Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item
1A. Risk Factors
Investing
in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making any investment decision, you should consider carefully the following
risks and other information in this report, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes. The risks and
uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of or that we believe
are not material at the time could also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In any
case, the value of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Please also see the section entitled
“Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks
Related to Our Business and Industry
We
have a limited operating history that you can use to evaluate us, and the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the
problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered by a small developing company.
We
were incorporated in Nevada in March 2014. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we generated $8,021,823 and $5,005,694, respectively,
in revenues, and had net income of $1,963,469 and net loss of $3,647,353, respectively. The likelihood of our success
must be considered in the light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered by a small company
starting a new business enterprise and the highly competitive environment in which we are operating. We have a limited operating history
upon which an evaluation of our future success or failure can be made. Our ability to achieve and maintain profitability and positive
cash flow is dependent upon:
●
Our
ability to market our products;
●
Our
ability to generate revenue;
●
Our
ability to obtain higher gross profit products;
●
Our
ability to obtain healthier and economical products; and
●
Our
ability to raise the capital necessary to continue marketing and developing our product and online platform.
Failure
to successfully execute our online and offline-channel strategy and the cost of our investments in our online platform and technology
may materially adversely affect our gross profit, net sales and financial performance
Our
food and beverage supply chain business continue to rapidly evolve and consumers increasingly embrace digital shopping. As a result,
the portion of total consumer expenditures with retailers and wholesale stores occurring through digital platforms is increasing and
the pace of this increase could continue to accelerate. Our strategy, which includes investments in our online platform, technology,
acquisitions and store remodels, may not adequately or effectively allow us to continue to grow our online platform transaction volume,
increase comparable store sales, maintain or grow our overall market position or otherwise offset the impact on the growth of our business
of a moderated pace of new store openings.
Failure
to successfully execute this strategy may adversely affect our market position, gross profit, net sales and financial performance which
could also result in impairment charges to intangible assets or other long-lived assets. In addition, a greater concentration of online
platform sales, including increasing online food sales, could result in a reduction in the amount of traffic in our stores, which would,
in turn, reduce the opportunities for cross-store sales of food merchandise that such traffic creates and could reduce our sales within
our stores and materially adversely affect our financial performance.
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COVID-19
pandemic has had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on our business and our financial results.
In
December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus first emerged in China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout the world. On January
30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease a “Public Health Emergency of International
Concern.” On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” The COVID-19
outbreak has resulted in, and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in, a widespread health crisis that could
materially and adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the operations and financial position of any potential
target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable
to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with
potential investors, if the target company’s personnel, vendors and service providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate
a transaction in a timely manner, or if COVID-19 causes a prolonged economic downturn. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search
for business combinations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information
which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions
posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination,
or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
In
addition, our ability to consummate a business combination may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may
be impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party
financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
COVID-19
could negatively affect our internal controls over financial reporting as a portion of our workforce is required to work from home and
therefore new processes, procedures, and controls could be required to respond to changes in our business environment. Further, should
any key employees become ill from COVID-19 and unable to work, the attention of the management team and resources could be diverted.
The
potential effects of COVID-19 could also heighten the risks we face related to each of the risk factors disclosed below. As COVID-19
and its impacts are unprecedented and continuously evolving, the potential impacts to these risk factors remain uncertain. As a result,
COVID-19 may also materially adversely affect our operating and financial results in a manner that is not currently known to us or that
we do not currently consider may present significant risks to our operations.
We
have a history of operating losses, and continued future operating losses would have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue
as a going concern.
We have a history of
operating losses and had net losses of approximately $3.6 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
We generated a net income of $1,963,469 for the year ended December 31, 2021 as a result of the increased product sale. However,
there can be no assurance that we will have net income in future periods. Our history of operating losses and our projections of the
level of capital that will be required for our future expanded operations may impair our ability to grow our business at the level we
desire. If in the future we incur operating losses or are unable to obtain the requisite amount of capital needed to fund our planned
operations, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and ability to continue as a going concern.
We
operate in a highly competitive industry, and our failure to compete effectively could adversely affect our market share, revenues and
growth prospects.
The
food and beverage industry in China is highly fragmented and intensely competitive. Industry participants include large scale and well-funded
manufacturers and distributors, as well as smaller counterparts. We believe that the market is also highly sensitive to the introduction
of new products, including the ever-growing list of new alcohol and non-alcohol beverages, water and edible oil products, which may rapidly
capture a significant share of the market. Presently most of our business operations and product distribution are concentrated in Guangdong
province, China, and we expect to expand our product sales into broader markets and more geographic areas in China. We compete for sales
with heavily advertised national and international brands sponsored by large food companies or distribution networks. Our competitors
include China home-grown manufacturers and distributors, foreign companies with China operations, as well as product importers and distributors
that carry the same categories of products as ours. We may not be able to compete effectively and our attempt to do so may require us
to reduce our prices and result in lower margins. Failure to effectively compete could adversely affect our market share, revenues, and
growth prospects.
42
Our
failure to appropriately respond to changing consumer preferences and demand for new products could significantly harm our customer relationships
and product sales.
Our
business is particularly subject to changing consumer trends and preferences. Our continued success depends in part on our ability to
anticipate and respond to these changes, and we may not be able to respond in a timely or commercially appropriate manner to these changes.
If we are unable to do so, our customer relationships and product sales could be harmed significantly.
Furthermore,
the food and beverage industry in particular is characterized by rapid and frequent changes in demand for products and new product introductions.
Our failure to accurately predict these trends could negatively impact consumer opinion with respect to the products we distribute. This
could harm our customer relationships and cause losses to our market share. The success of our new product offerings depends upon a number
of factors, including our ability to accurately anticipate customer needs, identify the right suppliers, successfully commercialize new
products in a timely manner, price our products competitively, deliver our products in sufficient volumes and in a timely manner, and
differentiate our product offerings from those of our competitors.
If
we do not introduce new products or make sufficient adjustments to meet the changing needs of our customers in a timely manner, some
of our products could become obsolete in the view of consumers, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and operating
results.
Competitors
may enter our business sector with superior products which could affect our business adversely.
We
believe that barriers to entry are low because of economies of scale, cost advantage and brand identity. Potential competitors may enter
this sector with superior products. This would have an adverse effect upon our business and our results of operations. In addition, a
high level of support is critical for the successful marketing and recurring sales of our products. Despite having accumulated customers
from the past seven years, we may still need to continue to improve our marketing strategic, products and platform in order to assist
potential customers in using our platform, and we also need to provide effective support to future clients. If we are unable to increase
customer support and improve our platform in the face of increasing competition, with the increase in competition, our ability to sell
our products to potential customers could adversely affect our brand, which would harm our reputation.
Supply
chain issues that increase our costs or cause a delay in our ability to fulfill orders, could have an adverse impact on our business
and operating results, and our failure to estimate customer demand properly may result in excess or obsolete product supply, which could
adversely affect our gross margins.
With
the exception of some of the bottled water products, we do not own or operate production facilities but instead rely on third party vendors
to manufacture our products, and we expect that we will continue to rely on existing and new suppliers and manufacturers for the foreseeable
future. The following reliance issues could have an adverse impact on the supply of our products and on our business and operating results:
●
Any
financial or other supply problems of our contract suppliers or manufacturers could limit supply or increase costs; and
●
Reservation
of production capacity at our suppliers or contract manufacturers by other companies could limit supply or increase costs.
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In
addition, the following supply chain-related issues could adversely affect our customer relationships, operating results and financial
condition:
●
a
reduction or interruption in supply of one or more products;
●
a
significant increase in the price of one or more products;
●
a
failure to adequately procure inventory by our suppliers or manufacturers; and
●
a
failure to appropriately cancel, reschedule or adjust our requirements based on our business needs.
We
do not have long term contractual commitments with our retail customers and some distributors, and our business may be negatively affected
if we are unable to maintain those important relationships and distribute our products.
Our
marketing and sales strategy depends in large part on orders, availability and performance of our retailers and distributor customers,
supplemented by the sales at our own store and online sales. We will continue our efforts to reinforce and expand our distribution network
by partnering with new retailers and distributors. While we have entered written agreements with most of our customers, we currently
do not have, nor do we anticipate in the future that we will be able to establish, long-term contractual commitments from most major
customers. In addition, we may not be able to maintain our current distribution relationships or establish and maintain successful relationships
with distributors in new geographic distribution areas. Moreover, there is a possibility that we may have to incur additional costs to
attract and maintain new customers. Our inability to maintain our sales network or attract additional customers would adversely affect
our revenues and financial results.
If any customer accounts for a significant portion of our revenue in our operation, the loss of any such customers or a material decline
in the transaction would have an adverse effect on our operating results
Our
customers can be categorized into retailer
customers and wholesale distributors. Management’s strategies to avoid customer concentration is expanding the customers base
by launching wider range of products while developing new customers with existing products. For the years ended
December 31, 2020 and 2021 there’s no customer who accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total
revenue. Avoiding customers concentration issues is always one of our marketing strategies. However, no guarantee could
be made that such wide range of client base can always be maintained. If the concentration on customers occurs in our
future operations, any decline in such customers’ transaction volume would lower our revenues, which would adversely affect our
operating results, of course, avoiding customer concentration is one of our core marketing strategy, we will strife to maintain the
wide range of customers base.
Because
we rely on our retailer customers and wholesale distributors for the majority of our sales that distribute our competitors’ products
along with our products, we have little control in ensuring those retailers and distributors will not prefer our competitors’ products
over ours, which could cause our sales to suffer.
Our
ability to establish a market for our products in new geographic areas, as well as maintain and expand our existing markets, is dependent
on our ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with reliable distributors and retailers positioned to serve those
areas. Most of our distributors and retailers sell and distribute competing products, including non-alcohol and alcohol beverages, and
our products may represent a small portion of their business. To the extent that our distributors and retailers prefer to sell our competitors’
products over our products or do not employ sufficient efforts in managing and selling our products, including re-stocking retail shelves
with our products, our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected. Our ability to maintain our distribution network
and attract additional distributors and retailers will depend on several factors, some of which are outside our control. Some of these
factors include: the level of demand for our brands and products in a distribution area; our ability to price our products at levels
competitive with those of competing products; and our ability to deliver products in the quantity and at the time ordered by distributors
or retailers. If any of the above factors work negatively against us, our sales will likely decline and our results of operations will
be adversely affected.
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Because
our retail customers and distributors are not required to place minimum orders with us, we need to manage our inventory levels, and it
is difficult to predict the timing and amount of our sales.
Our
customers are not required to place minimum monthly or annual orders for our products. There is no assurance as to the timing or quantity
of purchases by any of our customers or that any of our distributors will continue to purchase products from us in the same frequencies
and volumes as they may have in the past. To be able to sell our products on a timely basis, we need to maintain adequate inventory levels
of the desired products, but we cannot predict the frequency or size of orders by a substantial portion of our customers. If we fail
to meet our shipping schedules, we could damage our relationships with distributors or retailers, increase our shipping costs or cause
sales opportunities to be delayed or lost, which would unfavorably impact our future sales and adversely affect our operating results.
In addition, if the inventory of our products held by our distributors or retailers is too high, they will not place orders for additional
products, which would also unfavorably impact our future sales and adversely affect our operating results.
Our
business plan and future growth is dependent in part on our distribution arrangements with retailers and wholesale distributors. If we
are unable to effectively implement our business plan and distribution strategy, our results of operations and financial condition could
be adversely affected.
We
currently have sales arrangements with most of wholesale distributors and retail accounts to distribute our products directly through
their venues. However, there are several risks associated with this distribution strategy. We do not have long-term agreements in place
with any of these customers and thus, the arrangements are terminable at any time by these retailers or us. Accordingly, we may not be
able to maintain continuing relationships with any of these accounts. A decision by any of these retailers to decrease the amount purchased
from us or to cease carrying our products could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition or results of operations.
In addition, our dependence on existing major retail accounts may result in pressure on us to reduce our pricing to them or allow significant
product discounts. Any increase in our costs for these retailers to carry our product, reduction in price, or demand for product discounts
could have a material adverse effect on our profit margin.
We
rely on independent suppliers and manufacturers of our products, and such dependence could make management of our marketing and distribution
efforts inefficient or unprofitable.
We
do not own the plants or the equipment required to make and package the products we sell, and do not directly manufacture our products
but instead purchase our products from our independent suppliers who source the products from independent manufacturers. We do not anticipate
bringing the manufacturing process in-house in the future. Currently, our products are sourced from approximately 34 independent suppliers.
Our ability to attract and maintain effective relationships with our suppliers, and other third parties for the production and delivery
of our food and beverage products in a geographic distribution area is important to the success of our operations within each distribution
area. Our suppliers may terminate their arrangements with us at any time, in which case we could experience disruptions in our ability
to deliver products to our customers. We may not be able to maintain our relationships with current suppliers or establish satisfactory
relationships with new or replacement suppliers, whether in existing or new geographic distribution areas. The failure to establish and
maintain effective relationships with suppliers or product manufacturers for a distribution area could increase our product supply costs
and thereby materially reduce profits realized from the sale of our products in that area. In addition, poor relations with any of our
suppliers or product manufacturers could adversely affect the amount and timing of product delivered to our distributors and consumers,
which would in turn adversely affect our revenues and financial condition.
As
is customary in the food and beverage supply chain industry, we are expected to arrange for our product procurement needs sufficiently
in advance of anticipated requirements. We continually evaluate which of our suppliers to utilize based on the cost structure and forecasted
demand for the geographic area where our suppliers or product manufacturers are located. To the extent demand for our products exceeds
available inventory, or orders are not submitted on a timely basis, we will be unable to fulfill distributor orders on demand. Conversely,
we may order more products than warranted by actual demand, resulting in higher storage costs and the potential risk of inventory spoilage.
Our failure to accurately predict and manage our supply requirements may impair relationships with our distributors and key accounts,
which, in turn, would likely have a material adverse effect on our ability to maintain effective relationships with those distributors
and key accounts.
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Management’s
ability to implement our business strategy may be slower than expected and we may be unable to generate or sustain profits.
Our
business plans, including developing and optimizing our online platform, may not generate profit in the near term or may not become profitable
at all, which will result in losses. We may be unable to enter into our intended markets successfully. The factors that could affect
our growth strategy include our success in (a) developing our business plan, (b) obtaining new clients, (c) obtaining adequate financing
on acceptable terms, and (d) adapting our internal controls and operating procedures to accommodate our future growth.
Our
systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support the expansion of our business operations. Significant growth will place
managerial demands on all aspects of our operations. Our future operating results will depend substantially upon our ability to manage
changing business conditions and to implement and improve our technical, administrative and financial controls and reporting systems.
If
we are unable to manage our inventory effectively, our operating results could be adversely affected.
Our
business requires us to manage inventory effectively. For many products, we depend on our forecasts of demand for and popularity of various
products to make purchase decisions and to manage our inventory. Demand for products, however, can change between the time inventory
is ordered and the date of sale. Demand may be affected by, among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in product pricing, promotions,
changes in consumer spending patterns, changes in consumer tastes with respect to our products and other factors, and our consumers may
not purchase products in the quantities that we expect.
It
may be difficult to accurately forecast demand and determine appropriate levels of product supply. We generally do not have the right
to return unsold products to our suppliers. If we fail to manage our inventory effectively, we may be subject to a heightened risk of
inventory obsolescence, a decline in inventory values, and inventory write-downs or write-offs. In addition, if we may be required to
lower sale prices in order to reduce inventory levels, our profit margins might be negatively affected. In addition, our ability to meet
customer demand may be negatively impacted by a shortage in inventory due to reduced inventory purchases or disruptions in the supply
chain due to a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Any failure to manage or accurately forecast demand for our products
could adversely affect inventory levels, growth and operating results.
If
we fail to effectively manage our product storage or turnovers, the quality and freshness of our products could suffer and our operating
results could be adversely affected.
We
are subject to risks affecting the food industry generally, including food spoilage, contamination or expiration. In managing our product
storage and inventory turnovers, we seek to improve supply chain efficiency, while closely monitor the quality and freshness of food
products and effectively reduce inventory losses. While we believe food spoilage or contamination currently does not have a significant
impact on our operations, there is no guarantee that our inventory management will always be able to effectively control or reduce contamination
or inventory losses of certain products which may be unsuitable for human consumption after a certain period of time, such as seasonings
or edible oil products. Our temperature-controlled storage and transportation systems could fail to function properly and product contamination
could occur. Failures to maintain freshness and safety of our products could negatively impact sales and accordingly have an adverse
impact on our business and results of operations.
If
the products we sell are not safe or otherwise fail to meet our customers’ expectations, we could lose customers, incur liability
for any injuries suffered by customers using or consuming our products or otherwise experience a material impact to our brand, reputation
and financial performance. We are also subject to reputational and other risks related to third-party sales on our online platforms.
Our
customers count on us to provide them with safe food products. Concerns regarding the safety of food that we source from our suppliers
or that we sell could cause customers to avoid purchasing certain food products from us, or to seek alternative sources of supply for
all of their food needs, even if the basis for the concern is outside of our control. Any lost confidence on the part of our customers
would be difficult and costly to reestablish and such products also expose us to product liability or food safety claims. As such, any
issue regarding the safety of any food items we sell, regardless of the cause, could adversely affect our brand, reputation and financial
performance. Whether laws related to such sales apply to us is currently unsettled and any unfavorable changes could expose us to loss
of sales, reduction in transactions and deterioration of our competitive position. In addition, we may face reputational, financial and
other risks, including liability, for third-party sales of goods that are controversial, counterfeit or otherwise fail to comply with
applicable law. Although we impose contractual terms on sellers that are intended to prohibit sales of certain type of products, we may
not be able to detect, enforce, or collect sufficient damages for breaches of such terms. Any of these events could have a material adverse
impact on our business and results of operations and impede the execution of our E-Commerce growth strategy.
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We
are exposed to risks associated with the distribution of products manufactured by third parties.
We
purchase almost all of our products from third-party suppliers, such as wineries, wine and drinking water distributors to supply our
products. We do not have full control over the product making activities of the wine and other product producers. Significant delays
and defects in our products resulting from the activities of our product makers may have a material adverse effect on our Company’s
results of operations and financial condition.
Under
the PRC law, for the third party products that we distribute, the third party manufacturers are responsible for the quality of the products.
We, however, may still be liable under certain circumstances. For example, product sellers bear tort liabilities for product defects
as a result of the seller’s negligence which has caused the consumers’ damages or if the sellers are unable to specify the
manufacturer of a defective product. In the event consumers suffer from damages caused by product defects, consumers may seek compensation
either from the product manufacturer or from the seller of the products. If a product defect occurs during the manufacturing period and
the compensation is paid by a seller, then the seller is entitled to recover losses from the manufacturer. However, if a defect occurs
during the selling period and the compensation is paid by the manufacturer, then the manufacturer is entitled to recover losses from
the seller. In the event that product defects are caused by the manufacturers, while we have the right to seek recourse against the manufacturers
after we pay damages to the consumers, there can be no assurance that we could recover any of our compensation payments we will have
made.
We
may be subject to product liability claims.
We
are a food and beverage product distributor, and the products we sell are not made by us which may contain defects or have quality issues.
As a result, sales of such products could expose us to product liability claims relating to personal injury or property damage and may
require product recalls or other actions. Third parties subject to such injury or damage may bring claims or legal proceedings against
us as the distributor or retailer of the product. Although we would have legal recourse against the manufacturer of such products under
applicable law, attempting to enforce our rights against the manufacturer may be expensive, time-consuming and ultimately futile. In
addition, we do not currently maintain any third-party liability insurance or product liability insurance in relation to products we
sell. As a result, any material product liability claim or litigation could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations. Even unsuccessful claims could result in the expenditure of funds and managerial efforts in defending
them and could have a negative impact on our reputation.
Our
business and financial results depend on the continuous supply and availability of raw materials, and rising raw material, fuel and freight
costs as well as freight capacity issues may have an adverse impact on our sales and earnings.
The
principal raw materials for the wine products we sell include glass bottles, labels, closures, flavorings, stevia, pure cane sugar and
other natural ingredients. The costs of the product ingredients are subject to fluctuation. If any supply of these raw materials is impaired
or if prices increase significantly, our business would be adversely affected. Prices of any raw materials or ingredients may continue
to rise in the future and we would incur higher supply costs which we may not be able to pass any cost increases on to our customers.
Moreover,
industry-wide shortages of certain concentrates, supplements and sweeteners have been experienced could, from time to time in the future,
be experienced, which could interfere with and/or delay production and supply of certain of our products we source and could have a material
adverse effect on our business and financial results.
In
addition, any supply shortage or volatility in the global oil markets would result in unstable fuel and freight prices. Due to the price
sensitivity of our products, we may not be able to pass any increased costs on to our customers. At the same time, the economy appears
to be returning to pre-pandemic levels resulting in the rise of freight volumes which is exacerbated by carrier failures to meet demands
and fleet reductions due to higher transportation demand in China and global logistics service industry. We may be unable to secure available
transportation carrier capacity at reasonable rates, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
47
We
rely upon our ongoing relationships with our key suppliers. If we are unable to source our products on acceptable terms from our key
suppliers, we could suffer disruptions in our business.
Currently
we purchase our alcohol products from eleven major suppliers and food and non-alcohol beverage products from twenty-three major suppliers,
and we anticipate that we will purchase our products from others with the intention of developing other sources of supply for our products.
The prices of our products are determined by our suppliers and manufacturers and may be subject to change. Consequently, we do not have
control over any price increases of the products we sell and may be unable to obtain those products from alternative suppliers on short
notice.
In
addition, we may not correctly estimate demand for our products. Our ability to estimate demand for our products is imprecise, particularly
with new products, and may be less precise during periods of rapid growth, particularly in new markets. If we materially underestimate
demand for our products or are unable to secure sufficient product supplies, we might not be able to satisfy demand on a short-term basis.
If we must replace a product supplier, we could experience disruptions in our ability to deliver products to our customers or experience
a change in the quality or customer appeal of our products, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We
may be unable to obtain or renew required permits, licenses or approvals necessary for our business operations, and could be imposed
with fines and penalties for any violations of the license requirements.
We
are required to maintain certain permits, licenses and approvals issued by relevant government agencies to operate business in the PRC.
Our inability to secure any permits, licenses and approvals in the PRC in a timely manner or at all could result in operational delays,
suspensions and/or administrative fines and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, results of operations
and financial condition.
The
Telecommunications Regulations of the PRC issued by the State Council of the PRC, as amended, provide the general framework for the provision
of telecommunication services by PRC companies and require a telecommunication service provider in China to obtain an operating license
from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT, or its provincial counterparts, prior to commencement of operations.
Our subsidiary, FVT Supply Chain, engages in food, beverage and related product purchases and sales via its online platform. As a provider
of online data processing and transaction processing services, FVT Supply Chain is required to obtain a license issued by the relevant
telecommunications administrative authorities and has applied for an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) certificate. The online platform
run by FVT Supply Chain was registered and established on August 14, 2019 and put into operations in April 2021. FVT Supply Chain obtained
the EDI License on September 30, 2021. Prior to receiving the License, the company was not qualified to operate value-added telecommunication
services for several months. Under the Telecommunication Regulation of the People’s Republic of China (2016 Revision), we could
be subject to fines and penalties and the income generated before receiving the EDI License could be confiscated. Since our online platform
was in the test phase before we obtained the EDI License and income from the platform operations was very small, and we have not received
any notice of warning or penalty from the administration agency, we believe that such fines and penalties, if imposed, would not have
a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.
Pursuant
to the Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licenses, businesses engaged in food operations activities without a food business
license are subject to penalties imposed under the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China. The Food Safety Law provides,
among other things, that any person engages in food production and business activities without a food production and business license
shall be subject to confiscation of illegal income and tools, equipment, and other items used in illegal production and operation, and
be subject to fines and penalties as set forth in the applicable provisions. Therefore, companies that carry out food related operations
before obtaining food business licenses are at risk of being subject to administrative penalties. Our subsidiary, Xixingdao and some
of its subsidiaries, had engaged in certain food purchase and sale activities before obtaining their food business licenses. We cannot
assure you that the relevant administrative agencies will not impose fines and penalties for our prior sale should they decide to enforce
the above PRC license requirements for prior violations. Should our subsidiaries be required to pay fines or penalties, our results of
operations and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
In
addition, there is no assurance that we will be able to renew any existing permits, licenses and approvals when they expire or that we
will be able to obtain or renew future permits, licenses and approvals in a timely manner, or at all. Further, there can be no assurance
that such permits, licenses or approvals will not be revoked for whatever reason by the relevant authorities in the future. Failure to
obtain or renew such permits, licenses and approvals as planned could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
48
We
may be subject to penalties under relevant PRC laws and regulations due to failure to make full social security and housing fund contributions
for our employees.
Our
PRC subsidiaries have not made full contribution to the social security and housing funds for some or all of their employees as required
by the relevant social security and housing fund regulations. Pursuant to the Regulation on the Administration of Housing Accumulation
Funds, as amended in 2019, the relevant housing fund authority may order an enterprise to pay outstanding contributions within a prescribed
time limit. Pursuant to the PRC Social Insurance Law promulgated in 2010 and amended in 2018, the social security authority may order
an enterprise to pay the outstanding contributions within a prescribed time limit and may impose penalties if there is a failure to do
so. To the extent the relevant authorities determine we have not paid or underpaid, our PRC subsidiaries may be required to pay outstanding
contributions and penalties to the extent they did not make full contributions to the social security and housing funds.
In
addition, in July 2018, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State
Council jointly issued the Reform Plan of the Taxation and Collection Systems of National Taxes and Local Taxes, which states that, effective
January 1, 2019, basic pension insurance premiums, basic medical insurance premiums, unemployment insurance premiums, injury insurance
premiums and maternity insurance premiums shall be levied by the tax authorities. Under the new system, tax collection is likely to be
stringently administrated and enforced.
As
of the date hereof, the aggregate amount of unpaid social security and housing fund contributions is approximately RMB 341,207 (approximately
$52,755) and the amount of potential penalties, if levied, is estimated to be RMB 52,049 (approximately $8,031). Due to the fact that
the payment of social security and housing accumulation funds will reduce the net amounts of the employees’ wages, after consulting
with and receiving voluntary waivers from those employees, our PRC subsidiaries decided not to pay social security and housing accumulation
funds for those employees in full. As of the date of this report, we have not had any complaints, investigations, lawsuits
and arbitration proceedings brought against us by our employees or PRC authorities. In addition, according to the Enterprise Credit Report
issued by the government, our subsidiaries are in good standing and have not been warned or administratively penalized for failing to
pay social security and housing accumulation funds. Our PRC subsidiaries intend to pay the full social security and housing accumulation
funds for employees according to the laws and regulations. With respect to the previously unpaid social security and housing funds of
our PRC subsidiaries, our largest shareholder, Yumin Lin, has provided a personal guarantee that, if the subsidiaries incur any losses
due to our subsidiaries’ failure to pay full contributions, he would be jointly liable for the payment to compensate any losses
the Company may incur. For the reasons stated above, we don’t believe that our subsidiaries’ business and operations would
be materially adversely affected by previous nonpayment of full social security and housing accumulation fund contributions. Nevertheless,
there can be no assurance that our subsidiaries will not be required to pay all of the previously delinquent social insurance and housing
fund contribution amounts and associated administrative penalties or that any financial losses our subsidiaries may suffer will actually
be borne by Mr. Lin through his personal guarantee.
Failure
to manage our growth could strain our operational and other resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business and prospects.
Since
2018, our business has experienced significant growths through acquisitions and product diversification. Our growth strategy includes
increasing market penetration of our existing products and services, identifying and developing new products, and increasing distribution
channels and customers we serve. Pursuing these strategies has resulted in, and will continue to result in substantial demands on our
capital and operating resources. In particular, the management of our growth will require, among other things:
●
successful
integration of our existing operations and acquired businesses;
●
stringent
cost controls and adequate liquidity;
●
strengthening
of financial and risk controls;
●
increased
marketing, sales and support activities; and
●
retaining,
training and hiring qualified employees and professionals.
If
we are not able to manage our growth successfully, our business, financial condition and operating results would be materially and adversely
affected.
49
If
we are unable to maintain brand image and product quality, or if we encounter other product issues such as product recalls, our business
may suffer.
Our
success depends on our ability to maintain brand reputation for our existing products and effectively build up brand image for new products
and brand extensions. There can be no assurance, however, that additional expenditures on advertising and marketing will have the desired
impact on our products’ brand image and on consumer preferences. Product quality issues or allegations of product contamination,
even when false or unfounded, could tarnish the image of the affected brands and may cause consumers to choose other products. In addition,
because of changing government regulations or their implementation, we may be required from time to time to recall products entirely
or from specific markets. Product recalls could affect our profitability and could negatively affect brand image.
The
inability to attract and retain key personnel would directly affect our efficiency and results of operations.
Our
success depends on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees in such areas as distribution, sales, marketing and finance.
We compete to hire new employees, and, in some cases, must train them and develop their skills and competencies. Our operating results
could be adversely affected by increased costs due to increased competition for employees, higher employee turnover or increased employee
benefit costs. Any unplanned turnover, particularly involving our key personnel, could negatively impact our operations, financial condition
and employee morale.
Our
inability to protect our trademarks and trade secrets may prevent us from successfully marketing our products and competing effectively.
Failure
to protect our intellectual property could harm our brand and our reputation, and adversely affect our ability to compete effectively.
Further, enforcing or defending our intellectual property rights, including our trademarks, copyrights, licenses and trade secrets, could
result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. We regard our intellectual property, particularly our trademarks
and trade secrets to be of considerable value and importance to our business and our success. We rely on a combination of trademark and
trade secrecy laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property rights. In addition, there
can be no assurance that other parties will not assert infringement claims against us, and we may have to pursue litigation against other
parties to assert our rights. Any such claim or litigation could be costly. In addition, any event that would jeopardize our proprietary
rights or any claims of infringement by third parties could have a material adverse effect on our ability to market or sell our brands
or profitably exploit our products.
If
we are unable to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, our stock price
and investor confidence in us could be materially and adversely affected.
We
are required to maintain both disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting that are effective. Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting, however well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable,
and not absolute, assurance that the controls will prevent or detect misstatements. Because of these and other inherent limitations of
control systems, there is only the reasonable assurance that our controls will succeed in achieving their goals under all potential conditions.
The failure of controls by design deficiencies or absence of adequate controls could result in a material adverse effect on our business
and financial results.
While
we are not aware of any data breach in the past, cyber-attacks, computer viruses or any future failure to adequately maintain security
and prevent unauthorized access to electronic and other confidential information could result in a data breach which could materially
adversely affect our reputation, financial condition and operating results.
The
protection of our customers’, business partners’, our Company’s and employees’ data is critically important to
us. Our customers, business partners, and employees expect we will adequately safeguard and protect their sensitive personal and business
information. We have become increasingly dependent upon automated information technology processes. Improper activities by third parties,
exploitation of encryption technology, data-hacking tools and discoveries and other events or developments may result in a future compromise
or breach of our networks, payment terminals or other settlement systems. In particular, the techniques used by criminals to obtain unauthorized
access to sensitive data change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target; accordingly, we may be unable
to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. There can be no assurance that we will not suffer a criminal
cyber-attack in the future, that unauthorized parties will not gain access to personal or business information or sensitive data, or
that any such incident will be discovered in a timely manner.
50
We
also face indirect technology, cybersecurity and operational risks relating to the third parties whom we work with to facilitate our
business activities, including, among others, third-party online service providers who manage accounts for our customers and external
cloud service provider. As a result of increasing consolidation and interdependence of technology systems, a technology failure, cyber-attack
or other information or security breach that significantly compromises the systems of one entity could have a material impact on its
counterparties. Any cyber-attack, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions of such third-party service
providers could adversely affect our operations and could result in misappropriation of funds of our customers.
Security
breaches or unauthorized access to confidential information could also expose us to liability related to the loss of the information,
time-consuming and expensive litigation and negative publicity. If security measures are breached because of third-party action, employee
error, malfeasance or otherwise, or if design flaws in our technology infrastructure are exposed and exploited, our relationships with
customers and cooperation partners could be severely damaged, we could incur significant liability and our business and operations could
be adversely affected.
We
are substantially dependent upon our senior management and key information technology and development personnel.
We
are highly dependent on our senior management to manage our business and operations and our marketing and distribution personnel for
the sale of products. In particular, we rely substantially on members of our senior management, including Chief Executive Officer, Yumin
Lin, and Chief Financial Officer, Kaihong Lin, and executives at our key subsidiaries to manage our operations.
While
we provide the legally required personal insurance for the benefit of our employees, we do not maintain key man life insurance on any
of our senior management or key personnel. The loss of any one of them would have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
Competition for senior management and our other key personnel is intense and the pool of suitable candidates is limited. We may be unable
to locate a suitable replacement for any senior management or key personnel that we lose. In addition, if any member of our senior management
or key personnel joins a competitor or forms a competing company, they may compete with us for customers, business partners and other
key professionals and staff members of our Company. Although each of our senior management and key personnel has signed a confidentiality
agreement in connection with their employment with us, we cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully enforce these provisions
in the event of a dispute between us and any member of our senior management or key personnel.
We
compete for qualified personnel with other food supply chain companies. Intense competition for these personnel could cause our compensation
costs to increase, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Our future success and ability to grow our
business will depend in part on the continued service of these individuals and our ability to identify, hire and retain additional qualified
personnel. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified employees, we may be unable to meet our business and financial goals.
We
are dependent upon the services of experienced personnel who possess skills that are valuable in our industry, and we may have to actively
compete for their services.
We
are heavily dependent upon our ability to attract, retain and motivate skilled personnel to serve our customers. Many of our personnel
possess skills that would be valuable to all companies engaged in our industry. Consequently, we expect that we will have to actively
compete for these employees. Some of our competitors may be able to pay our employees more than we are able to pay to retain them. Our
ability to profitably operate is substantially dependent upon our ability to locate, hire, train and retain our personnel. There can
be no assurance that we will be able to retain our current personnel, or that we will be able to attract and assimilate other personnel
in the future. If we are unable to effectively obtain and maintain skilled personnel, the development and quality of our services could
be materially impaired.
51
If
we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, it could harm our business and competitive position.
We
rely on a combination of trademark, trade secret laws, non-disclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property
rights. We own a number of trademarks, copyrights and Internet domain names in China, most of which have been properly registered with
regulatory agencies such as the State Intellectual Property Office and Trademark Office. Some of the trademarks that are being used by
our subsidiary, Xixingdao, are owned by Mr. Yuwen Li, one of our shareholders, who has authorized us to use these trademarks. Based on
our agreement with Mr. Li, the ownership to those trademarks is in the process of being transferred to us from Mr. Li at no cost to us,
and we expect to own those trademarks upon completion of the registration process at the regulatory agencies. Our intellectual property
has allowed our products to earn market share in the food supply chain industry.
We
also rely on trade secret rights to protect our business through non-disclosure agreements with certain employees. If any of our employees
breach their non-disclosure obligations, we may not have adequate remedies in China, and our trade secrets may become known to our competitors.
In accordance with Chinese intellectual property laws and regulations, we will have to renew our trademarks once the terms expire.
Implementation
of PRC intellectual property-related laws has historically been lacking, primarily because of ambiguities in the PRC laws and enforcement
difficulties. Accordingly, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United
States or other western countries. Furthermore, policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive, and we
may need to resort to litigation to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, or to determine the enforceability, scope and
validity of our proprietary rights or those of others. Such litigation and an adverse determination in any such litigation, if any, could
result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We
may be exposed to intellectual property infringement and other claims by third parties which, if successful, could disrupt our business
and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our
success depends, in large part, on our ability to use and develop our intellectual property without infringing third party intellectual
property rights. If we sell our branded products internationally, and as litigation becomes more common in China, we face a higher risk
of being the subject of claims for intellectual property infringement, invalidity or indemnification relating to other parties’
proprietary rights. Our current or potential competitors, many of which have substantial resources and have made substantial investments
in competing technologies, may have or may obtain patents that will prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use or sell
our branded products in either China or other countries, including the United States and other countries in Asia. In addition, the defense
of intellectual property suits, including patent infringement suits, and related legal and administrative proceedings can be both costly
and time consuming and may significantly divert the efforts and resources of our technical and management personnel. Furthermore, an
adverse determination in any such litigation or proceedings to which we may become a party could cause us to:
●
pay
damage awards;
●
seek
licenses from third parties;
●
pay
ongoing royalties; or
●
be
restricted by injunctions.
Each
of which could effectively prevent us from pursuing some or all of our business and result in our customers or potential customers deferring
or limiting their purchase or use of our branded products, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and
results of operations.
52
We
may not maintain sufficient insurance coverage for the risks associated with our business operations. As a result, we may incur uninsured
losses.
We
do not have any insurance of such as business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in the PRC. As a result,
we may incur uninsured liabilities and losses as a result of the conduct of our business. There can be no guarantee that we will be able
to obtain additional insurance coverage in the future, and even if we are able to obtain additional coverage, we may not carry sufficient
insurance coverage to satisfy potential claims. Should uninsured losses occur, it could adversely affect our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
Provisions
in the Nevada Revised Statutes and our Bylaws could make it very difficult for an investor to bring any legal actions against our directors
or officers for violations of their fiduciary duties or could require us to pay any amounts incurred by our directors or officers in
any such actions.
Members
of our board of directors and our officers will have no liability for breaches of their fiduciary duty of care as a director or officer,
except in limited circumstances, pursuant to provisions in the Nevada Revised Statutes and our Bylaws as authorized by the Nevada Revised
Statutes. Specifically, Section 78.138 of the Nevada Revised Statutes provides that a director or officer is not individually liable
to the company or its shareholders or creditors for any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his or her capacity as a
director or officer unless it is proven that (1) the director’s or officer’s act or failure to act constituted a breach of
his or her fiduciary duties as a director or officer and (2) his or her breach of those duties involved intentional misconduct, fraud
or a knowing violation of law. This provision is intended to afford directors and officers protection against and to limit their potential
liability for monetary damages resulting from suits alleging a breach of the duty of care by a director or officer. Accordingly, you
may be unable to prevail in a legal action against our directors or officers even if they have breached their fiduciary duty of care.
In addition, we are allowed to indemnify our directors and officers from and against any and all costs, charges and expenses resulting
from their acting in such capacities with us. If you were able to enforce an action against our directors or officers, in all likelihood,
we would be required to pay any expenses they incurred in defending the lawsuit and any judgment or settlement they otherwise would be
required to pay. Accordingly, our indemnification obligations could divert needed financial resources and may adversely affect our business,
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock.
Risks
Related to Doing Business in China
China’s
political climate and economic conditions, as well as changes in government policies, laws and regulations which may be quick with little
advance notice, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects are subject, to a significant extent, to economic, political and legal
developments in China. For example, as a result of recent proposed changes in the cybersecurity regulations in China that would require
certain Chinese technology firms to undergo a cybersecurity review before being allowed to list on foreign exchanges, this may have the
effect of further narrowing the list of potential businesses in China’s consumer, technology and mobility sectors that we intend
to focus on for our business combination or the ability of the combined entity to list in the United States.
China’s
economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level
of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the PRC economy has experienced significant
growth in the past two to three decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Demand
for target services and products depends, in large part, on economic conditions in China. Any slowdown in China’s economic growth
may cause our potential customers to delay or cancel their plans to purchase our services and products, which in turn could reduce our
net revenues.
53
Although
China’s economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy since the late 1970s, the PRC government
continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises
significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling the incurrence and payment of foreign
currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
Changes in any of these policies, laws and regulations may be quick with little advance notice and could adversely affect the economy
in China and could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our common stock.
The
PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage foreign investment and sustainable economic growth and to guide the allocation
of financial and other resources. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not repeal or alter these measures or introduce
new measures that will have a negative effect on us, or more specifically, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not initiate
possible governmental actions or scrutiny to us, which could substantially affect our operation and the value of our common stock may
depreciate quickly. China’s social and political conditions may change and become unstable. Any sudden changes to China’s
political system or the occurrence of widespread social unrest could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Uncertainties
with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us, including risks and uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws
and that rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little advance notice.
We
conduct substantially all of our business through our subsidiaries in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations.
Our PRC subsidiaries are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws
and regulations applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises. The PRC legal system is based on statutes. Prior court decisions may
be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.
Since
1979, PRC legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in
China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently
cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations
involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory
provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of
legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce
our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, these regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal
actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us.
In
addition, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published on a timely
basis or at all) that may change quickly with little advance notice or have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware
of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist
Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to enhance its enforcement against
illegal activities in the securities markets and promote the high-quality development of capital markets, which, among other things,
requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance
supervision over Chinese companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the Chinese
securities laws. Since this document is relatively new, uncertainties exist in relation to how soon legislative or administrative regulation-making
bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or
promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on companies like us. It is especially
difficult for us to accurately predict the potential impact on us of new legal requirements in mainland China because the Chinese legal
system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system
may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.
Such
uncertainties, including any inability to enforce
our contracts, together with any development or interpretation of PRC law that is adverse to us, could materially and adversely affect
our business and operations. Furthermore, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective
as in the United States or other more developed countries. We cannot predict the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system,
including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local
regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and our investors.
54
The
Chinese government may intervene or influence the operation of our PRC subsidiaries and exercise significant oversight and discretion
over the conduct of their business and may intervene in or influence their operations at any time, or may exert more control over securities
offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could result in a material change in operations
of our PRC subsidiaries and/or the value of our common stock.
The
Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through
regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those
relating to securities regulation, data protection, cybersecurity and mergers and acquisitions and other matters. The central or local
governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require
additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations.
Government
actions in the future could significantly affect economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to
materially change our operating activities or divest ourselves of any interests we hold in Chinese assets. Our business may be subject
to various government and regulatory interference in the areas in which we operate. We may incur increased costs necessary to comply
with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. Our operations could be adversely affected,
directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to our business or industry.
Given
recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted
overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability
to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
Recently,
the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued
the Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law, or the Opinions, which was made available to
the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and
the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction
of relevant regulatory systems, will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-based overseas listed companies. As of the
date of this report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from PRC government authorities in connection
with the Opinions.
On
June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, or the SCNPC, promulgated the Data Security Law,
which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals
carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data
in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights
and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC
Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes
export restrictions on certain data an information. The law provides for privacy obligations of entities and individuals carrying out
data activities, prohibits entities and individuals in China from providing any foreign judicial or law enforcement authority with any
data stored in China without approval from the competent PRC authority, and sets forth the legal liabilities of entities and individuals
found to be in violation of their data protection obligations, including rectification order, warning, fines of up to RMB10 million,
suspension of relevant business, and revocation of business permits or licenses.
In
early July 2021, regulatory authorities in China launched cybersecurity investigations with regard to several China-based companies that
are listed in the United States. The Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2 that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global
Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s app be removed from smartphone app stores. On July 5, 2021, the
Chinese cybersecurity regulator launched the same investigation on two other Internet platforms, China’s Full Truck Alliance of
Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YMM) and Boss of KANZHUN LIMITED (Nasdaq: BZ). On July 24, 2021, the General Office of the Communist
Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly released the Guidelines for Further Easing the Burden
of Excessive Homework and Off-campus Tutoring for Students at the Stage of Compulsory Education, pursuant to which foreign investment
in such firms via mergers and acquisitions, franchise development, and variable interest entities are banned from that sector.
55
On
July 10, 2021, the CAC released the Cybersecurity Review Measures (Revised Draft for Solicitation of Comments), or the Revised Cybersecurity
Measures, pursuant to which operator holding more than one million users/users’ (which is to be further specified) individual information
shall be subject to cybersecurity review before listing abroad. The cybersecurity review will evaluate, among others, the risk of critical
information infrastructure, core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being influenced, controlled or maliciously
used by foreign governments after going public overseas. The procurement of network products and services, data processing activities
and overseas listing should also be subject to cybersecurity review if they concern or potentially pose risks to national security. According
to the effective Cybersecurity Review Measures, online platform/website operators of certain industries may be identified as critical
information infrastructure operators by the CAC, once they meet standard as stated in the National Cybersecurity Inspection Operation
Guide, and such operators may be subject to cybersecurity review. The scope of business operations and financing activities that are
subject to the Revised Cybersecurity Measures and the implementation thereof is not yet clear. As of the date of this report,
we have not been informed by any PRC governmental authority of any requirement that we file for approval in connection with an offering
of our common stock.
On
August 17, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure,
or the Regulations, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulations supplement and specify the provisions on the security of
critical information infrastructure as stated in the Cybersecurity Review Measures. The Regulations provide, among others, that protection
department of certain industry or sector shall notify the operator of the critical information infrastructure in time after the identification
of certain critical information infrastructure.
On
August 20, 2021, the SCNPC adopted the Personal Information Security Law, which took effect on November 1, 2021. The Personal Information
Protection Law includes the basic rules for personal information processing, the rules for cross-border provision of personal information,
the rights of individuals in personal information processing activities, the obligations of personal information processors, and the
legal responsibilities for illegal collection, processing, and use of personal information. As the first systematic and comprehensive
law specifically for the protection of personal information in the PRC, the Personal Information Protection Law provides, among others,
that (i) an individual’s consent shall be obtained to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and
individual location tracking, (ii) personal information operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the
necessity of such use and impact on the individual’s rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual’s
request to exercise his or her rights, the individual may file a lawsuit with a People’s Court.
On
December 28, 2021, the CAC, NDRC, and other regulatory agencies jointly issued the final version of the Revised Cybersecurity
Review Measures, or the Measures, which took effect and replace the previously issued Revised Measures for Cybersecurity
Review on February 15, 2022. Under the Revised Review Measures, an “online platform operator” in possession of personal data
of more than one million users must apply for a cybersecurity review if it intends to list its securities on a foreign stock exchange.
The operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and the online platform operators (together
with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying out data processing activities that
affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, and any online platform operator who controls more than
one million users’ personal information must go through a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity review office if it seeks to
be listed in a foreign country.
With regard to the current effective data security management regulations, we don’t
believe that we are required to conduct data security review for listing overseas. However, according to the Regulations on Network Data
Security Management (Draft for Comment), as an overseas listed company, we will be required to conduct an annual data security review
and to comply with the relevant reporting obligations. We have been closely monitoring the development in the regulatory landscape in
China, particularly regarding the requirement of approvals, including on a retrospective basis, from the CSRC, the CAC or other PRC authorities
with respect to this offering, as well as regarding any annual data security review or other procedures that may be imposed on us. If
any approval, review or other procedure is in fact required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such approval or complete
such review or other procedure timely or at all. For any approval that we may be able to obtain, it could nevertheless be revoked and
the terms of its issuance may impose restrictions on our operations and offerings relating to our securities. The regulatory requirements
with respect to cybersecurity and data privacy are constantly evolving and can be subject to varying interpretations, and significant
changes, resulting in uncertainties about the scope of our responsibilities in that regard. Failure to comply with the cybersecurity
and data privacy requirements in a timely manner, or at all, may subject us to government enforcement actions and investigations, fines,
penalties, suspension or disruption of our operations, among other things.
Given
that the above referenced laws, regulations and policies were recently promulgated or publicly released, their interpretation, application
and enforcement are subject to substantial uncertainties.
Recent
regulatory developments in China, including greater oversight and control by the CAC over data security, may subject us to additional
regulatory review and any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over foreign investment in
China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors
and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Recent
statements by the Chinese government have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas
and/or foreign investments in China based issuers. The
PRC government recently initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with
little advance notice, among other things, including adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, cracking down
on illegal activities in the securities market, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. The PRC government is increasingly
focused on data security, recently launching cybersecurity review against a number of mobile apps operated by several U.S.-listed Chinese
companies and prohibiting these apps from registering new users during the review period. We are subject to various risks and costs related
to the collection, use, sharing, retention, security, and transfer of confidential and private information, such as personal information
and other data. Such covered data is wide ranging and relates to our investors, employees, contractors and other third parties. The relevant
PRC laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between FVTI Nevada, offshore subsidiaries,
our PRC subsidiaries, and other parties with which we have commercial relations.
The
PRC regulatory and enforcement regime with regard to privacy and data security is evolving. The PRC Cybersecurity Law, which was promulgated
on November 7, 2016 and became effective on June 1, 2017, provides that personal information and important data collected and generated
by operators of critical information infrastructure in the course of their operations in the PRC should be stored in the PRC, and the
law imposes heightened regulation and additional security obligations on operators of critical information infrastructure.
On
November 14, 2021, the CAC published the Regulations of Internet Data Security Management (Draft for Comments), which further regulate
the internet data processing activities and emphasize the supervision and management of network data security, and further stipulate
the obligations of internet platform operators, such as to establish a system for disclosure of platform rules, privacy policies and
algorithmic strategies related to data. Specifically, the draft regulations require data processors to, among others, (i) adopt immediate
remediation measures when finding that network products and services they use or provide have security defects and vulnerabilities, or
threaten national security or endanger public interest, and (ii) follow a series of detailed requirements with respect to processing
of personal information, management of important data and proposed overseas transfer of data. In addition, the draft regulations require
data processors handling important data or the data processors to be listed overseas to complete an annual data security assessment and
file a data security assessment report to applicable regulators. Such annual assessment, as required by the draft regulations, would
encompass areas including, but not limited to, the status of important data processing, data security risks identified and the measures
adopted, the effectiveness of data protection measures, the implementation of national data security laws and regulations, data security
incidents that occurred and their handling, and a security assessment with respect to sharing and provision of important data overseas.
As of the date of this report, the draft regulations have been released for public comment only and have not been formally
adopted. The final provisions and the timeline for its adoption are subject to changes and uncertainties.
56
We
currently operate an online trading platform, primarily engaged in sales of products to our customers in China, where our customers can
register as members first, and then search for, purchase or sell any desired food and beverage products. Our online platform collects
and transmits product, supplier and customer information and data. Since our online trading platform has only been in operation for about
a year, we are in the process of studying the newly issued rules and regulations governing cybersecurity and data protection and
the industry best practice, as well as assessing the extent to which our information and data system is not in full compliance with the
various requirements under the newly proposed regulations. Based on the preliminary assessment, our management has determined that we
are not in full compliance with those new proposed rules. For example, we have not consistently informed users of the purpose, method
and scope of personal information and data collections and uses. We also have not fully implemented the measures designed by us to provide
additional security to personal information obtained and stored by us through our online platform. As of the date of this report,
the proposed rules have not been adopted and thus we are not subject to those requirements in the proposed rules.
We
are committed to taking the necessary actions to satisfy the effective personal information protection and internet data security regulatory
requirements. We have designed a user information protection mechanism, which includes seven detailed personal information and data security
protection measures. We have implemented some of those measures while are in the process of completing the execution of others. We intend
to fully comply with the following requirements should the final rules are issued in the same form as proposed: (a) enter into
user information collection, storage and use rules and privacy agreements with all users, (b) fully inform users of the purpose, method
and scope of personal information and data collection, (c) provide channels for inquiring stored personal information and correcting
inaccuracies in information and data, and (d) remediate for violations of personal information and data security protection policies
and guidelines, among other things.
On
December 28, 2021, the CAC, NDRC, and several other agencies jointly issued the Cybersecurity Review Measures, or the Measures,
which took effect on February 15, 2022 and replaced Revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review previously issued
in July 2021. Under the Measures, an “online platform operator” in possession of personal data of more than one million
users must apply for a cybersecurity review if it intends to list its securities on a foreign stock exchange. The operators of critical
information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and the online platform operators (together with the operators of
critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national
security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, and any online platform operator who controls more than one million users’ personal
information must go through a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity review office if it seeks to be listed in a foreign country.
Pursuant to the Measures, we don’t believe we will be subject to the cybersecurity review by the CAC, given that (i) we possess
personal information of a relatively small number of users (approximately 10,840 users) in our business operations as of the date
of this report, significantly less than the one million user threshold set for a data processing operator applying for listing
on a foreign exchange that is required to pass such cybersecurity review; and (ii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing
on national security and thus shall not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. We don’t believe that we are
an Operator within the meaning of the Measures, nor do we control more than one million users’ personal information, and as such,
we should not be required to apply for a cybersecurity review under the Measures.
However,
in view of the fact that the Measures was released recently and there is a general lack of guidance and substantial uncertainties exist
with respect to their interpretation and implementation. For example, there is still no clear definition of “online platform operator”.
Whether the data processing activities carried out by traditional enterprises (such as food, medicine, automobile and other production
enterprises) are subject to such review and the scope of the review remain to be further clarified by the regulatory authorities in the
subsequent implementation process.
Furthermore,
the CAC released the draft of the Regulations on Network Data Security Management (Draft for Comment) in November 2021 for public consultation,
which among other things, stipulates that a data processor listed overseas must conduct an annual data security review by itself or by
engaging a data security service provider and submit the annual data security review report for a given year to the municipal cybersecurity
department before January 31 of the following year. If the draft Regulations on Network Data Security Management are enacted in the current
form, we, as an overseas listed company, will be required to carry out an annual data security review and comply with the relevant reporting
obligations.
With
regard to the current effective data security management
regulations, we don’t believe that we are required to conduct data security review for listing overseas. However, according to
the Regulations on Network Data Security Management (Draft for Comment), as an overseas listed company, we will be required to conduct
an annual data security review and to comply with the relevant reporting obligations. We have been closely monitoring the development
in the regulatory landscape in China, particularly regarding the requirement of approvals, including on a retrospective basis, from the
CSRC, the CAC or other PRC authorities with respect to securities offering, as well as regarding any annual data security review
or other procedures that may be imposed on us. If any approval, review or other procedure is in fact required, we cannot assure you that
we will be able to obtain such approval or complete such review or other procedure timely or at all. For any approval that we may be
able to obtain, it could nevertheless be revoked and the terms of its issuance may impose restrictions on our operations and securities
offerings. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over foreign investment in China-based
issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the
value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
The
regulatory requirements with respect to cybersecurity and data privacy are constantly evolving and can be subject to varying interpretations,
and significant changes, resulting in uncertainties about the scope of our responsibilities in that regard. Failure to comply with the
cybersecurity and data privacy requirements in a timely manner, or at all, may subject us to government enforcement actions and investigations,
fines, penalties, suspension or disruption of our operations, among other things.
Compliance
with the PRC Cybersecurity Law, the PRC National Security Law, the Data Security Law, the Personal Information Protection Law, the Cybersecurity
Review Measures, as well as additional laws and regulations that PRC regulatory bodies may enact in the future, may result in additional
expenses to us and subject us to negative publicity, which could harm our reputation among users and negatively affect the trading price
of our shares in the future. There are also uncertainties with respect to how the PRC Cybersecurity Law, the PRC National Security Law
and the Data Security Law will be implemented and interpreted in practice. PRC regulators, including the Ministry of Public Security,
the MIIT, the SAMR and the CAC, have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of data security and data protection, including
for mobile apps, and are enhancing the protection of privacy and data security by rule-making and enforcement actions at national and
local levels. We expect that these areas will receive greater and continued attention and scrutiny from regulators and the public going
forward, which could increase our compliance costs and subject us to heightened risks and challenges associated with data security and
protection. If we are unable to manage these risks, we could become subject to penalties, including fines, suspension of business, prohibition
against new user registration (even for a short period of time) and revocation of required licenses, and our reputation and results of
operations could be materially and adversely affected.
If the Chinese
government determines that our corporate structure does not comply with Chinese regulations, or if Chinese regulations change or are
interpreted differently in the future, Chinese regulatory authorities could disallow our current operating structure, which would likely
result in a material change in our operations and/or cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
In July 2021, the Chinese government provided
new guidance on Chinese companies raising capital outside of mainland China, including through arrangements called variable interest
entities, or VIEs. Currently, our corporate structure contains no variable interest entities and we are not in an industry that is subject
to foreign ownership limitations in mainland China. However, there are uncertainties with respect to the Chinese legal system and there
may be changes in laws, regulations and policies, including how those laws, regulations and policies will be interpreted or implemented.
If in the future the Chinese government determines that our corporate structure does not comply with Chinese regulations, or if Chinese
regulations change or are interpreted differently, the value of our securities may decline or become worthless.
The
Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas
and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or
cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
The Chinese
government has significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene or influence our operations as
the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. The Chinese government has recently published new
policies that significantly affected certain industries such as the education and internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility
that it will in the future release regulations or policies regarding the food and beverage industry or the supply china industry that
could require us to seek permission from Chinese authorities to continue to operate our business, which may adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, recent statements made by the Chinese government have indicated an intent
to increase the government’s oversight and control over offerings of companies with significant operations in mainland China that
are to be conducted in foreign markets, as well as foreign investment in China-based issuers like us. Any future action by the Chinese
government expanding the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to government review could
significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors or could disallow our current
operating structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and/or a material change in the value of our securities,
including causing the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
On
July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly
issued a document to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market and promote the high-quality development of the capital
market, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law enforcement
and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system
of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws. Since this document is still relatively new, uncertainties still exist
in relation to how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations
or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new
laws and regulations will have on our future business combination with a company with major operation in China.
57
Further,
Chinese government continues to exert more oversight and control over Chinese technology firms. On July 2, 2021, Chinese cybersecurity
regulator announced, that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s
application be removed from smartphone application stores. On July 5, 2021, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator launched the same investigation
on two other Internet platforms, China’s Full Truck Alliance of Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YMM) and Boss of KANZHUN LIMITED
(Nasdaq: BZ).
On
December 24, 2021, the CSRC issued the Administrative Provisions of the State Council Regarding the Overseas Issuance and Listing of
Securities by Domestic Enterprises (the “Draft Administrative Provisions”) and the Measures for the Overseas Issuance of
Securities and Listing Record-Filings by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Comments) (the “Draft Filing Measures”), collectively,
the Draft Overseas Listing Rules, which are currently published for public comments only. According to the Draft Overseas Listing Rules,
among other things, all China-based companies applying for overseas securities issuance, listing and post-listing capital operations
shall be subject to statutory procedures, such as filing and information reporting requirement. After making initial applications with
overseas stock markets for offerings or listings, all China-based companies shall file with the CSRC within three business days. In addition,
overseas offerings and listings may be prohibited for such China-based companies when any of the following applies: (a) if the securities
offerings and listings are prohibited by applicable PRC laws and rules; (b) if securities offerings and listings may constitute a threat
to, or endanger national security as reviewed and determined by PRC authorities; (c) if there are material ownership disputes over applicants’
equity interests, major assets, core technologies or other items; (d) if a PRC company or its controlling shareholders or de facto controllers
have committed certain crimes, under investigation for suspicion of major violations in the prior three years; (e) if any directors,
supervisors, or senior executives of applicants have been subject to administrative punishments for severe violations, or are under investigations
for crimes or major violations; or (f) other circumstances as provided. The Draft Administrative Provisions further provide that a fine
between RMB 1 million and RMB 10 million may be imposed if a company fails to fulfill the filing requirements with the CSRC or conducts
an overseas offering or listing in violation of the Draft Overseas Listing Rules. In the case of severe violations, an order to suspend
relevant businesses or halt operations for rectification may be issued, and relevant business permits or operational license revoked.
Overseas issuance and listings subject to the Draft Overseas Listing Rules include direct and indirect issuance and listings. We believe
that our future securities offerings and proposed listing of our shares on Nasdaq Capital Market would be deemed an Indirect
Overseas Issuance and Listing under the Draft Overseas Listing Rules and will be required to complete the filing procedures and submit
the relevant information to CSRC after the Draft Overseas Listing Rules become effective. As of the date of this report, such
rules have not become effective and we are not required to complete the filing procedures if we complete this offering and begin the
trading of our common stock on the Nasdaq before the rules take effect. In addition, after the rules take effect, we would only need
to submit the filing materials and no CSRC approval would be required under the rules. Because we are relying on an opinion of counsel,
there is uncertainty inherent in relying on an opinion of counsel in connection with whether we are required to obtain permissions from
a governmental agency that is required to approve of our operations and/or listings. In the event that an government approval
is required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to receive clearance in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure of us to fully
comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our common
stock, cause significant disruption to our business operations, severely damage our reputation, materially and adversely affect our financial
condition and results of operations and cause our shares to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
China
Securities Regulatory Commission and other Chinese government agencies may exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted
overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers. Additional compliance procedures may be required in connection with
the offering of our securities and our business operations, and, if required, we cannot predict whether we will be able
to obtain such approval. As a result, we face uncertainty about future actions by the PRC government that could significantly affect
our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and/or conduct our operations and cause the value of our shares
to significantly decline or be worthless.
Trading
in our securities may be prohibited
under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or investigate completed
our auditors for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, or for two consecutive years if the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies
Accountable Act or the America COMPETES Act becomes law .
In
recent years, U.S. regulatory authorities have continued to express their concerns about challenges in their oversight of financial statement
audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on
access to audit and other information, the Holding
Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA includes requirements for the SEC to
identify issuers whose audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a
restriction imposed by a non-U.S. authority in the auditor’s local jurisdiction. The HFCAA also requires that, to the extent that
the PCAOB has been unable to inspect an issuer’s auditor for three consecutive years since 2021, the SEC shall prohibit its securities
registered in the United States from being traded on any national securities exchange or over-the-counter markets in the United States.
On
March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements
of the HFCAA. The interim final rule applies to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit
report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or
investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. Consistent with the HFCAA, the interim final
rule requires the submission of documentation to the SEC establishing that such a registrant is not owned or controlled by a government
entity in that foreign jurisdiction and also requires disclosure in a foreign issuer’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements
of, and government influence on, such registrants. On May 13, 2021, the PCAOB issued proposed PCAOB Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under
the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act for public comment. The proposed rule provides a framework for making determinations as
to whether PCAOB is unable to inspect an audit firm in a foreign jurisdiction, including the timing, factors, bases, publication and
revocation or modification of such determinations, and such determinations will be made on a jurisdiction-wide basis in a consistent
manner applicable to all firms headquartered in the jurisdiction. In November 2021, the SEC approved PCAOB Rule 6100. On December
2, 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to final rules implementing the disclosure and submission requirements of the HFCAA.
On
June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act or AHFCAA, and on February 4,
2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and
Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act of 2022, or the COMPETES Act. If either bill is enacted into law, it would amend the HFCAA and
require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to
PCAOB inspections or complete investigations for two consecutive years instead of three. As a result, our securities may be
prohibited from trading on Nasdaq or over-the-counter markets if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive
years as specified in the HFCAA or two years if the AHFCAA or the COMPETES Act becomes law, and would reduce the time before our
securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted.
On
December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCAA. The
rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public
accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a
position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
On
December 16, 2021, the PCAOB announced the PCAOB Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act determinations (the “PCAOB determinations”)
relating to the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland
China of the PRC or Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more
authorities in the PRC or Hong Kong.
The
lack of access to the PCAOB inspection or investigation in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control
procedures of the auditors based in China. As a result, the investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The
inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections or investigations of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness
of these accounting firms’ audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject
to the PCAOB inspections and investigations, which could cause existing and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence
in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.
Our
current auditor, MaloneBailey, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm that is headquartered in the United States with
offices in Beijing and Shenzhen, is a firm registered with the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”),
and is required by the laws of the U.S. to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the U.S.
and professional standards. MaloneBailey, LLP has been subject to PCAOB inspections, and is not among the PCAOB-registered public accounting
firms headquartered in the PRC or Hong Kong that are subject to PCAOB’s determination on December 16, 2021 of having been unable
to inspect or investigate completely.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect
or investigate our auditor completely, or if there is any regulatory change or step taken by PRC regulators that does not permit MaloneBailey,
LLP to provide audit documentations located in China or Hong Kong to the PCAOB for inspection or investigation, or the PCAOB expands
the scope of the Determination so that we are subject to the HFCAA, as the same may be amended, you may be deprived of the benefits of
such inspection. Any audit reports not issued by auditors that are completely inspected or investigated by the PCAOB, or a lack of PCAOB
inspections or investigations of audit work undertaken in China that prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditors’
audits and their quality control procedures, could result in a lack of assurance that our financial statements and disclosures are adequate
and accurate.
58
However,
the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would
apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality
control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to
the audit of our financial statements. It remains unclear what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these
issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed
on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national security exchange or over-the-counter stock market). In addition, any additional actions,
proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty
for investors, the market price of our ordinary shares could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are
unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense
and management time.
We
may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and any determination that we violated the foreign corrupt practices
act could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We
are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, or FCPA, and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign
governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by the statute for the purpose of obtaining
or retaining business. We will have operations, agreements with third parties and make sales in the PRC, which may experience corruption.
Our proposed activities in the PRC create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of the employees, consultants,
or sales agents of our Company, because these parties are not always subject to our control. It is our policy to implement safeguards
to discourage these practices by our employees. Also, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective,
and the employees, consultants, or sales agents of our Company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations
of the FCPA may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect
our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the government may seek to hold our Company liable for successor
liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.
You
may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us.
We
are a Nevada corporation but most of our assets are and will be located outside of the United States. Almost all our operations are conducted
in the PRC. In addition, all our officers and directors are the nationals and residents of a country other than the United States. Almost
all of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within
the United States upon them. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments on the civil liability provisions of
the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, since he or she is not a resident in the United States. In
addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC or other jurisdictions would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S.
courts.
Chinese
economic growth slowdown may have a negative effect on our business.
Since
2014, Chinese economic growth has been slowing down from double-digit GDP speed. The annual rate of growth declined from 7.3% in 2014
to 6.9% in 2015, to 6.7% in 2016, to 6.9% in 2017, to 6.6% in 2018, and to 6.1% in 2019. Due to the impact of COVID-19, China’s
economic growth rate in 2020 has slowed to 2.3%, its lowest level in years. While technology-based financial services companies have
not been affected by the pandemic on the same level as companies in certain other industries, nevertheless a slow economic growth could
adversely affect many of our customers and partners, which in turn may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results
of operations.
59
Under
the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely
result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC stockholders.
China
passed an Enterprise Income Tax Law (the “EIT Law”), as most recently amended and effective on December 29, 2018, and the
related Implementation Regulations, as amended and effective on April 23 2019. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of
China with “de facto management bodies” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” meaning that it can
be treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define
de facto management as “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting,
and properties” of the enterprise.
On
April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation of China issued the Notice Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese
Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, or
the Notice, further interpreting the application of the EIT Law and its implementation to offshore entities controlled by a Chinese enterprise
or group. Pursuant to the Notice, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group
will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily
operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or
persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate stamps, board and stockholder minutes are
kept in China; and (iv) at least half of its directors with voting rights or senior management are often resident in China. A resident
enterprise would be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at a rate
of 10% when paying dividends to its non-PRC stockholders.
FVTI
does not have a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as its primary controlling shareholder and is therefore not a Chinese-controlled offshore
incorporated enterprise within the meaning of the Notice, so we believe the Notice is not applicable to us. However, in the absence of
guidance specifically applicable to us, we have applied the guidance set forth in the Notice to evaluate the tax residence status of
FVTI.
We
do not believe that we meet some of the conditions outlined. As a holding company, the key assets and records of FVTI including the resolutions
and meeting minutes of our board of directors and the resolutions and meeting minutes of our shareholders, are located and maintained
outside the PRC. In addition, we are not aware of any offshore holding companies with a corporate structure similar to ours that have
been deemed a PRC “resident enterprise” by the PRC tax authorities. Accordingly, we believe that FVTI should not be treated
as a “resident enterprise” for PRC tax purposes if the criteria for “de facto management body” as set forth in
the Notice were deemed applicable to us. However, as the tax residency status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC
tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body” as applicable
to our offshore entities, we will continue to monitor our tax status.
If
the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of
unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide
taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as non-China
source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Currently, we do not have any non-China source income,
so this would have minimal effect on us; however, if we develop non-China source income in the future, we could be adversely affected.
Second, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would qualify as “tax-exempt
income.” Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification
could result in a situation in which a 10% withholding tax is imposed on dividends we pay to our non-PRC stockholders and with respect
to gains derived by our non-PRC stockholders from transferring our shares. If we were treated as a “resident enterprise”
by the PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both the U.S. and China, but our PRC source income will not be taxed in
the U.S. again because the U.S.-China tax treaty will avoid double taxation between these two nations.
60
In
addition, pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double
Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong
Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC entity. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and
certain requirements must be satisfied, including, without limitation, that (a) the Hong Kong entity must be the beneficial owner of
the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong entity must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC entity during the
12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In practice, a Hong Kong entity must obtain a tax resident certificate
from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a
tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from
the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with
respect to any dividends to be paid by our WFOE, QHDX, to our Hong Kong subsidiary, DILHK. QHDX currently does not have any plan to declare
and pay dividends, and we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. DILHK will apply
for the tax resident certificate when QHDX plans to declare and pay dividends.
PRC
regulation of loans and direct investment by offshore holding companies in PRC entities may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds
of our securities offerings to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries, which could materially
and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
In
the normal course of our business, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries or may make additional capital contributions to our PRC
subsidiaries. Any loans to our wholly foreign-owned or holding subsidiaries in China, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises
(“FIEs”) under PRC law, are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. For example, loans by us
to our FIE subsidiaries in China to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with SAFE. In addition,
a foreign invested enterprise shall use its capital pursuant to the principle of authenticity and self-use within its business scope.
The capital of a foreign invested enterprise shall not be used for the following purposes: (i) directly or indirectly used for payment
beyond the business scope of the enterprises or the payment prohibited by relevant laws and regulations; (ii) directly or indirectly
used for investment in securities or investments other than banks’ principal-secured products unless otherwise provided by relevant
laws and regulations; (iii) granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly permitted in the business license;
and (iv) paying the expenses related to the purchase of real estate that is not for self-use (except for the foreign-invested real estate
enterprises).
SAFE
promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement
of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, effective June 2015, in replacement of the Circular on the Relevant
Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested
Enterprises, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning Strengthening the Administration
of Foreign Exchange Businesses, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the Issues Concerning the Administration
of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses. According to SAFE Circular 19, the flow and use of the RMB capital converted
from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that RMB capital may not be used
for the issuance of RMB entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans or the repayment of banks loans that have been transferred
to a third party. Although SAFE Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested
enterprise to be used for equity investments within China, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated
capital of a foreign-invested company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. SAFE promulgated
the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management
Policy of Capital Account, or SAFE Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in SAFE Circular
19, but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested
company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to issue loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations
of SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 may significantly
limit our ability to transfer any foreign currency we hold, including the net proceeds from this offering, to our PRC subsidiaries, which
may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in China. On October 23, 2019, the SAFE promulgated
the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Promoting the Convenience of Cross-border Trade and Investment,
or the SAFE Circular 28, which, among other things, allows all foreign-invested companies to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated
capital for equity investments in China, as long as the equity investment is genuine, does not violate applicable laws, and complies
with the negative list on foreign investment. However, since the SAFE Circular 28 is newly promulgated, it is unclear how SAFE and competent
banks will implement the relevant rules in practice.
61
In
light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies,
we cannot be certain that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals
on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiaries or future capital contributions by us to our subsidiaries
in China. As a result, uncertainties exist as to our ability to provide prompt funding to our PRC subsidiaries when needed. If we fail
to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we expect to receive from this offering and
to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our financial
condition and operating results.
Governmental
control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.
The
PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency
out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our income will currently only
be derived from dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability
of our PRC subsidiaries to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign
currency denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit
distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval
from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate government authorities is required where
RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated
in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current
account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency
demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our security-holders.
Fluctuations
in exchange rates could adversely affect our business and the value of our securities.
Changes
in the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar, Euro and other foreign currencies are affected by, among other things, changes in China’s
political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on our revenues and financial
condition, and the value of, and any dividends payable on our shares in U.S. dollar terms. For example, to the extent that we need to
convert U.S. dollars we receive from our securities offerings into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar
would have an adverse effect on RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into U.S.
dollars for the purpose of paying dividends on our common stock or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against
the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition, fluctuations of the RMB against other currencies
may increase or decrease the cost of imports and exports, and thus affect the price-competitiveness of our products against products
of foreign manufacturers or products relying on foreign inputs.
Since
July 2005, the RMB is no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign
exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate significantly
in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future PRC authorities may lift restrictions
on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.
We
reflect the impact of currency translation adjustments in our financial statements under the heading “accumulated other comprehensive
income (loss).” For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had foreign currency translation gain of $269,234
and $321,337, respectively. Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations.
To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions. While we may enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability
and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited, and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition,
our foreign currency exchange gains and losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert
RMB into foreign currencies.
62
Failure
to comply with the Individual Foreign Exchange Rules relating to the overseas direct investment or the engagement in the issuance or
trading of securities overseas by our PRC resident stockholders may subject such stockholders to fines or other liabilities.
Our
ability to conduct foreign exchange activities in the PRC may be subject to the interpretation and enforcement of the Implementation
Rules of the Administrative Measures for Individual Foreign Exchange promulgated by SAFE in January 2007 (as amended and supplemented,
the “Individual Foreign Exchange Rules”). Under the Individual Foreign Exchange Rules, any PRC individual seeking to make
a direct investment overseas or engage in the issuance or trading of negotiable securities or derivatives overseas must make the appropriate
registrations in accordance with SAFE provisions. PRC individuals who fail to make such registrations may be subject to warnings, fines
or other liabilities.
SAFE
promulgated the Notice on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through
Special Purpose Vehicles, or Notice 37, in July 2014 that requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branch
in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing.
In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes
material events relating to material change of capitalization or structure of the PRC resident itself (such as capital increase, capital
reduction, share transfer or exchange, merger or spin off).
We
may not be fully informed of the identities of all our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. For example, because the investment in
or trading of our shares will happen in an overseas public or secondary market where shares are often held with brokers in brokerage
accounts, it is unlikely that we will know the identity of all of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. Furthermore, we have no
control over any of our future beneficial owners and we cannot assure you that such PRC residents will be able to complete the necessary
approval and registration procedures required by the Individual Foreign Exchange Rules.
To
our knowledge, our beneficial owners, who are PRC residents, have not completed the Notice 37 registration. And we cannot guarantee that
all or any of the shareholders will complete the Notice 37 registration prior to the closing of this Offering. Failure by any such shareholders
or beneficial owners to comply with Notice 37 could restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’
ability to make distributions or pay dividends or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
In addition, the PRC resident shareholders who fail to complete Notice 37 registration may subject to fines less than RMB50,000.
As
these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has
been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border investments
and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities.
It
is uncertain how the Individual Foreign Exchange Rules will be interpreted or enforced and whether such interpretation or enforcement
will affect our ability to conduct foreign exchange transactions. Because of this uncertainty, we cannot be sure whether the failure
by any of our PRC resident stockholders to make the required registration will subject our PRC subsidiaries to fines or legal sanctions
on their operations, delay or restriction on repatriation of proceeds of our securities offerings into the PRC, restriction on remittance
of dividends or other punitive actions that would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
63
There
are uncertainties under the PRC laws relating to the procedures for U.S. regulators to investigate and collect evidence from companies
located in the PRC.
Shareholder
claims that are common in the U.S., including securities law class actions and fraud claims, among other matters, generally are difficult
to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining
information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although
the local authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another
country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory
authorities in the Unities States have not been efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to
Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, which became effective in March 2020, or Article 177, the securities regulatory authority of the
State Council may collaborate with securities regulatory authorities of other countries or regions in order to monitor and oversee cross
border securities activities. Article 177 further provides that overseas securities regulatory authorities are not permitted to carry
out investigation and evidence collection directly within the territory of the PRC, and that any Chinese entities and individuals are
not allowed to provide documents or materials related to securities business activities to overseas agencies without prior consent of
the securities regulatory authority of the State Council and the competent departments of the State Council.
Our
principal business operations are conducted in the PRC. In the event that the U.S. regulators carry out investigations with respect to
our business and need to conduct investigation or collect evidence within the territory of the PRC, the U.S. regulators may not be able
to carry out such investigation or evidence collection directly in the PRC under the PRC laws. The U.S. regulators may consider cross-border
cooperation with securities regulatory authority of the PRC by way of judicial assistance, diplomatic channels or regulatory cooperation
mechanism established with the securities regulatory authority of the PRC. However, there can be no assurance that the U.S. regulators
could succeed in establishing such cross-border cooperation in a specific case or could establish the cooperation in a timely manner.
If U.S. regulators are unable to conduct such investigations, such U.S. regulators may determine to suspend and ultimately delist our
common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market or choose to suspend or de-register our SEC registration.
Failure
to comply with laws and regulations applicable to our business in China could subject us to fines and penalties and could also cause
us to lose customers or otherwise harm our business .
Our
business is subject to regulation by various governmental agencies in China, including agencies responsible for monitoring and enforcing
compliance with various legal obligations, such as privacy and data protection-related laws and regulations, intellectual property laws,
employment and labor laws, workplace safety, environmental laws, consumer protection laws, governmental trade laws, import and export
controls, anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, and tax laws and regulations. These laws and regulations impose added costs on our business.
Noncompliance with applicable regulations or requirements could subject us to:
●
investigations,
enforcement actions, and sanctions;
●
mandatory
changes to our supply chain system and products;
●
disgorgement
of profits, fines, and damages;
●
civil
and criminal penalties or injunctions;
●
claims
for damages by our customers or partners;
●
termination
of contracts;
●
loss
of intellectual property rights;
●
failure
to obtain, maintain or renew certain licenses, approvals, permits, registrations or filings
●
necessary
to conduct our operations; and
●
temporary
or permanent debarment from sales to public service organizations.
If
any governmental sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of
operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected. In addition, responding to any action will likely result in a significant
diversion of our management’s attention and resources and an increase in professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could
materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
64
We
are exposed to the risk of misconduct, errors and failure to functions by our management, employees and parties that we collaborate with,
who may from time to time be subject to litigation and regulatory investigations and proceedings or otherwise face potential liability
and penalties in relation to noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations, which could harm our reputation and business.
Newly
enacted Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, recent regulatory actions taken by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board, and proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq calling for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to China-based
public companies could add uncertainties to our capital raising activities and compliance costs.
U.S.
public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative
publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative
publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial
accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud.
On
December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their
oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. On April 21, 2020, the SEC Chairman
and PCAOB Chairman, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in
companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China, reiterating past SEC and PCAOB statements on matters
including the difficulty associated with inspecting accounting firms and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging
markets and the difficulty of bringing and enforcing SEC, Department of Justice and other U.S. regulatory actions, including in instances
of fraud, in emerging markets generally.
On
May 18, 2020, NASDAQ filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating
in a “Restrictive Market”, (ii) prohibit Restrictive Market companies from directly listing on NASDAQ Capital Market, and
only permit them to list on NASDAQ Global Select or NASDAQ Global Market in connection with a direct listing, and (iii) apply additional
and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
On
May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned
or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not
subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s
securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Holding
Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.
On
March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure
requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report
on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction
and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that
jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required
to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction,
and will also require disclosure in the registrant’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence
on, such a registrant.
On
June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“AHFCAA”), a bill which,
if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required
for triggering the prohibitions under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act from three years to two and, thus, would reduce the
time before our securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted.
On
December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding
Foreign Companies Accountable Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit
report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or
investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
On
December 16, 2021, PCAOB announced the PCAOB Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act determinations (the “PCAOB determinations”)
relating to the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland
China of the PRC or Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more
authorities in the PRC or Hong Kong.
The
recent regulatory developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities
would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures
and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it
relates to the audit of our financial statements. It remains unclear what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address
these issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities
listed on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national security exchange or over-the-counter stock market). In addition, any additional
actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create
some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our ordinary shares could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and
our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant
expense and management time.
As
a result of these scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies sharply
decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits
and SEC enforcement actions, and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect
this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on us, our future securities offerings, business and our share
price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have
to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and defend our Company. Our management would have to divert valuable
resources and attention away from our operations and may negatively impact our operations. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless,
we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our shares.
Additional
factors outside of our control related to doing business in China could negatively affect our business.
Additional
factors that could negatively affect our business include a potential significant revaluation of the Renminbi, which may result in an
increase in the cost of commodity or products in the PRC supply chain industry, labor shortages and increases in labor costs in China
as well as difficulties in moving products manufactured in China out of the country, whether due to infrastructure inadequacy, labor
disputes, slowdowns, PRC regulations and/or other factors. Prolonged disputes or slowdowns can negatively impact both the time and cost
of goods. Natural disasters or health pandemics impacting China can also have a significant negative impact on our business. Further,
the imposition of trade sanctions or other regulations against products supplied or sold in the supply chain industry transactions for
which we provide solutions or the loss of “normal trade relations” status with China could significantly affect our operating
results and harm our business.
65
Payment
of dividends is subject to restrictions under Nevada and the PRC laws.
Under
Nevada law, we may only pay dividends subject to our ability to service our debts as they become due and provided that our assets will
exceed our liabilities after the payment of such dividends. Our ability to pay dividends will therefore depend on our ability to generate
adequate profits. In addition, because of a variety of rules applicable to our operations in the PRC and the regulations on foreign investments
as well as the applicable tax law, we may be subject to further limitations on our ability to declare and pay dividends to our shareholders.
As
a holding company, we may rely on dividends and other distributions from our PRC subsidiaries and WFOEs for cash requirements. If a WFOE
incurs any debts, the instruments governing such debts may restrict its ability to pay dividends to us. In order for us to pay dividends
or other distributions to our shareholders, including investors in this offering, we will rely on payments from our subsidiaries. Cash
or other assets may be transferred to us from our subsidiaries in the following manner: (i) funds from our operating subsidiaries to
WFOEs may be remitted as services fees, dividends or other distributions; and (ii) WFOEs may make dividends or other distributions to
us through our Hong Kong subsidiaries.
Current
PRC regulations permit Chinese operating subsidiaries to pay dividends to foreign parent companies only out of their accumulated profits,
if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is
required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches
50% of its registered capital. Each of our subsidiaries in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits
to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors.
While the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess
of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.
Cash
dividends, if any, on our common stock will be paid in U.S. dollars. The PRC government also imposes restrictions on the conversion of
RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. As such, we may experience difficulties in completing the
administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any. Furthermore,
if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur any debts, the existence of debts evidenced by the debt instruments may significantly limit their
ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If we are unable to receive earnings distributions from our operating subsidiaries in
China, we would be unable to pay dividends on our shares.
If
we are deemed by the PRC tax authorities as a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our non-PRC resident
shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result, may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%.
Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong
resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC entity. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain
requirements must be satisfied, including, without limitation, that (a) the Hong Kong entity must be the beneficial owner of the relevant
dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong entity must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC entity during the 12 consecutive
months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In practice, a Hong Kong entity must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong
tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate
on a case-by-case basis, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong
tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to any dividends
to be paid by our WFOE, QHDX, to our Hong Kong subsidiary, DILHK. QHDX currently does not have any plan to declare and pay dividends,
and we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. DILHK will apply for the tax resident
certificate when QHDX plans to declare and pay dividends.
66
As
of the date of this report, we have not paid, and do not anticipate paying in the foreseeable future, dividends or other distributions
to our shareholders. There have not been any dividends or other distributions from QHDX to DILHK. None of our PRC subsidiaries have ever
paid any dividends or distributions outside of China. We presently intend to retain all earnings to fund our operations and business
expansions.
We
can give no assurance that we will declare dividends of any amounts, at any rate or at all in the future. The declaration of future dividends,
if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements,
general financial conditions, legal and contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
Risks
Related to our Common Stock
Our
common stock may not develop an active trading market and the price and trading volume of our shares may fluctuate significantly.
Shares
of common stock are currently quoted on the OTC marketplace and, following this offering, will be listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market.
We cannot predict whether investor interest in us will lead to the development of an active and liquid trading market. In addition, no
assurances can be given regarding when, and if, we will be able to list on a national exchange, including whether or not we will be able
to meet applicable listing standards for any such exchange. If an active trading market does not develop, holders of our shares of common
stock may have difficulty selling our shares that may now be owned or may be purchased later. In addition, until we are able to be listed
on a national exchange, the number of investors willing to hold or acquire our shares may be reduced, we may receive decreased news and
analyst coverage, and we may be limited in our ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future on
terms acceptable to us, or at all. Even if an active trading market develops for our shares, the market price of our shares may be highly
volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. In addition, the trading volume of our shares may fluctuate and cause significant
price variations to occur.
In
case that our shares trade under $5.00 per share they will be considered penny stock. Trading in penny stocks has many restrictions and
these restrictions could severely affect the price and liquidity of our common stock.
If
our stock trades below $5.00 per share, our stock would be known as a “penny stock”, which is subject to various regulations
involving disclosures to be given to you prior to the purchase of any penny stock. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price of less
than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Depending on market fluctuations, our Common Stock would be considered as a “penny
stock”. A penny stock is subject to rules that impose additional sales practice requirements on broker/dealers who sell these securities
to persons other than established Members and accredited investors. For transactions covered by these rules, the broker/dealer must make
a special suitability determination for the purchase of these securities. In addition, he must receive the purchaser’s written
consent to the transaction prior to the purchase. He must also provide certain written disclosures to the purchaser. Consequently, the
“penny stock” rules may restrict the ability of broker/dealers to sell our securities and may negatively affect the ability
of holders of shares of our Common Stock to resell them. These disclosures require you to acknowledge that you understand the risks associated
with buying penny stocks and that you can absorb the loss of your entire investment. Penny stocks are low priced securities that do not
have a very high trading volume. Consequently, the price of the stocks is often volatile, and you may not be able to buy or sell the
stock when you want to.
We
do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future.
We
do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Presently, we intend to retain all our earnings, if any, to finance
development and expansion of our business. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a positive return on your investment in us
will be if the market price of our Common Stock appreciates.
67
Our
Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yumin Lin, and our Director, Mr. Minghua Cheng, collectively own a majority of our outstanding shares of
common stock and could significantly influence the outcome of our corporate matters.
Mr.
Yumin Lin, our CEO, beneficially owns 41.53% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock, and Mr. Minghua Cheng, our Director, beneficially
owns 44.4% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock. As a result, Messrs. Yumin Lin and Minghua Cheng are collectively able to
exercise significant influence over all matters that require us to obtain shareholder approval, including the election of directors to
our board and approval of significant corporate transactions that we may consider, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its
assets. This concentration of ownership in our shares by executive officers will limit other shareholders’ ability to influence
corporate matters and may have the effect of delaying or preventing a third party from acquiring control over us.
The
price of our common stock may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and stockholders may not be able to
resell their shares.
The
trading price for our common stock has fluctuated since our common stock was first quoted on the OTC marketplace. The market price of
our stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
●
actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results;
●
the
financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections;
●
actions
of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow
our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
●
announcements
by us or our competitors of significant products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments;
●
price
and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;
●
lawsuits
threatened or filed against us; and
●
other
events or factors, including those resulting from health pandemics, war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events.
In
addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market
prices of securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the
operating performance of those companies.
Future
sales of substantial amounts of the shares of our Common Stock by existing shareholders could adversely affect the price of our Common
Stock.
If
our existing shareholders sell substantial amounts of the shares, then the market price of our Common Stock could fall. Such sales by
our existing shareholders might make it more difficult for us to issue new equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time
and place we deem appropriate. If any existing shareholders sell substantial amounts of shares, the prevailing market price for our shares
could be adversely affected.
68
Item
1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not
applicable.
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