Venture capitalists will invest in lots of portfolio companies to look for the next Apple or Google. In many such investments, venture capital investors will only hold a minority share, which do not give them control over the portfolio companies' daily operation. In such cases, most investors believe that to lose the amount of invested capital will be the worst case if such investments turn out to be a failure given the "limited liability" rule under PRC Company Law.
On 21 October 2013, the financially troubled company Hainan PO Shipping applied for bankruptcy and winding up before the People’s Court of Hainan Yangpu Economic & Development Zone (“Yangpu Court”). The Yangpu Court approved the application on 31 October 2013, and the Court has since nominated the administrators of Hainan PO Shipping.
The bankruptcy of Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. ("Suntech") is a reminder of the challenges that foreign creditors face when a Chinese company goes into bankruptcy.
China’s corporate income tax (« CIT ») regime effective from January 1, 2008 explicitly requires corporate restructuring transactions to be effected at fair value so that any gain or loss shall be recognised for tax purpose at the time when the transaction takes place. The Chinese State Administration of Taxation (« SAT ») has released several tax circulars in recent years to address the detailed CIT treatments (e.g. the availability of tax deferral treatment for a corporate restructuring meeting certain prescribed criteria), the documentation and procedural requirements, etc.
Norwest Holdings Pte Ltd (in Liquidation) v Newport Mining Ltd [2011] SGCA 42
Responsive to issues faced with difficulty in obtaining financing by businesses (particularly small- to medium-size enterprises) due to the global financial crisis, State Administration of Industry and Commence officially released Administrative Measures for Corporate Debt-for-Equity Swap Registration (the “Measures”) recently, which formalizes regulation of debt-for-equity swap on the national level. The Measures will be put into implementation on January 1, 2012.
最高人民法院关于适用《中华人民共和国企业破产法》若干问题的规定（一）(09/09/2011)
An insolvency administrator has been sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment for obtaining RMB1.3 million in bribes. Huang Zhicong (“Huang”), former vice-president of Building Materials Corporation in Shaoguan City of Guangdong Province, was the insolvency administrator of Shaoguan New Sunlight Textile Enterprise Co., Ltd. (“New Sunlight”).
The Judicial Committee of the Supreme People’s Court has passed a notice regarding overdue fines on unpaid taxes of a bankrupt enterprise. This came into effect on 12 July 2012.
- Background
Company A is a foreign enterprise whose business is the production of certain specialist machinery. In China, only approved entities which are on a list compiled by the department in charge are permitted to manufacture such machinery. Company B, a Chinese enterprise, is one such entity. To enter the Chinese market, company A signed a joint venture agreement with company B in 2007. Each company agreed to contribute capital to establish a joint venture to manufacture such machinery.