Wetouch Technology Inc. 10-K

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report, before deciding to invest in our securities. If any of the following risks materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects will likely be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Summary of Risks Affecting Our Company The following summarizes key risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect us. You should read this summary together with the more detailed description of each risk factor contained below. Risks Related to Our Business and Industry ● Weaknesses identified in our financial reporting during audits could impair our ability to accurately report financial results. ● Dependency on major customers presents risks if we cannot retain or attract new customers effectively. ● Our operating history may not be indicative of our future growth or financial results and we may not be able to sustain our historical growth rates. ● Failure to secure new land for facilities could severely impact our operations and financial health. ● We are subject to risks related to construction of our factory in Sichuan Province, China. ● The COVID-19 pandemic and other crises could disrupt operations and negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results. ● Economic recessions could have a significant adverse impact on our business. ● Intellectual property infringement claims could be costly and disrupt business operations. ● A significant amount of accounts receivable could become uncollectible, affecting financial stability. ● Cyclical industry dynamics could lead to harmful price fluctuations. ● Failure to maintain product quality and safety could damage our reputation and financial standing. ● Intense competition in the touchscreen display industry could reduce market share and profitability. ● Inadequate financing could restrict our ability to execute our business plan. ● Adjustments in related party transaction pricing could lead to significant tax liabilities. ● Revocation of tax treatments or government subsidies could necessitate paying additional taxes. ● Interruptions from third-party suppliers could disrupt operations. ● Fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials could negatively affect results. ● Dependency on key executives and the lack of long-term supplier contracts pose risks. ● Failure to adopt new technologies might affect competitiveness. ● Liability claims or adverse publicity could impact customer confidence and business results. ● Losses on inventories and lack of business insurance could expose us to significant costs. Risks Related to Doing Business in China ● Regulatory changes in China could increase compliance costs and complicate capital raising. ● The HFCAA could lead to delisting of our common stock if audits are not inspected properly. ● We may be subject to substantial fine if the CSRC has determined that we have failed to comply with the post-offering filing obligations. ● Changes in U.S.-China trade policies could adversely impact our business operations. ● PRC regulation of loans and currency conversion could delay or prevent capital usage, affecting liquidity. ● Labor laws in the PRC might negatively impact our operational flexibility and financial results. ● Liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption law could lead to penalties. ● Bankruptcy or liquidation of our PRC subsidiary could significantly disrupt operations. ● Economic and policy changes in China could limit our ability to offer securities. ● Uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit legal protections. ● Difficulties in enforcing foreign judgments in China could undermine contractual protections. ● Government control of currency conversion and fluctuations in exchange rates could impact financial results and investments. ● The Chinese government’s substantial influence over business operations could lead to significant operational changes. Risks Related to Our Common Stock ● Volatility in the price of our common stock may not reflect our operating performance. ● By-laws limiting the judicial forum for disputes could restrict stockholder litigation options. ● Manipulative short selling could drive down our stock price. ● Direct exposure to negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies could harm our business and reputation. ● Large volumes of our common stock being sold could negatively affect the market price. ● Non-payment of dividends means stockholders must rely on stock price appreciation for returns. ● Deteriorating U.S.-China relations could lower our stock price and complicate access to capital markets. 22 Risks Related to Our Business and Industry The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, and other outbreaks could disrupt our delivery and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations . COVID-19 has had a global economic impact on the financial markets. The global spread of COVID-19 pandemic may result in global economic distress, and the extent to which it may affect our results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. We cannot assure you that the COVID-19 pandemic can be eliminated or contained in the near future, or at all, or a similar outbreak will not occur again. If the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption to our business were to extend over a prolonged period, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, global pandemics, epidemics in Mainland China or elsewhere in the world, or fear of spread of contagious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, and avian flu, as well as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or other natural disasters could also disrupt our business operations, reduce or restrict our supply of products and services, incur significant costs to protect our employees and facilities, or result in regional or global economic distress, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Actual or threatened war, terrorist activities, political unrest, civil strife, and other geopolitical uncertainty could have a similar adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any one or more of these events may impede our production and delivery efforts and adversely affect our sales results, or even for a prolonged period of time, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We are also vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. We cannot assure you that we are adequately protected from the effects of fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks, or similar events. Any of the foregoing events may give rise to interruptions, damage to our property, delays in production, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures, or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of our manufacturing facility as well as adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. 23 In connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023, we identified certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. The SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, adopted rules requiring every public company to include a management report on such company’s internal controls over financial reporting, which contains management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting. Our reporting obligations as a public company place a significant strain on our management and operational and financial resources and systems. Effective internal controls, particularly those related to revenue recognition, are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to prevent fraud. As a result, our failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting may result in the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which in turn may harm our business and negatively impact the trading price of our stock. Furthermore, we anticipate that we will continue to incur considerable costs and use significant management time and other resources in an effort to comply with Section 404 and other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In connection with the auditing of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we identified the following material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting: ● Inadequate segregation of duties consistent with control objectives; ● Lack of formal policies and procedures; ● Lack of risk assessment procedures on internal controls to detect financial reporting risks on a timely manner. As defined in the rules and regulations adopted by the SEC, a “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Management has been implementing and continues to implement measures designed to ensure that control deficiencies contributing to the material weakness are remediated, such that these controls are designed, implemented, and operating effectively. The remediation actions planned include: ● Continue to search for and evaluate qualified independent outside directors; ● Identify gaps in our skills base and the expertise of our staff required to meet the financial reporting requirements of a public company; and ● Continue to develop policies and procedures on internal control over financial reporting and monitor the effectiveness of operations on existing controls and procedures. We have also engaged with a third-party financial consulting firm during the year to assist with the preparation of SEC reporting. We are committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment, and believe that these remediation efforts will deliver improvements in our control environment. Our management will continue to monitor and evaluate the relevance of our risk-based approach and the effectiveness of our internal controls and procedures over financial reporting on an ongoing basis and is committed to taking further action and implementing additional enhancements or improvements, as necessary and as funds allow. 24 However, the implementation of these measures may not fully address these weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, and we cannot conclude that they have been fully remedied. Our failure to correct these weakness and deficiencies or our failure to discover and address any other weakness and deficiencies could result in our inability to accurately report our financial results, prevent or detect fraud or provide timely and reliable financial and other information pursuant to the reporting obligations we have as a public company, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, it could cause our investors to lose confidence in the information we report, which could adversely affect the price of our shares. We are heavily dependent on our top customers. If we fail to acquire new customers or retain existing customers in a cost-effective manner, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. We are heavily dependent on our top customers, each of which accounted for 10% or more of our revenues. We currently sell our products primarily to customers in the PRC and to a lesser extent, overseas customers in European countries and East Asia such as South Korea and Taiwan. For the year ended December 31, 2023, four customers accounted for 31.7%, 16.2%, 15.8% and 11.5% of the total accounts receivable balance, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2022, three customers accounted for 32.2%, 22.8%, and 14.0% of the total accounts receivable balance, respectively. Our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers cost-effectively, especially our top customers, is crucial to driving net revenues growth and achieving profitability. We have invested significantly in branding, sales and marketing to acquire and retain customers since our inception. For example, we attend domestic and international expos and exhibitions to market our products and attract new customers. We also expect to continue to invest significantly to acquire new customers and retain existing ones, especially our top customers. There can be no assurance that new customers will stay with us, or the net revenues from new customers we acquire will ultimately exceed the cost of acquiring those customers. In addition, if our existing customers, especially our existing top customers no longer find our products appealing, or if our competitors offer more attractive products, prices, discounts or better customer services, our existing customers may lose interest in us, decrease their orders or even stop ordering from us. If we are unable to retain our existing customers, especially our top customers or to acquire new customers in a cost-effective manner, our revenues may decrease and our results of operations will be adversely affected. Our operating history may not be indicative of our future growth or financial results and we may not be able to sustain our historical growth rates. Our operating history may not be indicative of our future growth or financial results. There is no assurance that we will be able to grow in future periods. Our growth rates may decline for any number of possible reasons and some of them are beyond our control, including decreasing customer demand, increasing competition, declining growth of the touchscreen display industry in general, emergence of alternative business models, or changes in government policies or general economic conditions. We will continue to expand our sales network and product offerings to bring greater convenience to our customers and to increase our customer base and number of transactions. However, the execution of our expansion plan is subject to uncertainty and the total number of items sold and number of transacting customers may not grow at the rate we expect for the reasons stated above. If our growth rates decline, investors’ perceptions of our business and prospects may be adversely affected and the market price of our common stock could decline. Failure to secure a new parcel of land for the construction of our new buildings and facilities, and failure to acquire and install new production lines on the new parcel may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2021, our use right to the Property was withdrawn by the local government and all ownership certificates pertaining to the buildings on the Property were returned to the local government for cancellation. 25 In order to minimize the interruption of our business, Sichuan Vtouch entered into a Leaseback Agreement with Sichuan Renshou on March 16, 2021. The Leaseback Agreement entitles us to lease back the Properties commencing from April 1, 2021 until December 31, 2021, at a monthly rent of RMB300,000 (approximately $46,154), which period has been extended to October 31, 2022. On October 16, 2022, Sichuan Vtouch entered an extension to the Leaseback Agreement with Sichuan Renshou to extend the period it granted Sichuan Vtouch to lease back the Properties until October 31, 2023, then subsequently extended to October 31, 2024, at a monthly rent of RMB400,000 (approximately $59,941). The management believes that the Company can further renew the lease if necessary. On July 23, 2021, Sichuan Vtouch entered into a contract with the Chengdu Wenjiang District Planning and Natural Resources Bureau for the purchase of a land use right for a parcel of land spanning 131,010 square feet, for a consideration of RMB3,925,233 (equivalent to $537,998) for the Company’s new facility. The Company paid the consideration in full on November 18, 2021. The Company estimates receiving the certificate of land use right from the local government in the fourth quarter of 2024. As of the date of this Annual Report, we estimate to finish the building construction by the end of 2024 and commence production in the third quarter of 2025, but there is no assurance and we may need extended time to achieve our business plan. If we fail to complete such construction prior to estimated period and the extended period, if any, we will have to cease all or part of our operations, and as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. We are subject to risks related to construction of our factory in Sichuan Province, China. We are constructing new facilities and office buildings, located in Sichuan Province, China. As of the date of this Annual Report, we estimates receiving the certificate of land use right from the local government in the fourth quarter of 2024. We plan to finish the building construction by the end of 2024 and commence production in the third quarter of 2025. The construction could experience delays or other difficulties, and will require significant capital. We may not generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our capital expenditure commitments. We may need to raise additional capital to fund a portion of our capital expenditures, and such capital may not be available when needed or on terms favorable to our company. The construction may not be completed on schedule due to various reasons, such as supply chain issues and increased difficulty for workforce recruitment, which could result in increased expenses and construction costs, and may result in reduced profitability of the project. Any failure to complete the construction plan on schedule and within budget could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. The construction may be subject to legal claims and proceedings instituted by contractors, workers and other parties involved in such project from time to time. Such claims and proceedings may include claims in respect of personal injuries and labor compensation in relation to the construction project. The construction of a factory is also subject to risks related to health and safety incidents and site accidents and any non-compliance with building codes and other local regulations. If any of the aforementioned incidents or accidents were to occur, it could have a substantial negative impact on our success and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Economic recessions could have a significant, adverse impact on our business. Our revenues are generated from sales of our capacitive touchscreen products both domestically and internationally and we anticipate that revenues from such sales will continue to represent the substantial portion of our total revenues in the near future. Our sales and earnings can also be affected by changes in the general economy. The touchscreen display industry historically has experienced cyclical fluctuations in financial results due to economic recession, downturns in business cycles of our customers, interest rate fluctuations, and other economic factors beyond our control. Deterioration in the economic environment subjects our business to various risks, which may have a material and adverse impact on our operating results and cause us to not reach our long-term growth goals. For example, a downturn in the economy could directly affect the discretionary spending power of our customers and in turn, depress the number of orders for our products. We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations. We cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate intellectual property rights held by third parties. We have not but in the future may be, subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. There could also be existing intellectual property of which we are not aware that our products may inadvertently infringe. We cannot assure you that holders of intellectual property purportedly relating to some aspect of our technology or business, if any such holders exist, would not seek to enforce such intellectual property against us in China, or any other jurisdictions. If we are found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or be forced to develop alternatives of our own. In addition, we may incur significant expenses, and may be forced to divert management’s time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these infringement claims, regardless of their merits. Successful infringement or licensing claims made against us may result in significant monetary liabilities and may materially disrupt our business and operations by restricting or prohibiting our use of the intellectual property in question, and our business, financial position and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Further, the application and interpretation of China’s patent laws and the procedures and standards for granting patents in China are still evolving and are uncertain, and we cannot assure you that PRC courts or regulatory authorities would agree with our analysis. 26 We have a significant amount of accounts receivable, which could become uncollectible . As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $7.5 million in accounts receivable. Our accounts receivable primarily include balance due from customers when our products are sold and delivered to customers. Our customers are required to make full payment within three to five months from delivery date, although our industry typical payment term is 180 days from delivery. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we did not provide any extended payment terms to any of our customers. Deteriorating conditions in, bankruptcies, or financial difficulties of a customer or within their industries generally may impair the financial condition of our customers and hinder their ability to pay us on a timely basis or at all, and accounts receivable are written off against allowances only after exhaustive collection efforts. The failure or delay in payment by one or more of our customers could reduce our cash flows and adversely affect our liquidity and results of operations. Our industry is cyclical, with recurring periods of capacity increases. As a result, price fluctuations in response to supply and demand imbalances could harm our results of operations. The touchscreen display industry in general is characterized by cyclical market conditions. From time to time, the industry has been subject to imbalances between excess supply and a slowdown in demand, and in certain periods, resulting in declines in selling prices. In addition, capacity expansion anticipated in the touchscreen display industry may lead to excess capacity. Capacity expansion in the industry may be due to scheduled ramp-up of new manufacturing facilities, and any large increases in capacity as a result of such expansion could further drive down the selling prices of our products, which would affect our results of operations. We cannot assure you that any continuing or further decrease in selling prices or future downturns resulting from excess capacity or other factors affecting the industry will not be severe or that any such continuation, decrease or downturn would not seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our ability to maintain or increase our revenues will primarily depend upon our ability to maintain market share, increase unit sales of existing products and introduce and sell new products that offset the anticipated fluctuation and long-term declines in the selling prices of our existing products. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or expand market share, increase unit sales, and introduce and sell new products, to the extent necessary to compensate for market oversupply. Failure to maintain the quality and safety of our products could have a material and adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition and results of operations. The quality and safety of our products are critical to our success. We pay close attention to quality control, monitoring each step in the process from procurement to production and from warehouse to delivery. Yet, maintaining consistent product quality depends significantly on the effectiveness of our quality control system, which in turn depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to, the design of our quality control system, employee training to ensure that our employees adhere to and implement our quality control policies and procedures and the effectiveness of monitoring any potential violation of our quality control policies and procedures. There can be no assurance that our quality control system will always prove to be effective. In addition, the quality of the products or services provided by our suppliers or service providers is subject to factors beyond our control, including the effectiveness and the efficiency of their quality control system, among others. There can be no assurance that our suppliers or service providers may always be able to adopt appropriate quality control systems and meet our stringent quality control requirements in respect of the products or services they provide. Any failure of our suppliers or service providers to provide satisfactory products or services could harm our reputation and adversely impact our operations. In addition, we may be unable to receive sufficient compensation from suppliers and service providers for the losses caused by them. 27 We face intense competition in the touchscreen display industry in general. If we fail to compete effectively, we may lose market share and customers, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. The touchscreen display industry is intensely competitive in general. We face less competition as we produce medium to large size capacitive touchscreens which are specially tailored to certain industries, such as industrial HMI, gaming, financing, lottery, automotive, medical, and POS, and requires more stable supply, longer guaranty and life span, compared with small size touchscreens which are characteristic with shorter life cycle and guaranty but more demand in quantity. However, we still have some competitors competing in China and globally with us. Our competitors may have more financial, technical, geographical advantage, marketing and other resources than we do and may be more experienced and able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and support of their business. Some competitors are well-established in China and globally and any defensive measures they take in response to our expansion could hinder our growth and adversely affect our sales and results of operations. Furthermore, increased competition may reduce our market share and profitability and require us to increase our sales and marketing efforts and capital commitment in the future, which could negatively affect our results of operations or force us to incur further losses. Although we have accumulated some and continuously growing our customer base, there is no assurance that we will be able to continue to do so in the future against current or future competitors, and such competitive pressures may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we do not obtain substantial additional financing, our ability to execute our business plan may be impaired. Due to the withdrawal of the land use right to the Property and cancellation of our ownership certificates pertaining to the buildings on the Property by the local government pursuant to the Guidelines and the Compensation Agreement, on July 23, 2021, Sichuan Vtouch entered into a contract with the Chengdu Wenjiang District Planning and Natural Resources Bureau for the purchase of a land use right for a parcel of land spanning 131,010 square feet, for a consideration of RMB3,925,233 (equivalent to $537,998) for the Company’s new facility. The Company paid the consideration in full on November 18, 2021. The Company estimates receiving the certificate of land use right from the local government in the fourth quarter of 2024. As of the date of this Annual Report, we estimate to finish the building construction by the end of 2024 and commence production in the third quarter of 2025, but there is no assurance and we may need extended time to achieve our business plan. If we fail to complete such acquisition and construction within the estimated period, if any, we will have to cease all or part of our operations, and as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our plans may call for significant new investments in research and development, marketing, expanded productions capacity, and working capital for raw materials and other items. Should our capital needs be higher than our estimation, we will be required to seek additional investments, loans or debt financing to fully pursue our business plans. Such additional investment may not be available to us on terms which are favorable or acceptable. Should we be unable to meet our full capital needs, our ability to fully implement our business plan will be impaired. Any adjustment of related party transaction pricing could lead to additional taxes, and therefore substantially reduce our consolidated net income and the value of your investment. The tax regime in China is rapidly evolving and there is significant uncertainty for taxpayers in China as PRC tax laws may be interpreted in significantly different ways. The PRC tax authorities may assert that we or our subsidiaries owe and/or are required to pay additional taxes on previous or future revenue or income. In particular, under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. If the PRC tax authorities determine that any contractual arrangements were not entered into on an arm’s length basis and therefore constitute a favorable transfer pricing, the PRC tax liabilities of the relevant subsidiaries could be increased, which could increase our overall tax liabilities. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment interest. Our net income may be materially reduced if our tax liabilities increase. If our preferential tax treatments and government subsidies are revoked or become unavailable or if the calculation of our tax liability is successfully challenged by the PRC tax authorities, we may be required to pay tax, interest and penalties in excess of our tax provisions. The Chinese government has provided tax incentives to our former subsidiary in Mainland China, Sichuan Wetouch, including reduced enterprise income tax rates. For example, under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, the statutory enterprise income tax rate is 25%. However, the income tax of an enterprise that has been determined to be a qualified enterprise located in western region of Mainland China can be reduced to a preferential rate of 15%. The qualification of preferential tax rate is effective for a renewable three-year permitted. As we have dissolved Sichuan Wetouch, and its business and operations have been assumed by Sichuan Vtouch, Sichuan Vtouch has reapplied for the preferential rate of 15% as a qualified enterprise. Such application is currently pending with the PRC tax authorities. If Sichuan Vtouch’s application for the qualification of preferential tax rate benefit is not approved, our PRC subsidiary will be subject to the statutory enterprise income tax rate of 25%. Further, in the ordinary course of our business, we are subject to complex income tax and other tax regulations, and significant judgment is required in the determination of a provision for income taxes. Although we believe our tax provisions are reasonable, if the PRC tax authorities successfully challenge our position and we are required to pay tax, interest, and penalties in excess of our tax provisions, our financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected. 28 A significant interruption in the operations of our third-party suppliers could potentially disrupt our operations. We have limited control over the operations of our third-party suppliers and other business partners and any significant interruption in their operations may have an adverse impact on our operations. For example, a significant interruption in the operations of our supplier’s manufacturing facilities could cause delays or termination of shipments of the raw materials to us, which may cause delays or termination of shipments of our products to our customers, thus resulting in penalties or fines due to our breach of contract. If we could not solve the impact of the interruptions of operations of our third-party suppliers, our business operations and financial results may be materially and adversely affected. We face the risk of fluctuations in the cost, availability and quality of our raw materials, which could adversely affect our results of operations. The cost, availability and quality of the raw materials, such as indium tin oxide glasses and panels, are important to our operations. If the cost of raw materials increases due to large market price fluctuation or due to any other reason, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected. Lack of availability of these raw materials, whether due to shortages in supply, delays or interruptions in processing, failure of timely delivery or otherwise, could interrupt our operations and adversely affect our financial results. We are dependent upon key executives and highly qualified managers and we cannot assure their retention. Our success depends, in part, upon the continued services of key members of our management. Our executives’ and managers’ knowledge of the market, our business and our Company represents a key strength of our business, which cannot be easily replicated. The success of our business strategy and our future growth also depend on our ability to attract, train, retain and motivate skilled managerial, sales, administration, development and operating personnel. There can be no assurance that our existing personnel will be adequate or qualified to carry out our strategy and operations, or that we will be able to hire or retain experienced, qualified employees to carry out our strategy and operations. The loss of one or more of our key management or operating personnel, or the failure to attract and retain additional key personnel, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not have long-term contracts with our suppliers and they can reduce order quantities or terminate their sales to us at any time. Our PRC subsidiary does not have long term contracts with our suppliers. At any time, our suppliers can reduce the quantities of products they sell to us, or cease selling products to us altogether. Such reductions or terminations could have a material adverse impact on our revenues, profits and financial condition. 29 If we fail to adopt new technologies to evolving customer needs or emerging industry standards, our business may be materially and adversely affected. To remain competitive, we must continue to stay abreast of the constantly evolving industry trends and to enhance and improve our technology accordingly. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to identify, develop, acquire or license leading technologies useful in our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to use new technologies effectively or meet customer’s requirements. If we are unable to adapt in a cost-effective and timely manner in response to changing market conditions or customer preferences, whether for technical, legal, financial or other reasons, our business may be materially and adversely affected. We may experience significant liability claims or complaints from customers, or adverse publicity involving our products and our services. We face an inherent risk of liability claims or complaints from our customers. We take our customers’ complaints seriously and endeavor to reduce such complaints by implementing various remedial measures. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that we can successfully prevent or address all customer complaints. Any complaints or claims against us, even if meritless and unsuccessful, may divert management attention and other resources from our business and adversely affect our business and operations. Customers may lose confidence in us and our brand, which may adversely affect our business and results of operations. Furthermore, negative publicity including but not limited to negative online reviews on social media and crowd-sourced review platforms, industry findings or media reports related to safety and quality of our products, whether or not accurate, and whether or not concerning our products, can adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation. We may experience losses on inventories. Frequent new product introductions in the technology industry can result in a decline in the selling prices of our products and the obsolescence of our existing inventory. This can result in a decrease in the stated value of our inventory, which we value at the lower of cost or net realizable value. We manage our inventory based on our customers’ and our own forecasts. Although we regularly make adjustments based on market conditions, we typically deliver our goods to our customers several weeks after a firm order is placed. While we maintain open channels of communication with our top customers to avoid unexpected decreases in firm orders or subsequent changes to placed orders, and try to minimize our inventory levels, such actions by our customers may have a material adverse effect on our inventory management and our results of operations. We have no business liability or disruption insurance, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption. The insurance industry in China is still at an early stage of development, and insurance companies in China currently offer limited business-related insurance products. We do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover our operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured risks may result in substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. 30 We may incur liabilities that are not covered by insurance. While we seek to maintain appropriate levels of insurance , not all claims are insurable and we may experience major incidents of a nature that are not covered by insurance. We do not have any insurance that cover, among other things, employee-related accidents and injuries, product or business liability and other property damage and liability deriving from our activities. Furthermore, insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. We maintain an amount of insurance protection that we believe is adequate, but there can be no assurance that such insurance will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurance coverage will be sufficient or effective under all circumstances and against all liabilities to which we may be subject. If we were to incur substantial losses or liabilities due to fire, explosions, floods, other natural disasters or accidents or business interruption, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We could, for example, be subject to substantial claims for damages upon the occurrence of several events within one calendar year. In addition, our insurance costs may increase over time in response to any negative development in our claims history or due to material price increases in the insurance market in general. We may not be able to adequately protect and maintain our intellectual property. Our success will depend on our ability to continue to develop and market our products. We have been have five pending patent applications as of the date of this Annual Report. No assurance can be given that such patents will not be challenged, invalidated, infringed or circumvented, or that such intellectual property rights will provide a competitive advantage to us. Also, litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights or determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. The outcome of such potential litigation may not be in our favor and any success in litigation may not be able to adequately protect our rights. Such litigation may be costly and divert management attention away from our business. An adverse determination in any such litigation would impair our intellectual property rights and may harm our business, prospects and reputation. Enforcement of judgments in China is uncertain and even if we are successful in such litigation it may not provide us with an effective remedy. Our introduction of new technologies and products may increase the likelihood that third parties will assert claims that our products infringe upon their proprietary rights. The rapid technological changes that characterize our industry require that we quickly implement new processes and components with respect to our products. Often with respect to recently developed processes and components, a degree of uncertainty exists as to who may rightfully claim ownership rights in such processes and components. Uncertainty of this type increases the risk that claims alleging that such components or processes infringe upon third party rights may be brought against us. Although we take and will continue to take steps to ensure that our new products do not infringe upon third party rights, if our products or manufacturing processes are found to infringe upon third party rights, we may be subject to significant liabilities and be required to change our manufacturing processes or be prohibited from manufacturing certain products, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. We may be required to defend against charges of infringement of patent or other proprietary rights of third parties. Although patent and other intellectual property disputes in our industry have often been settled through licensing or similar arrangements, such defense could require us to incur substantial expense and to divert significant resources of our technical and management personnel, and could result in our loss of rights to develop or make certain products or require us to pay monetary damages or royalties to license proprietary rights from third parties. Furthermore, we cannot be certain that the necessary licenses would be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all. Accordingly, an adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding or failure to obtain necessary licenses could prevent us from manufacturing and selling certain of our products. Any such litigation, whether successful or unsuccessful, could result in substantial costs to us and diversions of our resources, either of which could adversely affect our business. 31 Risks Related to Doing Business in China Adverse regulatory developments in China may subject us to additional regulatory review and expose us to government restrictions, and additional disclosure requirements and regulatory scrutiny to be adopted by the SEC in response to risks related to recent regulatory developments in China may impose additional compliance requirements for companies with significant China-based operations, all of which could increase our compliance costs, subject us to additional disclosure requirements, and/or suspend or terminate our future securities offerings, making capital-raising more difficult. As substantially all of our operations are based in China, we are subject to a wide range of relevant PRC laws. The recent regulatory developments in China, in particular with respect to restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore and the government-led cybersecurity reviews of certain companies, may lead to additional regulatory review in China over our financing and capital raising activities in the United States. In addition, we may become subject to industry-wide regulations that may be adopted by the relevant PRC authorities, which may have the effect of limiting our product and service offerings, restricting the scope of our operations in China, or causing the suspension or termination of our business operations in China entirely, all of which will materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may have to adjust, modify, or completely change our business operations in response to adverse regulatory changes or policy developments, and we cannot assure you that any remedial action adopted by us can be completed in a timely, cost-efficient, or liability-free manner or at all. On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities published the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law. These opinions call for strengthened regulation over illegal securities activities and supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and propose to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. On December 24, 2021, the CSRC released the Administrative Provisions of the State Council Regarding the Overseas Issuance and Listing of Securities by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Comments) (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”, together with the Draft Administrative Provisions, the “Draft Rules”). The Draft Rules lay out the filing regulations for both direct and indirect overseas listings and clarify the determination criteria for indirect overseas listings in overseas markets. Among other requirements, if a domestic enterprise intends to indirectly offer and list securities in an overseas market, the record-filing obligation shall be completed within three working days after the overseas listing application is submitted. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures, which took effect on March 31, 2023. The Trial Administrative Measures further stipulate the rules and requirements for overseas offering and listing conducted by PRC domestic companies. Upon the effectiveness of the Trial Administrative Measures, we could be required to go through the filing procedure. If required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete such process on time or at all. On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (Revision Draft for Comments), or the Measures, for public comments, which propose to authorize the relevant government authorities to conduct cybersecurity review on a range of activities that affect or may affect national security, including listings in foreign countries by companies that possess the personal data of more than one million users. On December 28, 2021, the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021 version) were promulgated and became effective on February 15, 2022 (the “Measures”), which iterates that any “online platform operators” controlling personal information of more than one million users that seeks to list on a foreign stock exchange shall also be subject to cybersecurity review. As we are neither an “operator of critical information infrastructure” nor a “data processor” carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, we believe that the Measures are not applicable to us even after they take effect in current form. The PRC government is increasingly focused on data security, recently launching cybersecurity review against a number of mobile apps operated by several US-listed Chinese companies and prohibiting these apps from registering new users during the review period. There are great uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws, rules and regulations regarding data and privacy security. We may be required to change our data and other business practices and be subject to regulatory investigations, penalties, and increased cost of operations as a result of these laws and policies. 32 On July 30, 2021, in response to the recent regulatory developments in China and actions adopted by the PRC government, the Chairman of the SEC issued a statement asking the SEC staff to seek additional disclosures from offshore issuers associated with China-based operating companies before their registration statements will be declared effective, including whether the China-based operating company and the issuer, when applicable, received or were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges and the risks that such approval could be denied or rescinded. On August 1, 2021, the China Securities Regulatory Commission stated in a statement that it had taken note of the new disclosure requirements announced by the SEC regarding the listings of Chinese companies and the recent regulatory development in China, and that both countries should strengthen communications on regulating China-related issuers. We are subject to a variety of PRC laws and may be subject to tightened regulatory review and exposed to government restrictions in China. In light of the recent regulatory and policy developments in China and government actions taken by the PRC government, including possible imposition of restrictions and/or approval requirements on China-based companies raising capital offshore, the offering of our securities may be subject to additional disclosure requirements and review that the SEC or other regulatory authorities in the United States may adopt for companies with China-based operations. We are subject to the Trial Administrative Measures, as the Company has: (i) 50% or more 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 accounting year is accounted for by PRC domestic companies; and (ii) the main parts of the issuer’s business activities are conducted in mainland China, or its main places of business are located in mainland China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in mainland China; and, if required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete such process on time or at all. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Administrative Measures”), which took effect on March 31, 2023. Compared to the Draft Rules, the Trial Administrative Measures further clarified and emphasized several aspects, including: (i) comprehensive determination of the “indirect overseas offering and listing by Mainland China domestic companies” in compliance with the principle of “substance over form” and particularly, an issuer will be required to go through the filing procedures under the Trial Administrative Measures if the following criteria are met at the same time: a) 50% or more 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 accounting year is accounted for by Mainland China domestic companies, and b) the main parts of the issuer’s business activities are conducted in Mainland China, or its main places of business are located in Mainland China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in Mainland China; (ii) exemptions from immediate filing requirements for issuers that a) have already been listed or registered but not yet listed in foreign securities markets, including U.S. markets, prior to the effective date of the Trial Administrative Measures, and b) are not required to re-perform the regulatory procedures with the relevant overseas regulatory authority or the overseas stock exchange, c) whose such overseas securities offering or listing shall be completed before September 30, 2023. However, such issuers shall carry out filing procedures as required if they conduct refinancing or are involved in other circumstances that require filing with the CSRC; (iii) a negative list of types of issuers banned from listing overseas, such as issuers under investigation for bribery and corruption; (iv) regulation of issuers in specific industries; (v) issuers’ compliance with national security measures and the personal data protection laws; and (vi) certain other matters such as: an issuer must file with the CSRC within three business days after it submits an application for initial public offering to competent overseas regulators; and subsequent reports shall be filed with the CSRC on material events, including change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer(s) who have completed overseas offerings and listings. Our PRC counsel has advised that because our common stock currently trades in the U.S., we were not required to submit filings to the CSRC before the Offering was completed and the Offering was not conditioned on CSRC approval. Rather, within three days of the closing of the Offering, we are required to submit filings to the CSRC in accordance with the Trial Administrative Measures. According to the relevant provisions of the Trial Administrative Measures and its supporting guidelines, the Company is required to fulfill the filing procedures with the CSRC within three days of the closing of the Offering. According to the Trial Administrative Measures, the Company has submitted the filing materials to the CSRC, but the materials were not complete due to lack of a commitment letter from the lead underwriter for the Offering, and the Company withdrew the filing from the CSRC. The Company will submit the filing materials again when the materials are ready. However, given that the Trial Administrative Measures were recently promulgated, there remain substantial uncertainties as to their interpretation, application, and enforcement and there is no guarantee that the relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion that we and our PRC counsel have reached. If the CSRC has determined that we have failed to comply with the post-offering filing obligations imposed by the Trial Administrative Measures or make a misrepresentation, misleading statement or material omission in the materials we submit to the CSRC, the CSRC would have the right to order rectification, issue a warning and impose a fine on us of between RMB 1 million and RMB 10 million and issuing a warning to the parties responsible for such failure, misrepresentation or material omission and impose a fine on each of such individuals ranging from RMB 500,000 to RMB 5 million. 33 Our common stock will be prohibited from trading in the United States under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect and investigate completely our auditor. The delisting of and prohibition from trading of our common stock, or the threat of their being delisted and prohibited from trading, may cause the value of our common stock to significantly decline or be worthless. Pursuant to the HFCAA, if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspections by the PCAOB for two consecutive years, the SEC will prohibit our shares from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States. On December 18, 2020, the HFCAA was signed into law. The HFCAA has since then been subject to amendments by the U.S. Congress and interpretations and rulemaking by the SEC. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “AHFCAA”), which proposes to reduce the period of time for foreign companies to comply with PCAOB audits from three to two consecutive years, thus reducing the time period before the securities of such foreign companies may be prohibited from trading or delisted. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 was signed into law, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the AHFCAA, and reduced the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report to notify the SEC of its determination relating to the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China made 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, which could cause existing and potential investors in issuers operating in China to lose confidence in such issuers’ procedures and reported financial information and the quality of financial statements. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB released a statement confirming it has secured complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, and it issued the 2022 HFCAA Determination Report to vacate its precious determinations to the contrary. The PCAOB is continuing to demand complete access, and it will act immediately to reconsider such determinations should China obstruct, or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access, at any time. Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States, pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. Further developments related to the HFCAA could add uncertainties to our offering. We cannot assure you what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or the stock exchanges will take to address these issues and what impact such actions will have on companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national securities 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 uncertainty for investors, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement. Such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so, and would have a negative impact on the price of our shares. 34 We may be subject to substantial fine if the CSRC has determined that we have failed to comply with the post-offering filing obligations imposed by the Trial Administrative Measure. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures that require issuers to carry out filing procedures as required if they conduct refinancing or are involved in other circumstances that require filing with the CSRC; (iii) a negative list of types of issuers banned from listing overseas, such as issuers under investigation for bribery and corruption; (iv) regulation of issuers in specific industries; (v) issuers’ compliance with national security measures and the personal data protection laws; and (vi) certain other matters such as: an issuer must file with the CSRC within three business days after it submits an application for initial public offering to competent overseas regulators; and subsequent reports shall be filed with the CSRC on material events, including change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer(s) who have completed overseas offerings and listings. Our PRC counsel has advised that because our common stock currently trades in the U.S., we were not required to submit filings to the CSRC before the Offering was completed and the Offering was not conditioned on CSRC approval. Rather, within three days of the closing of the Offering, we are required to submit filings to the CSRC in accordance with the Trial Administrative Measures. We have submitted the filing materials to the CSRC, but the materials were not complete due to lack of a commitment letter from the lead underwriter for the Offering, and we withdrew the filing from the CSRC. We will submit the filing materials again when the materials are ready. However, given that the Trial Administrative Measures were recently promulgated, there remain substantial uncertainties as to their interpretation, application, and enforcement and there is no guarantee that the relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion that we and our PRC counsel have reached. If the CSRC has determined that we have failed to comply with the post-offering filing obligations imposed by the Trial Administrative Measures or make a misrepresentation, misleading statement or material omission in the materials we submit to the CSRC, the CSRC would have the right to order rectification, issue a warning and impose a fine on us of between RMB 1 million and RMB 10 million and issuing a warning to the parties responsible for such failure, misrepresentation or material omission and impose a fine on each of such individuals ranging from RMB 500,000 to RMB 5 million. Our operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. Changes in U.S. and international trade policies, particularly with regard to China, may adversely impact our business and operating results. The U.S. government has recently made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to potential changes to U.S. and international trade policies, including recently-imposed tariffs affecting certain products manufactured in China. It is unknown whether and to what extent new tariffs (or other new laws or regulations) will be adopted, or the effect that any such actions would have on us or our industry and customers. Although cross-border business may not be an area of our focus, if we plan to sell our products internationally in the future, any unfavorable government policies on international trade, such as capital controls or tariffs, may affect the demand for our products and services, impact the competitive position of our products or prevent us from being able to sell products in certain countries. If any new tariffs, legislation and/or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated or, in particular, if the U.S. government takes retaliatory trade actions due to the recent U.S.-China trade tension, such changes could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations. PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of any offerings or financings to make loans or additional capital contributions to our Chinese subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. We conduct substantially all of our operations in China. We may make loans to our PRC subsidiary, subject to the approval, registration, and filing with governmental authorities and limitation of amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China. Any loans to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China, which is treated as a foreign-invested enterprise under PRC law, are subject to foreign exchange loan registrations. 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) the 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). 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 assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals or filings on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC subsidiary or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds from the Offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our Chinese operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiary to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiary, limit our PRC subsidiary’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect us. 35 In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, to replace the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Residents’ Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 75, which ceased to be effective upon the promulgation of SAFE Circular 37. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents (including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities) to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we make in the future. Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, will be required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV is required to update its filed registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE. If any PRC shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the previously filed registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiary in China. On February 13, 2015, the SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound overseas direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, will be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. The qualified banks will directly examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE. 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 Administrative Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange. Some of our shareholders that we are aware of are subject to SAFE regulations, and we expect all of these shareholders will have completed all necessary registrations with the local SAFE branch or qualified banks as required by SAFE Circular 37. We cannot assure you, however, that all of these shareholders may continue to make required filings or updates in a timely manner, or at all. We can provide no assurance that we are or will in the future continue to be informed of identities of all PRC residents holding direct or indirect interest in our company. Any failure or inability by such shareholders to comply with SAFE regulations may subject us to fines or legal sanctions, such as restrictions on our cross-border investment activities or our PRC subsidiary’ ability to distribute dividends to, or obtain foreign exchange-denominated loans from, our company or prevent us from making distributions or paying dividends. As a result, our business operations and our ability to make distributions to you could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, as these foreign exchange regulations are still relatively new and their interpretation and implementation have been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects. As of the date of this Annual Report, the PRC residents have either not completed, or have not applied for, foreign exchange registration under the SAFE Circular 37 and other related rules. Although they are either in the process of making foreign exchange registration or plan to make foreign exchange registrations, they may still face with the above said possible fines in accordance with the PRC Laws. Labor laws in the PRC may adversely affect our results of operations. The PRC National People’s Congress promulgated the Labor Contract Law which became effective on January 1, 2008 and was amended on December 28, 2012 (the “Labor Contract Law”), and the State Council promulgated implementing regulations for the labor contract law on September 18, 2008. The Labor Contract Law and the implementing regulations impose requirements concerning, among others, the execution of written contracts between employers and employees, the time limits for probationary periods, and the length of employment contracts. The interpretation and implementation of these regulations are still evolving, our employment practices may violate the Labor Contract Law and related regulations and we could be subject to penalties, fines or legal fees as a result. If we are subject to severe penalties or incur significant legal fees in connection with labor law disputes or investigations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. Further, the Labor Contract Law requires certain terminations be based upon seniority and not merit. In the event that we decide to significantly change or decrease our workforce, the Labor Contract Law could adversely affect our ability to enact such changes in a manner that is most advantageous to our business or in a timely and cost-effective manner, thus materially and adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations. 36 We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption law. We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “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 are also subject to Chinese anti-corruption laws, which strictly prohibit the payment of bribes to government officials. We have operations, agreements with third parties, and make sales in China, which may experience corruption. Our activities in China may create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one or more of the employees of our company, because such employees might act against our policies, outside of our control. Violations of the FCPA or Chinese anti-corruption laws 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. Our business may be materially and adversely affected if our PRC subsidiary declares bankruptcy or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding. The Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the PRC, or the Bankruptcy Law, came into effect on June 1, 2007. The Bankruptcy Law provides that an enterprise will be liquidated if the enterprise fails to settle its debts as and when they fall due and if the enterprise’s assets are, or are demonstrably, insufficient to clear such debts. Our PRC subsidiary holds certain assets that are important to our business operations. If our PRC subsidiary undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. According to the SAFE’s Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment, effective on December 17, 2012, and the Provisions for Administration of Foreign Exchange Relating to Inbound Direct Investment by Foreign Investors, effective May 13, 2013, if our PRC subsidiary undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, prior approval from the SAFE for remittance of foreign exchange to our shareholders abroad is no longer required, but we still need to conduct a registration process with the SAFE local branch. It is not clear whether “registration” is a mere formality or involves the kind of substantive review process undertaken by SAFE and its relevant branches in the past. Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. The PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over overseas securities offerings and other capital markets activities and foreign investment in China-based companies like us. Any such action, once taken by the PRC government, 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 in extreme cases, become worthless. Substantially all of our assets and operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. 37 The PRC government has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a China-based company, such as us, to conduct its business, accept foreign investments or list on an U.S. or other foreign exchanges. For example, we face risks associated with regulatory approvals of offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, as well as oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy. Such risks or any actions by the PRC government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our common stock or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our common stock and/or other securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. The PRC government has significant authority, oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene with or influence our operations as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. The PRC 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 our industry that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over overseas securities offerings and other capital markets activities and foreign investment in China-based companies like us. Any such action, once taken by the PRC government, 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 in extreme cases, become worthless. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China, in the policies of the Chinese government or in the laws and regulations in China could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. Such developments could adversely affect our business and operating results, lead to reduction in demand for our services and adversely affect our competitive position. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustment, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, which may adversely affect our business and operating results. Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system, including uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and sudden and unexpected changes in laws and regulations in China, could adversely affect us and limit the legal protections available to you and us. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. Our wholly foreign-owned PRC operating subsidiary Sichuan Vtouch is subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. The PRC 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. In addition, any new or changes in PRC laws and regulations related to foreign investment in China could affect the business environment and our ability to operate our business in China. Since the PRC legal system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to us. Uncertainties due to evolving laws and regulations could also impede the ability of a China-based company, such as our company, to obtain or maintain permits or licenses required to conduct business in China. In the absence of required permits or licenses, governmental authorities could impose material sanctions or penalties on us. In addition, some regulatory requirements issued by certain PRC government authorities may not be consistently applied by other PRC government authorities (including local government authorities), thus making strict compliance with all regulatory requirements impractical, or in some circumstances impossible. From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. 38 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 and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such unpredictability towards our contractual, property and procedural rights could adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations. Furthermore, if China adopts more stringent standards with respect to environmental protection or corporate social responsibilities, we may incur increased compliance costs or become subject to additional restrictions in our operations. Intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may also not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. In addition, we cannot predict the effects of future developments in the PRC legal system on our business operations, including the promulgation of new laws, or changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and our investors, including you. Moreover, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources and management attention. You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management based on foreign laws. We are a company incorporated under the laws of the United States and we conduct substantially all of our operations in China. In addition, our officers and directors reside within China and are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors as none of them currently resides in the United States or has substantial assets located in the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States. Government control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment. The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi, or “RMB,” into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive some revenue and incur some expenses in U.S. dollars but incur other expenses primarily in RMB. Although our main business is based in mainland China with our Chinese operating subsidiary, some of our business may require us to use U.S. dollars. 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. Approval from appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of the PRC to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may, at its discretion, impose restrictions on access to foreign currencies for current account transactions and if this occurs in the future, we may not be able to pay in foreign currencies, and our business and operations may be adversely affected. 39 Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment. The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions in China and by China’s foreign exchange policies. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar, and the Renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. On November 30, 2015, the Executive Board of IMF completed the regular five-year review of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right, or the SDR, and decided that with effect from October 1, 2016, Renminbi is determined to be a freely usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency, along with the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Renminbi has depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China. This depreciation halted in 2017, and the RMB appreciated approximately 7% against the U.S. dollar during this one-year period. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system, and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future. Significant revaluation of the Renminbi may have a material and adverse effect on our operations. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our shares of Common Stock or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency. Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment. The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiary in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi 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. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiary to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. In light of the flood of capital outflows of China, the PRC government may from time to time impose more restrictive foreign exchange policies and step up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement. More restrictions and substantial vetting process may be required by SAFE or other government authorities to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. The PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our Common Stock. 40 The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities and may intervene or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations 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 taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or respective local governments 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. The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our common stock. If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders and the common stockholders. Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with its “ de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a “resident enterprise” and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “ de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, issued a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “ de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular applies only to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “ de facto management body” text should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “ de facto management body” in China, and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC. We believe our Company, excluding our PRC subsidiary, is not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident 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.” If the PRC tax authorities determine that our company is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we would be subject to PRC enterprise income on our worldwide income at the rate of 25%. Furthermore, we would be required to withhold a 10% tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises. In addition, non-resident enterprise shareholders (including the common stockholders) may be subject to PRC tax on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of the common stock, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC individual shareholders (including the common stock holders) and any gain realized on the transfer of the common stock or ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20% (which, in the case of dividends, may be withheld at source by us). These rates may be reduced by an applicable tax treaty, but it is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in our common stock. 41 Risks Related to Our Common Stock The price of our common stock may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the purchase price. An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of common stock and may impair our ability to acquire other businesses or technologies using our shares of common stock as consideration, which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including: ● overall performance of the equity markets; ● our operating performance and the performance of other similar companies; ● the published opinions and third-party valuations by banking and market analysts; ● changes in our projected operating results that we provide to the public, our failure to meet these projections or changes in recommendations by securities analysts that elect to follow our common stock; ● regulatory or legal developments; ● the level of expenses related to operations; ● our failure to achieve its goals in the timeframe it announces; ● announcements of acquisitions, strategic alliances or significant agreements by us; ● recruitment or departure of key personnel; ● the economy as a whole and market conditions in our industry; ● trading activity by a number of stockholders; ● the size of our market float; ● political uncertainty and/or instability ● the ongoing and future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken to slow its spread; and ● any other factors discussed in this Annual Report. In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Since our By-laws provide that the courts in the State of Nevada are the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our shareholders, this could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors or officers, or employees. Our Amended and Restated By-laws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the appropriate state and federal courts in the State of Nevada shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s shareholders, any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions. 42 These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Moreover, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Amended and Restated By-laws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Short sellers of our stock may be manipulative and may drive down the market price of our common stock. Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed or intends to borrow from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities at a later date to return to the lender. A short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is therefore in the short seller’s interest for the price of the stock to decline, some short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, opinions or characterizations regarding the relevant issuer, its business prospects and similar matters calculated to or which may create negative market momentum, which may permit them to obtain profits for themselves as a result of selling the stock short. Issuers whose securities have historically had limited trading volumes and/or have been susceptible to relatively high volatility levels can be particularly vulnerable to such short seller attacks. The publication of any such commentary regarding us by a short seller may bring about a temporary, or possibly long term, decline in the market price of our common stock. No assurances can be made that we will not become a target of such commentary and declines in the market price of our common stock will not occur in the future, in connection with such commentary by short sellers or otherwise. If we become directly subject to the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business, operations and reputations, which could result in a loss of your investment in our common stock. 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 around financial and accounting irregularities, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in some cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies has 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 our business. 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/or defend the Company. This situation may be a major distraction to our management. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, our company and business operations will be severely hampered and your investment in our shares could be rendered worthless. The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect their market price. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. Shares held by our existing shareholders may be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our common stock. 43 Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on a price appreciation of our common stock for return on your investment. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our common stock as a source for any future dividend income. Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends., Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our common stock will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our common stock. There is no guarantee that our common stock will appreciate in value, or even maintain the price at which you purchased the common stock. You may not realize a return on your investment in our common stock and you may even lose your entire investment in our common stock. If relations between the United States and China worsen, our stock price may decrease and could lead to our loss of access or increased difficulty in accessing U.S. capital markets. At various times during recent years, the United States and China have had disagreements over political and economic issues. Controversies may arise in the future between these two countries. Any political or trade conflicts between the United States and China could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and could potentially impede our access to, or increase the difficulty of accessing, U.S. capital markets.