for operation purpose. In addition, we have $2
thousand due from Global Earning Pacific Ltd., an entity controlled
by Ms. Dan Shao, who is our principal shareholder,
representing an interest free advance to it on a short-term basis
for operation purpose.
Amounts due to related parties
As of December 31, 2018, we had $228 thousand due to Beijing
Eastern Media Corporation Ltd., an entity of which 49% equity
interest is controlled by us, representing the balance of purchase
of concession right.
As of December 31, 2019, we had $254 thousand due to Beijing
Eastern Media Corporation Ltd., representing the balance of
purchase of concession right. In addition, we have $2.87 million
due to Ms. Dan Shao, who is our principal shareholder,
representing a loan with annualized interest rate of 16.8% on a
short-term basis for our operation purpose.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $1.53 million due to
Ms. Dan Shao, who is our principal shareholder, representing a
loan with annualized interest rate of 21.6% on a short-term basis
for our operation purpose.
Share Options
See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B.
Compensation—Share Options.”
C. Interests
of Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
ITEM 8. |
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION |
A. Consolidated
Statements and Other Financial Information
Financial Statements
We have appended consolidated financial statements filed as part of
this annual report. See “Item 18. Financial Statements.”
Legal Proceedings
We may become subject to legal proceedings, investigations and
claims incidental to the conduct of our business from time to
time.
A majority of the digital frames and digital TV screens in our
network include programs that consist of both advertising content
and non-advertising content. On December 6, 2007, the State
Administration of Radio, Film or Television, or the SARFT, a
governmental authority in the PRC, issued the Circular regarding
Strengthening the Management of Public Audio-Video in Automobiles,
Buildings and Other Public Areas, or the SARFT Circular. According
to the SARFT Circular, displaying audio-video programs such as
television news, films and television shows, sports, technology and
entertainment through public audio-video systems located in
automobiles, buildings, airports, bus or train stations, shops,
banks and hospitals and other outdoor public systems must be
approved by the SARFT. We intend to obtain the requisite approval
of the SARFT for our non-advertising content, but we cannot assure
that we will obtain such approval in compliance with this new SARFT
Circular, or at all. In January 2014, we entered into a
strategic alliance with China Radio International Oriental Network
(Beijing) Co., Ltd (“CRION”), which manages the internet TV
business of China International Broadcasting Network, to operate
the CIBN-AirNet channel for broadcast network TV programs to air
travelers in China. According to the terms of the cooperation
arrangement with CRION, during the cooperation period from
March 28, 2014 to March 27, 2024, CRION shall obtain and,
from time to time, be responsible for obtaining any approval,
license and consent regarding the regulation of broadcasting and
television from relevant authorities.
There is no assurance that CRION will be able to obtain or maintain
the requisite approval or we will be able to renew the contract
with CRION when they expire. If the requisite approval is not
obtained, we will be required to eliminate non-advertising content
from the programs included in our digital frames and digital TV
screens and advertisers may find our network less attractive and be
unwilling to purchase advertising time slots on our network. As of
December 31, 2020, we did not record a provision for this
matter as management believes the possibility of adverse outcome of
the matter is remote and any liability it may incur would not have
a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial statements.
However, it is not possible for us to predict the ultimate outcome
and the possible range of the potential impact of failure to obtain
such disclosed registrations and approvals primarily due to the
lack of relevant data and information in the market in this
industry in the past.
Linghang Shengshi had served a legal letter, dated June 29,
2016, or the Legal Letter, on Longde Wenchuang to challenge the
proposed transfers by Longde Wenchuang of their equity interests in
AM Advertising to Shanghai Golden Bridge InfoTech Co., Ltd.
(stock code: 603918), a PRC company with its shares listed on the
Shanghai Stock Exchange, or Golden Bridge. As of the date of the
Legal Letter, Linghang Shengshi held 24.84% of the equity interests
in AM Advertising. Longde Wenchuang and Culture Center held 28.57%
and 46.43%, respectively, of the equity interests in AM
Advertising. On June 14, 2016, Longde Wenchuang entered into
an equity interest transfer agreement with Golden Bridge to
transfer 75% equity interests in AM Advertising to Golden Bridge in
consideration for shares in Golden Bridge, or the Transfer. Neither
of Longde Wenchuang sought consent from Linghang Shengshi with
respect to the Transfer in accordance with the provisions of the
Company Law of the People’s Republic of China, or the Company Law.
In the Legal Letter, Linghang Shengshi challenges the validity of
the Transfer on the ground that it violated the statutory right of
first refusal of Linghang Shengshi under the Company Law.
Subsequent to our legal letter, Golden Bridge ceased acquisition of
75% equity interest of AM Advertising from Longde Wenchuang and
Culture Center. Longde Wenchuang and Culture Center further
dismissed our representative from Co-CEO position of AM
Advertising.
On September 2, 2016, we received notice (the
“September 2, 2016 Notice”) from the CIETAC that we, Chuangyi
Technology, Linghang Shengshi and Mr. Herman Man Guo
(collectively, the “Respondents”) were named as respondents by the
Culture Center in an arbitration proceeding submitted by the
Culture Center to the CIETAC in connection with the sale by us of
75% equity interests in AM Advertising to Culture Center and Longde
Wenchuang in June 2015. Culture Center seeks specific
performance by the Respondents of certain obligations under the
transaction documents, which include, among other things,
(i) the pledge by Linghang Shengshi and Mr. Guo of their
respective equity interests in AM Advertising to Culture Center as
security for their obligations under the transaction documents,
(ii) the use of best efforts by the Respondents to cooperate
with the Culture Center and Longde Wenchuang to procure the listing
of AM Advertising in China and (iii) the performance by us and
Mr. Guo of their respective non-compete obligations to refrain
from holding, operating, or otherwise participating in any business
that is the same or substantially the same as that of AM
Advertising. We believe the arbitration request is without merit
and intends to defend the actions vigorously. However, no
assurances can be provided that we will prevail in this arbitration
proceeding. In response to the September 2, 2016 Notice, we
filed a notice against Culture Center to CIETAC for their breach of
contract.
As a result of the above disputes, we are no longer able to
exercise significant influence in operating and strategic decision
of AM Advertising and cannot access to AM Advertising’s financial
information. Accordingly, we accounted our investment in AM
Advertising as equity investments without readily determinable fair
values as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. AM Advertising
and its subsidiaries are no longer related parties to us. As of
December 31, 2016, we treated the provision for earnout
commitment of $23.5 million as contingent liability and did
not record any additional provision for this matter as management
believes the possibility of adverse outcome of the matter is remote
and any liability it may incur would not have a material adverse
effect on its consolidated financial statements.
On March 28, 2018, August 23, 2018 and
November 2018, a MoU and its supplemental agreements
respectively, with, among others, Longde Wenchuang and Beijing
Cultural Center Construction and Development Fund (Limited
Partnership), under which, among other things, Linghang Shengshi
and Mr. Guo have agreed to pay or make available to AM
Advertising on or prior to May 30, 2018 and further extended
to September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2018 an aggregate
of RMB304.5 million which was to be discounted by the
following amounts (i) the RMB152.0 million profits
attributable to Linghang Shengshi, Mr. Guo and Mr. Xu for
the first nine months of 2015, based on a third-party pro forma
audit report on AM Advertising; (ii) the loan of
RMB88.0 million in principal balance and RMB7.8 million
in interests; and (iii) the payment of RMB56.7 million in
cash after the sale of the 20.32% equity interests in AM
Advertising, which consisted of 20.18% equity interests hold by us
and 0.14% equity interests hold by Mr. Man Guo and
Mr. Qing Xu on behalf of our company, and following the
completion of the foregoing arrangements, our obligations with
respect to the profit target for 2015, the earnout provision for
the first nine months of 2015 and the loans between AM Advertising
and Linghang Shengshi shall be deem completed. According to the
aforesaid MoU, after Linghang Shengshi, Mr. Guo and
Mr. Xu transfer all the equity interest of AM Advertising,
they will cease to be shareholders of AM Advertising and will not
be able to continuously assume the obligations in connection with
the profit commitment and earn out provision as a matter of
fact.
The sale of the 20.32% equity interests in AM Advertising (therein
20.18% was held by us) has been completed as of
December 31,2018, while the cash payment of RMB56.7 million to
Longde Wenchuang and Beijing Cultural Center Construction and
Development Fund (Limited Partnership) has not been paid yet by us
as of December 31, 2019. Upon the effectiveness of MoU, we
have written off the contingency of provision for earnout
provision, and have recorded an actual payable of earnout provision
in the amount of RMB152.6 million as of December 31,
2018. On June 27, 2019, Linghang Shengshi received a
letter of notification from AM Advertising requiring for the
immediate payment for the net settlement of RMB 56.7 million (the
“Letter”) and Linghang Shengshi responded to the Letter on
June 28, 2019 by urging AM Advertising to cooperate with
income tax deduction. As of December 31, 2020, Longde
Wenchuang and Culture Center have not issued a written notice
requesting the cancellation of the MoU, and according to an
independent third-party attorney’s legal opinion, the MoU was still
effective and the aforementioned actual payable of earnout
provision remained. In January 2021, we were informed that two of
Linghang Shengshi’s bank accounts amounted to $1 in aggregate was
frozen by the court as Culture Center applied to the court
regardless of the arbitration process in the CIETAC in connection
with the sale of 75% equity interests in AM Advertising. We
believed the application is non-excused as it conflicted with the
arbitration proceeding already submitted by the Culture Center to
the CIETAC and defended the actions by applying to the court to
unfreeze Linghang Shengshi’s bank accounts. In March 2021, we
discovered that the equity interest of AirNet Online held by Mr.
Herman Man Guo and Mr. Qing Xu was frozen by the court, which was
applied to the court by AM Advertising to urge all parties to
settle the Transfer (the “Case”). However, we believed that the
court has no right of jurisdiction to judge this Case as it was
essentially consisted with the arbitration process in the CIETAC
and would be conflicting, and we submitted the objection to the
court. The judge of the Case has orally approved the objection and
the Case will be withdrawn.
For risks and uncertainties relating to the pending cases against
us, please see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks
Related to Our Business— We have been named as a defendant or
respondent in legal proceedings that could have a material adverse
impact on our business, financial condition, results of operation,
cash flows and reputation.”
We are not currently a party to, nor are we aware of, any other
legal proceeding, investigation or claim which, in the opinion of
our management, is likely to have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition or results of operations.
Dividend Policy
We do not have any present plan to declare or pay any dividends on
our ordinary shares or ADSs in the foreseeable future. We currently
intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any
future earnings to operate and expand our business.
Our board of directors has discretion in deciding whether to
distribute dividends. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary
resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the
amount recommended by our directors. In either case, the
distribution of dividends is subject to certain restrictions under
Cayman Islands law, namely that our company may only pay dividends
out of profits or share premium account, and provided always that
in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in
our company being unable to pay its debts due in the ordinary
course of business. Even if our board of directors decides to pay
dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any,
will depend on, among other things, our future results of
operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the
amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our
subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and
other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.
If we pay any dividends, we will pay our ADS holders to the same
extent as holders of our ordinary shares, subject to the terms of
the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable
thereunder. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be
paid in U.S. dollars.
Except as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we have not
experienced any significant change since the date of our audited
consolidated financial statements filed as part of this annual
report.
|
ITEM 9. |
THE
OFFER AND LISTING |
A. |
Offer and Listing
Details |
See “—C. Markets.”
Not applicable.
Our ADSs, each representing ten of our ordinary shares, were listed
on the Nasdaq Global Market on November 7, 2007 and were
subsequently transferred to the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Our
ADSs has been transferred to the Nasdaq Capital Market in
November 2018. On April 11, 2019, we changed our ADS
share ratio from one ADS representing two ordinary shares to one
ADS representing ten ordinary shares. Our trading symbol on the
Nasdaq Capital Market has been changed from “AMCN” to “ANTE”
effective on June 13, 2019.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
|
ITEM 10. |
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION |
Not applicable.
B. |
Memorandum and
Articles of Association |
We incorporate by reference into this annual report the description
of our second amended and restated memorandum of association which
was filed as Exhibit 99.2 to our
Form 6-K (File No. 001-33765) with the SEC on
May 28, 2019.
We have not entered into any material contracts other than in the
ordinary course of business and other than those described above,
in “Item 4. Information on the Company” or elsewhere in this
annual report on Form 20-F.
There are no material exchange controls restrictions on payment of
dividends, interest or other payments to the holders of our
ordinary shares or on the conduct of our operations in the Cayman
Islands, where we were incorporated. Cayman Islands law and our
memorandum and articles of association do not impose any material
limitations on the right of nonresidents or foreign owners to hold
or vote our ordinary shares.
See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business
Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Foreign Exchange” for a
description of PRC regulations on foreign exchange.
Cayman Islands Taxation
The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or
corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and
there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate
duty. No Cayman Islands stamp duty will be payable unless an
instrument is executed in, or after execution, brought to or
produced before a court in the Cayman Islands.
The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties that are
applicable to any payments made to or by our company. There are no
exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman
Islands. Payments of dividends and capital in respect of the
ordinary shares will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman
Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a
dividend or capital to any holder of the ordinary shares, nor will
gains derived from the disposal of the ordinary shares be subject
to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax.
PRC Taxation
Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, foreign corporate
shareholders and corporate ADSs holders may be subject to a 10%
income tax upon the dividends payable by us or on any gains they
realize from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, if we are
classified as a PRC resident enterprise and such income is regarded
as income from “sources within the PRC.” Given the fact that
whether we would be regarded as “resident enterprise” is not clear,
it is uncertain whether foreign corporate shareholders and
corporate ADSs holders may be subject to a 10% income tax upon the
dividends payable by us or on any gains they realize from the
transfer of our shares or ADSs. If we are required under the PRC
tax law to withhold PRC income tax on our dividends payable to our
non-PRC corporate shareholders and ADS holders or if any gains of
the transfer of their shares or ADSs are subject to PRC tax, such
holders’ investment in our ADSs or ordinary shares may be
materially and adversely affected.
U.S. Federal Income Taxation
General
The following is a summary of material U.S. federal income tax
considerations generally applicable to the ownership and
disposition of our ADSs or ordinary shares by a U.S. Holder (as
defined below) that holds our ADSs or ordinary shares as “capital
assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the U.S.
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, but it does
not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax
consequences and considerations. This summary is based upon
existing U.S. federal income tax law as of the date hereof, which
is subject to differing interpretations or change, possibly with
retroactive effect. This summary does not discuss all aspects of
U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to particular
holders in light of their individual circumstances, including
holders subject to special tax rules (for example, banks or
other financial institutions, insurance companies, regulated
investment companies, real estate investment trusts, cooperatives,
pension plans, broker-dealers, partnerships and their partners, and
tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations)), holders
who are not U.S. Holders (as defined below), holders who own
(directly, indirectly or constructively) 10% or more of our stock
(by vote or value), holders who acquire their ADSs or ordinary
shares pursuant to any employee share option or otherwise as
compensation, holders that hold their ADSs or ordinary shares as
part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, constructive sale or other
integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
holders required to accelerate the recognition of any item of
gross income with respect to our ADSs or ordinary shares as a
result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial
statement, traders in securities that have elected the
mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities or holders
that have a functional currency other than the United States
dollar, all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ
significantly from those summarized below. In addition, this
summary does not discuss any alternative minimum tax, state, local,
non-U.S. tax or non-income tax (such as the U.S. federal gift and
estate tax) considerations or the Medicare tax. Each U.S. Holder is
urged to consult with its tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal,
state, local, and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations
relating to the ownership and disposition of our ADSs or ordinary
shares.
For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner
of our ADSs or ordinary shares that is, for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of
the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated
as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created in,
or organized under the laws of, the United States or any state
thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the
income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal
income tax purposes regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust
(A) the administration of which is subject to the primary
supervision of a United States court and which has one or more
United States persons who have the authority to control all
substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has otherwise
elected to be treated as a United States person.
If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial
owner of our ADSs or ordinary shares, the tax treatment of a
partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of
the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships
holding our ADSs or ordinary shares and partners in such
partnerships are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding
their ownership and disposition of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
The discussion below assumes the deposit agreement and any related
agreement will be complied with in accordance with their terms.
It is generally expected that a U.S. Holder of ADSs should be
treated as the beneficial owner, for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, of the underlying shares represented by the ADSs. The
remainder of this discussion assumes that a holder of ADSs will be
treated in this manner. Accordingly, deposits or withdrawals of
ordinary shares for ADSs will not be subject to U.S. federal income
tax.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations
Based on the market price of our ADSs and the historical, current
and expected composition of our income and assets (in particular,
the retention of a large amount of cash) and value of our assets,
we believe that we were a PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020, and we
may be classified as a PFIC for our current taxable year ending
December 31, 2021 unless the market price of our ADSs
increases and/or we invest a substantial amount of the cash and
other passive assets we hold in assets that produce or are held for
the production of non-passive income. In general, we will be
classified as a PFIC for any taxable year if either (i) 75
percent or more of our gross income for such year is passive income
or (ii) 50 percent or more of the average quarterly value of
our assets (as generally determined on the basis of fair market
value) produce or are held for the production of passive income.
For this purpose, cash and assets readily convertible into cash are
generally classified as passive and goodwill and other unbooked
intangibles associated with active business activities may
generally be classified as non-passive. We will be treated as
owning a proportionate share of the assets and earning a
proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which
we own, directly or indirectly, 25 percent or more (by value) of
the stock. Although the law in this regard is unclear, we treat the
VIEs (and their subsidiaries) as being owned by us for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, not only because we exercise effective control
over the operations of such entities but also because we are
entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits associated
with such entities, and, as a result, we consolidate such entity’s’
operating results in our consolidated financial statements. Because
there are uncertainties in the application of the relevant
rules and PFIC status is a fact-intensive determination made
on an annual basis, no assurance can be given with respect to our
PFIC status for any taxable year.
If we are classified as a PFIC for any year during which a U.S.
Holder holds ADSs or ordinary shares, a U.S. Holder will generally,
as discussed below under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company
Rules,” be treated as holding an equity interest in a PFIC in the
first taxable year of the U.S. Holder’s holding period in which we
are or become a PFIC and subsequent taxable years even if, we in
fact, cease to be a PFIC in subsequent taxable years.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
As described above, we believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable
year ended December 31, 2020, and we may be classified as a
PFIC for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2021. If
we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a
U.S. Holder holds ADSs or ordinary shares, and unless a
mark-to-market election (as described below) is made, a U.S. Holder
will generally be subject to special tax rules that have a
penalizing effect, regardless of whether we remain a PFIC, on
(i) any excess distribution that we make (which generally
means any distribution received in a taxable year that is greater
than 125 percent of the average annual distributions received in
the three preceding taxable years, if shorter, or such U.S.
Holder’s holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares), and
(ii) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition,
including, under certain circumstances, a pledge, of our ADSs or
ordinary shares. Under the PFIC rules:
|
· |
such
excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over the U.S.
Holder’s holding period for the ADSs or ordinary
shares; |
|
· |
such
amount allocated to the taxable year of distribution or gain and
any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we are
classified as a PFIC (a “pre-PFIC year”) will be taxable as
ordinary income; |
|
· |
such
amount allocated to each prior taxable year, other than a pre-PFIC
year, will be subject to tax at the highest tax rate in effect
applicable to such U.S. Holder for that year; and |
|
· |
an
interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will
be imposed on the tax attributable to each prior taxable year,
other than a pre-PFIC year. |
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder
holds ADSs or ordinary shares and any of our non-United States
subsidiaries is also a PFIC, such U.S. Holder would be treated as
owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the ADSs or ordinary
shares of the lower-tier PFIC and would be subject to the
rules described above on certain distributions by a lower-tier
PFIC and a disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares of a lower-tier
PFIC even though such U.S. Holder would not receive the proceeds of
those distributions or dispositions.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder
holds the ADSs or ordinary shares, we will continue to be treated
as a PFIC with respect to such U.S. Holder for all succeeding years
during which the U.S. Holder holds the ADSs or ordinary shares,
unless we were to cease to be a PFIC and the U.S. Holder makes a
“deemed sale” election with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares.
If such election is made, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have
sold the ADSs or ordinary shares it holds at their fair market
value and any gain from such deemed sale would be subject to the
rules described in the preceding two paragraphs. After the
deemed sale election, so long as we do not become a PFIC in a
subsequent fiscal year, the ADSs or ordinary shares with respect to
which such election was made will not be treated as shares in a
PFIC and, as a result, the U.S. Holder will not be subject to the
rules described above with respect to any “excess
distribution” the U.S. Holder receives from us or any gain from an
actual sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares.
Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisors as to the
possibility and consequences of making a deemed sale election if we
are and then cease to be a PFIC and such an election becomes
available to the U.S. Holder.
As an alternative to the foregoing rules, a holder of “marketable
stock” in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election with respect to
such stock. Marketable stock is stock that is regularly traded on a
qualified exchange or other market as defined in applicable United
States Treasury Regulations. Our ADSs (but not our ordinary shares)
are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which is a qualified
exchange or other market for these purposes. We anticipate that the
ADSs will be considered regularly traded for so long as they
continue to be listed, but no assurance may be given in this
regard. If a U.S. Holder makes this election, such holder will
generally (i) include in gross income for each taxable year
the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the ADSs at the end
of the taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of the ADSs and
(ii) deduct as an ordinary loss the excess, if any, of the
adjusted tax basis of the ADSs over the fair market value of the
ADSs at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the
amount previously included in income as a result of the
mark-to-market election. The adjusted tax basis in the ADSs would
be adjusted to reflect any income or loss resulting from the
mark-to-market election. If a mark-to-market election is made in
respect of a corporation classified as a PFIC and such corporation
ceases to be classified as a PFIC, a U.S. Holder will generally not
be required to take into account the gain or loss described above
during any period that such corporation is not classified as a
PFIC. If a mark-to-market election is made, any gain recognized
upon the sale or other disposition of ADSs will be treated as
ordinary income and any loss will be treated as ordinary loss, but
such loss will only be treated as ordinary to the extent of the net
amount previously included in income as a result of the
mark-to-market election. In the case of a U.S. Holder who has held
ADSs during any taxable year in which we are classified as PFIC and
continues to hold such ADSs (or any portion thereof), and who is
considering making a mark-to-market election, special tax
rules may apply relating to purging the PFIC taint of such
ADSs. If a U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election, the tax
rules that apply to distributions by corporations which are
not PFICs would apply to distributions, except that the reduced tax
rate applicable to qualified dividend income (as discussed below in
“—Dividends”) would not apply.
Because a mark-to-market election cannot be made for any lower-tier
PFICs that we may own, a U.S. Holder may continue to be subject to
the PFIC rules with respect to such U.S. Holder’s indirect
interest in any investment held by us that is treated as an equity
interest in a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
We do not intend to provide the U.S. Holders with the information
necessary to permit U.S. Holders to make qualified electing fund
elections, which, if available, would result in tax treatment
different from (and generally less adverse than) the general tax
treatment for PFICs described above.
If a U.S. Holder owns our ADSs or ordinary shares during any
taxable year that we are a PFIC, the holder must generally file an
annual IRS Form 8621. In addition, the reduced tax rate
applicable to qualified dividend income (as discussed below in
“—Dividends) would not apply to dividends that we pay on the ADSs
or ordinary shares if we are classified as a PFIC for the taxable
year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year.
Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisor concerning the
U.S. federal income tax consequences of holding and disposing ADSs
or ordinary shares if we are or become a PFIC, including the
possibility of making a mark-to-market election and the “deemed
sale” election.
Dividends
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed above, any cash
distributions (including the amount of any taxes withheld) paid on
our ADSs or ordinary shares out of our current or accumulated
earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax
principles, will generally be includible in the gross income of a
U.S. Holder as dividend income on the day actually or
constructively received by the U.S. Holder, in the case of ordinary
shares, or by the depositary, in the case of ADSs. Because we do
not intend to determine our earnings and profits on the basis of
U.S. federal income tax principles, any distribution paid will
generally be reported as a “dividend” for U.S. federal income tax
purposes. A non-corporate recipient of dividend income generally
will be subject to tax on dividend income from a “qualified foreign
corporation” at a reduced U.S. federal tax rate rather than the
marginal tax rates generally applicable to ordinary income provided
that certain holding period requirements are met.
A non-U.S. corporation (other than a corporation that is classified
as a PFIC for the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the
preceding taxable year) generally will be considered to be a
qualified foreign corporation with respect to any dividend it pays
on stock (or ADSs in respect of such stock) which is readily
tradable on an established securities market in the United States
or, in the event that the company is deemed to be a PRC resident
under the EIT Law, the company is eligible for the benefits of the
Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America
and the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the
Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Tax Evasion with
Respect to Taxes on Income, or the United States-PRC treaty.
The ADSs are currently tradable on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which
is an established securities market in the United States, and thus
we anticipate they will be considered readily tradable on an
established securities market in the United States for purposes of
the foregoing rule, however, no assurance may be given in this
regard. In the event we are deemed to be a PRC resident enterprise
under the EIT Law (see “—PRC Taxation”), we may be eligible for the
benefits of the United States-PRC income tax treaty. Nevertheless,
as mentioned above, we believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable
year ended December 31, 2020, and we may be classified as a
PFIC for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2021, in
which case, we would not be considered a qualified foreign
corporation for such taxable years even if we were considered
readily tradable on an established securities market or eligible
for the benefits of the United States-PRC income tax treaty. Each
U.S. Holder is advised to consult its tax advisor regarding the
rate of tax that will apply to such holder with respect to,
dividend distributions, if any, received from us.
Dividends received on the ADSs or ordinary shares are not expected
to be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to
corporations.
Dividends paid on our ADSs or ordinary shares generally will be
treated as income from foreign sources for U.S. foreign tax credit
purposes and generally will constitute passive category income. A
U.S. Holder may be eligible, subject to a number of complex
limitations, to claim a foreign tax credit in respect of any
foreign withholding taxes imposed on dividends received on our ADSs
or ordinary shares. A U.S. Holder who does not elect to claim a
foreign tax credit for foreign tax withheld, may instead claim a
deduction, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in respect of such
withholdings, but only for a year in which such holder elects to do
so for all creditable foreign income taxes. The
rules governing the foreign tax credit are complex. Each U.S.
Holder is advised to consult its tax advisor regarding the
availability of the foreign tax credit under their particular
circumstances.
Sale or Other Disposition of ADSs or Ordinary
Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed above, a U.S. Holder
generally will recognize capital gain or loss upon the sale or
other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares in an amount equal to
the difference between the amount realized upon the disposition and
the holder’s adjusted tax basis in such ADSs or ordinary shares.
Any capital gain or loss will be long-term if the ADSs or ordinary
shares have been held for more than one year and will generally be
U.S. source gain or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes.
However, in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident
enterprise under the EIT Law, and gain from the disposition of the
ADSs or ordinary shares is subject to tax in the PRC (see “—PRC
Taxation”), such gain may be treated as PRC-source gain for U.S.
foreign tax credit purposes. The deductibility of a capital loss is
subject to limitations. Each U.S. Holder is advised to consult with
its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences if a foreign
withholding tax is imposed on a disposition of our ADSs or ordinary
shares, including the availability of the foreign tax credit under
their particular circumstances.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Certain U.S. Holders are required to report information to the IRS
relating to an interest in “specified foreign financial assets” (as
defined in the Code), including shares issued by a non-U.S.
corporation, for any year in which the aggregate value of all
specified foreign financial assets exceeds $50,000 (or a higher
dollar amount prescribed by the IRS), subject to certain exceptions
(including an exception for shares held in custodial accounts
maintained with a United States financial institution). These
rules also impose penalties if a U.S. Holder is required to
submit such information to the IRS and fails to do so.
In addition, U.S. Holders may be subject to information reporting
to the IRS and backup withholding with respect to dividends on, and
proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, the ADSs or
ordinary shares. Information reporting will apply to payments of
dividends on, and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of,
the ADSs or ordinary shares made by a paying agent within the
United States to a U.S. Holder, unless the U.S. Holder is exempt
from information reporting and properly certifies its exemption. A
paying agent within the United States will be required to withhold
at the applicable statutory rate, currently 24%, in respect of any
payments of dividends on, and the proceeds from the disposition of,
the ADSs or ordinary shares made within the United States to a U.S.
Holder if the U.S. Holder fails to furnish its correct taxpayer
identification number or otherwise fails to comply with applicable
backup withholding requirements, unless the U.S. Holder is exempt
from backup withholding and properly certifies its exemption. U.S.
Holders who are required to establish their exempt status generally
must provide a properly completed IRS Form W-9.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as
backup withholding may be credited against a U.S. Holder’s U.S.
federal income tax liability. A U.S. Holder generally may obtain a
refund of any amounts withheld under the backup withholding
rules by filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS
in a timely manner and furnishing any required information. Each
U.S. Holder is advised to consult with its tax advisor regarding
the application of the U.S. information reporting rules to
their particular circumstances.
F. |
Dividends and Paying
Agents |
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
We have previously filed with the SEC our registration statement on
Form F-1 (File Number 333-146825), as amended, and a
prospectus under the Securities Act with respect to our ordinary
shares represented by our ADSs, and a related registration
statement on Form F-6 (File Number 333-146908) with respect to
our ADSs, as amended. We have also filed with the SEC registration
statements on Form S-8 (File Numbers 333-148352, 333-164219,
333-183448 and 333-187442) with respect to our ADSs, as amended. In
addition, we have filed with the SEC an automatic shelf
registration statement on Form F-3 (File Number 333-161067),
as amended, and a prospectus under the Securities Act with respect
to our ordinary shares represented by our ADSs.
We are subject to the periodic reporting and other informational
requirements of the Exchange Act. Under the Exchange Act, we are
required to file reports and other information with the SEC.
Specifically, we are required to file annually a Form 20-F
within four months after the end of each fiscal year. Copies of
reports and other information, when so filed, may be inspected
without charge and may be obtained at prescribed rates at the
public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street,
N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C., 20549. The public may obtain
information regarding the Washington, D.C. Public Reference Room by
calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a
website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information
statements, and other information regarding registrants that make
electronic filings with the SEC using its EDGAR system. As a
foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the
Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of quarterly
reports and proxy statements, and officers, directors and principal
shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit
recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange
Act.
We will furnish JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the depositary of our
ADSs, with our annual reports, which will include a review of
operations and annual audited consolidated financial statements
prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, and all notices of
shareholders’ meetings and other reports and communications that
are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary
will make such notices, reports and communications available to
holders of ADSs and, upon our request, will mail to all record
holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a
shareholders’ meeting received by the depositary from us.
In accordance with Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5250(d), we will
post this annual report on Form 20-F on our website at
http://www. ir.airnetgroup.cn. In addition, we will provide
hardcopies of our annual report free of charge to shareholders and
ADS holders upon request.
I. |
Subsidiary
Information |
Not applicable.
ITEM 11. |
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE
DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to interest rate risk primarily relates to the
interest income generated by excess cash, which is mostly held in
interest-bearing bank deposits. We have not used derivative
financial instruments in our investment portfolio. Interest-earning
instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. We have not been
exposed nor do we anticipate being exposed to material risks due to
changes in market interest rates. However, our future interest
income may fall short of expectations due to changes in market
interest rates. A hypothetical 1% decrease in interest rates would
have resulted in a decrease of approximately $0.01 million in
our interest income for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Foreign Exchange Risk
Our financial statements are expressed in U.S. dollars, which is
our reporting and functional currency. However, substantially all
of the revenues and expenses of our consolidated operating
subsidiaries and affiliate entities are denominated in RMB.
Substantially all of our sales contracts are denominated in RMB and
substantially all of our costs and expenses are denominated in RMB.
We have not had any material foreign exchange gains or losses.
Although in general, our exposure to foreign exchange risks should
be limited, the value of your investment in our ADSs will be
affected by the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollars and RMB
because the value of the business of our operating subsidiaries and
VIEs is effectively denominated in RMB, while the ADSs are traded
in U.S. dollars.
The conversion of RMB into foreign currencies, including U.S.
dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. The
PRC government allowed the RMB to appreciate by more than 20%
against the U.S. dollar between July 2005 and July 2008.
Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted
and the exchange rate between RMB and the U.S. dollar remained
within a narrow band. As a consequence, the RMB fluctuated
significantly during that period against other freely traded
currencies, in tandem with the U.S. dollar. Since June 2010,
the PRC government has allowed the RMB to appreciate slowly against
the U.S. dollar again. It is difficult to predict how market forces
or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate
between the RMB and the U.S. dollar in the future. We have not used
any forward contracts or currency borrowings to hedge our exposure
to foreign currency exchange risk.
To the extent that we need to convert our U.S. dollar-denominated
assets into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB against
the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on RMB amount we
receive from the conversion. A hypothetical 10% decrease in the
exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against RMB would have resulted in
a decrease of $0.30 million in the value of our U.S.
dollar-denominated financial assets at December 31, 2020.
Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB-denominated cash
amounts into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for
dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business
purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against RMB would have a
negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.
Inflation
Inflationary factors such as increases in the cost of our product
and overhead costs may adversely affect our operating results.
Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact
on our financial position or results of operations to date, a high
rate of inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our
ability to maintain current levels of gross margin and selling,
general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenues
if the selling prices of our products do not increase with these
increased costs.
|
ITEM 12. |
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES |
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
D. |
American Depositary
Shares |
Fees and Charges Our ADS Holders May Have to
Pay
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the depositary of our ADS program,
collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from
investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of
withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary
collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting
those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of
distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect
its annual fee for depositary services by deductions from cash
distributions or by directly billing investors or by charging the
book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The
depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-attracting services
until its fees for those services are paid.
Persons depositing or withdrawing
shares must pay: |
|
For: |
$5.00
per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs) |
|
Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting
from a distribution of shares or rights or other property;
cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if
the deposit agreement terminates |
|
|
|
$0.05
(or less) per ADS |
|
Any
cash distribution to registered ADS holders |
|
|
|
A fee
equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities
distributed had been shares and the shares had been deposited for
issuance of ADSs $0.05 (or less) per ADSs per calendar year (if the
depositary has not collected any cash distribution fee during that
year) |
|
Distribution of securities distributed to holders
of deposited securities which are distributed by the depositary to
registered ADS holders Depositary services |
|
|
|
Expenses of the depositary |
|
Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when
expressly provided in the deposit agreement); converting foreign
currency to U.S. dollars |
|
|
|
Registration or transfer fees |
|
Transfer and registration of shares on our share
register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when
you deposit or withdraw shares |
|
|
|
Taxes
and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian have
to pay on any ADS or share underlying an ADS, for example, stock
transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes |
|
As
necessary |
|
|
|
Any
charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the
deposited securities |
|
As
necessary |
Fees and Other Payments Made by the Depositary to
Us
The depositary has agreed to reimburse us annually for our expenses
incurred in connection with investor relationship programs and any
other program related to our ADS facility and the travel expense of
our key personnel in connection with such programs. The depositary
has also agreed to provide additional payments to us based on the
applicable performance indicators relating to our ADS facility.
There are limits on the amount of expenses for which the depositary
will reimburse us, but the amount of reimbursement available to us
is not necessarily tied to the amount of fees the depositary
collects from investors. We recognize the reimbursable amounts in
other income on our consolidated statements of operations on a
straight-line basis over the contract term with the depositary. For
the year ended December 31, 2020, we received nil from the
depositary as reimbursement for our expenses incurred.
PART II
|
ITEM 13. |
DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES
AND DELINQUENCIES |
None.
|
ITEM 14. |
MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE
RIGHTS OF SECURITIES HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS |
Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders
See “Item 10. Additional Information” for a description of the
rights of securities holders, which remain unchanged.
Use of Proceeds
|
ITEM 15. |
CONTROLS AND
PROCEDURES |
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive
officer and chief financial officer, has performed an evaluation of
the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of
the end of the period covered by this annual report, as required by
Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act.
Based upon that evaluation, our management, with the participation
of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has
concluded that, due to the material weakness described below, as of
December 31, 2020, our disclosure controls and procedures were
not effective in ensuring that the information required to be
disclosed by us in the reports that we file and furnish under the
Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported,
within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and
forms, and that the information required to be disclosed by us in
the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is
accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief
executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate, to
allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining
adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is
defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our internal control over
financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with
U.S. GAAP. Internal control over financial reporting includes those
policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of
records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect
the transactions and dispositions of a company’s assets,
(2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are
recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated
financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that a company’s receipts and
expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations
of a company’s management and directors and (3) provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of a company’s assets
that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial
statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over
financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods
are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the
policies or procedures may deteriorate.
As required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
and related rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission, our management, including our chief executive officer
and chief financial officer, assessed the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 using
the criteria set forth in the report “Internal Control—Integrated
Framework (2013)” published by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (known as COSO).
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of
deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such
that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement
of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be
prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The following material weakness in internal control over financial
reporting has been identified as of December 31, 2020. The
material weaknesses as of December 31, 2020 were related to
the weak operating effectiveness and lack of monitoring of controls
over financial reporting due to inadequate resources or resources
with insufficient experience or training in our financial reporting
team, internal control team, administration team and human resource
team.
Because of the material weakness described above, our management
has concluded that we had not maintain effective internal control
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on
criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework
(2013) issued by COSO.
Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting
Firm
This annual report does not include an attestation report of our
company’s registered public accounting firm as we are a
non-accelerated filer as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we identified a
material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2020. As defined in standards established
by the 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.
The material weakness identified was related to the weak operating
effectiveness and lack of monitoring of controls over financial
reporting due to inadequate resources or resources with
insufficient experience or training in our financial reporting
team, internal control team, administration team and human resource
team.
To remediate our identified material weakness, significant
deficiency and other control deficiencies in connection with
preparation of our consolidated financial statements, we plan to
adopt several measures to improve our internal control over
financial reporting. For example, during the reporting period, we
keep providing regular training seminars to its employees of
different capacities, including financial reporting team,
administration team and human resource team, to introduce and
reinforce the updated controls and procedures; obtained support
from an external consultant firm with experienced staff holding the
AICPA license with a solid understanding of U.S. GAAP to assist us
in the preparation of the financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2020; and assigned our chief counsel and the
legal department to oversee the internal control over financial
reporting in addition to their usual capacities. With his extensive
experience in risk management and a direct access to our Board of
Directors, the chief counsel is capable to provide independent
opinions to the performance of internal control over financial
reporting.
Other than as described above, no changes in our internal controls
over financial reporting occurred during the period covered by this
annual report that have materially affected, or are reasonably
likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial
reporting.
|
ITEM 16A. |
AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL
EXPERT |
Our board of directors has determined that Songzuo Xiang, a member
of our audit committee, is an audit committee financial expert.
Songzuo Xiang is an independent director as defined by the
rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and under
Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.
Our board of directors has adopted a code of ethics that applies to
our directors, officers, employees and agents, including certain
provisions that specifically apply to our chief executive officer,
chief financial officer, chief operating officer, chief technology
officer, presidents, vice presidents and any other persons who
perform similar functions for us. We have filed our code of
business conduct and ethics as an exhibit to our registration
statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-146825), as amended,
initially filed on October 19, 2007.
|
ITEM 16C. |
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND
SERVICES |
The following table sets forth the aggregate fees by categories
specified below in connection with certain professional services
rendered by Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP, our current
principal external auditors, for the periods indicated. We did not
pay any other fees to our auditors during the periods indicated
below.
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, |
|
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
Audit
Fees |
|
$ |
380,000 |
|
|
$ |
380,000 |
|
“Audit Fees” consisted of the aggregate fees billed for
professional services rendered for the audit of our annual
financial statements or quarterly review services that are normally
provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and
regulatory filings or engagements.
The policy of our audit committee is to pre-approve all audit and
non-audit services provided by our external auditors, other than
those for de minimus services which are approved by the audit
committee prior to the completion of the audit.
|
ITEM 16D. |
EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR
AUDIT COMMITTEES |
Not applicable.
|
ITEM 16E. |
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER
AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS |
Not applicable.
|
ITEM 16F. |
CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING
ACCOUNTANT |
Not applicable.
|
ITEM 16G. |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
The Nasdaq Stock Market rules require each issuer to hold an
annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end
of the issuer’s fiscal year end. They also require each issuer to
seek shareholder approval for any establishment of or material
amendment to the issuer’s equity compensation plans, including any
amendment effecting a repricing of outstanding options or
increasing the amount of shares authorized under such plans.
However, the rules permit foreign private issuers like us to
follow “home country practice” in certain corporate governance
matters.
Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our Cayman Islands counsel, has
provided a letter to the Nasdaq Stock Market certifying that under
Cayman Islands law, we are not required to hold annual shareholder
meetings. We held annual meetings in 2013. No annual general
meeting was held in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. We
may hold additional annual shareholder meetings in the future if
there are significant issues that require shareholder approval.
Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP has also provided letters to the
Nasdaq Stock Market certifying that under Cayman Islands law, we
are not required to seek shareholder approval for the establishment
of or any material amendments to our equity compensation plans. In
2008, we followed home country practice with respect to our 2007
Option Plan by amending it to permit repricings of options without
seeking shareholder approval. In 2011, we followed home country
practice with respect to our 2011 Option Plan by establishing it
without seeking shareholder approval.
We have relied on and intend to continue to rely on the above home
country practices under Cayman Islands law. Other than the above,
we have followed and intend to continue to follow the applicable
corporate governance standards under the rules and regulations
of the Nasdaq Stock Market.
|
ITEM 16H. |
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16I. |
DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS
THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS |
Not applicable.
PART III
|
ITEM 17. |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
We have elected to provide financial statements pursuant to
Item 18.
|
ITEM 18. |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
The full text of our audited consolidated financial statements
begins on page F-2 of this annual report.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
|
|
|
2.3 |
|
Amended
and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement originally dated as of
June 7, 2007, as amended and restated on September 27,
2007, among the Company and Shareholders (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 4.4 to Registration Statement on Form F-1
(File No. 333-146825), as amended, initially filed on
October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
2.4 |
|
Description of securities
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.4 to Annual Report on Form
20-F filed on September 14, 2020)
|
|
|
|
2.5 |
|
Rights
Agreement dated August 13, 2020 between AirNet Technology Inc. and
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K (File No.
001-33765) filed on August 13, 2020) |
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
Forms
of Rights Certificate and of Election to Exercise, included in
Exhibit A to the Rights Agreement (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K (File No. 001-33765) filed on August 13,
2020) |
|
|
|
4.1 |
|
Amended
and Restated 2007 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 99.2 to Form 6-K filed on December 10,
2009) |
|
|
|
4.2 |
|
2011
Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.49 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 30, 2012) |
|
|
|
4.3 |
|
2012
Share Incentive Plan. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.3 to Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File
No. 333-187442) filed on March 22, 2013) |
|
|
|
4.4 |
|
Form of Employment Agreement between the
Company and an Executive Officer of the Registrant (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Registration Statement on
Form F-1 (File No. 333- 146825), as amended, initially
filed on October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.5 |
|
Form of Employment Agreement between the
Company and an Executive Officer of the Registrant (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Registration Statement on
Form F-1 (File No. 333- 146825), as amended, initially
filed on October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.6 |
|
Investment Framework Agreement dated
October 18, 2005, as amended on September 27, 2007, among
Man Guo, Qing Xu and CDH China Management Company Limited
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Registration
Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825), as amended,
initially filed on October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.7 |
|
English
Translation of Business Cooperation Agreement dated June 14,
2007 between Beijing Shengshi Lianhe Advertising Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising
Co., Ltd.) and AirTV United Media & Culture
Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to
Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825),
as amended, initially filed on October 19,
2007) |
|
|
|
4.8 |
|
English
Translation of Amended Power of Attorneys dated November 28,
2008 from each of the shareholders of Beijing Shengshi Lianhe
Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang
Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.11 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 28, 2009) |
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
|
|
|
4.10 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated November 30, 2007
to the Amended and Restated Technology Development Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and Beijing Shengshi Lianhe Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 30, 2008) |
|
|
|
4.11 |
|
English
Translation of Amended and Restated Technology Support and Service
Agreement dated June 14, 2007 between AirMedia Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and Beijing Shengshi Lianhe
Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang
Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.13 to Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File
No. 333- 146825), as amended, initially filed on
October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.12 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated November 30, 2007
to the Amended and Restated Technology Support and Service
Agreement dated June 14, 2007 between AirMedia Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and Beijing Shengshi Lianhe
Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang
Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.2 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 30, 2008) |
|
|
|
4.13 |
|
English
Translation of Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 among AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing Shengshi Lianhe Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd.) and the shareholders of Beijing
Shengshi Lianhe Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.14 to Registration Statement on
Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825), as amended, initially
filed on October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.14 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated November 28, 2008
to the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 among AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing Shengshi Lianhe Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd.) and the shareholders of Beijing
Shengshi Lianhe Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.17 to Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed on April 28, 2009) |
|
|
|
4.15 |
|
English
Translation of Amended and Restated Call Option Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 among AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing Shengshi Lianhe Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd.) and the shareholders of Beijing
Shengshi Lianhe Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.15 to Registration Statement on
Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825), as amended, initially
filed on October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.16 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated November 28, 2008
to the Amended and Restated Call Option Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 among AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing Shengshi Lianhe Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd.) and the shareholders of Beijing
Shengshi Lianhe Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.19 to Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed on April 28, 2009) |
4.17 |
|
English
Translation of Amended Power of Attorneys dated November 28,
2008 from the shareholders of Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Wangfan Jiaming
Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.32 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 28, 2009) |
|
|
|
4.18 |
|
English
Translation of Technology Development Agreement dated June 14,
2007 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd.) and Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising
Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to
Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825),
as amended, initially filed on October 19,
2007) |
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
|
|
|
4.19 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated November 30, 2007
to the Amended and Restated Technology Development Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Wangfan Jiaming
Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.5 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 30, 2008) |
|
|
|
4.20 |
|
English
Translation of Technology Support and Service Agreement dated
June 14, 2007 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Wangfan Jiaming
Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.23 to Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File
No. 333- 146825), as amended, initially filed on
October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.21 |
|
English Translation of Supplementary
Agreement dated November 30, 2007 to the Amended and Restated
Technology Support and Service Agreement dated June 14, 2007
between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently
known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and
Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed on April 30, 2008) |
|
|
|
4.22 |
|
English
Translation of Equity Pledge Agreement dated June 14, 2007
among AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known
as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing
AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of
Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to Registration Statement on
Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825), as amended, initially
filed on October 19, 2007) |
|
|
|
4.23 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated November 28, 2008
to the Equity Pledge Agreement dated June 14, 2007 among
AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing
AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of
Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd. ) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.38 to Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed on April 28, 2009) |
|
|
|
4.24 |
|
English
Translation of Call Option Agreement dated June 14, 2007 among
AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing
AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of
Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to Registration Statement on
Form F-1 (File No. 333-146825), as amended, initially
filed on October 19, 2007) |
4.26 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement No. 2 to Call Option
Agreement dated May 27, 2010 among AirMedia Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing AirMedia UC
Advertising Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Beijing AirMedia
UC Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Wangfan
Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.45 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 28, 2010) |
|
|
|
4.27 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated October 31, 2008
among AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known
as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and the
shareholders of Beijing AirMedia UC Advertising Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising
Co., Ltd.), supplementing the original Loan Agreement dated
January 1, 2007 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.41 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 28, 2009) |
|
|
|
4.28 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement No. 2 to the Equity
Pledge Agreement dated May 27, 2010 among AirMedia Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing AirMedia UC
Advertising Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Beijing AirMedia
UC Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Wangfan
Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.46 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 28, 2010) |
|
|
|
4.29 |
|
English
Translation of Power of Attorneys dated April 1, 2008 from
each of the shareholders of Beijing Yuehang Digital Media
Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.42 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 28, 2009) |
|
|
|
4.30 |
|
English
Translation of Technology Development Agreement dated April 1,
2008 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd.) and Beijing Yuehang Digital Media Advertising
Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.43 to
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on April 28,
2009) |
|
|
|
4.31 |
|
English
Translation of Technology Support and Service Agreement dated
April 1, 2008 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and Beijing Yuehang Digital Media
Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.44 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 28, 2009) |
|
|
|
4.32 |
|
English
Translation of Supplementary Agreement dated June 25, 2008 to
the Technology Support and Service Agreement dated April 1,
2008 between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd.) and Beijing Yuehang Digital Media Advertising
Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.45 to
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on April 28,
2009) |
|
|
|
4.33 |
|
English
Translation of Equity Pledge Agreement dated April 1, 2008
among AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known
as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing
Yuehang Digital Media Advertising Co., Ltd. and the
shareholders of Beijing Yuehang Digital Media Advertising
Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.46 to
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on April 28,
2009) |
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
|
|
|
4.34 |
|
English
Translation of Call Option Agreement dated April 1, 2008 among
AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing
Yuehang Digital Media Advertising Co., Ltd. and the
shareholders of Beijing Yuehang Digital Media Advertising
Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.47 to
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on April 28,
2009) |
|
|
|
4.35 |
|
English
summary of Investment Agreement, dated May 12, 2013, by and
among Elec-Tech International Co., Ltd., Beijing AirMedia UC
Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as Beijing Wangfan
Jiaming Advertising Co., Ltd. ) and Beijing Zhongshi Aoyou
Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.50 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 25, 2014) |
|
|
|
4.36 |
|
English
summary of Cooperation Agreement for the Establishment of
Advertising Company, dated May 2013, by and between Beijing
Shengshi Lianhe Advertising Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd.), and
Guangzhou Daozheng Advertising Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.51 to Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed on April 25, 2014) |
|
|
|
4.37 |
|
English
summary of Equity Swap Agreement, dated September 29, 2013, by
and between Beijing N-S Digital TV Co., Ltd. and AirMedia
Group Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.52 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 25, 2014) |
|
|
|
4.38 |
|
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
September 29, 2015, by and among the Registrant, AirMedia
Holdings Ltd. and AirMedia Merger Company Limited (incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of our current report on
Form 6-K filed with the Commission on September 30,
2015). |
|
|
|
4.39 |
|
English
translation of Equity Interest Transfer Agreement in respect of
AirMedia Group Co., Ltd., dated June 15, 2015, by and
among AirMedia Group Inc. (currently known as AirNet Technology
Inc.), AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently
known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.),
Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd., Man Guo and
Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund Management
Company. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.39
to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on May 16,
2016) |
|
|
|
4.40 |
|
English
translation of Supplement Agreement of Equity Transfer, dated
November 30, 2015, by and among AirMedia Group Inc. (currently
known as AirNet Technology Inc.), AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising
Co., Ltd., Man Guo and Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment
Fund Management Company. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.40 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.41 |
|
English
translation of Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service
Agreement, dated June 5, 2015, by and between AirMedia
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang
Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and AirMedia Online
Network Technology Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang
Sunshine Network Technology Group Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.41 to Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed on May 16, 2016) |
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
|
|
|
4.42 |
|
English
translation of Technology Development Agreement, dated June 5,
2015, by and between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd.) and AirMedia Online Network Technology
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network
Technology Group Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.42 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.43 |
|
English
translation of Technology Support and Service Agreement, dated
June 5, 2015, by and between AirMedia Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology
(Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and AirMedia Online Network Technology
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network
Technology Group Co., Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.43 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.44 |
|
English
translation of Loan Agreements, dated June 5, 2015, by and
between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently
known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) and
each shareholder of AirMedia Online Network Technology
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network
Technology Group Co., Ltd.) (except Yi Zhang) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.44 to Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed on May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.45 |
|
English
translation of Exclusive Call Option Agreement, dated June 5,
2015, by and between AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd.), AirMedia Online Network Technology Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group
Co., Ltd.) and each shareholder of AirMedia Online Network
Technology Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Sunshine
Network Technology Group Co., Ltd.) (except Yi Zhang)
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.45 to Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed on May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.46 |
|
English
translation of Power of Attorney, dated June 5, 2015, by each
shareholder of AirMedia Online Network Technology Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group
Co., Ltd.) (except Yi Zhang) (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.46 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.47 |
|
English
translation of Equity Pledge Agreements, dated June 5, 2015,
by and among AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing)
Co., Ltd.), AirMedia Online Network Technology Co., Ltd.
(currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group
Co., Ltd.) and each shareholder of AirMedia Online Network
Technology Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Sunshine
Network Technology Group Co., Ltd.) (except Yi Zhang)
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.47 to Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed on May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.48 |
|
English
translation of Supplement Agreement in respect of the Related
Agreement Arrangement of Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising
Co., Ltd., dated January 21, 2016, by and among AirMedia
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Man Guo and Qing Xu
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.48 to Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed on May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.49 |
|
English
translation of Supplement Agreement in respect of the Related
Agreement Arrangement of Beijing Wangfan Jiaming Advertising
Co., Ltd., dated January 21, 2016, by and among AirMedia
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Man Guo and Qing Xu
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.49 to Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed on May 16, 2016) |
|
|
|
4.50 |
|
English
translation of Supplement Agreement in respect of the Related
Agreement Arrangement of AirMedia Online Network Technology
Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang Sunshine Network
Technology Group Co., Ltd.), dated March 15, 2016, by and
among AirMedia Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known
as Yuehang Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Man Guo,
Qing Xu and Tao Hong (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.50 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
May 16, 2016) |
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
|
|
|
4.51 |
|
English
translation of Capital Contribution Agreement for the Establishment
of Unicom AirNet (Beijing) Network Co. Ltd. by and among AirMedia
Online Network Technology Co., Ltd. (currently known as
Yuehang Sunshine Network Technology Group Co., Ltd.), Unicom
Boardband Online Co., Ltd. and Chengdu Haite Kairong
Aeronautical Technology Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 4.51 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
June 28, 2017) |
|
|
|
4.52 |
|
English
translation of Memorandum on Subsequent Performance of AirMedia
Group Co., Ltd. Equity Transfer Agreement and Supplementary
Agreement, dated March 28, 2018, by and among AirMedia Group
Inc. (currently known as AirNet Technology Inc.), AirMedia
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (currently known as Yuehang
Chuangyi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.), Beijing Linghang
Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd., Mr. Herman Man Guo,
Mr. Qing Xu, Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund
Management Co., Ltd., Beijing Cultural Center Construction and
Development Fund (Limited Partnership) and AirMedia Group
Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to
Form 6-K (File No. 001-33765) filed on March 29,
2018) |
|
|
|
4.53 |
|
English
translation of Supplementary Agreement for the Memorandum Regarding
Continued Implementation of the Agreement on Equity Transfer of
AirMedia Group Co., Ltd. and its Supplementary Agreement,
dated August 23, 2018, by and among AirMedia Group Inc.
(currently known as AirNet Technology Inc.), Hangmei United Media
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing Hangmei Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd., Mr. Herman Man Guo, Mr. Qing
Xu, Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund Management
Co., Ltd., Beijing Cultural Center Development Fund (Limited
Partnership) and AirMedia Group Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.53 to Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed on October 17, 2018) |
|
|
|
4.54 |
|
English
translation of equity transfer agreement in respect of Airmedia
Group Co., Ltd. (currently known as AirNet Technology Inc.),
dated November 5, 2018, by and among Beijing Linghang Shengshi
Advertising Co., ltd., Guo Man, Xu Qing, and Jiangsu Hongzhou
Investment Co., Ltd. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 99.2 to Form 6-K (File No. 001-33765) filed
on November 7, 2018) |
|
|
|
4.55 |
|
English
translation of Supplementary Agreement for the Memorandum Regarding
Continued Implementation of the Agreement on Equity Transfer of
AirMedia Group Co., Ltd. and its Supplementary Agreement,
dated November 2018, by and among AirMedia Group Inc.
(currently known as AirNet Technology Inc.), Hangmei United Media
Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing Hangmei Shengshi
Advertising Co., Ltd., Mr. Herman Man Guo, Mr. Qing
Xu, Beijing Longde Wenchuang Investment Fund Management
Co., Ltd., Beijing Cultural Center Development Fund (Limited
Partnership) and AirMedia Group Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.55 to Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on
April 30, 2019) |
|
|
|
4.56 |
|
English
translation of Supplementary Agreement to Equity Transfer Agreement
in respect of AirMedia Group Co., Ltd. (currently known as
AirNet Technology Inc.), dated October 30, 2019, by and among
Beijing Linghang Shengshi Advertising Co., Ltd., Guo Man, Xu
Qing, and Jiangsu Hongzhou Investment Co., Ltd. (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to Form 6-K (File
No. 001-33765) filed on November 8, 2019) |
|
|
|
4.57 |
|
Investment Agreement by and among
AirNet Technology Inc., Mr. Herman Man Guo and Unistar Group
Holdings Limited dated December 30, 2020 (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 99.2 to Current Report on Form 6-K furnished on January
4, 2021) |
|
|
|
4.58 |
|
Investment Agreement by and among
AirNet Technology Inc., Mr. Herman Man Guo and Northern Shore Group
Limited dated February 4, 2021 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 99.2 to Current Report on Form 6-K furnished on February 5,
2021) |