EX-99.(A)(II) 3 e620257_ex99-aii.htm

 

Exhibit (a)(ii)

 

CHINA RAPID FINANCE LIMITED

 

AND

 

CITIBANK, N.A.,

 

As Depositary,

 

AND

 

THE HOLDERS AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF
AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
OUTSTANDING UNDER THE TERMS OF THE
DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF MAY 4, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

Amendment No. 1
to
the Deposit Agreement

 

 

 

 

Dated as of December 3, 2019

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Page

 

  

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS

2
SECTION 1.01   Definitions 2
SECTION 1.02   Effective Date 2
   

ARTICLE II

 

AMENDMENTS TO DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

2
SECTION 2.01   Deposit Agreement 2
SECTION 2.02   Amendments Binding on all Holders and Beneficial Owners 2
SECTION 2.03   Elimination of Pre-Release Transactions 2
   

ARTICLE III

 

AMENDMENTS TO THE FORM OF ADR

7
SECTION 3.01   ADR Amendments 7
SECTION 3.02   Change of Ratio 8
   

ARTICLE IV

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

9
SECTION 4.01   Representations and Warranties 9
   

ARTICLE V

 

MISCELLANEOUS

9
SECTION 5.01   New ADRs 9
SECTION 5.02   Notice of Amendment to Holders of ADSs 10
SECTION 5.03   Indemnification 10
SECTION 5.04   Ratification 10
SECTION 5.05   Governing Law 10
SECTION 5.06   Counterparts 10
   
EXHIBIT A  
FORM OF ADR A-1
   
EXHIBIT B  
NOTICE TO HOLDERS B-1

 

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, dated as of December 3, 2019 (“Amendment No. 1”), by and among China Rapid Finance Limited, a company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and its successors (the “Company”), Citibank, N.A., a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States of America (the “Depositary”), and all Holders and Beneficial Owners of American Depositary Shares outstanding as of the date hereof under the Deposit Agreement, dated as of May 4, 2017.

 

WITNESSETH THAT:

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Depositary entered into that certain Deposit Agreement, dated as of May 4, 2017 (the “Deposit Agreement”), for the creation of ADSs (as defined in the Deposit Agreement) representing the Shares (as defined in the Deposit Agreement) deposited thereunder and for the execution and delivery of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) in respect of the ADSs; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to (w) change the ADS-to-Share ratio from the existing ratio of one (1) ADS to one (1) Share to a new ratio of one (1) ADS to ten (10) Shares, (x) eliminate the Depositary’s ability to conduct Pre-Release Transactions (as defined in the Deposit Agreement), (y) amend the Deposit Agreement, the ADRs currently outstanding, and the form of ADR annexed as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement, in each case pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Deposit Agreement, to reflect such changes and, (z) give notice thereof to all Holders (as defined in the Deposit Agreement) of ADSs.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Depositary hereby agree to amend the Deposit Agreement, the ADRs currently outstanding, and the form of ADR annexed as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement as follows:

 

 

 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

SECTION 1.01                      Definitions. Unless otherwise specified in this Amendment No. 1, all capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Deposit Agreement.

 

SECTION 1.02                      Effective Date. The term “Effective Date” shall mean the date set forth above and as of which this Amendment No. 1 shall become effective.

 

ARTICLE II
AMENDMENTS TO DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

 

SECTION 2.01                      Deposit Agreement. All references in the Deposit Agreement to the term “Deposit Agreement” shall, as of the Effective Date, refer to the Deposit Agreement, dated as of May 4, 2017, as amended by this Amendment No. 1, and as further amended and supplemented after the Effective Date.

 

SECTION 2.02                      Amendments Binding on all Holders and Beneficial Owners. From and after the Effective Date, the amendments to the Deposit Agreement effected hereby shall be binding on all Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs issued and outstanding as of the Effective Date and on all Holders and Beneficial Owners of ADSs issued after the Effective Date.

 

SECTION 2.03                      Elimination of Pre-Release Transactions.

 

(a)               Section 1.5 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section as of the Effective Date and replacing such section with the following in its stead:

 

“Section 1.5 Reserved.”

 

(b)               Section 1.15 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the last sentence of such section as of the Effective Date.

 

(c)               Section 1.25 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section as of the Effective Date and replacing such section with the following in its stead:

 

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“Section 1.25 Reserved.”

 

(d)               Section 2.5 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section as of the Effective Date and replacing such section with the following in its stead:

 

“Section 2.5 Issuance of ADSs. The Depositary has made arrangements with the Custodian for the Custodian to confirm to the Depositary upon receipt of a deposit of Shares (i) that a deposit of Shares has been made pursuant to Section 2.3, (ii) that such Deposited Securities have been recorded in the name of the Depositary, the Custodian or a nominee of either on the shareholders’ register maintained by or on behalf of the Company by the Share Registrar or on the books of the book-entry settlement entity, if available, (iii) that all required documents have been received, and (iv) the person(s) to whom or upon whose order ADSs are deliverable in respect thereof and the number of ADSs to be so delivered. Such notification may be made by letter, cable, telex, SWIFT message or, at the risk and expense of the person making the deposit, by facsimile or other means of electronic transmission. Upon receiving such notice from the Custodian, the Depositary, subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement and applicable law, shall issue the ADSs representing the Shares so deposited to or upon the order of the person(s) named in the notice delivered to the Depositary and, if applicable, shall execute and deliver at its Principal Office Receipt(s) registered in the name(s) requested by such person(s) and evidencing the aggregate number of ADSs to which such person(s) are entitled, but, in each case, only upon payment to the Depositary of the charges of the Depositary for accepting a deposit of Shares and issuing ADSs (as set forth in Section 5.9 and Exhibit B hereto) and all taxes and governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit and the transfer of the Shares and the issuance of the ADS(s). The Depositary shall only issue ADSs in whole numbers and deliver, if applicable, ADR(s) evidencing whole numbers of ADSs.”

 

(e)               Section 2.14 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section as of the Effective Date and replacing such section with the following in its stead:

 

“Section 2.14 Restricted ADSs. The Depositary shall, at the request and expense of the Company, establish procedures enabling the deposit hereunder of Shares that are Restricted Securities in order to enable the holder of such Shares to hold its ownership interests in such Restricted Shares in the form of ADSs issued under the terms hereof (such Shares, “Restricted Shares”). Upon receipt of a written request from the Company

 

3 

 

to accept Restricted Shares for deposit hereunder, the Depositary agrees to establish procedures permitting the deposit of such Restricted Shares and the issuance of ADSs representing the right to receive, subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement and the applicable ADR (if issued as a Certificated ADS), such deposited Restricted Shares (such ADSs, the “Restricted ADSs”, and the ADRs evidencing such Restricted ADSs, the “Restricted ADRs”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2.14, the Depositary and the Company may, to the extent not prohibited by law, agree to issue the Restricted ADSs in uncertificated form (“Uncertificated Restricted ADSs”) upon such terms and conditions as the Company and the Depositary may deem necessary and appropriate. The Company shall assist the Depositary in the establishment of such procedures and agrees that it shall take all steps necessary and satisfactory to the Depositary to ensure that the establishment of such procedures does not violate the provisions of the Securities Act or any other applicable laws. The depositors of such Restricted Shares and the Holders of the Restricted ADSs may be required prior to the deposit of such Restricted Shares, the transfer of the Restricted ADRs and Restricted ADSs or the withdrawal of the Restricted Shares represented by Restricted ADSs to provide such written certifications or agreements as the Depositary or the Company may require. The Company shall provide to the Depositary in writing the legend(s) to be affixed to the Restricted ADRs (if the Restricted ADSs are to be issued as Certificated ADSs), or to be included in the statements issued from time to time to Holders of Uncertificated ADSs (if issued as Uncertificated Restricted ADSs), which legends shall (i) be in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary and (ii) contain the specific circumstances under which the Restricted ADSs, and, if applicable, the Restricted ADRs evidencing the Restricted ADSs, may be transferred or the Restricted Shares withdrawn. The Restricted ADSs issued upon the deposit of Restricted Shares shall be separately identified on the books of the Depositary and the Restricted Shares so deposited shall, to the extent required by law, be held separate and distinct from the other Deposited Securities held hereunder. The Restricted ADSs shall not be eligible for inclusion in any book-entry settlement system, including, without limitation, DTC, and shall not in any way be fungible with the ADSs issued under the terms hereof that are not Restricted ADSs. The Restricted ADSs, and, if applicable, the Restricted ADRs evidencing the Restricted ADSs, shall be transferable only by the Holder thereof upon delivery to the Depositary of (i) all documentation otherwise contemplated by the Deposit Agreement and (ii) an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary setting forth, inter alia, the conditions upon which the Restricted ADSs presented, and, if applicable, the Restricted ADRs evidencing the Restricted ADSs, are transferable by the Holder thereof under applicable securities laws and the transfer restrictions contained in the legend applicable to the Restricted ADSs presented for transfer. Except as set forth in this Section 2.14 and except as required by applicable law, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted ADRs evidencing Restricted ADSs shall be treated as ADSs and ADRs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement. In the event that, in determining the rights and obligations of parties hereto with respect to any Restricted ADSs, any conflict arises between (a) the terms of the Deposit Agreement (other than this Section 2.14) and (b) the terms of (i) this Section 2.14 or (ii) the applicable Restricted ADR, the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 2.14 and of the Restricted ADR shall be controlling and shall govern the rights and obligations of the parties to the Deposit Agreement pertaining to the deposited Restricted Shares, the Restricted ADSs and Restricted ADRs.

 

4 

 

If the Restricted ADRs, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted Shares cease to be Restricted Securities, the Depositary, upon receipt of (x) an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary setting forth, inter alia, that the Restricted ADRs, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted Shares are not as of such time Restricted Securities, and (y) instructions from the Company to remove the restrictions applicable to the Restricted ADRs, the Restricted ADSs and the Restricted Shares, shall (i) eliminate the distinctions and separations that may have been established between the applicable Restricted Shares held on deposit under this Section 2.14 and the other Shares held on deposit under the terms of the Deposit Agreement that are not Restricted Shares, (ii) treat the newly unrestricted ADRs and ADSs on the same terms as, and fully fungible with, the other ADRs and ADSs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement that are not Restricted ADRs or Restricted ADSs, and (iii) take all actions necessary to remove any distinctions, limitations and restrictions previously existing under this Section 2.14 between the applicable Restricted ADRs and Restricted ADSs, respectively, on the one hand, and the other ADRs and ADSs that are not Restricted ADRs or Restricted ADSs, respectively, on the other hand, including, without limitation, by making the newly-unrestricted ADSs eligible for inclusion in the applicable book-entry settlement systems.”

 

(f)               Section 5.8 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section as of the Effective Date and replacing such section with the following in its stead:

 

5 

 

“Section 5.8 Indemnification. The Depositary agrees to indemnify the Company and its directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates against, and hold each of them harmless from, any direct loss, liability, tax, charge or expense of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) which may arise out of acts performed or omitted by the Depositary and the Custodian (for so long as the Custodian is a branch of Citibank, N.A.) under the terms hereof due to the negligence or bad faith of the Depositary or the Custodian, as applicable.

 

The Company agrees to indemnify the Depositary, the Custodian and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates against, and hold each of them harmless from, any direct loss, liability, tax, charge or expense of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) that may arise (a) out of, or in connection with, any offer, issuance, sale, resale, transfer, deposit or withdrawal of ADRs, ADSs, the Shares, or other Deposited Securities, as the case may be, (b) out of, or as a result of, any offering documents in respect thereof or (c) out of acts performed or omitted, including, but not limited to, any delivery by the Depositary on behalf of the Company of information regarding the Company in connection with the Deposit Agreement, the ADRs, the ADSs, the Shares, or any Deposited Property, in any such case (i) by the Depositary, the Custodian or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates, except to the extent such loss, liability, tax, charge or expense is due to the negligence or bad faith of any of them, or (ii) by the Company or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates.  The Company shall not indemnify the Depositary, the Custodian and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and Affiliates against any liability or expense arising out of information relating to the Depositary or such Custodian, as the case may be, furnished in a signed writing to the Company, executed by the Depositary or such Custodian expressly for use in any registration statement, prospectus or preliminary prospectus relating to any Deposited Securities represented by the ADSs.

 

The obligations set forth in this Section shall survive the termination of the Deposit Agreement and the succession or substitution of any party hereto.

 

6 

 

Any person seeking indemnification hereunder (an “indemnified person”) shall notify the person from whom it is seeking indemnification (the “indemnifying person”) of the commencement of any indemnifiable action or claim promptly after such indemnified person becomes aware of such commencement (provided that the failure to make such notification shall not affect such indemnified person’s rights to seek indemnification except to the extent the indemnifying person is materially prejudiced by such failure) and shall consult in good faith with the indemnifying person as to the conduct of the defense of such action or claim that may give rise to an indemnity hereunder, which defense shall be reasonable in the circumstances.  No indemnified person shall compromise or settle any action or claim that may give rise to an indemnity hereunder without the consent of the indemnifying person, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.”

 

(g)               Section 5.10 of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such section as of the Effective Date and replacing such section with the following in its stead:

 

“Section 5.10 Certain Rights of the Depositary; Limitations. The Depositary, its Affiliates and their agents, on their own behalf, may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its Affiliates and in ADSs.”

 

ARTICLE III
AMENDMENTS TO THE FORM OF ADR

 

SECTION 3.01                      ADR Amendments. (a) The phrase in the top, right-hand corner of the Form of ADR attached as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement and in each of the ADRs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended as of the Effective Date by deleting such phrase in its entirety and inserting the following in its stead:

 

“American Depositary Shares (each American Depositary Share representing the right to receive ten (10) fully paid Class A ordinary shares)”.

 

(b)               The second sentence of the introductory paragraph of the Form of ADR attached as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement and in each of the ADRs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended as of the Effective Date by deleting such sentence in its entirety and inserting the following in its stead:

 

“As of the date of issuance of this ADR, each ADS represents the right to receive ten (10) Shares deposited under the Deposit Agreement (as hereinafter defined) with the Custodian, which at the date of issuance of this ADR is Citibank, N.A. - Hong Kong (the “Custodian”).”

 

7 

 

(c)               The first sentence of paragraph (1) of the form of ADR attached as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement and in each of the ADRs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended as of the Effective Date by deleting such sentence in its entirety and inserting the following in its stead:

 

“This American Depositary Receipt is one of an issue of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), all issued and to be issued upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Deposit Agreement, dated as of May 4, 2017, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Deposit Agreement, dated as of December 3, 2019 (as so amended and as further amended and supplemented from time to time, the “Deposit Agreement”), by and among the Company, the Depositary, and all Holders and Beneficial Owners from time to time of ADSs issued thereunder.”

 

(d)               Paragraph (26) of the form of ADR attached as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement and in each of the ADRs issued and outstanding under the terms of the Deposit Agreement is hereby amended as of the Effective Date by deleting such paragraph in its entirety and inserting the following in its stead:

 

“(26) Certain Rights of the Depositary; Limitations. The Depositary, its Affiliates and their agents, on their own behalf, may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its Affiliates and in ADSs.”

 

SECTION 3.02                      Change of Ratio. All other references to the ADS-to-Share ratio made in the form of ADR attached as Exhibit A to the Deposit Agreement and in each of the ADRs outstanding, as of the Effective Date, under the terms of the Deposit Agreement shall, as of the Effective Date, refer to the ADS-to-Share ratio of “one (1) ADS to ten (10) Shares.”

 

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ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

SECTION 4.01                      Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Depositary and the Holders and Beneficial Owners, that:

 

(a)               This Amendment No. 1, when executed and delivered by the Company, and the Deposit Agreement and all other documentation executed and delivered by the Company in connection therewith, will be and have been, respectively, duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, moratorium, and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles; and

 

(b)               In order to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability, or admissibility into evidence of this Amendment No. 1 or the Deposit Agreement as amended hereby, or any other document furnished hereunder or thereunder, none of such agreements need to be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the Cayman Islands, nor does any stamp or similar tax need be paid in the Cayman Islands on or in respect of such agreements; and

 

(c)               All of the information provided to the Depositary by the Company in connection with this Amendment No. 1 is true, accurate, and correct.

 

ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS

 

SECTION 5.01                      New ADRs. From and after the Effective Date, the Depositary shall arrange to have new ADRs printed to reflect the changes to the form of ADR effected by this Amendment No. 1. All ADRs issued hereunder after the Effective Date, whether upon the deposit of Shares or other Deposited Securities or upon the transfer, combination, or split-up of existing ADRs, shall be substantially in the form of the specimen ADR attached as Exhibit A hereto. ADRs issued prior or subsequent to the date hereof, which do not reflect the changes to the form of ADR effected hereby, need to be returned to the Depositary for exchange. The Depositary is authorized and directed to take any and all actions deemed necessary to effect the foregoing.

 

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SECTION 5.02                      Notice of Amendment to Holders of ADSs. The Depositary is hereby directed to send a notice informing the Holders of ADSs, inter alia, (i) of the terms of this Amendment No. 1; (ii) of the Effective Date of this Amendment No. 1; (iii) that the Holders of ADRs, if any, are requested to surrender their ADRs in exchange for new ADRs reflecting the changes effected by this Amendment No. 1, as provided in Section 5.01 hereof; and (iv) that copies of this Amendment No. 1 may be retrieved from the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov and may be obtained from the Depositary and the Company upon request. The notice to Holders of ADSs shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.

 

SECTION 5.03                      Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Depositary (and any and all of its directors, employees and officers) for any and all liability it or they may incur as a result of the terms of this Amendment No. 1 and the transactions contemplated herein.

 

SECTION 5.04                      Ratification. Except as expressly amended hereby, the terms, covenants, and conditions of the Deposit Agreement as originally executed shall remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 5.05                      Governing Law. This Amendment No. 1 shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

SECTION 5.06                      Counterparts. This Amendment No. 1 may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of such counterparts together shall be deemed an original, and all such counterparts together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Depositary have caused this Amendment No. 1 to be executed by representatives thereunto duly authorized as of the date set forth above.

 

  CHINA RAPID FINANCE LIMITED
   
  By:  /s/ Dr. Zhengyu (Zane) Wang
          Name:  Dr. Zhengyu (Zane) Wang
          Title:    Chief Executive Officer, Chairman,
                       and Executive Director
   
  CITIBANK, N.A., as Depositary
   
  By:  /s/ Keith Galfo
          Name:  Keith Galfo
          Title:    Vice President

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF ADR

 

A-1

 

EXHIBIT B

 

FORM OF NOTICE OF ADS RATIO CHANGE

 

 

B-2