China Securities Regulatory Commission Circular of the China Securities Regulatory Commission on Promulgating the Measures Governing Equity Incentive Plans of Listed Companies CSRC Company [2005] No. 151 All the listed companies, With a view to implementing the Some Opinions of the State Council on Promoting the Reform, Opening and Steady Growth of Capital Market China Securities Regulatory Commission December 31, 2005 The Measures Governing Equity Incentive Plans of Listed Companies (For Trial Implementation) Chapter I General Principles Article 1 For the purpose of promoting listed companies to establish and perfect their incentive and inhibiting systems, the present Measures Article 2 The equity incentive as mentioned in the present Measures means: a listed company uses the stock of its own as the subject matter The present Measures shall be applicable to the equity incentive plan implemented by a listed company through the granting of restricted Article 3 The equity incentive plan implemented by a listed company shall comply with the laws, administrative regulations, the provisions When implementing the equity incentive plan, the directors, supervisors, and senior executives of a listed company shall, be honest Article 4 When implementing the equity incentive plan by a listed company shall fulfill its obligation of information disclosure in accordance Article 5 Any professional institution that issues opinions for a listed company equity incentive plan shall be honest and in good faith, diligent, Article 6 No one may use the equity incentive plan to make the lowdown trading, manipulate the securities transaction prices, or carry out Chapter II General Provisions Article 7 In case a listed company has any of the following circumstances, it shall not be allowed to carry out the equity incentive plan: 1. The registered accountants issued denial opinions on its annual financial statements in the recent fiscal year or an audit report 2. An administrative punishment has been given by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (hereinafter referred to as the CSRC) due 3. Other circumstances as determined by the CSRC. Article 8 The incentive objects under the equity incentive plan (hereinafter referred to as the eligible participants) may include the directors, The following personnel shall not be eligible incentive objects : 1. Who are condemned publicly by a stock exchange or announced as inappropriate candidates in the recent three years; 2. Who have been given an administrative punishment by the CSRC due to their grave violation of laws and regulations in the recent three 3. Who are not permit as the directors, supervisors, or senior executives of a company according to the Company Law of the People’s After the equity incentive plan is adopted by the board of directors through discussion, the board of supervisors of the listed company Article 9 The incentive objects are directors, supervisors, or senior executives, a listed company shall establish a performance examination Article 10 A listed company shall not be allowed to provide loans and any other form of finance subsidy to any incentive object according to Article 11 A listed company that plans to implement equity incentive plan may, according to the actual conditions of its own company, solve the 1. Issuing shares to the incentive objects; 2. Repurchasing the shares of the company; or 3. Other ways that permitted by any law or administrative regulation. Article 12 The aggregate target stock involved in all the effective equity incentive plans of a listed company shall not exceed 10% of the total Without the approval of the special resolution of the shareholders’ meeting, the aggregate stock of the company granted to any incentive The total equity as mentioned in paragraphs one and two of this Article refers to the total equity that have been issued by the company Article 13 A listed company shall set out or specify the following matters in its equity incentive plan: 1. The purpose of the equity incentive plan; 2. The basis for determining the incentive objects and the scope thereof; 3. The quantity of rights and interests to be granted pursuant to, and the class, source, and number of the target stock involved in 4. The incentive objects are directors, supervisors, or senior executives, the quantity of rights and interests may be granted to them 5. The effective duration of the equity incentive plan, the date of grant, date of exercise, and the lockup period of the target stock; 6. The grant price of the restricted stock and the method for determining the grant price, the exercise price of stock options or the 7. The conditions for an incentive object to be granted the rights and interests, and to exercise the rights, for example, the performance 8. The quantity of rights and interests involved in the equity incentive plan, the quantity of the target stock, or the methods and procedures 9. The procedures for the company to grant rights and interests and for the incentive objects to exercise their power; 10. The rights and obligations of the company and its incentive objects respectively; 11. How to implement the equity incentive plan in case any alteration is happened to the controlling power of the company, merger, or 12. Alteration or termination of the equity incentive plan; and 13. Other important matters. Article 14 In case any of the circumstances occurs in Article 7 of the present Measures in a listed company, the equity incentive plan shall During the implementation of the equity incentive plan, if any incentive object is under any of the circumstances under which he shall Article 15 The transfer of the stocks obtained by incentive objects pursuant to the equity incentive plan shall comply with the relevant laws, Chapter III Restricted Stocks Article 16 The restricted stocks as mentioned in the present Measures shall refer to a certain number of stocks of a listed company that are Article 17 A listed company shall, when granting restricted stocks to the incentive objects, prescribe the performance conditions and the banning Article 18 In case a listed company determines the grant price of the restricted stocks on the basis of the market price of the stocks, it shall 1. 30 days before the release of its regular report; 2. From the duration of the determination procedure of a major transaction or a great event until two trading days after the event is 3. From the day when other great event that may affect the stock price occurs until two trading days after the event is announced. Chapter IV Stock Options Article 19 The stock options as mentioned in the present Measures shall refer to the right of the incentive objects granted by a listed company The incentive objects may purchase a certain number of shares of a listed company through the stock options granted to them at the Article 20 The stock options granted to an incentive object shall not be transferred, used as guaranty or for repayment of debts. Article 21 According to the stock options plan approved by the shareholders’ meeting through deliberation, the board of directors of a listed Article 22 The interval between the grant date of the stock options and the first exercisable date of the granted stock options shall not be The effective duration of the stock options shall not exceed 10 years calculated from the date of grant. Article 23 A listed company shall prescribe that the incentive objects exercise power by installment within the effective duration of the stock After the expiry of the effective duration of the stock options, no one can exercise the stock options that have been granted but Article 24 When granting stock options to the incentive objects, a listed company shall, determine the exercise price or the method to determine 1. The closing sales price of the target stock of the company at one trading day before the promulgation of the excerpts of the draft 2. The average closing sales price of the target stock of the company within 30 trading days before the promulgation of the excerpts Article 25 In case a listed company needs to adjust the exercise price or the number of stock options due to ex-right or ex-dividend of the target In case a listed company adjusts the exercise price or the number of stock options according to the preceding paragraph, which shall The attorney shall issue the professional opinions to the board of directors on whether the aforesaid adjustment complies with the Article 26 A listed company shall not be permit to grant stock options to the incentive objects within the following periods: 1. 30 days before the promulgation of the regular report; 2. From the duration of the determination procedure of a major transaction or a great event until 2 trading days after the matter is 3. From the day when any other great event that may affect the stock price occurs until 2 trading days after the matter is announced. Article 27 The incentive objects shall exercise power from the second trading day after the announcement of the regular report of a listed company, 1. From the duration of the determination procedure of a major transaction or a great event until 2 trading days after the matter is 2. From the day when any other great event that may affect the stock price occurs until 2 trading days after the announcement is made. Chapter V Implementation Procedures and Information Disclosure Article 28 The salary and examination committee established under the board of directors of a listed company shall be responsible for drafting Article 29 The independent director shall present his independent opinions on whether the equity incentive plan is conducive to the sustained Article 30 A listed company shall, within 2 trading days after its board of directors has adopted the draft of the equity incentive plan through The draft summary of the equity incentive plan shall at least include the contents as set forth in items (1) to (8), and item (12) Article 31 A listed company shall retain an attorney to issue legal opinion on its equity incentive plan, and present professional opinions 1. Whether the equity incentive plan complies with the provisions of the present Measures; 2. Whether it has gone through legal procedures for the equity incentive plan; 3. Whether the listed company has fulfilled its obligation on information disclosure; 4. Whether there is any circumstance that obviously damages the interests of the listed company and all of its shareholders, and circumstance 5. Other matters need to be stated. Article 32 When the salary and examination committee under the board of directors of a listed company believes necessary, it may request the The independent financial consultant shall issue a report of an independent financial consultant, or present the professional opinions 1. Whether the equity incentive plan complies with the provisions of the present Measures; 2. The feasibility of implement the equity incentive plan by the company; 3. The checking opinions on the scope and qualification of the incentive objects. 4. The checking opinions on the amount of rights and interests granted under the equity incentive plan; 5. Financial measurement on the company’s implementation of the equity incentive plan; 6. The impact of implementation of equity incentive plan by the company on the sustained management capacity of the listed company and 7. The checking opinions on whether the listed company has provided any form of financial imbursement to the incentive objects; 8. Whether the equity incentive plan exists any circumstance that obviously damages the interests of the listed company and all of its 9. The reasonableness of the performance examination system and examination measures of the listed company; and 10. Other matters that shall be stated. Article 33 After the equity incentive plan is approved by the board of directors through deliberation, a listed company shall report the relevant The archival filing documents of the equity incentive plan of a listed company shall include following documents: 1. Resolution of the board of directors; 2. The equity incentive plan; 3. Legal opinion; 4. The report of an independent financial consultant in case an independent financial consultant is retained; 5. The relevant documents of approval in case the implementation of the equity incentive plan by a listed company shall be approved 6. Other documents to be required by CSRC. Article 34 If CSRC does not demur to the application materials for archival filing of the equity incentive plan within 20 workdays from the Article 35 A listed company shall, when delivering a notice for convening shareholders’ meeting, publicize the legal opinion at the same time; Article 36 An independent director shall collect entrusted vote right to all the shareholders with regard to the equity incentive plan. Article 37 The shareholders’ meeting shall vote on the following contents of the equity incentive plan: 1. The quantity of rights and interests, and the class, source, and number of target stock concerned in the equity incentive plan; 2. The determining basis and scope of the incentive objects; 3. The amount of rights and interests granted to directors and supervisors under the equity incentive plan respectively and the method 4. The valid period of the equity incentive plan, and the lockup period of the target stock; 5. The conditions on which the incentive objects may be granted rights and interests and exercise power; 6. The grant price of the restricted stock or the determination method to the grant price, the exercise price of the stock options or 7. The quantity of rights and interests, number of target stock, and the adjusting method and procedures to the grant price and the 8. Alteration and termination of the equity incentive plan; 9. The authorization to the board of directors on handling the relevant matters of the equity incentive plan; and 10. Other matters need to be voted by the shareholders’ meeting. The resolutions shall be made by the shareholders’ meeting on the aforesaid matters and adopted by more than two thirds of the voting Article 38 After an equity incentive plan is adopted by the shareholders’ meeting through discussion, a listed company shall handle information Article 39 A listed company shall open a securities account at the securities depository and clearing institution in accordance with the business Any stock options that have not been exercised, and the target stock that can not be transferred shall be locked up. Article 40 After the incentive objects’ application for the exercise of the stock options and the lock and unlock of the restricted stock are The stock options that have been exercised shall be written off timely. Article 41 Unless being authorized clearly by the shareholders’ meeting, a listed company shall apply to the shareholders’meeting for deliberation Article 42 A listed company shall disclose the implementation situation of the equity incentive plan in its regular report within the report 1. the scope of incentive objects within the report period; 2. the aggregate amount of rights and interests granted, exercised, and invalidated within the report period; 3. the accumulated aggregate amount of rights and interests having been granted but not exercised at the end of the report period; 4. all previous adjustment on the grant price and the exercise price within the report period and the updated grant price and exercise 5. name and duties of directors, supervisors, and senior executives respectively, and the situation of all previous granted to and exercise 6. equity alteration situation due to the exercise of power by incentive objects; and 7. accounting disposal method for equity incentive. Article 43 A listed company shall disclose the accounting disposal of equity incentive in its financial statements according to the relevant Article 44 A stock exchange shall clarify the requirements for information disclosure concerned in the equity incentive plan in its business Article 45 The securities depository and clearing institution shall clarify the requirements for handling depository and clearing business involved Chapter VI Supervision and Punishment Article 46 In case there is any false records in the financial and accounting documents of a listed company, the incentive object who is responsible Article 47 In case a listed company implements the equity incentive plan without complying with the provisions of the present Measures, the CSRC Article 48 In case a listed company fails to disclose the relevant information of the equity incentive plan according to the present Measures Article 49 In case anyone makes up a story on the performance, manipulates market or makes lowdown trading, obtains improper interests by making Article 50 In case the relevant professional institutions that issue opinions on the equity incentive plan for a listed company fails to fulfill Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions Article 51 The following terms in the present Measures shall have the following meanings: “Senior Executive” means a manager, vice-manager, person-in-charge of finance, secretary of the board of directors of a listed company, “Target Stocks” means the stocks of a listed company granted to or purchased by the incentive objects under the authorization pursuant “Rights and Interests” means the stocks and stock options obtained by the incentive objects pursuant to the equity incentive plan. “Day of Grant” means the day when a listed company grants stock options to the incentive objects. The day of grant shall be the “Exercise” means the act of an incentive object who purchases the shares of a listed company with the pre-determined price and condition “Day of Exercise” means the day when the incentive objects may start exercise their powers. The day of exercise shall be the trading “Exercise Price” means the price is determined by a listed company to the incentive objects when it grants stock options for encourage “Grant Price” means the price is determined by a listed company to the incentive objects when it grants restricted stock for encourage The expressions “exceed”, “less than” as mentioned in the present Measures shall not include the said number itself. Article 52 The present Measures shall be applicable to the companies who are listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Article 53 The present Measures shall come into
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Home China Laws 2005 THE MEASURES GOVERNING EQUITY INCENTIVE PLANS OF LISTED COMPANIES (FOR TRIAL IMPLEMENTATION)