Item 1. Business
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
Overview
NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC (Formerly known as “WeTrade Group, Inc”) (the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of
Wyoming on March 28, 2019. As of December 31, 2023, the Company pursue two corporate strategies. One business strategy is to continue
providing software development services, and the other strategy is to acquire and hold bitcoin.
Software
development
We
provide AI-enabled software development services to our customers, which included developing, designing, and implementing various SAAS
software solutions for businesses of all types, including industrial and other businesses.
Bitcoin
Acquisition Strategy
Our
bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements, and
from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions
with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
We
view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin. We have not set any specific target for
the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional
financings to purchase additional bitcoin.
This
overall strategy also contemplates that we may (i) periodically sell bitcoin for general corporate purposes, including to generate cash
for treasury management or in connection with strategies that generate tax benefits in accordance with applicable law, (ii) enter into
additional capital raising transactions that are collateralized by our bitcoin holdings, and (iii) consider pursuing additional strategies
to create income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings.
We
believe that, due to its limited supply, bitcoin offers the opportunity for appreciation in value if its adoption increases and has the
potential to serve as a hedge against inflation in the long-term.
The
following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, and
digital asset impairment losses during the period:
Digital
asset original cost basis
Digital
asset gain / (losses)
Digital
asset market value
Approximate
number of Bitcoin held
Balance at December 31, 2022
—
—
—
—
Digital asset
purchase
24,990,000
—
35,206,901
833
Digital
asset gain/ (loss)
—
10,216,901
—
—
Balance
at December 31, 2023
24,990,000
10,216,901
35,206,901
833
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Regulatory
Permissions and Developments
Our
counsel as to PRC law has advised us that the laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on our business,
financial condition or results of operations. However, there is no assurance that there will not be any changes in the economic, political
and legal environment in Hong Kong in the future. If there is a significant change to current political arrangements between mainland
China and Hong Kong, companies operating in Hong Kong such as us may face similar regulatory risks as those operated in PRC, including
their ability to offer securities to investors, list their securities on a U.S. or other foreign exchange, conduct their business or
accept foreign investment. In light of China’s recent expansion of authority in Hong Kong, there are risks and uncertainties which
we cannot foresee for the time being, and rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little or no advance notice. The Chinese
government may intervene or influence our current and future operations in Hong Kong at any time, or may exert more control over offerings
conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in issuers likes ourselves.
We
are aware that the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in certain
areas in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision
over China-based companies listed overseas using variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity
reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement.
For
example, on June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the PRC Data Security Law, which took
effect on September 1, 2021. The law requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and stipulates that,
for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and hierarchical protection
system for data security.
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 certain activities in the securities markets and promote the high-quality development of the 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-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system
of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws.
On
August 20, 2021, the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the “Personal
Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China,” or “PRC Personal Information Protection Law,”
which became effective on November 1, 2021. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law applies to the processing of personal information
of natural persons within the territory of China that is carried out outside of China where (i) such processing is for the purpose of
providing products or services for natural persons within China, (ii) such processing is to analyze or evaluate the behavior of natural
persons within China, or (iii) there are any other circumstances stipulated by related laws and administrative regulations.
On
December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) jointly with the relevant authorities formally published
Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) which took effect on February 15, 2022, replacing the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review
(2020) issued on July 10, 2021. Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure
purchasing network products and services, and 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 undergo a cybersecurity.
On
February 17, 2023, with the approval of the State Council, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) promulgated
the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five
supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, (i) domestic companies that seek to
offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, shall complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements
of the Trial Measures within three working days following their submission of initial public offerings or listing applications. If a
domestic company fails to complete the required filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its
filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to
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administrative penalties, such as an order to rectify, warnings and fines,
and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject
to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines; (ii) if the issuer meets both of the following criteria, the overseas offering
and listing conducted by such issuer shall be deemed an indirect overseas offering and listing by a PRC domestic company: (A) 50% or
more of any of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated
financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were derived from PRC domestic companies; and (B) the majority of the issuer’s
business activities are carried out in mainland China, or its main place(s) of business are located in mainland China, or the majority
of its senior management team in charge of its business operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence
located in mainland China. In such circumstances, where a PRC domestic company is seeking an indirect overseas offering and listing in
an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC,
and where an issuer makes an application for an initial public offering or listing in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit filings
with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted.
6
On
February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration
of China, revised the Provisions issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration
of China in 2009. The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives
Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies,” and became effective on March 31, 2023 together
with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas
offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic
company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals
or entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that
contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to
law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly
or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities, including securities
companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental
to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. As
of the date of this Report, the revised Provisions have come into effect. Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our subsidiaries
to comply with the above confidentiality and archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and
regulations may result in the relevant entities being held legally liable by competent authorities, and referred to the judicial organ
to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected of committing a crime.
Except
for the Basic Law, national laws of the PRC do not apply in Hong Kong unless they are listed in Annex III of the Basic Law and applied
locally by promulgation or local legislation. National laws that may be listed in Annex III are currently limited under the Basic Law
to those which fall within the scope of defense and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of Hong
Kong. National laws and regulations relating to data protection, cybersecurity and anti-monopoly have not been listed in Annex III and
do not apply directly to Hong Kong and, as such, we are advised by our counsel as to PRC law that that the CAC and CSRC do not currently
have jurisdiction over companies operating in Hong Kong.
Our
counsel as to PRC law has advised us that that we are not currently required to obtain any permission or approval from the CSRC, the
CAC or any other regulatory authority in the PRC for our operations, the trading of our securities on the OTCQB and the offering of our
securities to foreign investors. The business of our subsidiary is not subject to cybersecurity review with the CAC, given that PRC laws
on data protection and cybersecurity do not currently apply to Hong Kong. To the extent that if we become subject to such PRC laws in
the future, we do not believe we are required to conduct a cybersecurity review because (i) we do not possess a large amount of personal
information in our business operations; and (ii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing on national security and thus
may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. In addition, we are not subject to merger control review by China’s
anti-monopoly enforcement agency as such PRC enforcement agency does not currently have jurisdiction over our Hong Kong operating subsidiary.
However, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to our
business or industry, if we inadvertently conclude that such approvals are not required when they are, or applicable laws, regulations,
or interpretations change and we are required to obtain approval in the future. We may be subject to penalties and sanctions imposed
by the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CSRC, if we fail to comply with such rules and regulations, which could adversely affect
the ability of the Company’s securities to continue to trade on the OTCQB, which may cause the value of our securities to significantly
decline or become worthless.
In
addition, in light of the recent statements and regulatory actions by the PRC government, such as those related to Hong Kong’s
national security, the promulgation of regulations prohibiting foreign ownership of Chinese companies operating in certain industries,
which are constantly evolving, and anti-monopoly concerns, we may be subject to the risks of uncertainty of any future actions of the
PRC government in this regard including the risk that the PRC government could disallow our holding company structure, which may result
in a material change in our operations, including our ability to continue our existing holding company structure, carry on our current
business, accept foreign investments, and offer or continue to offer securities to our investors. These adverse actions could cause the
value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
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There
may be prominent risks associated with our operations being in Hong Kong. For example, as a U.S.-listed public company operating primarily
in Hong Kong, we may face heightened scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, which could result in a material change in our operations
and the value of our common stock. Additionally, we are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with our business operations
in Hong Kong, which is subject to political and economic influence from China. PRC laws and regulations governing our current business
operations are sometimes vague and uncertain, and we may face the risk that changes in the policies of the PRC government could have
a significant impact upon the business we may be able to conduct in Hong Kong and the profitability of such business. Therefore, these
risks associated with being based in or having the majority of our operations in Hong Kong could likely cause the value of our securities
to significantly decline or be worthless. Furthermore, these risks would likely result in a material change in our business operations
or a complete hinderance of our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors. Furthermore, changes in Chinese internal
regulatory mandates, such as the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “M&A
Rules”), the Anti-Monopoly Law, the Cybersecurity Law and the Data Security Law, may target the Company’s corporate structure
and impact our ability to conduct business in Hong Kong, accept foreign investments, or list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange.
The
U.S. government, including the SEC, has recently made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to significant changes to U.S.
and international relations, and will impact companies with connections to the United States or China (including Hong Kong). The SEC
has issued statements primarily focused on companies with significant China-based operations. For example, on July 30, 2021, Gary Gensler,
Chairman of the SEC, issued a Statement on Investor Protection Related to Recent Developments in China, pursuant to which Chairman Gensler
stated that he has asked the SEC staff to engage in targeted additional reviews of filings for companies with significant China-based
operations.
8
Government
Regulation
The
laws and regulations applicable to bitcoin and digital assets are evolving and subject to interpretation and change.
Governments
around the world have reacted differently to digital assets; certain governments have deemed them illegal, and others have allowed their
use and trade without restriction, while in some jurisdictions, such as the U.S., digital assets are subject to overlapping, uncertain
and evolving regulatory requirements.
As
digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S. Executive Branch, Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state
agencies, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the SEC,
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland
Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS and state financial regulators, have been examining the operations of digital
asset networks, digital asset users and digital asset exchanges, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used
to violate state or federal laws, including to facilitate the laundering of proceeds of illegal activities or the funding of criminal
or terrorist enterprises, and the safety and soundness and consumer-protective safeguards of exchanges or other service-providers that
hold, transfer, trade or exchange digital assets for users. Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories
regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors. In addition, federal and state agencies, and other countries have issued rules
or guidance regarding the treatment of digital asset transactions and requirements for businesses engaged in activities related to digital
assets.
Depending
on the regulatory characterization of bitcoin, the markets for bitcoin in general, and our activities in particular, our business and
our bitcoin acquisition strategy may be subject to regulation by one or more regulators in the United States and globally. Ongoing and
future regulatory actions may alter, to a materially adverse extent, the nature of digital assets markets, the participation of industry
participants, including service providers and financial institutions in these markets, and our ability to pursue our bitcoin strategy.
Additionally, U.S. state and federal and foreign regulators and legislatures have taken action against industry participants, including
digital assets businesses, and enacted restrictive regimes in response to adverse publicity arising from hacks, consumer harm, or criminal
activity stemming from digital assets activity. U.S. federal and state energy regulatory authorities are also monitoring the total electricity
consumption of cryptocurrency mining, and the potential impacts of cryptocurrency mining to the supply and dispatch functionality of
the wholesale grid and retail distribution systems. Many state legislative bodies have passed, or are actively considering, legislation
to address the impact of cryptocurrency mining in their respective states.
The
CFTC takes the position that some digital assets, including bitcoin, fall within the definition of a “commodity” under the
Commodities Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “CEA”). Under the CEA, the CFTC has broad enforcement authority to police
market manipulation and fraud in spot digital assets markets in which we may transact. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the
CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges or transactions involving digital asset commodities that do not utilize
margin, leverage, or financing. In addition, CFTC regulations and CFTC oversight and enforcement authority apply with respect to futures,
swaps, other derivative products and certain retail leveraged commodity transactions involving digital asset commodities, including the
markets on which these products trade.
The
SEC and its staff have taken the position that certain other digital assets fall within the definition of a “security” under
the U.S. federal securities laws. Public statements made by senior officials and senior members of the staff at the SEC indicate that
the SEC does not consider bitcoin to be a security under the federal securities laws. However, such statements are not official policy
statements by the SEC and reflect only the speakers’ views, which are not binding on the SEC or any other agency or court and cannot
be generalized to any other digital assets.
In
addition, since transactions in bitcoin provide a degree of anonymity, they are susceptible to misuse for criminal activities, such as
money laundering. This misuse, or the perception of such misuse, could lead to greater regulatory oversight of bitcoin and Bitcoin platforms,
and there is the possibility that law enforcement agencies could close bitcoin platforms or other bitcoin-related infrastructure with
little or no notice and prevent users from accessing or retrieving bitcoin held via such
9
platforms
or infrastructure. For example, in her January 2021 nomination hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Treasury Secretary Janet
Yellen noted that cryptocurrencies have the potential to improve the efficiency of the financial system but that they can be used to
finance terrorism, facilitate money laundering, and support activities that threaten U.S. national security interests and the integrity
of the U.S. and international financial systems. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued updated
advisories regarding the use of virtual currencies, added a number of digital asset exchanges and service providers to the Specially
Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list and engaged in several enforcement actions, including a series of enforcement actions that
have either shut down or significantly curtailed the operations of several smaller digital asset exchanges associated with Russian and/or
North Korean nationals.
As
noted above, activities involving bitcoin and other digital assets may fall within the jurisdiction of more than one financial regulator
and various courts and such laws and regulations are rapidly evolving and increasing in scope. On March 9, 2022, President Biden signed
an executive order relating to cryptocurrencies. While the executive order did not mandate the adoption of any specific regulations,
it instructed various federal agencies to consider potential regulatory measures, including the evaluation of the creation of a U.S.
CBDC. On September 16, 2022, the White House released a framework for digital asset development, based on reports from various government
agencies, including the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Commerce. Among other things, the
framework encourages regulators to pursue enforcement actions, issue guidance and rules to address current and emergent risks, support
the development and use of innovative technologies by payment providers to increase access to instant payments, consider creating a federal
framework to regulate nonbank payment providers, and evaluate whether to call upon Congress to amend the Bank Secrecy Act and laws against
unlicensed money transmission to apply explicitly to digital asset service providers. There have also been several bills introduced in
Congress that propose to establish additional regulation and oversight of the digital asset markets.
Implications
of Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act
On
March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements
of the Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act, or the HFCAA. An identified issuer will be required to comply with these rules if the
SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. In June 2021,
the Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if signed into law, would reduce the time period
for the delisting of foreign companies under the HFCAA to two consecutive years instead of three years. If our auditor cannot be inspected
by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, for two consecutive years, the trading of our securities on any U.S.
national securities exchanges, as well as any over-the-counter trading in the U.S., will be prohibited. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB
adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under
the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction
because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. 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 issued a report on its determinations that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered
public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions.
On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it had signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Statement of Protocol”)
with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of China. The terms of the Statement of Protocol would grant
the PCAOB complete access to audit work papers and other information so that it may inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered
accounting firms headquartered in China and Hong Kong. According to the PCAOB, its December 2021 determinations under the HFCAA
remain in effect. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered
public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations
that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and
Hong Kong. Under the PCAOB’s rules, a reassessment of a determination under the HFCAA may result in the PCAOB reaffirming,
modifying or vacating the determination. In the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate
completely the Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign
10
jurisdiction,
then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA ultimately result
in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities.
Transfers
of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries
NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC. is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in Hong Kong and China primarily
through our subsidiaries in both Hong Kong and China. We may rely on dividends to be paid by our Hong Kong and PRC subsidiaries to fund
our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders,
to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If our Hong Kong and PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf
in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC. is permitted under the Wyoming laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Singapore, Hong Kong and PRC through
loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration,
approval and filing requirements. Next Technology is also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to Next Technology
Inc. through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds. As of the date of this annual report, there
has been no distribution of dividends or assets among the holding company or the subsidiaries. We currently do not have any cash management
policies in place.
We
currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our business and do not
anticipate declaring or paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will
be made at the discretion of our board of directors after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements,
contractual requirements, business prospects and other factors the board of directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions
contained in any future financing instruments.
Subject
to the Wyoming Business Corporations Act and our bylaws, our board of directors may authorize and declare a dividend to shareholders
at such time and of such an amount as they think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that immediately following the dividend
the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they become due. There is no further Wyoming
statutory restriction on the amount of funds which may be distributed by us by dividend.
Under
the current practice of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect of dividends
paid by us. The laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on transfer of cash from NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC. to Hong Kong subsidiaries or from Hong Kong subsidiaries to NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC. There are no restrictions or limitation under
the laws of Hong Kong imposed on the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of Hong Kong
or across borders and to U.S investors.
Current
PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to Next Technology 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 such entity 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. Although 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.
11
Overview
of Business and Industry
Software
Development
We
provide AI-enabled software development services to our customers in USA, Hong Kong, China and Singapore, which included developing,
designing and implementing various SAAS software solutions for business of all types, including industrials and other businesses.
The
analytics market is highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions. Our ability to compete successfully
depends on a number of factors within and outside of our control. Some of these factors include software quality, performance and reliability;
the quality of our service and support teams; marketing and prospecting effectiveness; the ability to incorporate artificial intelligence
and other technically advanced features; and our ability to differentiate our products. Failure to perform in these or other areas may
reduce the demand for our offerings and materially adversely affect our revenue from both existing and prospective customers.
Bitcoin
Holding
We
hold substantially all of our bitcoin in custody accounts at Japanese based, institutional-grade custodians that have demonstrated records
of regulatory compliance and information security. Our bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring bitcoin with our liquid
assets that exceed working capital requirements, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities
or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
We
view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin. We have not set any specific target for
the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional
financings to purchase additional bitcoin.
Bitcoin
Industry and Market
Bitcoin
is a digital asset that is issued by and transmitted through an open-source protocol, known as the Bitcoin protocol, collectively maintained
by a peer-to-peer network of decentralized user nodes. This network hosts a public transaction ledger, known as the Bitcoin blockchain,
on which bitcoin holdings and all validated transactions that have ever taken place on the Bitcoin network are recorded. Balances of
bitcoin are stored in individual “wallet” functions, which associate network public addresses with one or more “private
keys” that control the transfer of bitcoin. The Bitcoin blockchain can be updated without any single entity owning or operating
the network.
Creation
of New Bitcoin and Limits on Supply
New
bitcoin is created and allocated by the Bitcoin protocol through a “mining” process that rewards users that validate transactions
in the Bitcoin blockchain. Validated transactions are added in “blocks” approximately every 10 minutes. The mining process
serves to validate transactions and secure the Bitcoin network. Mining is a competitive and costly operation that requires a large amount
of computational power to solve complex mathematical algorithms. This expenditure of computing power is known as “proof of work.”
To incentivize miners to incur the costs of mining bitcoin, the Bitcoin protocol rewards miners that successfully validate a block of
transactions with newly generated bitcoin.
The
Bitcoin protocol limits the total number of bitcoin that can be generated over time to 21 million. The current reward for miners that
successfully validate a block of transactions is 6.25 bitcoin per mined block. Based on current mining rates, we anticipate the reward
will decrease by half to 3.125 bitcoin per mined block sometime in April 2024. This decrease in mining reward is referred to as a bitcoin
halving, and it occurs after every 210,000 blocks are mined, which has historically occurred approximately every four years.
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Modifications
to the Bitcoin Protocol
Bitcoin
is an open-source network that has no central authority, so no one person can unilaterally make changes to the software that runs the
network. However, there is a core group of developers that maintain the code for the Bitcoin protocol, and they can propose changes to
the source code and release periodic updates and other changes. Unlike most software that has a central entity that can push updates
to users, bitcoin is a peer-to-peer network in which individual network participants, called nodes, decide whether to upgrade the software
and accept the new changes. As a practical matter, a modification becomes part of the Bitcoin protocol only if the proposed changes are
accepted by participants collectively having the most processing power, known as hash rate, on the network. If a certain percentage of
the nodes reject the changes, then a “fork” takes place and participants can choose the version of the software they want
to run.
Bitcoin
Industry Participants
The
primary Bitcoin industry participants are miners, investors and traders, digital asset exchanges and service providers, including custodians,
brokers, payment processors, wallet providers and financial institutions.
Miners.
Miners range from bitcoin enthusiasts to professional mining operations that design and build dedicated mining machines and data centers,
including mining pools, which are groups of miners that act cohesively and combine their processing power to mine bitcoin blocks.
Investors
and Traders. Bitcoin investors and traders include individuals and institutional investors who, directly or indirectly, purchase, hold,
and sell bitcoin or bitcoin-based derivatives. On January 10, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued
an order approving several applications for the listing and trading of shares of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products (“ETPs”)
on U.S. national securities exchanges. While the SEC had previously approved exchange-traded funds where the underlying assets were bitcoin
futures contracts, this order represents the first time the SEC has approved the listing and trading of ETPs that acquire, hold and sell
bitcoin directly. ETPs can be bought and sold on a stock exchange like traditional stocks, and provide investors with another means of
gaining economic exposure to bitcoin through traditional brokerage accounts.
Digital
Asset Exchanges. Digital asset exchanges provide trading venues for purchases and sales of bitcoin in exchange for fiat or other digital
assets. Bitcoin can be exchanged for fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates of exchange determined by market forces on bitcoin
trading platforms, which are not regulated in the same manner as traditional securities exchanges. In addition to these platforms, over-the-counter
markets and derivatives markets for bitcoin also exist. The value of bitcoin within the market is determined, in part, by the supply
of and demand for bitcoin in the global bitcoin market, market expectations for the adoption of bitcoin as a store of value, the number
of merchants that accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and the volume of peer-to-peer transactions, among other factors. For a discussion
of risks associated with digital asset exchanges, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
and Holdings—Due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of many bitcoin trading venues,
bitcoin trading venues may experience greater fraud, security failures or regulatory or operational problems than trading venues for
more established asset classes, which may result in a loss of confidence in bitcoin trading venues and adversely affect the value of
our bitcoin.”
Service
providers. Service providers offer a multitude of services to other participants in the Bitcoin industry, including custodial and trade
execution services, commercial and retail payment processing, loans secured by bitcoin collateral, and financial advisory services. If
adoption of the Bitcoin network continues to materially increase, we anticipate that service providers may expand the currently available
range of services and that additional parties will enter the service sector for the Bitcoin network.
13
Revenue
Model
In
the business of providing AI-enable software development services and solutions, we derive our revenue from AI-software development and
technical supporting services.
Competition
The
AI-enable software development market is highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions. Our ability
to compete successfully depends on a number of factors within and outside of our control. Some of these factors include software quality,
performance and reliability; the quality of our service and support teams; marketing and prospecting effectiveness; the ability to incorporate
artificial intelligence and other technically advanced features; and our ability to differentiate our products. Failure to perform in
these or other areas may reduce the demand for our offerings and materially adversely affect our revenue from both existing and prospective
customers.
14
Domain
We
have the right to use the following domain registration issued in the USA:
Number
Issue Date
Expiration Date
Registration Agency
Domain Name
1
2023/09/15
2024/09/14
GoDaddy
Operating
Company, LLC
wetradegroup.technology
Our
Employees
As
of the date hereof and in the fiscal year 2023, we have, 8 full-time employees. The following table sets forth the number of our employees
by function:
Functional
Area
Number
of Employees
Operating
3
Technology
2
General and
Administrative
1
Financial
Department
2
Total
8
We
provide employee benefits for each employee in accordance with Hong Kong law. These include pension, medical, unemployment, work
injury and maternity insurance, and a housing provident fund.
Our
employees have not formed any employee union or association. We believe we maintain a good working relationship with our employees and
have not experienced any difficulty in recruiting staff for our operations.
Insurance
We
maintain certain insurance policies to safeguard us against risks and unexpected events. For example, we provide social security insurance
including pension insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance and medical insurance for our employees in compliance
with applicable Hong Kong and PRC laws. We do not maintain business interruption insurance or product liability insurance, which are
not mandatory under Hong Kong and PRC laws. We do not maintain key man insurance, insurance policies covering damages to our network
infrastructures or information technology systems nor any insurance policies for our properties. During the fiscal years 2023 and 2022,
we did not make any material insurance claims in relation to our business.
Legal
Proceedings
Since
mid-September 2023, Mr. Zheng Dai, Mr. Pijun Liu, and certain individuals under their control (the “Unauthorized Persons”)
had been falsely and repeatedly holding themselves out as representing and/or authorized to represent the Company. For example, the Unauthorized
Persons caused to be filed certain current reports on Forms 8-K dated September 28, 2023 and October 10, 2023, in which they purported
to appoint new officers and directors. These filings were false and should be disregarded.
15
On September 28, 2023, a derivative lawsuit was filed
by certain purported shareholders affiliated with the Unauthorized Persons in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
against certain officers and directors of the Company, seeking control of the Company. This case was dismissed without prejudice on
October 18, 2023.
On
October 18, 2023, the same individuals who filed the above-described derivative suit filed a direct action against the Company in the
Chancery Court of the State of Wyoming (the “Chancery Court”), again seeking control of the Company. The Company responded
to the lawsuit, sought a temporary restraining order restraining the plaintiff-shareholders and their affiliates (including the Unauthorized
Persons) from claiming be in control of the Company.
On
November 7, 2023, the Chancery Court issued a temporary restraining order substantially restraining the plaintiff-shareholders and their
affiliates from claiming to act on behalf of the Company. The lawsuit remains pending as at reporting date.
On November 30, 2023, the Company
responded to plaintiffs’ arguments that they controlled the Company, pointing out that plaintiffs’ case (Mr. Dai Zheng and
his affiliates) was largely built upon forged signatures and other fabricated materials. In response, the plaintiffs withdrew their opposition
to the Company’s request for an injunction.
On January 5, 2024, the Chancery
Court entered a preliminary injunction order (attached hereto). Specifically, the order restrained Mr. Dai Zheng and his affiliates
from the following conduct:
(i) acting as or holding themselves
out as majority shareholders, directors, executives, or employees of the Company and its affiliates;
(ii) making any attempts to
contact the SEC, Nasdaq, government authorities, or make any filing or press release on behalf of the Company;
(iii) making any attempts to
change the board composition and executive team;
(iv) disseminating false statements
regarding the Company and its leadership;
(v) making any attempts to contact
the Company’s service providers, including auditors, stock transfer agents, and filing agents;
(vi) making any attempts to
issue the Company’s shares.
16
REGULATIONS
This
section sets forth a summary of the principal PRC laws and regulations relevant to our business and operations in China.
Regulations
on Overseas Listings
On
February 17, 2023, CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises
(the “Trial Measures”), which became effective on March 31, 2023. On the same date, the CSRC circulated Supporting Guidance
Rules No. 1 through No. 5, Notes on the Trial Measures, Notice on Administration Arrangements for the Filing of Overseas Listings by
Domestic Enterprises and relevant CSRC Answers to Reporter Questions (collectively, the “Guidance Rules and Notice”) on the
CSRC’s official website. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, PRC domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas
offerings and listing but have not obtained the approval from the relevant overseas regulatory authority or overseas stock exchanges
shall complete filings with the CSRC prior to their overseas offerings and listings.
According
to the Notice on the Administrative Arrangements for the Filing of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies
from the CSRC, or “the CSRC Notice”, the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas before the effective date
of the Trial Measures (namely, March 31, 2023) shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”). Existing Issuers
are not required to complete the filing procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC for any subsequent offerings.
On
February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration
of China, revised the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration for Overseas Securities Offering and Listing,
which were issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in
2009, or the “Provisions.” The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality
and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies”, and came into effect on March 31,
2023 together with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect
overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a)
a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant
individuals or entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any documents and materials
that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according
to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly
or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities
companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental
to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations.
In
August 2006, six PRC regulatory authorities, including the CSRC, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of
Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, amended in June 2009. The M&A Rules, among other things, require
that if an overseas company established or controlled by PRC companies or individuals, or PRC Citizens, intends to acquire equity interests
or assets of any other PRC domestic company affiliated with the PRC Citizens, such acquisition must be submitted to the MOFCOM for approval.
The M&A Rules also require that an Overseas SPV formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by the
PRC Citizens shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to overseas listing and trading of such Overseas SPV’s securities on an
overseas stock exchange.
Our
PRC legal counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, has advised us that, based on its understanding of the current PRC laws and regulations,
our corporate structure and arrangements are not subject to the M&A Rules. However, our PRC legal counsel has further advised us
that there are substantial uncertainties as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an overseas
offering, and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations
in any form relating to the M&A Rules.
17
Regulations
on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection
In
November 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, promulgated the Cyber Security Law
of the PRC , or the Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017. The Cyber Security Law requires that a network operator,
which includes, among others, internet information services providers, take technical measures and other necessary measures in accordance
with applicable laws and regulations and the compulsory requirements of the national and industrial standards to safeguard the safe and
stable operation of its networks. We are subject to such requirements as we are operating website and mobile application and providing
certain internet services mainly through our mobile application. The Cyber Security Law further requires internet information service
providers to formulate contingency plans for network security incidents, report to the competent departments immediately upon the occurrence
of any incident endangering cyber security and take corresponding remedial measures.
Internet
information service providers are also required to maintain the integrity, confidentiality and availability of network data. The Cyber
Security Law reaffirms the basic principles and requirements specified in other existing laws and regulations on personal data protection,
such as the requirements on the collection, use, processing, storage and disclosure of personal data, and internet information service
providers being required to take technical and other necessary measures to ensure the security of the personal information they have
collected and prevent the personal information from being divulged, damaged or lost. Any violation of the Cyber Security Law may subject
the internet information service provider to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancellation of
filings, shutdown of websites or criminal liabilities.
As
of the date hereof, the Company is in compliance with the Cyber Security Law.
PRC
Laws and Regulations on Foreign Investment
Investment
in the PRC by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises shall comply with the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment
Industries (2020 Revision) (the “Catalogue”), which was last amended and issued by MOFCOM and National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) on December 27, 2020 and became effective since January 27, 2021, and the Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment
Access (2019 version), or the Negative List, which came into effect on July 30, 2019. The Catalogue and the Negative List contains specific
provisions guiding market access for foreign capital and stipulates in detail the industry sectors grouped under the categories of encouraged
industries, restricted industries and prohibited industries. Any industry not listed on the Negative List is a permitted industry unless
otherwise prohibited or restricted by other PRC laws or regulations.
On
March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the Foreign Investment Law, which
came into effect on January 1, 2020, repealing simultaneously the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Ventures, the Law of the
PRC on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises and the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures. The Foreign Investment Law
adopts the management system of pre-establishment national treatment and negative list for foreign investment. Policies in support of
enterprises shall apply equally to foreign-funded enterprises according to laws and regulations. Foreign investment enterprises shall
be guaranteed that they could equally participate in the setting of standards, and the compulsory standards formulated by the State shall
be equally applied. Fair competition for foreign investment enterprises to participate in government procurement activities shall be
protected. The Foreign Investment Law also stipulates the protection on intellectual property rights and trade secrets. The State also
establishes information reporting system and national security review system according to the Foreign Investment Law.
PRC
Laws and Regulations on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises
The
establishment, operation and management of corporate entities in China are governed by the PRC Company Law, which was promulgated by
the SCNPC on December 29, 1993 and became effective on July 1, 1994. It was last amended on October 26, 2018 and the amendments became
effective on October 26, 2018. Under the PRC Company Law, companies are generally classified into two categories, namely, limited liability
companies and joint stock limited companies. The PRC Company Law
18
also applies to limited liability companies and joint stock limited
companies with foreign investors. Where there are otherwise different provisions in any law on foreign investment, such provisions shall
prevail.
The
Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprises was promulgated and became effective on April 12, 1986, and was last amended and
became effective on October 1, 2016. The Implementing Regulations of the PRC Law on Foreign-invested Enterprises were promulgated by
the State Council on October 28, 1990. They were last amended on February 19, 2014 and the amendments became effective on March 1, 2014.
The Provisional Measures on Administration of Filing for Establishment and Change of Foreign Investment Enterprises were promulgated
by MOFCOM and became effective on October 8, 2016, and were last amended on July 20, 2017 with immediate effect. The above-mentioned
laws form the legal framework for the PRC Government to regulate Foreign-invested Enterprises. These laws and regulations govern the
establishment, modification, including changes to registered capital, shareholders, corporate form, merger and split, dissolution and
termination of Foreign-invested Enterprises.
According
to the above regulations, a Foreign-invested Enterprise should get approval by MOFCOM before its establishment and operation.
19
PRC
Laws and Regulations on Foreign Exchange
Registration
of Foreign Investment Enterprises
Pursuant
to the Notice of State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Promulgation of the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Control on Direct Investments
in China by Foreign Investors promulgated by the SAFE, or the Notice, upon establishment of a foreign investment enterprise pursuant
to the law, registration formalities shall be completed with the foreign exchange bureau. Upon completion of registration formalities
by the entities involved in direct investments in China, the entities may open accounts for direct investments in China such as preliminary
expense account, capital fund account and asset realization account, etc. with the bank based on the actual needs. Upon completion of
such registration formalities, foreign investment enterprises could also conduct settlement when contributing foreign exchange funds,
and remit funds overseas in the event of capital reduction, liquidation, advance recovery of investment, profit distribution, etc.
PRC
Laws and Regulations on Dividend Distribution
The
principal regulations governing distribution of dividends of foreign-invested enterprises include the Foreign-Invested Enterprise Law,
that became effective on January 1, 2020, and its implementation rules. Under these laws and regulations, wholly foreign-owned enterprises
in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards
and regulations. In addition, when a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China distributes its after-tax profits of a fiscal year, it
shall allocate 10% of the profits to the company’s statutory common reserve fund. If the accumulated amount of the company’s
statutory reserve fund is more than 50% of the company’s registered capital, the company is no longer required to allocate more
funds to the reserve. Wholly foreign-owned companies may, at their discretion, allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on
PRC accounting standards to staff welfare and bonus funds. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.
PRC
Laws and Regulations on Taxation
Enterprise
Income Tax
20
The
Enterprise Income Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “EIT Law”) was promulgated by the Standing Committee
of the National People’s Congress on March 16, 2007 and became effective on January 1, 2008, and was later amended on February
24, 2017 and on December 29, 2018 separately. The Implementation Rules of the EIT Law (the “Implementation Rules”) were promulgated
by the State Council on December 6, 2007 and became effective on January 1, 2008. According to the EIT Law and the Implementation Rules,
enterprises are divided into resident enterprises and non-resident enterprises. Resident enterprises shall pay enterprise income tax
on their incomes obtained in and outside the PRC at the rate of 25%. Non-resident enterprises setting up institutions in the PRC shall
pay enterprise income tax on the incomes obtained by such institutions in and outside the PRC at the rate of 25%. Non-resident enterprises
with no institutions in the PRC, and non-resident enterprises whose incomes having no substantial connection with their institutions
in the PRC, shall pay enterprise income tax on their incomes obtained in the PRC at a reduced rate of 10%.
The
Arrangement between the PRC and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation the Prevention of Fiscal
Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (the “Arrangement”) was promulgated by the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”)
on August 21, 2006 and came into effect on December 8, 2006. According to the Arrangement, a company incorporated in Hong Kong will be
subject to withholding tax at the lower rate of 5% on dividends it receives from a company incorporated in the PRC if it holds a 25%
interest or more in the PRC company. The Notice on the Understanding and Identification of the Beneficial Owners in the Tax Treaty (the
“Notice”) was promulgated by SAT and became effective on October 27, 2009. According to the Notice, a beneficial ownership
analysis will be used based on a substance-over-form principle to determine whether or not to grant tax treaty benefits.
Value-added
Tax
Pursuant
to the Provisional Regulations on Value-added Tax of the PRC, or the VAT Regulations, which were promulgated by the State Council on
December 13, 1993, took effect on January 1, 1994, and were amended on November 10, 2008, February 6, 2016, and November 19, 2017, respectively,
and the Rules for the Implementation of the Provisional Regulations on Value-added Tax of the PRC, which were promulgated by the MOF
on December 25, 1993, and were amended on December 15, 2008, and October 28, 2011, respectively, entities and individuals that sell goods
or labor services of processing, repair or replacement, sell services, intangible assets, or immovables, or import goods within the territory
of the People’s Republic of China are taxpayers of value-added tax. The VAT rate is 17% for taxpayers selling goods, labor services,
or tangible movable property leasing services or importing goods, except otherwise specified; 11% for taxpayers selling services of transportation,
postal, basic telecommunications, construction and lease of immovable, selling immovable, transferring land use rights, selling and importing
other specified goods including fertilizers; 6% for taxpayers selling services or intangible assets.
According
to the Notice on the Adjustment to the Value-added Tax Rates issued by the SAT and the MOF on April 4, 2018, where taxpayers make VAT
taxable sales or import goods, the applicable tax rates shall be adjusted from 17% to 16% and from 11% to 10%, respectively. Subsequently,
the Notice on Policies for Deepening Reform of Value-added Tax was issued by the SAT, the MOF and the General Administration of Customs
on March 30, 2019 and took effective on April 1, 2019, which further adjusted the applicable tax rate for taxpayers making VAT taxable
sales or importing goods. The applicable tax rates shall be adjusted from 16% to 13% and from 10% to 9%, respectively. The VAT rate applicable
to the company is currently 6%; the income tax rate applicable to the company is 25%. We are also eligible for receiving tax refund according
to certain favorable government policies starting from 2021.
Dividend
Withholding Tax
The
Enterprise Income Tax Law states that since January 1, 2008, an income tax rate of 10% will normally be applicable to dividends declared
to non-PRC resident investors that do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC, or that have such establishment or place
of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends
are derived from sources within the PRC.
21
Pursuant
to an Arrangement Between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Incomes (“Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement”) and other applicable
PRC laws, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have satisfied the relevant conditions
and requirements under such Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and other applicable laws, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends the
Hong Kong resident enterprise receives from a PRC resident enterprise may be reduced to 5%. However, based on the Circular on Certain
Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax Treaties (the “SAT Circular 81”) issued on February
20, 2009 by SAT, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from such reduced income
tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment.
According to the Circular on Several Questions regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, which was issued on February
3, 2018 by the SAT and took effect on April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner”
regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without
limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents in third country
or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country
or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or grant tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate,
will be taken into account, and it will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. This circular further
provides that applicants who intend to prove his or her status of the “beneficial owner” shall submit the relevant documents
to the relevant tax bureau according to the Announcement on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-Resident Taxpayers’
Enjoyment of the Treatment under Tax Agreements.
We
have not commenced the application process for a Hong Kong tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, and there
is no assurance that we will be granted such a Hong Kong tax resident certificate. We have not filed required forms or materials with
the relevant PRC tax authorities to prove that we should enjoy the 5% PRC withholding tax rate.
PRC
Laws and Regulations on Employment and Social Welfare
Labor
Law of the PRC
22
Pursuant
to the Labor Law of the PRC, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC on July 5, 1994 with an effective date of January
1, 1995 and was last amended on August 27, 2009 and the Labor Contract Law of the PRC, which was promulgated on June 29, 2007, became
effective on January 1, 2008 and was last amended on December 28, 2012, with the amendments coming into effect on July 1, 2013, enterprises
and institutions shall ensure the safety and hygiene of a workplace, strictly comply with applicable rules and standards on workplace
safety and hygiene in China, and educate employees on such rules and standards. Furthermore, employers and employees shall enter into
written employment contracts to establish their employment relationships. Employers are required to inform their employees about their
job responsibilities, working conditions, occupational hazards, remuneration and other matters with which the employees may be concerned.
Employers shall pay remuneration to employees on time and in full accordance with the commitments set forth in their employment contracts
and with the relevant PRC laws and regulations. We have entered into written employment contracts with all the employees and performed
their obligations under the relevant PRC laws and regulations.
Social
Insurance and Housing Fund
Pursuant
to the Social Insurance Law of the PRC, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC on October 28, 2010 and became effective
on July 1, 2011, employers in the PRC shall provide their employees with welfare schemes covering basic pension insurance, basic medical
insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, and occupational injury insurance. We have been complying with local regulations
regarding social security and employee insurance.
According
to the Interim Regulations on the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums, the Regulations on Work Injury Insurance, the
Regulations on Unemployment Insurance and the Trial Measures on Employee Maternity Insurance of Enterprises, enterprises in the PRC shall
provide benefit plans for their employees, which include basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury
insurance and basic medical insurance. An enterprise must provide social insurance by processing social insurance registration with local
social insurance agencies, and shall pay or withhold relevant social insurance premiums for or on behalf of employees. The Law on Social
Insurance of the PRC, which was promulgated by the SCNPC on October 28, 2010, became effective on July 1, 2011, and was most recently
updated on December 29, 2018, has consolidated pertinent provisions for basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance,
work injury insurance and basic medical insurance, and has elaborated in detail the legal obligations and liabilities of employers who
do not comply with relevant laws and regulations on social insurance. Without force majeure reasons, employers must not suspend or reduce
their payment of social insurance for employees, otherwise, competent governmental authorities will have the power to enforce employers
to pay up social insurance within a prescribed time limit, and a fine of 0.05% of the unpaid social insurance can be charged on the part
of the employers per day commencing from the first day of default. Provided that the employers still fail to make the payment within
the prescribed time limit, a fine of over one time and up to three times of the unpaid sum of social insurance can be charged.
According
to the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Fund, which was promulgated by the State Counsel and became effective on
April 3, 1999, and was amended on March 24, 2002 and was partially revised on March 24, 2019 by Decision of the State Council on Revising
Some Administrative Regulations (Decree No. 710 of the State Council), housing provident fund contributions by an individual employee
and housing provident fund contributions by his or her employer shall belong to the individual employee. Registration by PRC companies
at the applicable housing provident fund management center is compulsory and a special housing provident fund account for each of the
employees shall be opened at an entrusted bank.
The
employer shall timely pay up and deposit housing provident fund contributions in full amount and late or insufficient payments shall
be prohibited. The employer shall process housing provident fund payment and deposit registrations with the housing provident fund administration
center. Under the circumstances where financial difficulties do exist due to which an employer is unable to pay or pay up housing provident
funds, permission of labor union of the employer and approval of the local housing provident funds commission must first be obtained
before the employer can suspend or reduce their payment of housing provident funds. With respect to companies who violate the above regulations
and fail to process housing provident fund payment and deposit registrations or open housing provident fund accounts for their employees,
such companies shall be ordered by the housing provident fund administration center to complete such procedures within a designated period.
Those who fail to process their registrations within the designated period shall be subject to a fine ranging from RMB10,000 to RMB50,000.
When companies breach these regulations and fail to pay up housing provident fund contributions in full amount as due, the housing provident
fund administration center shall order such companies to pay up within a designated period, and may further apply to the People's Court
for mandatory enforcement against those who still fail to comply after the expiry of such period.
Our
PRC subsidiary is in compliance with PRC’s social insurance and housing fund regulations.
23
Regulations
Related to our Business Operations in Hong Kong
Business
registration requirement
The
Business Registration Ordinance (Chapter 310 of the Laws of Hong Kong) requires every person carrying on any business to make an application
to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue in the prescribed manner for the registration of that business. The Commissioner of Inland Revenue
must register each business for which a business registration application is made and as soon as practicable after the prescribed business
registration fee and levy are paid and issue a business registration certificate or branch registration certificate for the relevant
business or the relevant branch, as the case may be. The Company has applied and received business registration certificate in HK and
is in compliance with such regulations.
Regulations
related to Hong Kong Taxation
Inland
Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112 of the Laws of Hong Kong)
Under
the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112 of the Laws of Hong Kong), where an employer commences to employ in Hong Kong an individual
who is or is likely to be chargeable to tax, or any married person, the employer shall give a written notice to the Commissioner of Inland
Revenue not later than three months after the date of commencement of such employment. Where an employer ceases or is about to cease
to employ in Hong Kong an individual who is or is likely to be chargeable to tax, or any married person, the employer shall give a written
notice to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue not later than one month before such individual ceases to be employed in Hong Kong.
Capital
gains tax
No
tax is imposed in Hong Kong in respect of capital gains from the sale of shares.
Profits
tax
Trading
gains from the sale of shares by persons carrying on a trade, profession or business in Hong Kong, where such gains are derived from
or arise in Hong Kong, will be subject to Hong Kong profits tax which is imposed at the rates of 8.25% on assessable profits up to HKD
2,000,000 and 16.5% on any part of assessable profits over HKD 2,000,000 on corporations from the year of assessment commencing on or
after 1 April 2018. Certain categories of taxpayers (for example, financial institutions, insurance companies and securities dealers)
are likely to be regarded as deriving trading gains rather than capital gains unless these taxpayers can prove that the investment securities
are held for long-term investment purposes.
Stamp
Duty Ordinance (Chapter 117 of the Laws of Hong Kong)
Under
the Stamp Duty Ordinance (Chapter 117 of the Laws of Hong Kong), the Hong Kong stamp duty currently charged at the ad valorem rate of
0.1% on the higher of the consideration for or the market value of the shares, will be payable by the purchaser on every purchase and
by the seller on every sale of Hong Kong shares (in other words, a total of 0.2% is currently payable on a typical sale and purchase
transaction of Hong Kong shares). In addition, a fixed duty of HKD 5 is currently payable on any instrument of transfer of Hong Kong
shares. Where one of the parties is a resident outside Hong Kong and does not pay the ad valorem duty due by it, the duty not paid will
be assessed on the instrument of transfer (if any) and will be payable by the transferee. If no stamp duty is paid on or before the due
date, a penalty of up to ten times the duty payable may be imposed.
As
of the date hereof, the Company is in compliance with the regulations regarding Hong Kong taxation.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Not
applicable as we are a smaller reporting company.
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
24
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.