BIZCHINA / Company laws

Company Law of the People's Republic of China (revised in 2005)

Updated: 2006-04-17 10:09

Article 104 When a shareholder attends the shareholders' meeting, he shall have one voting right for each share he holds. However, the company has no voting right for its own shares it holds. When any resolution is to be made by the shareholders' meeting, it shall be adopted by shareholders representing more than half of the voting rights of the shareholders in presence. However, when the shareholders' meeting makes a decision to modify the articles of association or to increase or reduce the registered capital, or a resolution about the merger, split-up, dissolution or change of the company form, the resolution shall be adopted by shareholders representing 2/3 or more of the voting rights of the shareholders in presence.

Article 105 For the important matters such as company transfer, being assignee of any important asset or providing guarantee for any other person, which shall be decided through the shareholders' meeting under this Law and the articles of association, the board of directors shall timely call a shareholders' meeting for voting.

Article 106 When the shareholders' meeting elects directors or supervisors, it may, according to the articles of association or resolution of the shareholders' meeting, adopt a cumulative voting system. The term "cumulative voting system" as mentioned in this Law refers to a system of voting by shareholders for the election of directors or supervisors at a session of the shareholders' meeting in which the shareholder can multiply his voting rights by the number of candidates and vote them all for one candidate for director or supervisor.

Article 107 A shareholder may entrust an agent to attend a shareholders' meeting. The agent shall present a power of attorney issued by the shareholder to the company, and shall exercise his voting rights within the authorization scope.

Article 108 The shareholders' meeting shall prepare records regarding the decisions on the matters discussed by it. The chairman of the meeting and the directors in presence shall affix their signatures to the records, which shall be preserved together with the book of signatures of the shareholders in presence as well as the power of attorney thereof.
Section 3 The Board of Directors and Manager

Article 109 A joint stock limited company shall set up a board of directors, which shall comprise 5-19 persons.
The board of directors may include representatives of the company's employees. The representatives of the employees who serve as board directors shall be democratically elected through the meeting of the representatives of the employees, meeting of employees or otherwise.
The provisions in Article 46 of this Law on the term of office of the directors of a limited liability company shall apply to that of the director of a joint stock limited company. The provisions in Article 47 of this Law on the functions of the board of directors of a limited liability company shall apply to that of the board of directors of a joint stock limited company.

Article 110 The board of directors shall have one chairman, and may have a deputy chairman. The chairman and deputy chairmen shall be elected by more than half of all the directors. The chairman of the board of directors shall convene and preside over the meetings of the board of directors and examine the implementation of the resolutions of the board of directors. The deputy chairman shall assist the chairman to work. If the chairman is unable or fails to perform his duties, the deputy chairman shall perform such duties. If the deputy chairman of the board of directors is unable or fails to perform his duties, the director who is jointly recommended by half or more of the directors shall perform such duties.

Article 111 The board of directors shall convene at least two meetings every year, and shall notice all directors and supervisors 10 days before it holds a meeting. The shareholders representing 1/10 or more of the voting rights, or 1/3 of the directors, or the board of supervisors may bring forward a proposal on holding a temporary meeting of the board of directors. The chairman of the board of directors shall, within 10 days after he receives such a proposal, convene and preside over a meeting of the board of directors. If the board of directors holds a temporary meeting, it may separately decide the method and time limit for the notification on convening meetings of the board of directors.

Article 112 No meeting of the board of directors may be held, unless more than half of the directors are present. When the board of directors makes a resolution, it shall be adopted by more than half of all the directors.
As for the voting on a resolution of the board of directors, a director shall have one vote only.

Article 113 The directors shall attend in person the meetings of the board of directors. Where any director is unable to attend the meeting for a certain reason, he may, by issuing a written power of attorney, entrust another director to attend the meeting on his behalf, and the scope of authorization shall be stated in the power of attorney.
The board of directors shall prepare records regarding the resolutions on the matters discussed at the meeting, which shall be signed by the directors in presence. The directors shall be responsible for the resolutions of the board of directors. In case a resolution of the board of directors is in violation of laws, administrative regulations, articles of association or resolutions of the shareholders' meetings and causes any serious loss to the company, the directors who participate in adopting the resolution shall make compensation. However, if a director is proven to have expressed his objection to the voting on such resolution and his objection was recorded in the records, then the director may be exempted from liabilities.

Article 114 A joint stock limited company may have a manager, who shall be hired or dismissed by the board of directors.
The provisions of
Article 50 of this Law on the authorities of the manager of a limited liability company shall apply to that of the manager of a joint stock limited company.


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