As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2020

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

The Securities Act of 1933

 

 

JD.com, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Not Applicable

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

 

 

Cayman Islands		Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

20th Floor, Building A, No. 18 Kechuang 11 Street

Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone

Daxing District, Beijing 101111

The People’s Republic of China

+86 10 8911 8888

(Address and telephone number of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Puglisi & Associates

850 Library Avenue, Suite 204

Newark, Delaware 19711

+1 302-738-6680

(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)

 

 

 

Copies to:
Sandy Ran Xu Chief Financial Officer JD.com, Inc. 20th Floor, Building A, No. 18 Kechuang 11 Street Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone Daxing District, Beijing 101111 The People’s Republic of China		Z. Julie Gao, Esq. Shu Du, Esq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP c/o 42/F, Edinburgh Tower, The Landmark 15 Queen’s Road, Central Hong Kong

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of each class of securities to be registered(1)(2)		Amount to be registered(2)		Proposed maximum offering price per share(2)		Proposed maximum aggregate offering price(2)		Amount of registration fee(2)
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.00002 per share(2)(3)		—		—		—		—

 

(1)

Includes securities initially offered and sold outside the United States that may be resold from time to time in the United States either as part of their distribution or within 40 days after the later of the effective date of this registration statement and the date the securities are first bona fide offered to the public. These securities are not being registered for the purposes of sales outside of the United States.

(2)	The registrant is registering an unspecified number of securities for offer and sale from time to time at indeterminate offering prices. In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of registration fees.

(3)

These Class A ordinary shares may be represented by American depositary shares, each of which represents two (2) Class A ordinary shares. The ADSs issuable on deposit of the Class A ordinary shares registered hereby have been registered under registration statements on Form F-6 initially filed May 9, 2014 (File No. 333-195849) and dated December 15, 2014 (File No. 333-200954).

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

JD.com, Inc.

 

Class A Ordinary Shares

 

 

We may from time to time in one or more offerings offer and sell our Class A ordinary shares, including Class A ordinary shares represented by American depositary shares, or ADSs.

In addition, from time to time, the selling shareholders (if any) to be named in a prospectus supplement may offer and sell our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs held by them. The selling shareholders (if any) may sell our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of ordinary shares by selling shareholders (if any).

We will provide the specific terms of any offering in one or more supplements to this prospectus. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement as well as the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus before you purchase any of the securities offered hereby.

These securities may be offered and sold in the same offering or in separate offerings; to or through underwriters, dealers, and agents; or directly to purchasers. The names of any underwriters, dealers, or agents involved in the sale of our securities, their compensation and any over-allotment options held by them will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. For a more complete description of the plan of distribution of these securities, see the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 34 of this prospectus.

Our ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “JD.” On June 4, 2020, the last reported sale price of the ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Select Market was US$56.52 per ADS.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” on page 6 of this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus before making a decision to invest in our securities.

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

 

 

We may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers on a continuous or delayed basis. The names of any underwriters will be stated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

 

Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is June 5, 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS			1
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			2
OUR COMPANY			3
RISK FACTORS			6
USE OF PROCEEDS			7
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL			8
DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES			19
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES			30
TAXATION			32
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS			33
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			34
LEGAL MATTERS			36
EXPERTS			37
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			38
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE			39

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, in the applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should not assume that the information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates thereof. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

i

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the offering and the terms of those securities. We may also add, update or change other information contained in this prospectus by means of a prospectus supplement or by incorporating by reference information we file with the SEC. The registration statement on file with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more detail on the matters discussed in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the applicable prospectus supplement. Before you invest in any securities offered by this prospectus, you should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplements and the related exhibits to the registration statement filed with the SEC, together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”

In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires,

 

•

“ADSs” refer to our American depositary shares, each of which represents two Class A ordinary shares;

 

•

“annual active customer accounts” refer to customer accounts that made at least one purchase during the twelve months ended on the respective dates, including both online retail and online marketplace;

 

•

“China” or the “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this prospectus only, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan;

 

•

“ordinary shares” refer to our Class A and Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.00002 per share;

 

•

“RMB” refers to the legal currency of China;

 

•

“U.S. dollars,” “US$,” “dollars” and “$” refer to the legal currency of the United States; and

 

•

“we,” “us,” “our company” and “our” refer to JD.com, Inc., its subsidiaries and its consolidated variable interest entities and their subsidiaries.

References in any prospectus supplement to “the accompanying prospectus” are to this prospectus and to “the prospectus” are to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement taken together.

We are not making an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Our reporting currency is RMB. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars in this prospectus are made at a rate of RMB7.0808 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of March 31, 2020 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We make no representation that any RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars at any particular rate, or at all. On May 29, 2020, the exchange rate was RMB7.1348 to US$1.00.

 

1

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference contain forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “is/are likely to,” “future,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to, among other things:

 

•

our goals and strategies;

 

•

our future business development, financial conditions and results of operations;

 

•

the expected growth of the retail and online retail markets in China;

 

•

our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our products and services;

 

•

our expectations regarding our relationships with customers, suppliers and third-party merchants;

 

•

our plans to invest in our fulfillment infrastructure and technology platform as well as new business initiatives;

 

•

competition in our industry; and

 

•

relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry.

The forward-looking statements included in this prospectus, in the documents incorporated by reference herein and in any prospectus supplement are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our company. Our actual results of operations may differ materially from the forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors disclosed in this prospectus, in the documents incorporated by reference herein or in any accompanying prospectus supplement.

We would like to caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and you should read these statements in conjunction with the risk factors disclosed herein, in the documents incorporated by reference herein or in any accompanying prospectus supplement for a more complete discussion of the risks of an investment in our securities. We operate in a rapidly evolving environment. New risks emerge from time to time and it is impossible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable law.

 

2

OUR COMPANY

Overview

We are a leading technology driven e-commerce company transforming to become a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider. We generated total net revenues of RMB362.3 billion, RMB462.0 billion and RMB576.9 billion in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. We incurred net losses from continuing operations of RMB19 million and RMB2,801 million in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and generated net income from continuing operations of RMB11,890 million in 2019.

Overview of Our E-Commerce Business

We are the largest retail company in China by total revenues in 2019, according to Fortune Global 500. We believe our scale and market leadership are built upon our competitive edge in customer experience and operational efficiency, as well as our commitment to strategically invest in technology and logistics infrastructure for the long term.

Providing superior customer experience is our top priority. Our e-commerce business offers customers a wide selection of authentic products at competitive prices. We have built and operate our own nationwide fulfillment infrastructure that supports our e-commerce business. Our speedy, efficient and reliable fulfillment services ensure a high degree of customer satisfaction. We offer an enjoyable online shopping experience mainly through our content-rich, user-friendly and highly personalized mobile apps and website www.jd.com. We also provide comprehensive customer services and convenient payment options. Owing to the superior customer experience we provide, our loyal customer base has expanded rapidly. We had 292.5 million, 305.3 million and 362.0 million annual active customer accounts in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

We operate online retail and marketplace e-commerce businesses. In our online retail business, we purchase products from suppliers and sell them directly to our customers. We offer a wide range of product categories through our online retail business, including electronics products, home appliances and a large variety of other general merchandise categories. We have established strong relationships with our suppliers as our online retail business grows rapidly over time. As of December 31, 2019, we sourced products from over 24,000 suppliers.

Timely and reliable fulfillment is critical to our success. We believe we have the largest fulfillment infrastructure of any e-commerce company in China. Leveraging this nationwide fulfillment capability, we deliver a majority of the orders to customers by ourselves. In 2019, we further improved our efficiency in more cities, especially the less developed areas, as we continued to expand our same day and next day delivery service in these areas. Our fulfillment services have been proven to be highly reliable in response to customer needs, particularly in the event of business disruptions, such as during the recent COVID-19 outbreak.

We launched our online marketplace in October 2010, and have since then been continually adding third-party merchants and introducing new products and services, including premium international brands, to our customers. As of December 31, 2019, our online marketplace had over 270,000 third-party merchants, who are held to high standards for transacting with our customers. We aim to offer our customers with consistently high-quality online shopping experience regardless they purchase from us or third-party merchants. To this end, we require all third-party merchants to meet our strict standards for product authenticity and service reliability, and closely monitor their performance and activities on our online marketplace.

We provide a variety of digital marketing services to marketers on our e-commerce platform, including suppliers to our online retail business, third-party merchants on our online marketplace and other partners. Powered by AI technology, our digital marketing platform provides our marketing customers with comprehensive digital branding and performance-based marketing solutions and various effective measurement tools, which help them reach targeted audiences, attract and retain customers and improve their returns. Our

 

3

digital marketing platform also features automatic marketing operation including online marketing message creation, targeting, bidding, deployment and budget allocation, which enables marketers to manage their digital marketing strategy and spending in a convenient and efficient manner.

We are exploring a variety of omni-channel initiatives to meet our customers’ ever-growing demand. We believe we are well-positioned to empower traditional offline retailers by capitalizing on our strong online presence, industry know-how and omni-channel technology and systems. We collaborate with Walmart on e-commerce by launching Walmart and Sam’s Club Flagship Stores on our platform and providing fulfillment solutions to them. Through our strategic partnership with Dada Nexus Limited, or Dada Group, a leading platform for local on-demand retail and delivery in China, Dada Group has been cooperating with JD Logistics to provide our customers with on-demand and last-mile delivery services of a wide selection of grocery and other fresh products through JD-Daojia. We are also exploring in the offline retail market through 7FRESH, our offline fresh food markets, experimenting on the omni-channel model.

Our proprietary and scalable technology platform enhances user experience, improves operating efficiency and supports the growth in our e-commerce business. Leveraging machine-learning technology and massive data sets amassed from online purchase behaviors, we curate personalized product recommendations and push targeted promotions. We utilize AI technology to refine our merchandise sourcing strategy, allowing us to efficiently manage our inventory and control cost. With consumer insights generated from big data analytics, we provide tailor-made products through customer-to-manufacturer production, which increase sales and enhance customer satisfaction.

Overview of Our Supply Chain-based Technologies and Services

Today, we are transforming to become a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider. We take a holistic view on the supply chain covering from upstream manufacturing and procurement, logistics, distribution and retail to end customers.

With our leading position in the retail industry, we have established strong relationships with numerous suppliers, brands and partners. We leverage such relationships and our retail technology capability to provide them with a variety of service solutions. Over the past decade, we have also built a highly scalable and reliable logistics infrastructure and technology platform for our retail business. We are opening up logistics infrastructure and technology platform to third parties with comprehensive logistic services and technology solutions.

Technology is crucial to our achievements today and continued success in the future. It enables better customer experience, more customer cost savings and higher efficiency, while it also serves as a foundation to export our capabilities to enhance productivity and innovation across a multitude of industries in China.

Logistics Services

We made our strategic decision in 2007 to invest in and build our own nationwide fulfillment infrastructure. As of December 31, 2019, our nationwide fulfillment infrastructure covered almost all counties and districts across China, with a network of over 700 warehouses with an aggregate gross floor area of approximately 16.9 million square meters in 89 cities, including warehouse space managed under the JD Logistics Open Warehouse Platform. In addition, we had a team of over 132,200 delivery personnel and 43,700 warehouse staff as of December 31, 2019. Our fulfillment infrastructure is powered by proprietary smart logistics and automation technologies, such as intelligent hardware, robotics, voice recognition, computer vision and deep learning, which allow us to continuously improve our operational efficiency. With full control of the logistics network and associated data flow, we are able to optimize operations and modularize processes so as to ensure scalability and efficiency.

Over the past decade, we have consistently provided superior fulfillment services to our online retail customers, which has been well supported by our self-operated integrated logistics infrastructure and technology

 

4

platform. We also open up our leading logistics infrastructure to our third-party merchants and partners beyond our e-commerce business. We are expanding our logistics services to partners across various industries, as well as individual users. We provide services relating to almost all aspects of logistics operation, including warehousing management, storage, long-haul transportation, express and on-demand delivery and cold-chain and cross-border services, among others. We offer integrated supply chain management solutions to customers in various vertical markets. We also provide technology solutions for logistics operations to enable customers to transparently and effectively monitor, manage and optimize their logistic workflows.

Our Retail Technology Services and Other Technology Initiatives

Capitalizing on our retail data, infrastructure and technology, we commercialize our retail capability into services we offer to brands and partners in the retail industry. Through such services, we believe we can create, together with our partners, a more advanced and comprehensive retail ecosystem to reach and serve more consumers, wherever and whenever they shop.

We operate a technology service platform Kepler which provides comprehensive services for our partners to conduct online retail leveraging traffic on third-party channels. For example, we help brands set up Mini Programs on Tencent’s Weixin and provide one-stop services including mini-program creation, product selection and pricing, digital marketing, inventory management, fulfillment and customer services. Such services are especially valuable for brands with less sophisticated online retail experience but wish to boost sales through emerging mobile internet channels. In addition, powered by predictive analytics utilizing AI and big data, we also offer services to traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to optimize offline stores’ operation by recommending product selection based on local consumers’ preferences while managing stocks at optimum inventory level.

We have developed robust supply-chain based technology in three key areas, namely AI, Big data analytics and Cloud computing. We have world-class scientists and a large team of AI engineers. Our technology achievements have been well recognized globally and we strive to deliver best-in-class services to our customers and become the most trusted technology service provider in the industry. For example, we built a smart supply-chain platform NeuHub in April 2018, which consists of cloud-based AI infrastructure. It also includes application-level products supporting many use cases that are applicable to our business and ecosystem, as well as customers across industries.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 20th Floor, Building A, No. 18 Kechuang 11 Street, Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Daxing District, Beijing 101111, the People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 10 8911-8888. We have appointed Puglisi & Associates, located at 850 Library Avenue, Suite 204, Newark, Delaware 19711, as our agent upon whom process may be served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United States in connection with an offering of securities registered by the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Additional information with respect to our company is included in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including (i) our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on April 15, 2020, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed with the SEC on May 29, 2020 (File No. 001-36450) and (ii) our current report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on June 5, 2020 (File No. 001-36450). See “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” in this prospectus.

 

5

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves risk. Before you decide to buy our securities, you should carefully consider the risks described in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated herein by reference, as well as the risks that are described in the applicable prospectus supplement and in other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Please see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” for information on where you can find the documents we have filed with or furnished to the SEC and which are incorporated into this prospectus by reference.

 

6

USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as may be described otherwise in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities for general corporate purposes.

 

7

DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, and the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, which is referred to as the Companies Law below, and the common law of the Cayman Islands.

As of the date of this prospectus, the authorized capital of our company is US$2,000,000 divided into 99,000,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.00002 each and 1,000,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.00002 each. As of May 29, 2020, we had 2,957,371,009 ordinary shares outstanding, comprising of 2,506,489,928 Class A ordinary shares and 450,881,081 Class B ordinary shares.

Our Memorandum and Articles of Association

General. All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form, and are issued when registered in our register of members. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their ordinary shares. Our company will issue only non-negotiable shares, and will not issue bearer or negotiable shares.

Ordinary Shares. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares will have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.

Conversion. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon (i) any transfer of Class B ordinary shares or the voting power attached to Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an Affiliate (as defined in our memorandum and articles of association) of such holder, or (ii) the transfer of a majority of the issued and outstanding voting securities or the voting power attached to such voting securities or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of a holder of Class B ordinary shares that is an entity to any person or entity that is not an Affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares will be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares. All Class B ordinary shares will be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares when Mr. Richard Qiangdong Liu ceases to be a director and the chief executive officer of our company, or in some other specified situations.

Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, dividends may be declared and paid only out of funds legally available therefor, namely out of either profit or our share premium account, and provided further that a dividend may not be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Dividends received by each Class B ordinary share and Class A ordinary share in any dividend distribution shall be the same.

Voting Rights. Our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law or provided for in our memorandum and articles of association. In respect of matters requiring shareholders’ vote, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to twenty votes. Voting at any shareholders’ meeting is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by the chairman of such meeting or any shareholder holding not less than 10% of the votes of the outstanding voting shares in our company present in person or by proxy.

 

8

A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of one or more shareholders present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative, and holding shares which represent, in aggregate, not less than one-third of the votes attaching to the issued and outstanding voting shares in our company entitled to vote at general meetings. Shareholders may be present in person or by proxy or, if the shareholder is a legal entity, by its duly authorized representative. Shareholders’ meetings may be convened by our board of directors on its own initiative or by our chairman or upon a request to the directors by one or more shareholders holding shares which represent, in aggregate, no less than one-third of the votes attaching to our voting share capital. Advance notice of at least seven days is required for the convening of our annual general shareholders’ meeting and any other general shareholders’ meeting.

An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting. Holders of the ordinary shares may, among other things, divide or consolidate their shares by ordinary resolution. A special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as a change of name or making changes to our memorandum and articles of association. Both ordinary resolutions and special resolutions may also be passed by a unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders of our company, as permitted by the Companies Law and our memorandum and articles of association.

Under our memorandum and articles of association, so long as the total issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares constitute a majority of our aggregate voting rights and a majority of the total issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares are held by the persons (exclusive of Max Smart Limited, Fortune Rising Holdings Limited, Mr. Richard Qiangdong Liu and their Affiliates) that were our shareholders immediately prior to the completion of our initial public offering, any amendments to our memorandum and articles of association and certain related party transactions between Mr. Richard Qiangdong Liu or any of his immediate family members or Affiliates, on one hand, and us on the other hand, require approval by both (i) holders of a majority of the total issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares (exclusive of Max Smart Limited, Fortune Rising Holdings Limited, Mr. Richard Qiangdong Liu and their Affiliates) and (ii) holders of a majority of our aggregate voting rights.

Liquidation. On a winding up of our company, if the assets available for distribution among our shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus will be distributed among our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them.

Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their shares. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.

Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares. We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders thereof, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined, before the issue of such shares, by our board of directors or by a special resolution of our shareholders. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares provided that the manner and terms of such purchase have been approved by our board of directors or by ordinary resolution of our shareholders, or are otherwise authorized by our memorandum and articles of association. Under the Companies Law, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if our company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts

 

9

as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Law no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding, or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.

Variations of Rights of Shares. The rights attached to any class or series of shares (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series), whether or not our company is being wound-up, may only be varied with the consent in writing of the holders of a majority of the issued shares of that class or series or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of that class or series.

Anti-Takeover Provisions. Some provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that:

 

•

authorize our board of directors to issue preference shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preference shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and

 

•

limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders.

However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.

General Meetings of Shareholders and Shareholder Proposals. Our shareholders’ general meetings may be held in such place within or outside the Cayman Islands as our board of directors considers appropriate.

As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that we may (but are not obliged to) in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting.

Shareholders’ annual general meetings and any other general meetings of our shareholders may be convened by a majority of our board of directors or our chairman. Our board of directors shall give not less than seven days’ written notice of a shareholders’ meeting to those persons whose names appear as members in our register of members on the date the notice is given (or on any other date determined by our directors to be the record date for such meeting) and who are entitled to vote at the meeting.

Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our memorandum and articles of association allow one or more of our shareholders holding shares representing in aggregate not less than one-third of the votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings, to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting; however, our memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders.

Limitations on the Right to Own Shares. There are no limitations on the right to own our shares.

Transfer of Shares. Any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors.

 

10

However, our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or on which our company has a lien. Our board of directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless:

 

•

the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;

 

•

the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of shares;

 

•

the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required;

 

•

the ordinary shares transferred are free of any lien in favor of us;

 

•

any fee related to the transfer has been paid to us; or

 

•

in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the transfer is not to more than four joint holders.

If our directors refuse to register a transfer they are required, within three months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, to send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.

Directors’ Power to Issue Shares. Our memorandum and articles of association authorize our board of directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares.

Our memorandum and articles of association also authorize our board of directors to establish from time to time one or more series of preference shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preference shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:

 

•

the designation of the series;

 

•

the number of shares of the series;

 

•

the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights; and

 

•

the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences.

Our board of directors may issue preference shares without action by our shareholders to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.

Exempted Company. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Law. The Companies Law in the Cayman Islands distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:

 

•

an exempted company does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies;

 

•

an exempted company’s register of members is not required to be open to inspection;

 

•

an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;

 

•

an exempted company may issue no par value, negotiable or bearer shares;

 

•

an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance);

 

11

•

an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;

 

•

an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and

 

•

an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company.

“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on that shareholder’s shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil). We are subject to reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable to foreign private issuers. Except as otherwise disclosed in this annual report, we currently intend to comply with the Nasdaq rules in lieu of following home country practice.

Register of Members. Under the Companies Law, we must keep a register of members and there should be entered therein:

 

•

the names and addresses of our members, together with a statement of the shares held by each member, and such statement shall confirm (i) the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member, (ii) the number and category of shares held by each member, and (iii) whether each relevant category of shares held by a member carries voting rights under the articles of association of the company, and if so, whether such voting rights are conditional;

 

•

the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and

 

•

the date on which any person ceased to be a member.

Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members is deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members.

If the name of any person is incorrectly entered in or omitted from our register of members, or if there is any default or unnecessary delay in entering on the register the fact of any person having ceased to be a member of our company, the person or member aggrieved (or any member of our company or our company itself) may apply to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands for an order that the register be rectified, and the Court may either refuse such application or it may, if satisfied of the justice of the case, make an order for the rectification of the register.

Proposed Amendments to Our Articles of Association

On June 1, 2020, we made an undertaking to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, or the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, pursuant to which we undertake to put forth resolutions in relation to the amendment of certain provisions of our current articles of association, or the Articles, to our shareholders at or before our next annual general meeting which is expected to be convened around mid-2021 after the consummation of the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, such that:

 

•

we shall hold an annual general meeting every year;

 

•

we shall give our members 14 days’ written notice for general meetings of our company;

 

•

the minimum stake required to convene a general meeting and add resolutions to a meeting agenda will not be higher than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of our company; and

 

 

12

•

the quorum for a general meeting of our company will be lowered from the current one-third of the aggregate voting power of our company to 10% of the aggregate voting power of our company.

In addition, we will be proposing to put forth another resolution at or before the next general meeting to amend the Articles, so that the quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the directors shall be a majority of the members of the board of directors.

On June 1, 2020, an irrevocable deed of undertaking was made to the board of directors of our company by Max Smart Limited, a company wholly owned by our chairman and chief executive officer, Mr. Richard Qiangdong Liu and of which he is the sole director. Conditional upon the consummation of the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Max Smart Limited irrevocably confirms, warrants and undertakes to vote all of the ordinary shares of our company then held or controlled by it at the time of the general meeting in favor of those proposed amendments to the Articles described above, and will upon request execute a proxy form in favor of Mr. Richard Qiangdong Liu, as the chairman of our company, to vote all such ordinary shares accordingly.

Differences in Corporate Law

The Companies Law is derived, to a large extent, from the older Companies Acts of England but does not follow recent United Kingdom statutory enactments, and accordingly there are significant differences between the Companies Law and the current Companies Act of England. In addition, the Companies Law differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.

Mergers and Similar Arrangements. The Companies Law permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (a) “merger” means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company and (b) a “consolidation” means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a combined company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. The written plan of merger or consolidation must be filed with the Registrar of Companies together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a list of the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Dissenting shareholders have the right to be paid the fair value of their shares (which, if not agreed between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) if they follow the required procedures, subject to certain exceptions. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation which is effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.

In addition, there are statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies, provided that the arrangement is approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders or creditors (representing 75% by value) with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must, in addition, represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:

 

•

the statutory provisions as to the required majority vote have been met;

 

13

•

the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class;

 

•

the arrangement is such that may be reasonably approved by an intelligent and honest man of that class acting in respect of his interest; and

 

•

the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Law.

When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares affected within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed in the case of an offer which has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.

If an arrangement and reconstruction is thus approved, the dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.

Shareholders’ Suits. In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff and as a general rule a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands court can be expected to apply and follow the common law principles (namely the rule in Foss v. Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) which permit a minority shareholder to commence a class action against, or derivative actions in the name of, a company to challenge the following:

 

•

an acts which is illegal or ultra vires and is therefore incapable of ratification by the shareholders;

 

•

an act which, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by a special or qualified majority vote that has not been obtained; and

 

•

an act which constitutes a fraud on the minority where the wrongdoers are themselves in control of the company.

Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability. Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that our directors and officers shall be indemnified against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such director or officer, other than by reason of such person’s own dishonesty, wilful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, we intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that will provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our memorandum and articles of association.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

14

Directors’ Fiduciary Duties. Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He or she must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, a director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.

As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore he owes the following duties to the company: a duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a personal profit based on his or her position as director (unless the company permits him to do so), a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his or her personal interest or his or her duty to a third party and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his or her duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his or her knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.

Shareholder Proposals. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.

Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our memorandum and articles of association allow our shareholders holding shares representing in aggregate not less than one-third of the votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings, to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting; however, our memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders.

Cumulative Voting. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. Cayman Islands law does not prohibit cumulative voting, but our memorandum and articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.

Removal of Directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled

 

15

to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our memorandum and articles of association, directors may be removed by ordinary resolution of our shareholders. In addition, a director’s office shall be vacated if the director (i) becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; (ii) dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; (iii) resigns his office by notice in writing to the company; (iv) without special leave of absence from our board of directors, is absent from three consecutive meetings of the board and the board resolves that his office be vacated or; (v) is removed from office pursuant to any other provisions of our memorandum and articles of association.

Transactions with Interested Shareholders. The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware public corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws that is approved by its shareholders, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target’s outstanding voting stock or who or which is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and owned 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.

Cayman Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, it does provide that such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company and for a proper corporate purpose and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.

Dissolution; Winding Up. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.

Under Cayman Islands law, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.

Variation of Rights of Shares. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our articles of association, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class, materially adversely vary the rights attached to any class only with the written consent of the holders of a majority of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to the shares of that class, be deemed to be materially adversely varied by, inter alia, the creation, allotment or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu with or subsequent to them or the redemption or purchase of any shares of any class by the company. The rights of the holders of shares shall not be deemed to be materially adversely varied by the creation or issue of shares with preferred or other rights including, without limitation, the creation of shares with enhanced or weighted voting rights.

 

16

Amendment of Governing Documents. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may be amended only if adopted and declared advisable by the board of directors and approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote and the bylaws may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote and may, if so provided in the certificate of incorporation, also be amended by the board of directors. Under the Companies Law, our memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by special resolution of our shareholders.

Rights of Non-Resident or Foreign Shareholders. There are no limitations imposed by our memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.

Inspection of Books and Records

Holders of our ordinary shares have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than copies of our memorandum and articles of association, our register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by our shareholders). However, we intend to provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

History of Securities Issuances

The following is a summary of our securities issuances in the past three years.

Equity Securities

In June 2018, we issued 27,106,948 of our Class A ordinary shares to Google LLC for US$550 million.

On May 10, 2019, we renewed the strategic cooperation agreement with Tencent for a period of three years starting from May 27, 2019. We agreed to issue to Tencent a certain number of our Class A ordinary shares for a total consideration of approximately US$250 million at prevailing market prices at certain pre-determined dates during the subsequent three-year period, of which 8,127,302 and 2,938,584 of our Class A ordinary shares were issued in May 2019 and May 2020, respectively.

Debt Securities

In January 2020, we issued an aggregate of US$700 million unsecured senior notes due 2030, with a stated annual interest rate of 3.375%, and an aggregate of US$300 million unsecured senior notes due 2050, with a stated annual interest rate of 4.125%.

Registration Rights

Pursuant to the investor rights agreement entered into on June 20, 2016 with Newheight, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart and an investor rights agreement entered into on June 18, 2018 with Google LLC, we have granted certain registration rights to Newheight and Google LLC, with respect to our registrable securities, which include our ordinary shares and ordinary shares issued as a dividend or other distribution therefor. Set forth below is a description of the registration rights. Newheight will be entitled to these registration rights only after the expiration of a period of sixty (60) months after June 20, 2016.

Demand Registration Rights

Subject to any applicable lock-up agreement they may enter into, Newheight and Google LLC have the right to demand that we file a registration statement to enable the sale of their registrable securities. We have the right

 

17

to defer the filing of a registration statement up to 90 days if our board of directors determines in good faith that such registration and offering would be seriously detrimental to us and our shareholders, provided that we may not utilize this right more than once in any 12-month period and during such 90-day period, we shall not file a registration statement with respect to the public offering of our securities.

Piggyback Registration Rights

If we propose to file a registration statement for a public offering of our securities other than a registration (i) relating to any employee benefit plan, (ii) relating to corporate reorganization, (iii) on a form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required for registration of the registrable securities, or (iv) in which the only shares being registered are shares issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered, we must offer holders of our registrable securities an opportunity to include in the registration all or any part of their registrable securities. If the managing underwriters of any underwritten offering determine in good faith that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of shares to be underwritten, the managing underwriters may decide to exclude shares from the registration and the underwriting and to allocate the number of securities first to us and second to each of holders requesting for the inclusion of their registrable securities on a pro rata basis based on the total number of registrable securities held by each such holder and third, to holders of other securities of our company, provided that in no event may any registrable securities be excluded from such offering unless all other securities are first excluded.

Registration on Form F-3

Holders of our registrable securities have the right to request that we file a registration statement on Form F-3. We also have the right to postpone a registration pursuant to this request up to 90 days if our board of directors determines in good faith that it would be seriously detrimental to us for such registration statement to be filed, provided that we may not file a registration statement with respect to the public offering of our securities during such 90-day period. We may not utilize this right more than once in any 12-month period.

Expenses of Registration

We will pay all expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) in connection with the demand registration, Form F-3 registration and piggyback registration including, among others, all registration and filing fees, printers’ and accounting fees, fees and disbursements of counsel for us, reasonable fees and disbursements of a single special counsel for the holders.

Termination of Registration

We have no obligations to effect any demand, piggyback or Form F-3 registration rights of Google LLC with respect to any registrable securities proposed to be sold by Google LLC more than two (2) years after the expiration of a period of twelve (12) months after June 18, 2018, or, if, in the opinion of counsel to our company, all such registrable securities proposed to be sold by Google LLC may then be sold without registration in any ninety (90) day period pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act.

We have no obligations to effect any demand, piggyback or Form F-3 registration rights of Newheight with respect to any registrable securities proposed to be sold by Newheight more than two (2) years after the expiration of a period of sixty (60) months after June 20, 2016, or, if, in the opinion of counsel to our company, all such registrable securities proposed to be sold by Newheight may then be sold without registration in any ninety (90) day period pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act.

 

18

DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as depositary issues the ADSs. Each ADS represents an ownership interest in two Class A ordinary shares which we deposit with the custodian, as agent of the depositary, under the deposit agreement among ourselves, the depositary and yourself as an ADR holder. Each ADS also represents any securities, cash or other property deposited with the depositary but which they have not distributed directly to you. Unless specifically requested by you, all ADSs are issued on the books of our depositary in book-entry form and periodic statements are mailed to you which reflect your ownership interest in such ADSs. In our description, references to American depositary receipts or ADRs shall include the statements you will receive which reflect your ownership of ADSs.

The depositary’s principal executive office is located at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, United States of America.

You may hold ADSs either directly or indirectly through your broker or other financial institution. If you hold ADSs directly, by having an ADS registered in your name on the books of the depositary, you are an ADR holder. This description assumes you hold your ADSs directly. If you hold the ADSs through your broker or financial institution nominee, you must rely on the procedures of such broker or financial institution to assert the rights of an ADR holder described in this section. You should consult with your broker or financial institution to find out what those procedures are.

As an ADR holder, you are not treated as a shareholder of ours and you do not have any shareholder rights. Cayman Islands law governs shareholder rights. Because the depositary or its nominee will be the shareholder of record for the shares represented by all outstanding ADSs, shareholder rights rest with such record holder. Your rights are those of an ADR holder. Such rights derive from the terms of the deposit agreement to be entered into among us, the depositary and all registered holders from time to time of ADSs issued under the deposit agreement. The obligations of the depositary and its agents are also set out in the deposit agreement. Because the depositary or its nominee is actually the registered owner of the shares, you must rely on it to exercise the rights of a shareholder on your behalf. The deposit agreement and the ADSs are governed by New York law. See “—Governing Law, Jurisdiction and Arbitration.”

The following is a summary of what we believe to be the material terms of the deposit agreement. Notwithstanding this, because it is a summary, it may not contain all the information that you may otherwise deem important. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit agreement and the form of ADR which contains the terms of your ADSs. You can read a copy of the deposit agreement which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-198578) for our company. You may also obtain a copy of the deposit agreement at the SEC’s Public Reference Room which is located at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330. You may also find the registration statement and the attached deposit agreement on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

Share Dividends and Other Distributions

How will I receive dividends and other distributions on the shares underlying my ADSs?

We may make various types of distributions with respect to our securities. The depositary has agreed that, to the extent practicable, it will pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on shares or other deposited securities, after converting any cash received into U.S. dollars and, in all cases, making any necessary deductions provided for in the deposit agreement. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of underlying securities that your ADSs represent.

 

19

Except as stated below, the depositary will deliver such distributions to ADR holders in proportion to their interests in the following manner:

 

•

Cash. The depositary will distribute any U.S. dollars available to it resulting from a cash dividend or other cash distribution or the net proceeds of sales of any other distribution or portion thereof (to the extent applicable), on an averaged or other practicable basis, subject to (i) appropriate adjustments for taxes withheld, (ii) such distribution being impermissible or impracticable with respect to certain registered ADR holders, and (iii) deduction of the depositary’s expenses in (1) converting any foreign currency to U.S. dollars to the extent that it determines that such conversion may be made on a reasonable basis, (2) transferring foreign currency or U.S. dollars to the United States by such means as the depositary may determine to the extent that it determines that such transfer may be made on a reasonable basis, (3) obtaining any approval or license of any governmental authority required for such conversion or transfer, which is obtainable at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable time and (4) making any sale by public or private means in any commercially reasonable manner. The depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest-bearing account for the benefit of the applicable holders and beneficial owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States. If exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert a foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution.

 

•

Shares. In the case of a distribution in shares, the depositary will issue additional ADRs to evidence the number of ADSs representing such shares. Only whole ADSs will be issued. Any shares which would result in fractional ADSs will be sold and the net proceeds will be distributed in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto.

 

•

Rights to Receive Additional Shares. In the case of a distribution of rights to subscribe for additional shares or other rights, if we provide evidence satisfactory to the depositary that it may lawfully distribute such rights, the depositary will distribute warrants or other instruments in the discretion of the depositary representing such rights. However, if we do not furnish such evidence, the depositary may:

 

•

sell such rights if practicable and distribute the net proceeds in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto; or

 

•

if it is not practicable to sell such rights, do nothing and allow such rights to lapse, in which case ADR holders will receive nothing.

We have no obligation to file a registration statement under the Securities Act in order to make any rights available to ADR holders.

 

•

Other Distributions. In the case of a distribution of securities or property other than those described above, the depositary may either (i) distribute such securities or property in any manner it deems equitable and practicable or (ii) to the extent the depositary deems distribution of such securities or property not to be equitable and practicable, sell such securities or property and distribute any net proceeds in the same way it distributes cash.

If the depositary determines that any distribution described above is not practicable with respect to any specific registered ADR holder, the depositary may choose any method of distribution that it deems practicable for such ADR holder, including the distribution of foreign currency, securities or property, or it may retain such items, without paying interest on or investing them, on behalf of the ADR holder as deposited securities, in which case the ADSs will also represent the retained items.

Any U.S. dollars will be distributed by checks drawn on a bank in the United States for whole dollars and cents. Fractional cents will be withheld without liability and dealt with by the depositary in accordance with its then current practices.

 

20

The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADR holders.

We cannot assure you that the depositary will be able to convert any currency at a specified exchange rate or sell any property, rights, shares or other securities at a specified price, nor that any of such transactions can be completed within a specified time period.

Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation

How does the depositary issue ADSs?

The depositary will issue ADSs if you or your broker deposit shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian and pay the fees and expenses owing to the depositary in connection with such issuance.

Shares deposited in the future with the custodian must be accompanied by certain delivery documentation and shall, at the time of such deposit, be registered in the name of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as depositary for the benefit of holders of ADRs or in such other name as the depositary shall direct.

The custodian will hold all deposited shares for the account of the depositary. ADR holders thus have no direct ownership interest in the shares and only have such rights as are contained in the deposit agreement. The custodian will also hold any additional securities, property and cash received on or in substitution for the deposited shares. The deposited shares and any such additional items are referred to as “deposited securities.”

Upon each deposit of shares, receipt of related delivery documentation and compliance with the other provisions of the deposit agreement, including the payment of the fees and charges of the depositary and any taxes or other fees or charges owing, the depositary will issue an ADR or ADRs in the name or upon the order of the person entitled thereto evidencing the number of ADSs to which such person is entitled. All of the ADSs issued will, unless specifically requested to the contrary, be part of the depositary’s direct registration system, and a registered holder will receive periodic statements from the depositary which will show the number of ADSs registered in such holder’s name. An ADR holder can request that the ADSs not be held through the depositary’s direct registration system and that a certificated ADR be issued.

How do ADR holders cancel an ADS and obtain deposited securities?

When you turn in your ADR certificate at the depositary’s office, or when you provide proper instructions and documentation in the case of direct registration ADSs, the depositary will, upon payment of certain applicable fees, charges and taxes, deliver the underlying shares to you or upon your written order. At your risk, expense and request, the depositary may deliver deposited securities at such other place as you may request.

The depositary may only restrict the withdrawal of deposited securities in connection with:

 

•

temporary delays caused by closing our transfer books or those of the depositary or the deposit of shares in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or the payment of dividends;

 

•

the payment of fees, taxes and similar charges; or

 

•

compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the ADRs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities.

This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.

Record Dates

The depositary may, after consultation with us if practicable, fix record dates for the determination of the registered ADR holders who will be entitled (or obligated, as the case may be):

 

•

to receive any distribution on or in respect of shares,

 

21

•

to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at a meeting of holders of shares,

 

•

to pay the fee assessed by the depositary for administration of the ADR program and for any expenses as provided for in the ADR, or

 

•

to receive any notice or to act in respect of other matters.

all subject to the provisions of the deposit agreement.

Voting Rights

How do I vote?

If you are an ADR holder and the depositary asks you to provide it with voting instructions, you may instruct the depositary how to exercise the voting rights for the shares which underlie your ADSs. As soon as practicable after receiving notice of any meeting or solicitation of consents or proxies from us, the depositary will distribute to the registered ADR holders a notice stating such information as is contained in the voting materials received by the depositary and describing how you may instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights for the shares which underlie your ADSs. For instructions to be valid, the depositary must receive them in the manner and on or before the date specified. The depositary will try, as far as is practical, subject to the provisions of and governing the underlying shares or other deposited securities, to vote or to have its agents vote the shares or other deposited securities as you instruct. The depositary will only vote or attempt to vote as you instruct. If we timely requested the depositary to solicit your instructions but no instructions are received by the depositary from a holder with respect to any of the deposited securities represented by the ADSs of that holder on or before the date established by the depositary for such purpose, the depositary shall deem that holder to have instructed the depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us with respect to such deposited securities, and the depositary shall give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us to vote such deposited securities. However, no such instruction shall be deemed given and no such discretionary proxy shall be given with respect to any matter if we inform the depositary we do not wish such proxy given, substantial opposition exists or the matter materially and adversely affects the rights of holders of the ordinary shares. Furthermore, neither the depositary nor its agents are responsible for any failure to carry out any voting instructions, for the manner in which any vote is cast or for the effect of any vote. Notwithstanding anything contained in the deposit agreement or any ADR, the depositary may, to the extent not prohibited by law or regulations, or by the requirements of the stock exchange on which the ADSs are listed, in lieu of distribution of the materials provided to the depositary in connection with any meeting of, or solicitation of consents or proxies from, holders of deposited securities, distribute to the registered holders of ADRs a notice that provides such holders with, or otherwise publicizes to such holders, instructions on how to retrieve such materials or receive such materials upon request (i.e., by reference to a website containing the materials for retrieval or a contact for requesting copies of the materials).

Under our constituent documents the depositary would be able to provide us with voting instructions without having to personally attend meetings in person or by proxy. Such voting instructions may be provided to us via facsimile, email, mail, courier or other recognized form of delivery and we agree to accept any such delivery so long as it is timely received prior to the meeting. We will endeavor to provide the depositary with written notice of each meeting of shareholders promptly after determining the date of such meeting so as to enable it to solicit and receive voting instructions. In general, the depositary will require that voting instructions be received by the depositary no less than five business days prior to the date of each meeting of shareholders. Under our current memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required to convene a general meeting is seven days. The depositary may not have sufficient time to solicit voting instructions, and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote.

Notwithstanding the above, we have advised the depositary that under the Cayman Islands law and our constituent documents, each as in effect as of the date of the deposit agreement, voting at any meeting of

 

22

shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the results of the show of hands) demanded. In the event that voting on any resolution or matter is conducted on a show of hands basis in accordance with our constituent documents, the depositary will refrain from voting and the voting instructions (or the deemed voting instructions, as set out above) received by the depositary from holders shall lapse. The depositary will not demand a poll or join in demanding a poll, whether or not requested to do so by holders of ADSs.

There is no guarantee that you will receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote.

Reports and Other Communications

Will ADR holders be able to view our reports?

The depositary will make available for inspection by ADR holders at the offices of the depositary and the custodian the deposit agreement, the provisions of or governing deposited securities, and any written communications from us which are both received by the custodian or its nominee as a holder of deposited securities and made generally available to the holders of deposited securities.

Additionally, if we make any written communications generally available to holders of our shares, and we furnish copies thereof (or English translations or summaries) to the depositary, it will distribute the same to registered ADR holders.

Fees and Expenses

What fees and expenses will I be responsible for paying?

As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following service fees to the depositary bank and certain taxes and governmental charges (in addition to any applicable fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges payable on the deposited securities represented by any of your ADSs):

 

Service		Fees
•  to any person to whom ADSs are issued or to any person to whom a distribution is made in respect of ADS distributions pursuant to stock dividends or other free distributions of stock, bonus distributions, stock splits or other distributions (except where converted to cash)		Up to US$0.05 per ADS issued
•  Surrendering ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of deposited securities		Up to US$0.05 per ADS surrendered
•  Distribution of cash dividends		Up to US$0.05 per ADS held
•  Distribution of cash entitlements (other than cash dividends) and/or cash proceeds, including proceeds from the sale of rights, securities and other entitlements		Up to US$0.05 per ADS held
•  Distribution of ADSs pursuant to exercise of rights.		Up to US$0.05 per ADS held
•  Operation and maintenance costs		Up to US$0.05 per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary bank

 

23

As an ADS holder, you will also be responsible to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the depositary bank and certain taxes and governmental charges (in addition to any applicable fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges payable on the deposited securities represented by any of your ADSs) such as:

 

•

Fees for the transfer and registration of ordinary shares charged by the registrar and transfer agent for the ordinary shares in the Cayman Islands (i.e., upon deposit and withdrawal of ordinary shares).

 

•

Expenses incurred for converting foreign currency into U.S. dollars.

 

•

Expenses for cable, telex, fax and electronic transmissions and for delivery of securities.

 

•

Taxes and duties upon the transfer of securities, including any applicable stamp duties, any stock transfer charges or withholding taxes (i.e., when ordinary shares are deposited or withdrawn from deposit).

 

•

Fees and expenses incurred in connection with the delivery of ordinary shares on deposit or the servicing of ordinary shares, deposited securities and/or ADSs.

 

•

Fees and expenses incurred in connection with complying with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to ordinary shares, deposited securities, ADSs and ADRs.

The depositary fees payable upon the issuance and cancellation of ADSs are typically paid to the depositary bank by the brokers (on behalf of their clients) receiving the newly issued ADSs from the depositary bank and by the brokers (on behalf of their clients) delivering the ADSs to the depositary bank for cancellation. The brokers in turn charge these fees to their clients. Depositary fees payable in connection with distributions of cash or securities to ADS holders and the depositary services fee are charged by the depositary bank to the holders of record of ADSs as of the applicable ADS record date.

The depositary fees payable for cash distributions are generally deducted from the cash being distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. In the case of distributions other than cash (i.e., share dividends, rights), the depositary bank charges the applicable fee to the ADS record date holders concurrent with the distribution. In the case of ADSs registered in the name of the investor (whether certificated or uncertificated in direct registration), the depositary bank sends invoices to the applicable record date ADS holders. In the case of ADSs held in brokerage and custodian accounts (via DTC), the depositary bank generally collects its fees through the systems provided by DTC (whose nominee is the registered holder of the ADSs held in DTC) from the brokers and custodians holding ADSs in their DTC accounts. The brokers and custodians who hold their clients’ ADSs in DTC accounts in turn charge their clients’ accounts the amount of the fees paid to the depositary banks.

In the event of refusal to pay the depositary fees, the depositary bank may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder.

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as depositary, has agreed to reimburse us for a portion of certain expenses we incur that are related to establishment and maintenance of the ADR program, including investor relations expenses. There are limits on the amount of expenses for which the depositary will reimburse us, but the amount of reimbursement available to us is not related to the amounts of fees the depositary collects from investors. Further, the depositary has agreed to reimburse us certain fees payable to the depositary by holders of ADSs. Neither the depositary nor we can determine the exact amount to be made available to us because (i) the number of ADSs that will be issued and outstanding, (ii) the level of service fees to be charged to holders of ADSs and (iii) our reimbursable expenses related to the program are not known at this time.

Payment of Taxes

You will be responsible for any taxes or other governmental charges payable on your ADSs or on the deposited securities represented by any of your ADSs. The depositary may refuse to register any transfer of your

 

24

ADSs or allow you to withdraw the deposited securities represented by your ADSs until such taxes or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to you or sell deposited securities represented by your ADSs to pay any taxes owed and you will remain liable for any deficiency. If the depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to you any net proceeds, or send to you any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes. You agree to indemnify us, the depositary, the custodian and each of our and their respective agents, directors, employees and affiliates for, and hold each of them harmless from, any claims with respect to taxes (including applicable interest and penalties thereon) arising from any refund of taxes, reduced rate of withholding or other tax benefit obtained for you. Your obligations under this paragraph shall survive any transfer of any ADRs, any surrender of ADRs and withdrawal of deposited securities or the termination of the deposit agreement.

Reclassifications, Recapitalizations and Mergers

If we take certain actions that affect the deposited securities, including (i) any change in par value, split-up, consolidation, cancellation or other reclassification of deposited securities or (ii) any distributions not made to holders of ADRs or (iii) any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, liquidation, receivership, bankruptcy or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, then the depositary may choose to:

 

•

distribute additional or amended ADRs;

 

•

distribute cash, securities or other property it has received in connection with such actions;

 

•

sell any securities or property received and distribute the proceeds as cash; or

 

•

none of the above.

Any of the cash, securities or other property the depositary receives will constitute part of the deposited securities and each ADS will then represent a proportionate interest in such property.

Amendment and Termination

How may the deposit agreement be amended?

We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADSs without your consent for any reason. ADR holders must be given at least 30 days, notice of any amendment that imposes or increases any fees or charges (other than stock transfer or other taxes and other governmental charges, transfer or registration fees, cable, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or otherwise prejudices any substantial existing right of ADR holders. Such notice need not describe in detail the specific amendments effectuated thereby, but must give ADR holders a means to access the text of such amendment. If an ADR holder continues to hold an ADR or ADRs after being so notified, such ADR holder is deemed to agree to such amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement as so amended. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any governmental body or regulatory body should adopt new laws, rules or regulations which would require amendment or supplement of the deposit agreement or the form of ADR to ensure compliance therewith, we and the depositary may amend or supplement the deposit agreement and the ADR at any time in accordance with such changed laws, rules or regulations, which amendment or supplement may take effect before a notice is given or within any other period of time as required for compliance. No amendment, however, will impair your right to surrender your ADSs and receive the underlying securities, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law.

How may the deposit agreement be terminated?

The depositary shall at our written direction, terminate the deposit agreement and the ADRs by mailing notice of such termination to the registered holders of ADRs at least 60 days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination; provided, however, if the depositary shall have (i) resigned as depositary under the deposit

 

25

agreement, notice of such termination by the depositary shall not be provided to registered holders unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement within 30 days of the date of such resignation, and (ii) been removed as depositary under the deposit agreement, notice of such termination by the depositary shall not be provided to registered holders of ADRs unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement on the 90th day after our notice of removal was first provided to the depositary. After termination, the depositary’s only responsibility will be (i) to deliver deposited securities to ADR holders who surrender their ADRs, and (ii) to hold or sell distributions received on deposited securities. Six months or more after the termination date, the depositary will sell the deposited securities which remain and hold the net proceeds of such sales (as long as it may lawfully do so), without liability for interest, in trust for the ADR holders who have not yet surrendered their ADRs. After making such sale, the depositary shall have no obligations except to account for such proceeds and other cash. After termination, our only obligations will be ongoing indemnity and any fee obligations to the depositary.

Limitations on Obligations and Liability to ADS Holders

Limits on our obligations and the obligations of the depositary; limits on liability to ADR holders and holders of ADSs

Prior to the issue, registration, registration of transfer, split-up, combination, or cancellation of any ADRs, or the delivery of any distribution in respect thereof, and from time to time, we or the depositary or its custodian may require:

 

•

payment with respect thereto of (i) any stock transfer or other tax or other governmental charge, (ii) any stock transfer or registration fees in effect for the registration of transfers of shares or other deposited securities upon any applicable register and (iii) any applicable fees and expenses described in the deposit agreement;

 

•

the production of proof satisfactory to it of (i) the identity of any signatory and genuineness of any signature and (ii) such other information, including without limitation, information as to citizenship, residence, exchange control approval, beneficial ownership of any securities, compliance with applicable law, regulations, provisions of or governing deposited securities and terms of the deposit agreement and the ADRs, as it may deem necessary or proper; and

 

•

compliance with such regulations as the depositary may establish consistent with the deposit agreement.

The issuance of ADRs, the acceptance of deposits of shares, the registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of ADRs or the withdrawal of shares, may be suspended, generally or in particular instances, when the ADR register or any register for deposited securities is closed or when any such action is deemed advisable by the depositary; provided that the ability to withdrawal shares may only be limited under the following circumstances: (i) temporary delays caused by closing transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books or the deposit of shares in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or the payment of dividends, (ii) the payment of fees, taxes, and similar charges, and (iii) compliance with any laws or governmental regulations relating to ADRs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities.

The deposit agreement expressly limits the obligations and liability of the depositary, ourselves and our respective agents. Neither we nor the depositary nor any such agent will be liable if:

 

•

any present or future law, rule, regulation, fiat, order or decree of the United States, the Cayman Islands, the People’s Republic of China or any other country, or of any governmental or regulatory authority or securities exchange or market or automated quotation system, the provisions of or governing any deposited securities, any present or future provision of our charter, any act of God, war, terrorism or other circumstance beyond our, the depositary’s or our respective agents’ control shall prevent or delay, or shall cause any of them to be subject to any civil or criminal penalty in connection with, any act which the deposit agreement or the ADRs provide shall be done or performed by us, the depositary or our respective agents (including, without limitation, voting);

 

26

•

it exercises or fails to exercise discretion under the deposit agreement or the ADR;

 

•

it performs its obligations under the deposit agreement and ADRs without gross negligence or bad faith;

 

•

it takes any action or refrains from taking any action in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting shares for deposit, any registered holder of ADRs, or any other person believed by it to be competent to give such advice or information; or

 

•

it relies upon any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

Neither the depositary nor its agents have any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities or the ADRs. We and our agents shall only be obligated to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities or the ADRs, which in our opinion may involve us in expense or liability, if indemnity satisfactory to us against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability is furnished as often as may be required. The depositary and its agents may fully respond to any and all demands or requests for information maintained by or on its behalf in connection with the deposit agreement, any registered holder or holders of ADRs, any ADRs or otherwise related to the deposit agreement or ADRs to the extent such information is requested or required by or pursuant to any lawful authority, including without limitation laws, rules, regulations, administrative or judicial process, banking, securities or other regulators. The depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions made by any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of deposited securities or otherwise. Furthermore, the depositary shall not be responsible for, and shall incur no liability in connection with or arising from, the insolvency of any custodian that is not a branch or affiliate of the depositary. The depositary and the custodian(s) may use third-party delivery services and providers of information regarding matters such as pricing, proxy voting, corporate actions, class action litigation and other services in connection with the ADRs and the deposit agreement, and use local agents to provide extraordinary services such as attendance at annual meetings of issuers of securities. Although the depositary and the custodian will use reasonable care (and cause their agents to use reasonable care) in the selection and retention of such third-party providers and local agents, they will not be responsible for any errors or omissions made by them in providing the relevant information or services.

Additionally, none of us, the depositary or the custodian shall be liable for the failure by any registered holder of ADRs or beneficial owner therein to obtain the benefits of credits on the basis of non-U.S. tax paid against such holder’s or beneficial owner’s income tax liability. Neither we nor the depositary shall incur any liability for any tax consequences that may be incurred by holders or beneficial owners on account of their ownership of ADRs or ADSs.

Neither the depositary nor its agents will be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the deposited securities, for the manner in which any such vote is cast or for the effect of any such vote. Neither the depositary nor any of its agents shall be liable to registered holders of ADRs or beneficial owners of interests in ADSs for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (including, without limitation, lost profits) of any form incurred by any person or entity, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the type of action in which such a claim may be brought.

In the deposit agreement each party thereto (including, for avoidance of doubt, each holder and beneficial owner and/or holder of interests in ADRs) irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in any suit, action or proceeding against the depositary and/or the company directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to the shares or other deposited securities, the ADSs or the ADRs, the deposit agreement or any transaction contemplated therein, or the breach thereof (whether based on contract, tort, common law or any other theory).

The depositary may own and deal in any class of our securities and in ADSs.

 

27

Disclosure of Interest in ADSs

To the extent that the provisions of or governing any deposited securities may require disclosure of or impose limits on beneficial or other ownership of deposited securities, other shares and other securities and may provide for blocking transfer, voting or other rights to enforce such disclosure or limits, you agree to comply with all such disclosure requirements and ownership limitations and to comply with any reasonable instructions we may provide in respect thereof. We reserve the right to instruct you to deliver your ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of the deposited securities so as to permit us to deal with you directly as a holder of shares and, by holding an ADS or an interest therein, you will be agreeing to comply with such instructions.

Books of Depositary

The depositary or its agent will maintain a register for the registration, registration of transfer, combination and split-up of ADRs, which register shall include the depositary’s direct registration system. Registered holders of ADRs may inspect such records at the depositary’s office at all reasonable times, but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of the business of our company or a matter relating to the deposit agreement. Such register may be closed from time to time, when deemed expedient by the depositary.

The depositary will maintain facilities for the delivery and receipt of ADRs.

Appointment

In the deposit agreement, each registered holder of ADRs and each person holding an interest in ADSs, upon acceptance of any ADSs (or any interest therein) issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of the deposit agreement will be deemed for all purposes to:

 

•

be a party to and bound by the terms of the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, and

 

•

appoint the depositary its attorney-in-fact, with full power to delegate, to act on its behalf and to take any and all actions contemplated in the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, to adopt any and all procedures necessary to comply with applicable laws and to take such action as the depositary in its sole discretion may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR and ADRs, the taking of such actions to be the conclusive determinant of the necessity and appropriateness thereof.

Governing Law, Jurisdiction and Arbitration

The deposit agreement and the ADSs shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. In the deposit agreement, we have submitted to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York and appointed an agent for service of process on our behalf. Notwithstanding anything contained in the deposit agreement, any ADR or any present or future provisions of the laws of the State of New York, the rights of holders of Shares and of any other deposited securities, as such, shall be governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands (or, if applicable, such other laws as may govern the deposited securities).

By holding an ADS or an interest therein, registered holders of ADSs and beneficial owners of ADSs each irrevocably agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving us or the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, and each irrevocably waives any objection which it may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The depositary has the right to refer any claim or dispute arising from the relationship created by the deposit agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration provisions of the deposit agreement do not preclude you from pursuing claims under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act in state or federal courts.

 

28

Jury Trial Waiver

The deposit agreement provides that each party to the deposit agreement (including each holder, beneficial owner and holder of interests in the ADRs) irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in any lawsuit or proceeding against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws. If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable law.

 

29

ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands because of the following benefits found there:

 

•

political and economic stability;

 

•

an effective judicial system;

 

•

a favorable tax system;

 

•

the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions; and

 

•

the availability of professional and support services.

However, certain disadvantages accompany incorporation in the Cayman Islands. These disadvantages include:

 

•

the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and these securities laws provide significantly less protection to investors; and

 

•

Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.

Our constituent documents do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, between us, our officers, directors and shareholders, be arbitrated.

Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. We have appointed Puglisi & Associates, located at 850 Library Avenue, Suite 204, Newark, Delaware 19711, as our agent upon whom process may be served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United States in connection with an offering of securities registered by the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. A majority of our directors and officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for an investor to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our counsel as to Cayman Islands law, and Shihui Partners, our counsel as to PRC law, have advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands and China, respectively, would:

 

•

recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or

 

•

entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP has advised us that there is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the courts of the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will, at common law, recognize and enforce a non-penal and non-punitive judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute in the circumstances described below. While there is no binding authority on this point, this is likely to include, in certain circumstances, a non-penal judgment of a United States court imposing a monetary award based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws.

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP has further advised us that a judgment obtained in the United States will be recognized and enforced in the courts of the Cayman Islands at common law, without any re-examination

 

30

of the merits of the underlying dispute, by an action commenced on the foreign judgment debt in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, provided such judgment (1) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction; (2) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given; (3) is final; (4) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty; and (5) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. The Grand Court of the Cayman Islands may stay proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere. Neither the United States nor the PRC has a treaty with the Cayman Islands providing for reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts of the United States or the PRC, respectively, in civil and commercial matters.

Shihui Partners has further advised us that 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 form of reciprocity with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC 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 law 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.

 

31

TAXATION

Material income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement(s) relating to the offering of those securities.

 

32

SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

Selling shareholders (if any) to be named in a prospectus supplement may, from time to time, offer, sell and lend some or all of the ordinary shares or ADSs held by them pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. Such selling shareholders (if any) may sell the ordinary shares or ADSs held by them to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers or as otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. See “Plan of Distribution.” Such selling shareholders (if any) may also sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of some or all of the ordinary shares or ADSs held by them in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

We will provide you with a prospectus supplement, which will set forth the name of each selling shareholder (if any), the number of ordinary shares beneficially owned by such selling shareholder and the number of the ordinary shares or ADSs they are offering. The prospectus supplement also will disclose whether any of the selling shareholders (if any) have held any position or office with, have been employed by or otherwise have had a material relationship with us during the three years prior to the date of the prospectus supplement.

 

33

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We and any selling shareholders may sell the securities described in this prospectus from time to time in one or more of the following ways:

 

•

to or through underwriters or dealers;

 

•

through agents;

 

•

directly to one or more purchasers; or

 

•

through a combination of any of these methods of sale.

The prospectus supplement with respect to the offered securities will describe the terms of the offering, including the following:

 

•

the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

•

any public offering price;

 

•

the proceeds from such sale;

 

•

any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

•

any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;

 

•

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

 

•

any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed.

We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more of the following ways:

 

•

at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

 

•

at prices relating to prevailing market prices at the time of sale;

 

•

at varying prices determined at the time of sale; or

 

•

at negotiated prices.

By Underwriters or Dealers

If we use underwriters for the sale of securities, they will acquire securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Unless we otherwise state in the applicable prospectus supplement, various conditions will apply to the underwriters’ obligation to purchase securities, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities contemplated in an offering if they purchase any of such securities. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. The underwriter or underwriters of a particular underwritten offering of securities, or, if an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing underwriter or underwriters, will be set forth on the cover of the applicable prospectus supplement.

If we use dealers in the sale, unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will sell securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices that the dealers may determine at the time of resale.

 

34

By Agents

We may designate agents who agree to use their reasonable efforts to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment or to sell securities on a continuing basis. Any agent involved will be named, and any commissions payable by us to such agent will be set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Direct Sales

We may also sell securities directly without using agents, underwriters, or dealers.

General Information

We may enter into agreements with underwriters, dealers and agents that entitle them to indemnification against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make. Underwriters, dealers and agents may be customers of, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.

Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Any underwriters, dealers or agents used in the offer or sale of securities will be identified and their compensation described in an applicable prospectus supplement.

 

35

LEGAL MATTERS

We are being represented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP with respect to certain legal matters of United States federal securities and New York state law. Certain legal matters of United States federal securities and New York state law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by a law firm or firms named in the applicable prospectus supplement. The validity of the securities offered and legal matters as to Cayman Islands law will be passed upon for us by Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP. Certain legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by Shihui Partners and for the underwriters by a law firm or firms named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP may rely upon Shihui Partners with respect to matters governed by PRC law.

 

36

EXPERTS

The financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

The financial statements as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2018 included in this Prospectus by reference to the annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

The offices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP are located at 12/F China Life Financial Center, No. 23 Zhenzhi Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100026, People’s Republic of China.

The offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP are located at 6/F DBS Bank Tower, 1318 Lu Jia Zui Ring Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People’s Republic of China.

 

37

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance with the Exchange Act, we file annual reports and other information with the SEC. Information we file with the SEC can be obtained over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we have filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information on us and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.

 

38

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents shall not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date thereof or that the information contained therein is current as of any time subsequent to its date. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus and should be read with the same care. When we update the information contained in documents that have been incorporated by reference by making future filings with the SEC, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus is considered to be automatically updated and superseded. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information contained in this prospectus and information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, or between information incorporated by reference into this prospectus from different documents, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.

We incorporate by reference the documents listed below:

 

•

our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on April 15, 2020, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed with the SEC on May 29, 2020 (File No. 001-36450);

 

•

any future annual reports on Form 20-F filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities offered by this prospectus;

 

•

our current report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on June 5, 2020 (File No. 001-36450); and

 

•

any future reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC after the date of this prospectus that are identified in such reports as being incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specially incorporated by reference in this prospectus, will be provided at no cost to each person, including any beneficial owner, who receives a copy of this prospectus on the written or oral request of that person made to:

JD.com, Inc.

20th Floor, Building A, No. 18 Kechuang 11 Street

Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone

Daxing District, Beijing 101111

The People’s Republic of China

+86 10 8911-8888

Attention: Investor Relations

 

39

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 8.

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our articles of association provide for indemnification of officers and directors against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such directors and officers, other than by reason of their own dishonesty, wilful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of their duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such Indemnified Person in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning the Company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere.

The form of underwriting agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement will also provide for indemnification of us and our officers and directors.

Pursuant to the indemnification agreements between us and some of our directors and officers, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-193650) that was filed with the SEC on January 30, 2014, we agreed to indemnify our directors and officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being a director or officer.

 

ITEM 9.

EXHIBITS

The exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Index to Exhibits below.

 

ITEM 10.

UNDERTAKINGS.

 

(a)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

 

(i)

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii)

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

(iii)

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

II-1

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this item do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4)

To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act or Item 8.A of Form 20-F if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

 

(5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(i)

Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(ii)

Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

(6)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities

 

II-2

are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i)

Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii)

Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii)

The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv)

Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, as amended, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

II-3

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit Number		Description of Document
1.1*		Form of Underwriting Agreement
4.1*		Registrant’s Form of Class A Ordinary Share Certificate
4.2		Deposit Agreement, dated May  21, 2014, among the Registrant, the depositary and holder of the American Depositary Receipts (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the registration statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-198578), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 5, 2014)
4.3		Registrant’s Specimen American Depositary Receipt (included in Exhibit 4.2)
5.1†		Opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP regarding the validity of the ordinary shares
8.1†		Opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP regarding certain Cayman Islands tax matters (included in Exhibit 5.1)
8.2†		Opinion of Shihui Partners regarding certain PRC tax matters
10.1†		Undertaking by the Registrant to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, dated June 1, 2020
10.2†		Irrevocable Deed of Undertaking by Max Smart Limited, dated June 1, 2020
23.1†		Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
23.2†		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
23.3†		Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP regarding the opinion in Exhibit 99.1 to the Registrant’s annual report on Form 20-F, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2020 and May 29, 2020 respectively (File No. 001-36450)
23.4†		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP regarding the opinion in Exhibit 99.2 to the Registrant’s annual report on Form 20-F, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2020 and May 29, 2020 respectively (File No. 001-36450)
23.5†		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP regarding the opinion in Exhibit 99.3 to the Registrant’s annual report on Form 20-F, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2020 and May 29, 2020 respectively (File No. 001-36450)
23.6†		Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.7†		Consent of Shihui Partners (included in Exhibit 8.2)
24.1†		Powers of Attorney (included as part of signature page to this registration statement)

 

*	To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated by reference into this registration statement.

†	Filed with this registration statement.

 

II-4

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, on June 5, 2020.

 

 

II-5

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Richard Qiangdong Liu, Sidney Xuande Huang and Sandy Ran Xu as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and any and all related registration statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or its substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities set forth below on June 5, 2020.

 

Signature				Title
/s/ Richard Qiangdong Liu Richard Qiangdong Liu				Chairman of Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)
/s/ Martin Chiping Lau Martin Chiping Lau				Director
/s/ Ming Huang Ming Huang				Director
/s/ Louis T. Hsieh Louis T. Hsieh				Director
/s/ Dingbo Xu Dingbo Xu				Director
/s/ Sandy Ran Xu Sandy Ran Xu				Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer)

 

II-6

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGISTRANT

Under the Securities Act, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of JD.com, Inc., has signed this registration statement in Newark, Delaware on June 5, 2020.

 

 

II-7

Exhibit 5.1

Our ref        VSL/688087-000009/16747019v4

JD.com, Inc.

20th Floor, Building A

No. 18 Kechuang 11 Street

Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone

Daxing District, Beijing 101111

The People’s Republic of China

5 June 2020

Dear Sirs

JD.com, Inc.

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to JD.com, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended to date relating to the offering by the Company of certain of the Company’s class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.00002 each (the “Shares”).

We are furnishing this opinion as Exhibits 5.1, 8.1 and 23.6 to the Registration Statement.

 

1	Documents Reviewed

For the purposes of this opinion, we have reviewed only originals, copies or final drafts of the following documents:

 

1.1	The certificate of registration by way of continuation dated 16 January 2014 issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands and the certificate of incorporation on change of name dated 16 January 2014 issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands.

 

1.2	The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company as adopted by a special resolution passed on 6 March 2014 and effective immediately upon completion of the Company’s initial public offering of the ADSs representing the Shares (the “Memorandum and Articles”).

 

1.3	The minutes (the “A1 Minutes”) of the meeting of the board of directors of the Company held on 28 February 2020 (the “A1 Meeting”) and the written resolutions of the IPO committee of the board of directors of the Company dated 3 June 2020 (the “IPO Committee Resolutions”).

 

1.4	A certificate from a director of the Company, a copy of which is attached hereto (the “Director’s Certificate”).

 

1.5	A certificate of good standing dated 25 May 2020, issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

 

1.6	The Registration Statement.

2	Assumptions

The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving these opinions we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as of the date of this opinion letter, of the Director’s Certificate and the Certificate of Good Standing. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:

 

2.1	Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals.

 

2.2	All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.

 

2.3	There is nothing under any law (other than the law of the Cayman Islands), which would or might affect the opinions set out below.

 

3

Opinion

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set out below and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

3.1	The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

 

3.2	The authorised share capital of the Company is US$2,000,000 divided into 99,000,000,000 class A ordinary shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.00002 each and 1,000,000,000 class B ordinary shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.00002 each.

 

3.3

The issue and allotment of the Shares have been duly authorised and when allotted, issued and paid for as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Shares will be legally issued and allotted, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders).

 

3.4	The statements under the caption “Taxation” in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement are accurate in so far as such statements are summaries of or relate to Cayman Islands law, and such statements constitute our opinion.

 

4	Qualifications

In this opinion the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the Shares in the Company, that a shareholder shall not, solely by virtue of its status as a shareholder, be liable for additional assessments or calls on the Shares by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

Except as specifically stated herein, we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions, which are the subject of this opinion.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our name under the headings “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities”, “Taxation” and

 

2

“Legal Matters” and elsewhere in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Yours faithfully

/s/ Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

 

3

Exhibit 8.2

 

 

June 5, 2020

To: JD.com, Inc.

20th Floor, Building A, No. 18 Kechuang 11 Street

Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone

Daxing District, Beijing 101111

The People’s Republic of China

Dear Sirs or Madams,

We are qualified lawyers of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC” or “China”, for the purpose of this opinion only, the PRC shall not include the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan) and as such are qualified to issue this opinion on the laws and regulations of the PRC effective as of the date hereof.

We are acting as PRC legal counsel to JD.com, Inc. (the “Company”) solely in connection with the offering and the sale of Class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.00002 per share of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 filed on the date of this opinion, including the base prospectus, and all amendments or supplements thereto, including prospectus supplements (the “Registration Statement”). For the purpose of the filing of the Registration Statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 5, 2020, we have been requested to give this opinion in connection with the Section “Taxation” in the Registration Statement regarding PRC taxation.

 

A.	DEFINITIONS

In addition to the terms defined in the context of this opinion, the following capitalized terms used in this opinion are defined as follows:

 

“Governmental Agency”		means any competent government authority, court, arbitration commission, or regulatory body of the PRC. “Governmental Agencies” shall be construed accordingly.
“PRC Laws”		mean any and all laws, regulations, statutes, rules, orders, decrees, notices, judicial interpretations and other legislation currently in force and publicly available in the PRC as of the date hereof.

 

 

B.	QUALIFICATIONS

Our opinion expressed below is subject to the following qualifications (the “Qualifications”):

 

i.	Our opinion is limited to the PRC Laws of general application on the date hereof. We have made no investigation of, and do not express or imply any views on, the laws of any jurisdiction other than the PRC.

 

ii.

The PRC Laws referred to herein are laws and regulations publicly available and currently in force on the date hereof and there is no guarantee that any of such laws and regulations, or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, will not be changed, amended or revoked in the future with or without retrospective effect.

 

iii.

Our opinion is subject to the effects of (a) certain legal or statutory principles affecting the enforceability of contractual rights generally under the concepts of public interest, social ethics, national security, good faith, fair dealing, and applicable statutes of limitation; (b) any circumstance in connection with formulation, execution or performance of any legal documents that would be deemed materially mistaken, clearly unconscionable, fraudulent, coercionary or concealing illegal intentions with a lawful form; (c) judicial discretion with respect to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, remedies or defenses, calculation of damages, entitlement to attorney’s fees and other costs, or waiver of immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from legal process; (d) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally; and (e) the discretion of any competent PRC legislative, administrative or judicial bodies in exercising their authority in the PRC.

 

iv.

This opinion is issued based on our understanding of the current PRC Laws. For matters not explicitly provided under the current PRC Laws, the interpretation, implementation and application of the specific requirements under the PRC Laws are subject to the final discretion of competent PRC legislative, administrative and judicial authorities, and there can be no assurance that the Governmental Agencies will ultimately take a view that is not contrary to our opinion stated above.

 

v.	We may rely, as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent we deem proper, on certificates and confirmations of responsible officers of the Company and PRC government officials.

 

vi.	This opinion is intended to be used in the context which is specifically referred to herein and each section should be considered as a whole and no part should be extracted and referred to independently.

 

C.

OPINIONS

Subject to the Qualifications and disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, we are of the opinion as of the date hereof that:

 

2

 

 

i.

So far as PRC Laws are concerned, the statements set forth in the Registration Statement under the heading “Taxation — PRC Taxation”, to the extent that the discussion states definitive legal conclusions under PRC tax laws and regulations, subject to the qualifications therein, constitute our opinion on such matters.

This opinion is delivered solely for the purpose of and in connection with the Registration Statement publicly submitted to the SEC on the date of this opinion and may not be used for any other purpose without our prior written consent.

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion in, and the filing hereof as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and to the use of our firm’s name under the captions “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities”, “Taxation” and “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Yours sincerely,

/s/ Shihui Partners                                        

Shihui Partners

 

3

Exhibit 10.1

JD.com, Inc.

(Incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability)

Registered office: P.O. Box 309, Ugland House,

Grand Cayman KY1-1104 Cayman Islands

1 June 2020

BY EMAIL

The Listing Division

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

12^th Floor, Two Exchange Square

8 Connaught Place, Central

Hong Kong

Dear Sirs,

 

Company :		JD.com, Inc. (the “Company”)
Case Number:		20200415-I20042-0001
Transaction Type:		New listing – Secondary listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Stock Exchange”)
Subject:		Undertakings pursuant to amendments to the Company’s Articles

We refer to the prospectus of the Company (the “Prospectus”) to be issued in connection with the global offering and the secondary listing (the “Listing”) of Class A ordinary shares of the Company on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange. Terms used herein shall have the same meanings as the terms defined in the Prospectus unless the context otherwise requires.

In order to comply with certain requirements under Chapter 19C of the Listing Rules, and among other matters, we hereby undertake to the Stock Exchange to:

 

(i)

hold an annual general meeting every year after the Listing pursuant to Rule 19C.07(4) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules,

 

(ii)

provide at least 14 days’ written notice for any general meeting after the Listing pursuant to Rule 19C.07(5) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules; and

 

(iii)

put forth resolutions in relation to the amendment of certain provisions of our current articles of association (the “Articles”) to our shareholders at or before our next annual general meeting which is expected to be convened around mid-2021 after the consummation of the Listing such that:

 

•

we shall hold an annual general meeting every year pursuant to Rule 19C.07(4) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules;

 

•

we shall give our members 14 days’ written notice for general meetings of the Company pursuant to Rule 19C.07(5) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules;

 

•

the minimum stake required to convene an extraordinary general meeting and add resolutions to a meeting agenda will not be higher than 10% of the voting rights, on a one vote per share basis, in the share capital of the Company pursuant to Rule 19C.07(7) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules; and

 

1

•

the quorum for a general meeting of the Company will be lowered from the current one-third of the aggregate voting power of the Company to 10% of the aggregate voting power of the Company.

[Signature page to follow]

 

2

For and on behalf of

JD.com, Inc.

 

/s/ Sandy Ran Xu

Name: Sandy Ran Xu

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 10.2

To:    

The Board of Directors of JD.com, Inc.

Maples Corporate Services Limited

PO Box 309, Ugland House

Grand Cayman, KY1-1104

Cayman Islands

Date: 1 June 2020

Dear Sirs,

Re: Irrevocable deed of undertaking to vote in favour of resolutions

We understand that JD.com, Inc. (the “Company”) is proposing to conduct a secondary listing (the “Listing”) of its Class A ordinary shares on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Stock Exchange”).

In connection with the Listing, we understand that the Company has undertaken, or will undertake, to the Stock Exchange to put forth resolutions (the “Proposed Resolutions”) to its shareholders at or before its next annual general meeting which is expected to be convened around mid-2021 after the consummation of the Listing (the “General Meeting”) to amend certain provisions of the Company’s current articles of association (the “Articles”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the same meanings as set out in the prospectus of the Company to be issued in connection with the Listing.

In particular, we understand that the Company is proposing to put forth the Proposed Resolutions to amend certain provisions of the Articles such that:

 

•

the Company shall hold an annual general meeting every year pursuant to Rule 19C.07(4) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules;

 

•

the Company shall give its members 14 days’ written notice of its general meetings pursuant to Rule 19C.07(5) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules;

 

•

the minimum stake required to convene an extraordinary general meeting and add resolutions to a meeting agenda will not be higher than 10% of the voting rights, on a one vote per share basis, in the share capital of the Company pursuant to Rule 19C.07(7) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules; and

 

•

the quorum for a general meeting of the Company will be lowered from the current one-third of the aggregate voting power of the Company to 10% of the aggregate voting power of the Company.

In addition, we understand that the Company is also proposing to put forth a resolution at or before the General Meeting to revise the Articles, so that the quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the directors shall be a majority of the members of the board of directors (the “Quorum Resolution”).

Conditional upon the consummation of the Listing, we hereby irrevocably confirm, warrant and undertake to vote all of the Shares of the Company then held or controlled by us at the time of the General Meeting in favour of the Proposed Resolutions and Quorum Resolution, and shall upon request execute a proxy form in favour of the chairman of the board of directors of the Company to vote all such Shares accordingly.

This deed of undertaking shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the British Virgin Islands. We understand that deed of undertaking is irrevocable and shall be binding upon our heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if Listing is not consummated on or prior to the 31 December 2020 for any reason, this deed of undertaking shall terminate and be of no further force or effect.

[Signature page to follow]

EXECUTED as a DEED by

MAX SMART LIMITED

 

In the presence of

 

/s/ Huimin Yan

Name: Huimin Yan

Address: No.18 Kechuang 11 Street, BDA, Beijing

Occupation: Secretary

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of our reports dated April 15, 2020, relating to the financial statements of JD.com, Inc. and the effectiveness of JD.com, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting appearing in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP

Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

June 5, 2020

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of JD.com, Inc. of our report dated April 15, 2019 relating to the financial statements, which appears in JD.com, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP

Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

June 5, 2020

Exhibit 23.3

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of JD.com, Inc. of our report dated March 13, 2020 relating to the financial statements of Dada Nexus Limited, appearing in Exhibit 99.1 to the Annual Report on Form 20-F/A (Amendment No. 1) of JD.com, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2019.

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP

Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China

June 5, 2020

Exhibit 23.4

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of JD.com, Inc. of our report dated April 27, 2020 relating to the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Bitauto Holdings Limited, which appears in JD.com, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F/A (Amendment No. 1) for the year ended December 31, 2019.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP

Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

June 5, 2020

Exhibit 23.5

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of JD.com, Inc. of our report dated May 22, 2020 relating to the consolidated financial statements, financial statement schedule I, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Tuniu Corporation, which appears in JD.com, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F/A (Amendment No. 1) for the year ended December 31, 2019.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP

Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China

June 5, 2020