Company Law of the People's Republic of China (revised in 2005)
(Adopted at the Fifth Session of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress on December 29, 1993. Revised for the first time on December 25, 1999 in accordance with the Decision of the Thirteenth Session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth People's Congress on Amending the Company Law of the People's Republic of China. Revised for the second time on August 28, 2004 in accordance with the Decision of the 11th Session of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on Amending the Company Law of the People's Republic of China. Revised for the third time at the 18th Session of the 10th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on October 27, 2005)
Chapter VII Corporate Bonds
Article 154 The term "corporate bonds" as mentioned in this Law refers to the securities that are issued by a company according to the statutory procedures with guaranteed payment of the principal plus interest by a specified future date. To issue corporate bonds, a company shall meet the issuance requirements of the Securities Law of the People's Republic of China.
Article 155 After an application for issuing corporate bonds is approved by the department authorized by the State Council, the company shall publish its bond issuance plan, which shall mainly state the following items:
(1) the name of the company;
(2) the purposes of use of the corporate bonds;
(3) the total amount of corporate bonds and par value thereof;
(4) the method for determining the interest rate of the bonds;
(5) the time limit and method for paying the principal plus interest;
(6) guarantee of the bonds;
(7) the issuing price of the bonds, and beginning and ending dates of the issuance;
(8) the net assets of the company;
(9) the total amount of corporate bonds having been issued but not yet due; and
(10) the underwriters of the corporate bonds.
Article 156 The physical bonds issued by a company shall state the name of company, par value, interest rate, time limit for repayment, and etc., and shall bear the signature of the legal representative and the seal of the company.
Article 157 The corporate bonds may be registered or unregistered bonds.
Article 158 A company shall prepare and keep the counterfoils of corporate bonds. If the company issues registered corporate bonds, the counterfoils thereof shall state the following items:
(1) the names and domiciles of the bondholders;
(2) the dates on which the bondholders acquires the bonds and the serial numbers of the bonds;
(3) the total amount of the bonds, par value, interest rate, time limit and method for repayment of principal plus interest; and
(4) the date on which the bonds are issued.
If the company issues unregistered corporate bonds, the counterfoils thereof shall state the total amount of the bonds, interest rate, time limit and method for repayment, issuance date and serial numbers of the bonds.
Article 159 The registration and settlement institutions of registered corporate bonds shall establish bylaws on the registration, preservation, interest payment and acceptance of bonds.
Article 160 The corporate bonds may be transferred. The transfer price shall be negotiated by the transferor and transferee.
The transfer of any corporate bonds, which gets listed and is traded in a stock exchange, shall comply with the dealing rules of the stock exchange.
Article 161 The transfer of registered corporate bonds shall be effected by the bondholder's endorsement or by other methods prescribed by the relevant laws and administrative regulations. In the case of transfer of registered bonds, the company shall record the name and domicile of the transferee in the counterfoil of corporate bonds. The transfer of unregistered corporate bonds takes effect as soon as the bondholder delivers the bonds to the transferee.
Article 162 A listed company may, upon the resolution of the shareholders' meeting, issue corporate bonds that may be converted into stocks and shall work out concrete conversion measures in the corporate bond issuance plan. To issue corporate bonds that may be converted into stocks, the listed company shall file an application with the securities regulatory institution for examination and approval. The corporate bonds that may be converted into stocks shall be marked with the words "convertible corporate bonds", and the number of convertible company bonds shall be specified in the company's records of bondholders.
Article 163 Where any convertible company bonds is issued, the company shall exchange its stocks for the bonds held by the bondholders in the prescribed method of conversion, provided that the bondholders have the option on whether or not to convert their bonds.
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