UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2023
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 001-33863
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
27/F, China Central Place, Tower II
79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100025
People’s Republic of China
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F x Form
40-F o
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In connection with the 2023 Annual General Meeting
of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman
Islands (the “Company”), the Company hereby furnishes the notice and proxy statement of the Meeting, the form of proxy card
for common shareholders, and the American depositary share voting instruction card, as Exhibits 99.1, 99.2, and 99.3 hereto, respectively.
Exhibit Index
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. |
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By: |
/s/ Yong Zhang |
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Name: |
Yong Zhang |
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Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
Date: November 21, 2023
Exhibit 99.1
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE
CO., LTD.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER
20, 2023
On December 20,
2023, Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”),
will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders at Xinyuan (China) Real Estate, Ltd., 27/F, China Central Place, Tower II,
79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, the People’s Republic of China, at 10:00 a.m. local time for the following
purposes:
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1. |
To ratify by the passing of an ordinary resolution the appointment of Assentsure
PAC as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023; |
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2. |
To approve, by the passing of a special resolution, the amendment and restatement
of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company currently in effect, by the deletion in their entirety
and the substitution in their place with the Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company annexed
hereto; and |
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3. |
To transact any such business that may properly come before the meeting. |
You can find more information
about each of these items in the attached proxy statement. Only holders of common shares registered in the register of members at the
close of business on November 20, 2023 (the “Record Date”) can vote at this meeting or at any adjournment thereof that
may take place. Each common shareholder has one vote for each common share held as of the close of business on the Record Date. Holders
of record of the Company’s American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) at the close of business on the Record Date who wish
to vote the common shares represented by the ADSs must act through JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as depositary of the Company’s ADSs
program. Each ADS represents 20 common shares.
We cordially invite
all shareholders to attend the annual general meeting in person. However, a shareholder entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint
a proxy to attend and, on a poll, vote instead of such shareholder. A proxy need not be a shareholder of the Company. Whether or not
you expect to attend the annual general meeting in person, please mark, date, sign, and return the enclosed proxy card as promptly as
possible to ensure your representation and the presence of a quorum at the annual general meeting. If you send in your proxy card and
then decide to attend the annual general meeting to vote your shares in person, you may still do so. Your proxy is revocable in accordance
with the procedures set forth in the proxy statement. This proxy is to be delivered to the attention of the Office of the Board of Directors,
Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., 27/F, China Central Place, Tower II, 79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, the People’s
Republic of China, and arrive no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting. The notice of the annual general meeting of shareholders,
the proxy statement, and a copy of the Company’s 2022 annual report on Form 20-F are also available through our website at
http://ir.xyre.com.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors, |
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By: |
/s/
Yong Zhang |
November 17, 2023 |
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Yong Zhang |
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Chairman of the Board |
27/F, China Central Place, Tower II, 79 Jianguo
Road
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, People’s
Republic of China
www.xyre.com
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
PROXY STATEMENT
General
We are soliciting the enclosed proxy on behalf
of our board of directors for use at the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on December 20, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. local
time, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof. The annual general meeting will be held at Xinyuan (China) Real Estate, Ltd.,
27/F, China Central Place, Tower II, 79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, the People’s Republic of China.
This proxy statement is available to shareholders
beginning on November 20, 2023, and the form of proxy is first being mailed to shareholders on or about November 22, 2023.
Revocability of Proxies
Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation
may be revoked by the person giving it at any time before its use by delivering a written notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy
bearing a later date or, if you hold common shares, by attending the annual general meeting and voting in person. Attendance at the annual
general meeting in and of itself does not revoke a prior proxy. A written notice of revocation must be delivered to (i) the attention
of the Office of the Board of Directors, at our offices in Beijing at the address listed above, if you hold our common shares, or (ii) JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., Depositary, PO Box 64873 Saint Paul MN 55164-0873, if you hold American Depositary Shares, known as ADSs, with each
ADS representing 20 of our common shares.
Record Date, Share Ownership, and Quorum
Shareholders of record at the close of business
on November 20, 2023 are entitled to vote at the annual general meeting. Our common shares underlying ADSs are included for purposes
of this determination. As of November 20, 2023, 165,927,616 of our common shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, were issued, of
which 54,977,046 were held by the Company as treasury shares and 108,766,500 were outstanding. Approximately 74,405,372 shares were represented
by 3,720,269 ADSs. As of November 20, 2023, unexercised options with respect to 108,704 ADSs were reserved in our employee stock
option plan. The presence in person or by proxy of at least 20 shareholders holding not less than one-half of our outstanding common
shares entitled to vote at the meeting will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the annual general meeting.
Voting and Solicitation
Each common share outstanding on the record date
is entitled to one vote. Voting by holders of common shares at the annual general meeting will be by a show of hands unless the chairman
of the meeting or any shareholder present in person or by proxy demands that a poll be taken. Holders of ADSs cannot vote at such meeting.
The costs of soliciting proxies will be borne
by our company. Proxies may be solicited by certain of our directors, officers, and regular employees, without additional compensation,
in person or by telephone or electronic mail. The solicitation materials are available on our company’s website at http://ir.xyre.com/news-events/agm-summary.
Hard copies of the solicitation materials are available upon request to shareholders free of charge.
Voting by Holders of Common Shares
When proxies are properly dated, executed, and
returned by holders of common shares, the shares they represent will be voted at the annual general meeting in accordance with the instructions
of the shareholder. If no specific instructions are given by such holders, the proxy will vote the shares in his or her discretion, unless
a reference to the holder of the proxy having such discretion has been deleted and initialed in the form of proxy. Where the chairman,
a director, or an officer of the company acts as proxy and is entitled to exercise his or her discretion, he or she is likely to vote
the common shares “FOR” Proposals 1 and 2. Abstentions by holders of common shares are counted as present for the purpose
of determining whether a quorum is present and are not counted as votes for or against a proposal.
Voting by Holders of American Depositary Shares
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary (the
“Depositary”) of the ADSs, has advised us that it intends to mail the Notice of 2023 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
and an ADS Voting Instruction Card to all record date holders of ADSs. Upon timely receipt by the Depositary of a signed and completed
ADS Voting Instruction Card properly executed by a record date holder of ADSs, the Depositary will vote or cause to be voted the number
of common shares represented by the ADSs held by such holder in accordance with the instructions set forth therein. If you mark the box
in the enclosed ADS Voting Instruction Card instructing that you wish to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the company,
the underlying common shares represented by your ADSs will be voted by a person designated by the company in his or her discretion. In
accordance with the provisions governing the ADSs, the Depositary will not vote the common shares represented by the ADSs other than
in accordance with such instructions. If (i) your enclosed ADS Voting Instruction Card is signed and dated but is missing specific
voting instructions or (ii) your enclosed ADS Voting Instruction Card is improperly completed, the Depositary will not vote the
underlying common shares represented by your ADSs.
As the holder of record for all the common shares
represented by the ADSs, only the Depositary may vote those shares at the annual general meeting. Properly executed and delivered instructions
to withhold votes and abstentions are counted as present for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present and are not counted
as votes for or against a proposal. You should return your properly completed ADS Voting Instruction Card to the Depositary prior to
9:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on December 18, 2023, which is the last date by which voting instructions may be received
by the Depositary.
Neither the Depositary nor its agents are responsible
if they fail to carry out your voting instructions or for the manner in which they carry out your voting instructions. This means that
if the common shares underlying your ADSs are not able to be voted at the annual general meeting, there may be nothing you can do.
PROPOSAL 1
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Our audit committee recommends, and our board
of directors concurs, that the appointment of Assentsure PAC by our audit committee as our independent registered public accounting firm
for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023 be ratified by an ordinary resolution of the shareholders.
In the event our shareholders fail to ratify
the appointment, our audit committee will reconsider its selection. Even if the selection is ratified, our audit committee in its discretion
may direct the appointment of a different independent auditing firm at any time during the year if the audit committee believes that
such a change would be in the best interests of our company and shareholders.
An affirmative vote of the holders of a simple
majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and voting at the annual general meeting will be required to approve
this proposal.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
RECOMMEND
A VOTE FOR PROPOSAL 1,
THE RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF ASSENTSURE PAC
AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023.
PROPOSAL 2
ADOPTION OF THE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM AND
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
The board recommends that the amendment and restatement
of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company currently in effect by the deletion in their entirety
and the substitution in their place with the Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association annexed hereto as Annexure
A, be approved by a special resolution of the shareholders.
An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes
of the holders of common shares present in person or represented by proxy and voting at the annual general meeting will be required to
approve this proposal.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR
PROPOSAL 2,
THE ADOPTION OF THE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMROANDUM AND
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
The following procedures have been established
by our board of directors in order to facilitate communication between our shareholders and our board of directors:
1. |
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Shareholders may send correspondence, which should indicate that the
sender is a shareholder, to our Office of the Board of Directors, by mail to Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., 27/F, China Central
Place, Tower II, 79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, the People’s Republic of China. |
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2. |
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Our Office of the Board of Directors will be responsible for the initial review
and logging of this correspondence and will forward the communication to the director or directors to whom it is addressed, unless
it is a type of correspondence which our board of directors has identified as correspondence that may be retained in our files and
not sent to directors. |
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3. |
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Our board of directors has authorized the Office of the Board of Directors to retain
and not send to directors communications that: (a) are advertising or promotional in nature (offering goods or services), (b) solely
relate to complaints by clients with respect to common course of business customer service and satisfaction issues, or (c) clearly
are unrelated to our business, industry, management, or board or committee matters. These types of communications will be logged
and filed but not circulated to directors. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, the Office of the Board of Directors will
not screen communications sent to directors. |
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4. |
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The log of shareholder correspondence will be available to members of our board
of directors for inspection. At least once each year, the Office of the Board of Directors will provide to our board of directors
a summary of the communications received from shareholders, including the communications not sent to directors in accordance with
screening procedures approved by our board of directors. |
ACCESS TO CORPORATE GOVERNANCE POLICIES
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics,
which is available on our company’s website at https://ir.xyre.com/governance/governance-overview. To the extent required by law,
any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will be promptly disclosed to the public.
Copies of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
will be provided to any shareholder upon written request to the Office of the Board of Directors of Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.,
27/F, China Central Place, Tower II, 79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, the People’s Republic of China.
ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS
As permitted by the New York Stock Exchange’s
Listed Company Manual, we make our annual report to shareholders available on our website. Our annual report on Form 20-F for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You may obtain a copy of our
2022 annual report on Form 20-F by visiting our website at https://ir.xyre.com/financials/sec-filings. If you want to receive a
paper or email copy of our 2022 annual report on Form 20-F, as amended, you may request one. There is no charge to you for requesting
a copy. Please make any such requests to Investor Relations Department of Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., at irteam@xyre.com
or +8610-8588-9376.
OTHER MATTERS
We know of no other matters to be submitted to
the annual general meeting. If any other matters properly come before the annual general meeting, it is the intention of the persons
named in the enclosed form of proxy to vote the shares they represent as the board of directors may recommend.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors, |
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By: |
/s/
Yong Zhang |
Dated: November 17,
2023 |
Yong Zhang |
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Chairman
of the Board |
Annexure A
THE COMPANIES ACT (AS REVISED)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES
OF
ASSOCIATION
OF
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
Adopted by Special Resolution passed on [●]
2023
THE COMPANIES ACT (AS REVISED)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
Adopted by Special Resolution passed on [●]
2023
| 1 | The name of the Company is Xinyuan Real Estate
Co., Ltd. |
| 2 | The registered office of the Company shall be
at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman
KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or at such other place as the Directors may from time to time decide. |
| 3 | The objects for which the Company is established
are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object
not prohibited by the Companies Act (As Revised) or as the same may be revised from time
to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands. |
| 4 | The liability of each Shareholder is limited
to the amount from time to time unpaid on such Shareholder’s shares. |
| 5 | The share capital of the Company is US$50,000,
divided into 500,000,000 Common Shares, par value of US$0.0001 per share. The Company has
the power to redeem or purchase any of its shares and to increase or reduce the said capital
subject to the provisions of the Companies Act (As Revised) and the Articles of Association,
and to issue any part of its capital, whether original, redeemed or increased, with or without
any preference, priority or special privilege or subject to any postponement of rights or
to any conditions or restrictions, and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise
expressly declare every issue of shares whether declared to be preference or otherwise shall
be subject to the powers hereinbefore contained. |
| 6 | The Company has power to register by way of
continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside
the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands. |
| 7 | Capitalised terms that are not defined in this
Memorandum of Association bear the same meaning as those given in the Articles of Association
of the Company, as amended and restated from time to time. |
THE COMPANIES ACT (AS REVISED)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
Adopted by Special Resolution passed on [●]
2023
INTERPRETATION
| 1 | In these Articles Table A in the First Schedule
to the Statute does not apply and, unless there is something in the subject or context inconsistent
therewith: |
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“Affiliate” |
means, with respect to a specified entity, an individual or entity
that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the
entity specified and for these purposes, “control” (including the terms “controlling”, “controlled
by,” and “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause
the direction of the management and policies of a specified entity, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract
or otherwise. |
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“Articles” |
means these articles of association of the Company. |
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“Auditor” |
means the person for the time being performing the duties of auditor of the
Company (if any). |
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“Common Share” |
means a share in the capital of the Company of US$0.0001 par value designated
as a Common Share and having the rights provided for under these Articles. |
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“Company” |
means the above named company. |
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“Directors” |
means the directors for the time being of the Company. |
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“Dividend” |
includes an interim dividend. |
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“Electronic Record” |
has the same meaning as in the Electronic Transactions Act. |
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“Electronic Transactions Act” |
means the Electronic Transactions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands. |
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“Liquidation” |
means any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company,
whether voluntary or involuntary. |
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“Memorandum” |
means the memorandum of association of the Company. |
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“Ordinary Resolution” |
means a resolution passed by a simple majority of the Shareholders as, being
entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting, and includes a written resolution
signed by the holders of Shares carrying a simple majority of the voting rights eligible to be exercised in respect of the matter
in question. In computing voting rights and the relevant majority, regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each Shareholder
is entitled pursuant to these Articles. |
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“Register of Shareholders” |
means the register maintained in accordance with the Statute and includes (except
where otherwise stated) any duplicate Register of Shareholders. |
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“Registered Office” |
means the registered office for the time being of the Company. |
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“Seal” |
means the common seal of the Company and includes every duplicate seal. |
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“Securities Act” |
means the Securities Act of 1933 of the United States of America, as amended,
or any similar federal statute and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, all
as the same shall be in effect at the time. |
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“Share” and “Shares” |
means a share or shares in the Company and includes a fraction of a share. |
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“Shareholder” |
has the same meaning as in the Statute. |
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“Special Resolution” |
has the same meaning as in the Statute, and includes a unanimous written resolution. |
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“Statute” |
means the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands. |
| 2.1 | words
importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; |
| 2.2 | words
importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender; |
| 2.3 | words
importing persons include corporations; |
| 2.4 | “written”
and “in writing” include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible
form, including in the form of an Electronic Record; |
| 2.5 | references
to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions
as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced from time to time; |
| 2.6 | any
phrase introduced by the terms “including”, “include”, “in
particular” or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall
not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms; |
| 2.7 | headings
are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing these Articles; and |
| 2.8 | in
these Articles, Sections 8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Act shall not apply. |
COMMENCEMENT OF BUSINESS
| 3 | The business of the Company may be commenced
as soon after incorporation as the Directors shall see fit. |
| 4 | The Directors may pay, out of the capital or
any other monies of the Company, all expenses incurred in or about the formation and establishment
of the Company, including the expenses of registration. |
ISSUE OF SHARES
| 5 | Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum
and these Articles and to any direction that may be given by the Company in a general meeting,
the Directors may, in their absolute discretion and without approval of the holders of Common
Shares, cause the Company to issue such amounts of Common Shares and/or preferred shares,
grant rights over existing shares or issue other securities in one or more series as they
deem necessary and appropriate and determine designations, powers, preferences, privileges
and other rights, including dividend rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption and liquidation
preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the powers and rights associated with
the Common Shares, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper. |
| 6 | The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer. |
RIGHTS ATTACHING TO COMMON SHARES
| 7 | The holders of Common Shares shall have all
of the rights ascribed to such Common Shares, and to a Shareholder in general in these Articles,
including the following special rights: |
| 7.1 | As
to voting: the holder of a Common Share shall (in respect of such Common Share) have the
right to receive notice of, attend at and vote as a Shareholder at any general meeting of
the Company; |
| 7.2 | As
to income: the Common Shares shall confer on the holders thereof the right to receive Dividends,
when and as declared in accordance with these Articles and the laws of the Cayman Islands; |
| 7.3 | As
to capital: on a Liquidation, the Common Shares shall confer on the holders thereof the right
to receive, pro rata to their respective holdings of Common Shares, all of the assets and
funds of the Company remaining after the payment of all creditors of the amounts which they
are entitled to receive upon such Liquidation, as herein provided. |
REGISTER OF SHAREHOLDERS
| 8 | The Company shall maintain or cause to be maintained
the Register of Shareholders in accordance with the Statute. |
FIXING RECORD DATE
| 9 | For the purpose of determining Shareholders
entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of Shareholders or any adjournment thereof,
or to consent to a resolution in writing, or in order to make a determination of Shareholders
entitled to receive payment of any Dividend, or in order to make a determination of Shareholders
for any other purpose, the Directors may fix, in advance, a record date for any such determination,
which record date, in the case of a meeting, shall be not more than 75 nor less than 10 days
before the date of such meeting, in the case of a resolution in writing of Shareholders,
shall be not be more than 10 days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record
date is adopted by the Directors, and in the case of a Dividend or any other purpose, shall
be not more than 75 days prior to such dividend payment or other action. |
| 10 | If no record date is fixed for the determination
of Shareholders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of Shareholders, or for the
determination of Shareholders entitled to receive payment of a Dividend or for the determination
of Shareholders for any other purpose, the day preceding the date on which notice of the
meeting is sent or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such Dividend
or for any other purpose is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such
determination of Shareholders. If no record date has been fixed for a consent to a resolution
in writing, then the record date shall be: (i) if no prior action by Directors is required,
the first date on which a signed written resolution setting forth the action taken or proposed
to be taken is delivered to the Secretary at the registered office of the Company; and (ii) if
prior action by the Directors is required, then the record date shall be at the close of
business on the day on which the Directors adopt the resolution taking such prior action.
When a determination of Shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of Shareholders has
been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment
thereof. |
CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES
| 11 | Directors may authorize certificates representing
Shares, which shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. Share certificates shall
be signed by one or more Directors or other person authorised by the Directors. The Directors
may authorise certificates to be issued with the authorised signature(s) affixed by
mechanical process. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise
identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. All certificates surrendered
to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and subject to these Articles no new certificate
shall be issued until the former certificate representing a like number of relevant Shares
shall have been surrendered and cancelled. |
| 12 | The Company shall not be bound to issue more
than one certificate for Shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate
to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. |
| 13 | If a share certificate is defaced, worn out,
lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity
and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating evidence,
as the Directors may prescribe, and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) upon delivery
of the old certificate. |
| 14 | Every share certificate of the Company shall
bear legends required under the applicable laws, including the Securities Act. |
TRANSFER OF SHARES
| 15 | Shares shall be freely transferable, subject
to (i) the restrictions set forth in these Articles, and (ii) the restrictions
in any agreement. The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing and shall be
executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and if the Directors so require, signed by the
transferee). The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name
of the transferee is entered in the Register of Shareholders. |
| 15.1 | If
a Shareholder dies the survivor or survivors where he was a joint holder, and his legal personal
representatives where he was a sole holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company
as having any title to his interest. The estate of a deceased Shareholder is not thereby
released from any liability in respect of any Share, which had been jointly held by him. |
| 15.2 | Any
person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation
or dissolution of a Shareholder (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence
being produced as may from time to time be required by the Directors, elect either to become
the holder of the Share or to have some person nominated by him as the transferee. If he
elects to become the holder he shall give notice to the Company to that effect, but the Directors
shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would
have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by that Shareholder before his death or bankruptcy,
as the case may be. |
| 15.3 | If
the person so becoming entitled shall elect to be registered himself as holder he shall deliver
or send to the Company a notice in writing signed by him stating that he so elects. |
| 15.4 | A
person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or
dissolution of the holder (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the
same Dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered
holder of the Share. However, he shall not, before being registered as a Shareholder in respect
of the Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred on Shareholders
in relation to meetings of the Company and the Directors may at any time give notice requiring
any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the Share. If the
notice is not complied with within ninety (90) days the Directors may thereafter withhold
payment of all Dividends, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the Share until the
requirements of the notice have been complied with. |
UNTRACEABLE SHAREHOLDERS
| 16 | Without prejudice to the rights of the Company
under Article 16.1, the Company may cease sending cheques for dividend entitlements
or dividend warrants by post if such cheques or warrants have been left uncashed on two consecutive
occasions. However, the Company may exercise the power to cease sending cheques for dividend
entitlements or dividend warrants after the first occasion on which such a cheque or warrant
is returned undelivered. |
| 16.1 | The
Company shall have the power to sell, in such manner as the board of Directors thinks fit,
any Shares of a Shareholder who is untraceable, but no such sale shall be made unless: |
| (a) | all cheques or warrants in respect of dividends
of the Shares in question, being not less than three in total number, for any sum payable
in cash to the holder of such Shares in respect of them sent during the relevant period in
the manner authorised by the Articles have remained uncashed; |
| (b) | so far as it is aware at the end of the
relevant period, the Company has not at any time during the relevant period received any
indication of the existence of the Shareholder who is the holder of such Shares or of a person
entitled to such Shares by death, bankruptcy or operation of law; and |
| (c) | the Company has given notice of its intention
to sell such Shares to, and caused advertisement both in daily newspaper and in a newspaper
circulating in the area of the last known address of such Shareholder or any person entitled
to the Shares under Article 15.4 and where applicable, in each case in accordance with
the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, and a period of three months or such shorter
period as may be allowed by the New York Stock Exchange has elapsed since the date of such
advertisement. |
For the purpose of the foregoing, the
“relevant period” means the period commencing twelve years before the date of publication of the advertisement referred to
in Article 16.1(c) and ending at the expiry of the period referred to in that paragraph.
| 16.2 | To
give effect to any such sale the board of Directors may authorise some person to transfer
the said Shares and an instrument of transfer signed or otherwise executed by or on behalf
of such person shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the registered holder
or the person entitled by transmission to such Shares, and the purchaser shall not be bound
to see the application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the Shares be affected
by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the sale. The net proceeds
of the sale will belong to the Company and upon receipt by the Company of such net proceeds
it shall become indebted to the former Shareholder for an amount equal to such net proceeds.
No trust shall be created in respect of such debt and no interest shall be payable in respect
of it and the Company shall not be required to account for any money earned from the net
proceeds which may be employed in the business of the Company or as it thinks fit. Any sale
under this Article shall be valid and effective notwithstanding that the Shareholder
holder the Shares sold is dead, bankrupt or otherwise under any legal disability or incapacity. |
REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES
| 17 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute and
these Articles, the Company may: |
| 17.1 | issue
Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Shareholder
or the Company on such terms and in such manner as the board of Directors may, before the
issue of the Shares, determine; |
| 17.2 | purchase
its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares or securities representing Shares) provided
that the Shareholders shall have approved the manner of purchase by Ordinary Resolution or
the manner of purchase shall be in accordance with the following Articles (this authorization
is in accordance with section 37(2) of the Statute or any modification or re-enactment
thereof for the time being in force); and |
| 17.3 | the
Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares (or
securities representing Shares) in any manner permitted by the Statute, including out of
capital. |
| 18 | Purchase of Shares (or securities representing
Shares) listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange: for so long as any Shares (or securities
representing Shares) are listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company is
authorized to purchase any Share (or securities representing Shares) listed or traded on
the New York Stock Exchange in accordance with the following manner of purchase: |
| (a) | the maximum number of Shares (or securities
representing Shares) that may be purchased shall be equal to the number of issued and outstanding
Shares less one Share; and |
| (b) | the purchase shall be at such time, at such
price and on such other terms as determined and agreed by the board of Directors in their
sole discretion provided however that: |
| (i) | such purchase transactions shall be in
accordance with the relevant New York Stock Exchange rules and regulations applicable
to such Shares (or securities representing Shares); and |
| (ii) | at the time of the purchase, the Company
is able to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of its business. |
| 18.1 | Purchase
of Shares not listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange: the Company is authorized
to purchase any Shares not listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange in accordance
with the following manner of purchase: |
| (a) | the Company shall serve a purchase notice
in a form approved by the board of Directors on the Shareholder from whom the Shares are
to be purchased at least two business days prior to the date specified in the notice as being
the purchase date; |
| (b) | the price for the Shares being purchased
shall be such price agreed between the board of Directors and the applicable Shareholder; |
| (c) | the date of purchase shall be the date specified
in the purchase notice; and |
| (d) | the purchase shall be on such other terms
as specified in the purchase notice as determined and agreed by the board of Directors and
the applicable Shareholder in their sole discretion. |
| 18.2 | The
purchase of any Share (or securities representing Shares) shall not oblige the Company to
purchase any other Share (or securities representing Shares) other than as may be required
pursuant to applicable law and any other contractual obligations of the Company. |
| 19 | The holder of Shares (or securities representing
Shares) being purchased shall be bound to deliver to the Company at its Registered Office
or such other place as the board of Directors shall specify, the certificate(s) (if
any) thereof for cancellation and thereupon the Company shall pay to him the purchase or
redemption monies or consideration in respect thereof. |
VARIATION OF RIGHTS OF SHARES
| 20 | The rights attaching to any class of Shares
(unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may, whether
or not the Company is being wound up, be varied or abrogated with the consent (whether obtained
in writing or at a meeting of the relevant Shareholders) of the holders of a simple majority
of the voting rights of the issued Shares of that class (calculated in accordance with these
Articles), or with the sanction of a Special Resolution passed at a general meeting of the
holders of the shares of that class. |
| 21 | The provisions of these Articles relating to
general meetings shall apply to every class meeting of the holders of one class of Shares
except that the necessary quorum shall be one or more persons holding or represented by proxy,
representing not less than fifty per cent of the total issued Shares of the class and that
any holder of Shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll. |
| 22 | The rights conferred upon the holders of the
Shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly
provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the
creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith, which may be effected by
the Directors as provided in the Memorandum and these Articles without any vote or consent
of the holders of Common Shares. |
COMMISSION ON SALE OF SHARES
| 23 | The Company may, in so far as the Statute permits,
pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe
whether absolutely or conditionally for any Shares of the Company. Such commissions may be
satisfied by the payment of cash and/or the issue of fully or partly paid-up Shares. The
Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful. |
NON RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS
| 24 | The Company shall not be bound by or compelled
to recognise in any way (even when notified) any equitable, contingent, future or partial
interest in any Share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by these Articles or the
Statute) any other rights in respect of any Share other than an absolute right to the entirety
thereof in the registered holder. |
LIEN ON SHARES
| 25 | The Company shall have a first and paramount
lien on all Shares registered in the name of a Shareholder (whether solely or jointly with
others) for any amount payable to the Company in respect of such Share until any such amount
is fully paid to the Company, but the Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly
or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of
any such Share shall operate as a waiver of the Company’s lien thereon. |
| 26 | The Company may sell, in such manner as the
Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, if a sum in respect of which
the lien exists is presently payable, and is not paid within fourteen clear days after notice
has been given to the holder of the Shares, or to the person entitled to it in consequence
of the death or bankruptcy of the holder, demanding payment and stating that if the notice
is not complied with the Shares may be sold. |
| 27 | To give effect to any such sale the Directors
may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares sold to, or in
accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The purchaser or his nominee shall be registered
as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to
see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected
by any irregularity or invalidity in the sale or the exercise of the Company’s power
of sale under these Articles. |
| 28 | The net proceeds of such sale after payment
of costs, shall be applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the
lien exists as is presently payable and any residue shall (subject to a like lien for sums
not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled
to the Shares at the date of the sale. |
AMENDMENTS OF MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF
ASSOCIATION
AND ALTERATION OF CAPITAL
| 29 | Subject to any special rights attaching to
any class or series of Shares, and to the other provisions of these Articles (including in
particular but without limitation Articles 20 to 22), the Company may by Ordinary Resolution: |
| 29.1 | increase
the share capital by such sum as the resolution shall prescribe and with such rights, priorities
and privileges annexed thereto, as the Company in general meeting may determine; |
| 29.2 | consolidate
and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing
Shares; |
| 29.3 | by
subdivision of its existing Shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share
capital into Shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum or into Shares without
par value; and |
| 29.4 | cancel
any Shares that at the date of the passing of the resolution have not been taken or agreed
to be taken by any person. |
| 30 | All new Shares created in accordance with the
provisions of the preceding Article shall be subject to the same provisions of the Articles
with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise
as the Shares in the original share capital. |
| 31 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute and
the provisions of these Articles (including in particular but without limitation Articles
20 to 22), the Company may by Special Resolution: |
| 31.2 | alter
or add to these Articles; |
| 31.3 | alter
or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein;
and |
| 31.4 | reduce
its share capital and any capital redemption reserve fund. |
REGISTERED OFFICE
| 32 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the
Company may by resolution of the Directors change the location of its Registered Office. |
GENERAL MEETINGS
| 33 | All general meetings other than annual general
meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings. |
| 34 | The Company shall, if required by the Statute,
in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the
meeting as such in the notices calling it. The annual general meeting shall be held at such
time and place as the Directors shall appoint. At these meetings the report of the Directors
(if any) shall be presented. |
| 35 | The Company may hold an annual general meeting,
but shall not (unless required by Statute, or applicable rules of the New York Stock
Exchange, for so long as the Company’s securities are listed or traded on the New York
Stock Exchange) be obliged to hold an annual general meeting. |
| 36 | The Directors may call general meetings and
they shall, on a Shareholders’ requisition, forthwith proceed to convene an extraordinary
general meeting of the Company. |
| 37 | A Shareholders’ requisition is a requisition
of Shareholders of the Company holding at the date of deposit of the requisition Shares representing
not less than twenty five per cent of the total voting rights of Shares which, as at that
date, carries the right of voting at general meetings of the Company. |
| 38 | The requisition must state the objects of the
meeting and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the Registered Office,
and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists. |
| 39 | If the Directors do not within twenty-one days
from the date of the deposit of the requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting
to be held within a further twenty-one days, the requisitionists, or any of them representing
more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of them, may themselves convene a general
meeting, but any meeting so convened shall not be held after the expiration of three months
after the expiration of the said twenty-one days. |
| 40 | A general meeting convened as aforesaid by
requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which
general meetings are to be convened by Directors. |
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
| 41 | At least twenty days’ notice shall be
given of any general meeting. Every notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is given
or deemed to be given at the end of the day for which it is given and shall specify the place,
the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business and shall be given
in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by
the Company, provided that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice
specified in this regulation has been given and whether or not the provisions of the Articles
regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened
if it is so agreed: |
| 41.1 | in
the case of an annual general meeting, by all the Shareholders (or their proxies) entitled
to attend and vote thereat; and |
| 41.2 | in
the case of an extraordinary general meeting, by a majority in number of the Shareholders
(or their proxies) having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority together
holding not less than ninety five per cent in par value of the Shares giving that right. |
| 42 | The accidental omission to give notice of a
general meeting to, or the non receipt of notice of a meeting by, any person entitled to
receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting. |
| 43 | No business may be transacted at any annual
general meeting, other than business that is either (A) specified in the notice of the
meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Directors (or any
duly authorized committee thereof), (B) otherwise properly brought before the annual
general meeting by or at the direction of the Directors (or any duly authorized committee
thereof) or (C) otherwise properly brought before the annual general meeting by any
Shareholder of the Company who (i) is a Shareholder of record on both (x) the date
of giving of the notice provided for in Article 44 and (y) the record date for
the determination of Shareholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting and (ii) complies
with the notice procedures set forth in Article 44. |
| 44 | In addition to any other applicable requirements,
for business to be properly brought before an annual general meeting by a Shareholder, such
Shareholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary
of the Company. To be timely, a Shareholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary
at the principal executive offices of the Company not less than twenty (20) days nor more
than sixty (60) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual
general meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual general
meeting is advanced by more than thirty (30) days or delayed by more than sixty (60) days
from such anniversary date, notice by the Shareholder to be timely must be delivered not
earlier than the sixtieth (60th) day prior to such annual general meeting and
not later than the close of business on the later of the twentieth (20th) day
prior to such annual general meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day
on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. To be in proper written
form, a Shareholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each matter such
Shareholder proposes to bring before the annual general meeting (1) a brief description
of the business desired to be brought before the annual general meeting and the reasons for
conducting such business at the annual general meeting, (2) the name and record address
of such Shareholder and (3) the class or series and number of Shares of the Company
which are owned beneficially or of record by such Shareholder. |
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
| 45 | No business shall be transacted at any general
meeting unless a quorum is present. Two or more Shareholders being individuals present in
person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised
representative, representing not less than fifty per cent of the total voting rights of Shares
which, as at that date, carries the right of voting at general meetings of the Company shall
be a quorum unless the Company has only one Shareholder entitled to vote at such general
meeting in which case the quorum shall be that one Shareholder present in person or by proxy
or (in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person) by a duly authorised representative. |
| 46 | A resolution (including a Special Resolution)
in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by Shareholders holding shares representing
the requisite majority as specified in these Articles or in the Statute, as appropriate shall
be as valid and effective as if the resolution had been passed at a general meeting of the
Company duly convened and held. The Company shall promptly send a copy of each written resolution
to each Shareholder who would, were the resolution in question being proposed at a meeting
of the Shareholders, be entitled to receive notice of such meeting, other than the Shareholders
which have signed such resolution; provided that failure to send such copy shall not affect
the validity and effectiveness of such resolution. |
| 47 | If a quorum is not present within half an hour
from the time appointed for the meeting or if during such a meeting a quorum ceases to be
present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Shareholders, shall be dissolved
and in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same
time and place or to such other day, time or such other place as the Directors may determine,
and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time
appointed for the meeting the Shareholders present shall be a quorum. |
| 48 | The chairman, if any, of the board of Directors
shall preside as chairman at every general meeting of the Company, or if there is no such
chairman, or if he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for
the holding of the meeting, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one
of their number to be chairman of the meeting. |
| 49 | If no Director is willing to act as chairman
or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding
the meeting, the Shareholders present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of
the meeting. |
| 50 | The chairman may, with the consent of a meeting
at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting
from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned
meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment
took place. When a general meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned
meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Otherwise it shall not be necessary
to give any such notice. |
| 51 | A resolution put to the vote of the meeting
shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of,
the show of hands, the chairman demands a poll, or any other Shareholder or Shareholders
collectively present in person or by proxy and holding at least ten per cent. in par value
of the Shares giving a right to attend and vote at the meeting demand a poll. |
| 52 | Unless a poll is duly demanded a declaration
by the chairman that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular
majority, or lost or not carried by a particular majority, an entry to that effect in the
minutes of the proceedings of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of that fact without
proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution. |
| 53 | The demand for a poll may be withdrawn. |
| 54 | Except on a poll demanded on the election of
a chairman or on a question of adjournment, a poll shall be taken as the chairman directs,
and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at
which the poll was demanded. |
| 55 | A poll demanded on the election of a chairman
or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question
shall be taken at such time as the chairman of the general meeting directs, and any business
other than that upon which a poll has been demanded or is contingent thereon may proceed
pending the taking of the poll. |
| 56 | In the case of an equality of votes, whether
on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. |
VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS
| 57 | Subject to any rights or restrictions attached
to any Shares, on a show of hands every Shareholder who (being an individual) is present
in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person is present by its
duly authorised representative or proxy, shall have one vote and on a poll every Shareholder
shall have one vote for every Share of which he is the holder. |
| 58 | In the case of joint holders of record the
vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted
to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and seniority shall be determined
by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the Register of Shareholders. |
| 59 | A Shareholder of unsound mind, or in respect
of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote, whether
on a show of hands or on a poll, by his committee, receiver, curator bonis, or other person
on such Shareholder’s behalf appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver,
curator bonis or other person may vote by proxy. |
| 60 | No person shall be entitled to vote at any
general meeting or at any separate meeting of the holders of a class of Shares unless he
is registered as a Shareholder on the record date for such meeting nor unless all calls or
other monies then payable by him in respect of Shares have been paid. |
| 61 | No objection shall be raised to the qualification
of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote
objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at the meeting shall be valid.
Any objection made in due time shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be
final and conclusive. |
| 62 | On a poll or on a show of hands votes may be
cast either personally or by proxy. A Shareholder may appoint more than one proxy or the
same proxy under one or more instruments to attend and vote at a meeting. Where a Shareholder
appoints more than one proxy the instrument of proxy shall state which proxy is entitled
to vote on a show of hands. |
| 63 | A Shareholder holding more than one Share need
not cast the votes in respect of his Shares in the same way on any resolution and therefore
may vote a Share or some or all such Shares either for or against a resolution and/or abstain
from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares and, subject to the terms of the instrument
appointing him, a proxy appointed under one or more instruments may vote a Share or some
or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed either for or against a resolution
and/or abstain from voting. |
PROXIES
| 64 | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be
in writing, be executed under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised
in writing, or, if the appointor is a corporation under the hand of an officer or attorney
duly authorised for that purpose. A proxy need not be a Shareholder. |
| 65 | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be
deposited at the Registered Office or at such other place as is specified for that purpose
in the notice convening the meeting, or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company: |
| 65.1 | not
less than 48 hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which
the person named in the instrument proposes to vote; or |
| 65.2 | in
the case of a poll taken more than 48 hours after it is demanded, be deposited as aforesaid
after the poll has been demanded and not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for
the taking of the poll; or |
| 65.3 | where
the poll is not taken forthwith but is taken not more than 48 hours after it was demanded
be delivered at the meeting at which the poll was demanded to the chairman or to the secretary
or to any director; |
| 65.4 | provided
that the Directors may in the notice convening the meeting, or in an instrument of proxy
sent out by the Company, direct that the instrument appointing a proxy may be deposited (no
later than the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting) at the Registered Office
or at such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice convening the meeting,
or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company. The chairman may in any event at his
discretion direct that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited.
An instrument of proxy that is not deposited in the manner permitted shall be invalid. |
| 66 | The instrument appointing a proxy may be in
any usual or common form and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment
thereof or generally until revoked. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include
the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll. |
| 67 | Votes given in accordance with the terms of
an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the
principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed,
or the transfer of the Share in respect of which the proxy is given unless notice in writing
of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer was received by the Company at the Registered
Office before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is
sought to use the proxy. |
CORPORATE SHAREHOLDERS
| 68 | Any corporation or other non-natural person
which is a Shareholder may in accordance with its constitutional documents, or in the absence
of such provision by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such
person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of
any class of Shareholders, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the
same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise
if it were an individual Shareholder. |
SHARES THAT MAY NOT BE VOTED
| 69 | Shares in the Company that are beneficially
owned by the Company shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting and shall
not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding Shares at any given time. |
DIRECTORS
| 70 | There shall be a board of Directors consisting
of not more than eleven persons (exclusive of alternate Directors) provided however that
the Company may by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce the limits in the number of Directors. |
POWERS OF DIRECTORS
| 71 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the
Memorandum and the Articles and to any directions given by Special Resolution, the business
of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may exercise all the powers of the Company.
No alteration of the Memorandum or Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior
act of the Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or
that direction had not been given. A duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum
is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Directors. |
| 72 | All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills
of exchange and other negotiable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company
shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such
manner as the Directors shall determine by resolution. |
| 73 | The Directors on behalf of the Company may
pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other
salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may
make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such
gratuity, pension or allowance. |
| 74 | Subject to the other provisions of these Articles,
the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage
or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue
debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright
or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. |
APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS
| 75 | The Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint
any person to be a Director or may by Special Resolution remove any Director. |
| 76 | Each Director shall hold office until he resigns,
vacates his office in accordance with the provisions below, or is removed by the Shareholders. |
| 77 | The board of Directors shall have a Chairman
of the board of Directors (the “Chairman”) elected and appointed by a majority
of the Directors then in office. The Directors may also elect a Co-Chairman or a Vice-chairman
of the board of Directors (the “Co-Chairman”). The Chairman shall preside as
chairman at every meeting of the board of Directors. To the extent the Chairman is not present
at a meeting of the board of Directors, the Co-Chairman, or in his or her absence, the attending
Directors may choose one Director to be the chairman of the meeting. The Chairman’s
voting right as to the matters to be decided by the board of Directors shall be the same
as other Directors. |
| 78 | Subject to these Articles and the Statute,
the Company may by Ordinary Resolution elect any person to be a Director either to fill a
casual vacancy on the Board or as an addition to the existing Board. |
| 79 | The Directors by the affirmative vote of a
simple majority of the remaining Directors present and voting at a Board meeting, or the
sole remaining Director, shall have the power from time to time and at any time to appoint
any person as a Director to fill a casual vacancy on the Board or as an addition to the existing
Board, provided that the appointment does not cause the number of Directors to exceed any
number fixed by or in accordance with the Articles as the maximum number of Directors. |
VACATION OF OFFICE OF DIRECTOR
| 80 | The office of a Director shall be vacated if: |
| 80.1 | he
gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director; or |
| 80.2 | if
he absents himself (without being represented by proxy or an alternate Director appointed
by him) from three consecutive meetings of the board of Directors without special leave of
absence from the Directors, and they pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence
vacated office; or |
| 80.3 | if
he dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally;
or |
| 80.4 | if
he is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; |
| 80.5 | if
all the other Directors (being not less than two in number) resolve that he should be removed
as a Director; or |
| 80.6 | if
he is removed by the Shareholders in accordance with the provisions of these Articles. |
PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
| 81 | The quorum for the transaction of the business
of the Directors shall be a majority of the Directors then in office. A person who holds
office as an alternate Director shall, if his appointor is not present, be counted in the
quorum. A Director who also acts as an alternate Director shall, if his appointor is not
present, count twice towards the quorum. |
| 82 | Subject to the provisions of the Articles,
the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any
meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the
chairman shall have a second or casting vote. A Director who is also an alternate Director
shall be entitled in the absence of his appointor to a separate vote on behalf of his appointor
in addition to his own vote. |
| 83 | A person may participate in a meeting of the
Directors or committee of Directors by conference telephone or other communications equipment
by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each
other at the same time. Participation by a person in a meeting in this manner is treated
as presence in person at that meeting. Unless otherwise determined by the Directors the meeting
shall be deemed to be held at the place where the chairman is at the start of the meeting. |
| 84 | A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts)
signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of Directors (an alternate
Director being entitled to sign such a resolution on behalf of his appointor) shall be as
valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors, or committee
of Directors as the case may be, duly convened and held. |
| 85 | A Director or alternate Director may, or other
officer of the Company on the requisition of a Director or alternate Director shall, call
a meeting of the Directors by at least two days’ notice in writing to every Director
and alternate Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to
be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors (or their alternates) either at,
before or after the meeting is held. |
| 86 | The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding
any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number
fixed by or pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing
Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to that
number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose. |
| 87 | All acts done by any meeting of the Directors
or of a committee of Directors (including any person acting as an alternate Director) shall,
notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment
of any Director or alternate Director, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be
as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and qualified to be a Director or
alternate Director as the case may be. |
| 88 | A Director but not an alternate Director may
be represented at any meetings of the board of Directors by a proxy appointed in writing
by him. The proxy shall count towards the quorum and the vote of the proxy shall for all
purposes be deemed to be that of the appointing Director. |
PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT
| 89 | A Director who is present at a meeting of the
board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have
assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting
or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the
chairman or secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such
dissent by registered post to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting.
Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action. |
DIRECTORS’ INTERESTS
| 90 | A Director may hold any other office or place
of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with his office
of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors
may determine. |
| 91 | A Director may act by himself or his firm in
a professional capacity for the Company and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration
for professional services as if he were not a Director or alternate Director. |
| 92 | A Director or alternate Director may be or
become a director or other officer of or otherwise interested in any company promoted by
the Company or in which the Company may be interested as shareholder or otherwise, and no
such Director or alternate Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration
or other benefits received by him as a director or officer of, or from his interest in, such
other company. |
| 93 | No person shall be disqualified from the office
of Director or alternate Director or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company,
either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or
transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director or alternate
Director shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director
or alternate Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company
for any profit realised by any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director holding
office or of the fiduciary relation thereby established. A Director (or his alternate Director
in his absence) shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract or transaction in
which he is interested provided that the nature of the interest of any Director or alternate
Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its
consideration and any vote thereon. |
| 94 | A general notice that a Director or alternate
Director is a shareholder, director, officer or employee of any specified firm or company
and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company shall be
sufficient disclosure for the purposes of voting on a resolution in respect of a contract
or transaction in which he has an interest, and after such general notice it shall not be
necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction. |
MINUTES
| 95 | The Directors shall cause minutes to be made
in books kept for the purpose of all appointments of officers made by the Directors, all
proceedings at meetings of the Company or the holders of any class of Shares and of the Directors,
and of committees of Directors including the names of the Directors or alternate Directors
present at each meeting. |
DELEGATION OF DIRECTORS’ POWERS
| 96 | The Directors may delegate any of their powers
to any committee consisting of one or more Directors. They may also delegate to any managing
director or any Director holding any other executive office such of their powers as they
consider desirable to be exercised by him provided that an alternate Director may not act
as managing director and the appointment of a managing director shall be revoked forthwith
if he ceases to be a Director. Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions
the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers
and may be revoked or altered. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee
of Directors shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so
far as they are capable of applying. |
| 97 | The Directors may establish any committees,
local boards or agencies or appoint any person to be a manager or agent for managing the
affairs of the Company and may appoint any person to be a member of such committees or local
boards. Any such appointment may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose,
and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and may be revoked or
altered. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of any such committee, local board
or agency shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far
as they are capable of applying. Without limiting the foregoing and without prejudice to
the freedom of the Directors to establish any other committees, the Directors shall establish
a compensation committee, a nomination committee and an audit committee (the “Audit
Committee”), for so long as any securities of the Company are listed or traded on the
New York Stock Exchange. For so long as any securities of the Company are listed or traded
on the New York Stock Exchange, the composition and responsibilities of the Audit Committee
shall comply with applicable law, rules or regulations and the rules of the New
York Stock Exchange. |
| 98 | The Directors may from time to time appoint
a general manager, a manager or managers of the Company and may fix his or their remuneration
either by way of salary or commission or by conferring the right to participation in the
profits of the Company or by a combination of two or more of these modes and pay the working
expenses of any of the staff of the general manager, manager or managers who may be employed
by him or them upon the business of the Company. |
| (a) | The appointment of such general manager,
manager or managers may be for such period as the Directors may decide, and the Directors
may confer upon him or them all or any of the powers of the Directors as they may think fit. |
| (b) | The Directors may enter into such agreement
or agreements with any such general manager, manager or managers upon such terms and conditions
in all respects as the Directors may in their absolute discretion think fit, including a
power for such general manager, manager or managers to appoint an assistant manager or managers
or other employees whatsoever under them for the purpose of carrying on the business of the
Company. |
| 99 | The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise
appoint any person to be the agent of the Company on such conditions as the Directors may
determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of their own powers and may
be revoked by the Directors at any time. |
| 100 | The Directors may by power of attorney or
otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly
or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or authorised signatory of the Company
for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested
in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject
to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney or other appointment
may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any
such attorneys or authorised signatories as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise
any such attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities
and discretions vested in him. |
| 101 | The Directors may appoint such officers as
they consider necessary on such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and
subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors may think
fit. Unless otherwise specified in the terms of his appointment an officer may be removed
by resolution of the Directors or Shareholders. |
ALTERNATE DIRECTORS
| 102 | Any Director (other than an alternate Director)
may by writing appoint any other Director, or any other person willing to act, to be an alternate
Director and by writing may remove from office an alternate Director so appointed by him. |
| 103 | An alternate Director shall be entitled to
receive notice of all meetings of Directors and of all meetings of committees of Directors
of which his appointor is a member, to attend and vote at every such meeting at which the
Director appointing him is not personally present, and generally to perform all the functions
of his appointor as a Director in his absence. |
| 104 | An alternate Director shall cease to be an
alternate Director if his appointor ceases to be a Director. |
| 105 | Any appointment or removal of an alternate
Director shall be by notice to the Company signed by the Director making or revoking the
appointment or in any other manner approved by the Directors. |
| 106 | An alternate Director shall be deemed for
all purposes to be a Director and the alternate Director, as well as the Director appointing
such alternate Director, shall be responsible for the alternate Director’s own acts
and defaults. |
NO MINIMUM SHAREHOLDING
| 107 | The Company in general meeting may fix a minimum
shareholding required to be held by a Director, but unless and until such a shareholding
qualification is fixed a Director is not required to hold Shares. |
REMUNERATION OF DIRECTORS
| 108 | The remuneration to be paid to the Directors,
if any, shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine. The Directors shall
also be entitled to be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by
them in connection with their attendance at meetings of Directors or committees of Directors,
or general meetings of the Company, or separate meetings of the holders of any class of Shares
or debentures of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company,
or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Directors,
or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other. |
| 109 | The Directors may by resolution approve additional
remuneration to any Director for any services other than his ordinary routine work as a Director.
Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise
serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director. |
SEAL
| 110 | The Company may, if the Directors so determine,
have a Seal. The Seal shall only be used by the authority of the Directors or of a committee
of the Directors authorised by the Directors. Every instrument to which the Seal has been
affixed shall be signed by at least one person who shall be either a Director or some officer
or other person appointed by the Directors for the purpose. |
| 111 | The Company may have for use in any place
or places outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a facsimile
of the common Seal of the Company and, if the Directors so determine, with the addition on
its face of the name of every place where it is to be used. |
| 112 | A Director or officer, representative or attorney
of the Company may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal over his signature
alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under seal or to
be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever. |
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND RESERVE
| 113 | Subject to the Statute and these Articles,
the Directors may declare Dividends and distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment
of the Dividends or distributions out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor.
No Dividend or distribution shall be paid except out of the realised or unrealised profits
of the Company, or out of the share premium account or as otherwise permitted by the Statute. |
| 114 | Except as otherwise provided by the rights
attached to Shares, all Dividends shall be declared and paid according to the par value of
the Shares that a Shareholder holds. If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall
rank for Dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for Dividend accordingly. |
| 115 | The Directors may deduct from any Dividend
or distribution payable to any Shareholder all sums of money (if any) then payable by him
to the Company on account of calls or otherwise. |
| 116 | The Directors may declare that any Dividend
or distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular
of shares, debentures, or securities of any other company or in any one or more of such ways
and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle
the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional Shares and fix the
value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that
cash payments shall be made to any Shareholders upon the basis of the value so fixed in order
to adjust the rights of all Shareholders and may vest any such specific assets in trustees
as may seem expedient to the Directors. |
| 117 | Any Dividend, distribution, interest or other
monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by wire transfer to the holder or
by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder
or, in the case of joint holders, to the registered address of the holder who is first named
on the Register of Shareholders or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint
holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the
order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual
receipts for any Dividends, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held
by them as joint holders. |
| 118 | No Dividend or distribution shall bear interest
against the Company. |
| 119 | Any Dividend which cannot be paid to a Shareholder
and/or which remains unclaimed after six months from the date of declaration of such Dividend
may, in the discretion of the Directors, be paid into a separate account in the Company’s
name, provided that the Company shall not be constituted as a trustee in respect of that
account and the Dividend shall remain as a debt due to the Shareholder. Any Dividend which
remains unclaimed after a period of six years from the date of declaration of such Dividend
shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company. |
CAPITALISATION
| 120 | The Directors may capitalise any sum standing
to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts (including share premium account
and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of profit and loss
account or otherwise available for distribution and to appropriate such sum to Shareholders
in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst them had the same
been a distribution of profits by way of Dividend and to apply such sum on their behalf in
paying up in full unissued Shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid-up
to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid. In such event the Directors shall do all
acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power to the Directors
to make such provisions as they think fit for the case of Shares becoming distributable in
fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to
the Company rather than to the Shareholders concerned). The Directors may authorise any person
to enter on behalf of all of the Shareholders interested into an agreement with the Company
providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental thereto and any agreement made under
such authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned. |
BOOKS OF ACCOUNT
| 121 | The Directors shall cause proper books of
account to be kept with respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company
and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and
purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and liabilities of the Company. Proper books
shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary
to give a true and fair view of the state of the Company’s affairs and to explain its
transactions. |
| 122 | The Directors shall from time to time determine
whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations
the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Shareholders
not being Directors and no Shareholder (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting
any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Statute or authorised
by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting. |
| 123 | The Directors may from time to time cause
to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts,
balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required
by law. |
AUDIT
| 124 | The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the
Company who shall hold office until removed from office by a resolution of the Directors,
and may fix his or their remuneration. Notwithstanding the above, for so long as any the
shares are listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Audit Committee is directly
responsible for the appointment, remuneration, retention and oversight of the Company’s
Auditors. |
| 125 | Every Auditor of the Company shall have a
right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall
be entitled to require from the Directors and officers of the Company such information and
explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Auditor. |
| 126 | Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors,
make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual
general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered
with the Registrar of Companies as an ordinary company, and at the next extraordinary general
meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the
Registrar of Companies as an exempted company, and at any other time during their term of
office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Shareholders. |
NOTICES
| 127 | Notices shall be in writing and may be given
by the Company to any Shareholder either personally or by sending it by courier, post, fax
or e-mail to him or to his address as shown in the Register of Shareholders (or where the
notice is given by e-mail by sending it to the e-mail address provided by such Shareholder).
Any notice, if posted from one country to another, is to be sent airmail. |
| 128 | Where a notice is sent by courier, service
of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by delivery of the notice to a courier company,
and shall be deemed to have been received on the third day (not including Saturdays or Sundays
or public holidays) following the day on which the notice was delivered to the courier. Where
a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly
addressing, pre paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and shall be deemed to
have been received on the fifth day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays)
following the day on which the notice was posted. Where a notice is sent by fax, service
of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing and sending such notice
and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was transmitted. Where
a notice is given by e-mail service shall be deemed to be effected by transmitting the e-mail
to the e-mail address provided by the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been
received on the same day that it was sent, and it shall not be necessary for the receipt
of the e-mail to be acknowledged by the recipient. |
| 129 | A notice may be given by the Company to the
person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a Share or Shares in
consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder in the same manner as other notices
which are required to be given under these Articles and shall be addressed to them by name,
or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any
like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so
entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the
same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred. |
| 130 | Notice of every general meeting shall be given
in any manner hereinbefore authorised to every person shown as a Shareholder in the Register
of Shareholders on the record date for such meeting except that in the case of joint holders
the notice shall be sufficient if given to the joint holder first named in the Register of
Shareholders and every person upon whom the ownership of a Share devolves by reason of his
being a legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy of a Shareholder of record
where the Shareholder of record but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive
notice of the meeting, and no other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general
meetings. |
WINDING UP
| 131 | Subject always to the Statute and to the other
provisions of these Articles, if the Company shall be wound up, and the assets available
for distribution amongst the Shareholders shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the
share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses
shall be borne by the Shareholders in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them.
Subject to the Statute if in a winding up the assets available for distribution amongst the
Shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the
commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Shareholders
in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding
up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due, of
all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise. This Article is without
prejudice to the rights of the holders of any class or series of Shares issued with special
rights or upon special terms and conditions. |
| 132 | Subject always to the Statute and to the other
provisions of these Articles, if the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, with the
sanction of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Statute,
divide amongst the Shareholders in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company
(whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for that purpose
value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Shareholders
or different classes of Shareholders. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the
whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Shareholders
as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit, but so that no Shareholder shall
be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability. |
INDEMNITY
| 133 | Every Director, agent or officer of the Company
acting in relation to any of the affairs of the Company, and everyone of their heirs, executors
and administrators, shall, to the fullest extent permissible by the Statute, be indemnified
and secured harmless out of the assets and profits of the Company from and against all actions,
costs, charges, losses, damages and expenses which they or any of them, their or any of their
heirs, executors or administrators, shall or may incur or sustain by or by reason of any
act done, concurred in or omitted in or about the execution of their duty, or supposed duty,
in their respective offices or trusts; and none of them shall be answerable for the acts,
receipts, neglects or defaults of the other or others of them or for joining in any receipts
for the sake of conformity, or for any bankers or other persons with whom any moneys or effects
belonging to the Company shall or may be lodged or deposited for safe custody, or for insufficiency
or deficiency of any security upon which any moneys of or belonging to the Company shall
be placed out on or invested, or for any other loss, misfortune or damage which may happen
in the execution of their respective offices or trusts, or in relation thereto; provided
that, this indemnity shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or wilful default
which may attach to any of said persons. Each Shareholder agrees to waive any claim or right
of action he might have, whether individually or by or in the right of the Company, against
any Director on account of any action taken by such Director, or the failure of such Director
to take any action in the performance of his duties with or for the Company; provided that,
such waiver shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or wilful default which
may attach to such Director. |
FINANCIAL YEAR
| 134 | Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe,
the financial year of the Company shall end on 31st December in each year and, following
the year of incorporation, shall begin on 1st January in each year. |
TRANSFER BY WAY OF CONTINUATION
| 135 | If the Company is exempted as defined in the
Statute, it shall, subject to the provisions of the Statute and with the approval of a Special
Resolution, have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate under the
laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman
Islands. |
Exhibit 99.2
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
OF DIRECTORS OF
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
FOR THE 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 20, 2023
The undersigned shareholder of Xinyuan Real Estate
Co., Ltd., an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), hereby acknowledges receipt
of the notice of annual general meeting of shareholders and proxy statement, each dated November 17, 2023, and hereby appoints Mr. Yong
Zhang, Chairman of the Board, with full power of substitution, on behalf and in the name of the undersigned, to represent the undersigned
at the annual general meeting of shareholders of the Company to be held on December 20, 2023 at 10:00 am, local time (the “Meeting”),
at Xinyuan (China) Real Estate Ltd., 27/F, China Central Place, Tower II, 79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025, the People’s
Republic of China, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof, and to vote all common shares which the undersigned would be entitled
to vote if then and there personally present on the matters set forth below (i) as specified by the undersigned below or, if no such specification
is made, as the proxy thinks fit, and (ii) in the discretion of the proxy upon such other business as may properly come before the Meeting,
all as set forth in the notice of annual general meeting and in the proxy statement furnished herewith.
This proxy when properly executed will be voted
in the manner directed herein by the undersigned shareholder. If NO direction is made, the proxy will vote the shares in his or her discretion,
unless this sentence referring to a holder of the proxy having such discretion has been crossed-out and the deletion initialed on this
form of proxy. Where the chairman, a director, or an officer of the Company acts as proxy and is entitled to exercise his or her discretion,
he or she is likely to vote “FOR” the following proposals:
Proposal 1: Ratify by the passing of an
ordinary resolution the appointment of Assentsure PAC as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal
year ending December 31, 2023.
For |
Against |
Abstain |
¨ |
¨ |
¨ |
Proposal 2: Approve, by the passing of
a special resolution, the amendment and restatement of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company
currently in effect, by the deletion in their entirety and the substitution in their place with the Second Amended and Restated Memorandum
and Articles of Association of the Company annexed to the notice of the Meeting.
For |
Against |
Abstain |
¨ |
¨ |
¨ |
Dated: 2023
Shareholder Name: |
|
Co-Owner Name: |
|
|
|
Signature |
|
Signature |
This Proxy Card must be signed by the person registered
in the register of members at the close of business on November 20, 2023 or by his or her attorney duly authorized in writing. In the
case of a corporation, this Proxy Card must be executed by an officer or attorney duly authorized for that purpose.
Exhibit 99.3
|
FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
Resolution 1
Resolution 2
Resolution 3 NON-VOTING
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
TO THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS (“ADRs”)
REPRESENTING COMMON SHARES OF
XINYUAN REAL ESTATE CO., LTD.
Sign below Date:
Please sign this Voting Instruction Card exactly as your name(s) appear(s)
on the face of this card and on the books of the Depositary. Joint owners
should each sign personally. Trustees and other fiduciaries should indicate
the capacity in which they sign, and where more than one name appears, a
majority must sign. If a corporation, this signature should be that of an
authorized officer who should state his or her title.
FOLD AND DETACH HERE
Please refer to the reverse side of this card for the resolutions to be voted at the Meeting.
Address change Mark box, sign and indicate changes/comments below:
Mark box at right if you wish to give a discretionary
proxy to a person designated by the Company.
PLEASE NOTE: Marking this box voids any other
instructions indicated hereon.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Depositary
PO Box 64873 Saint Paul MN 55164-0873 |
|
RESOLUTIONS
1. The ratification of appointment of Assentsure PAC as our Independent registered public accounting firm for the
fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
2. By a special resolution, the adoption of the Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of
Association.
3. To transact any such business that may properly come before the meeting.
Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Depositary
PO Box 64873 Saint Paul MN 55164-0873 Voting Instruction Card
PLEASE MARK, DATE AND SIGN ON REVERSE SIDE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., (the “Depositary”) has received advice that the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”)
of Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) will be held at Xinyuan (China) Real Estate, Ltd., 27/F, China Central Place, Tower II,
79 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100025, the People’s Republic of China, on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
(local time), and at any adjournment or postponements thereof, for the purposes set forth on this card.
If you are desirous of having the Depositary, through its Nominee or Nominees, vote or execute a proxy to vote the Common Shares
represented by your ADRs FOR or AGAINST or to ABSTAIN from voting on the Resolutions, or any of them, as the case may be, to be
proposed at the Meeting, kindly execute and forward to the Depositary, the attached Voting Instruction Card. The enclosed postage paid
envelope is provided for this purpose. This Voting Instruction Card should be executed in such a manner as to show clearly whether you
desire the Nominee or Nominees of the Depositary to vote FOR or AGAINST or to ABSTAIN from voting on the Resolutions, or any of
them, as the case may be. The Voting Instruction Card MUST be forwarded in sufficient time to reach the Depositary before 9:00 a.m.
(Eastern Standard Time), December 18, 2023. Only the registered holders of record at the close of business November 20, 2023, will be
entitled to execute the attached Voting Instruction Card.
The signatory, a registered holder of ADRs representing Common Shares of the Company hereby requests and authorizes the
Depositary, through its Nominee or Nominees, to vote or execute a proxy to vote the underlying Common Shares of the Company
represented by such ADRs registered in the name of the signatory on the books of the Depositary at the close of business
November 20, 2023, at the Meeting.
These instructions, when properly signed and dated, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If you mark the box to indicate that you
wish to give a discretionary proxy to the person designated by the Company, the underlying Common Shares represented by your ADRs
will be voted by the person designated by the Company in his or her discretion. If these instructions are properly signed and dated but
no direction is made, the underlying Common Shares represented by such ADRs will not be voted by the Depositary at the Meeting.
More information regarding the Meeting, including the Notice of Meeting, is also available through the Company’s website at
https://ir.xyre.com and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/.
NOTE: In order to have the aforesaid shares voted, this Voting Instruction Card must be received by the Depositary before 9:00 a.m.
(Eastern Standard Time), December 18, 2023.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Depositary. |
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