Form 20-F
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 20-F

(Mark One)

 

¨

REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

or

 

x

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

or

 

¨

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For

the transition period from              to             

or

 

¨

SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date

of event requiring this shell company report

Commission file number: 000-51469

Baidu, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

N/A

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

Baidu Campus

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street

Haidian District, Beijing 100085

The People’s Republic of China

(Address of principal executive offices)

Jennifer Xinzhe Li, Chief Financial Officer

Telephone: +(86 10) 5992-8888

Email: ir@baidu.com

Facsimile: +(86 10) 5992-0000

Baidu Campus

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street,

Haidian District, Beijing 100085

The People’s Republic of China

(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class

 

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

American depositary shares (ten American depositary shares representing one Class A

ordinary share, par value US$0.00005 per share)

 

The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

(The NASDAQ Global Select Market)

Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.00005 per share*  

The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

(The NASDAQ Global Select Market)

 

*

Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing on The NASDAQ Global Select Market of American depositary shares.

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the Issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

27,613,315 Class A ordinary shares and 7,492,921 Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.00005 per share, as of December 31, 2014.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.     Yes   x     No   ¨

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.     Yes   ¨     No   x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).     Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer   x   Accelerated filer   ¨   Non-accelerated filer   ¨

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

 

U.S. GAAP   x

     International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board   ¨          Other    ¨ 

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

Item 17   ¨

Item 18   ¨

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.    Yes   ¨     No   ¨

 

 

 


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

INTRODUCTION

     1   

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

     1   

PART I

     2   
        Item 1.  

Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers

     2   
        Item 2.  

Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable

     2   
        Item 3.  

Key Information

     2   
        Item 4.  

Information on the Company

     40   
        Item 4A.  

Unresolved Staff Comments

     75   
        Item 5.  

Operating and Financial Review and Prospects

     75   
        Item 6.  

Directors, Senior Management and Employees

     100   
        Item 7.  

Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions

     109   
        Item 8.  

Financial Information

     110   
        Item 9.  

The Offer and Listing

     111   
        Item 10.  

Additional Information

     113   
        Item 11.  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

     121   
        Item 12.  

Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities

     122   

PART II

     124   
        Item 13.  

Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies

     124   
        Item 14.  

Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds

     124   
        Item 15.  

Controls and Procedures

     124   
        Item 16A.  

Audit Committee Financial Expert

     124   
        Item 16B.  

Code of Ethics

     125   
        Item 16C.  

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

     125   
        Item 16D.  

Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees

     125   
        Item 16E.  

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

     125   
        Item 16F.  

Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant

     126   
        Item 16G.  

Corporate Governance

     126   
        Item 16H.  

Mine Safety Disclosure

     126   

PART III

     126   
        Item 17.  

Financial Statements

     126   
        Item 18.  

Financial Statements

     126   
        Item 19.  

Exhibits

     126   
SIGNATURES      134   

 

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INTRODUCTION

In this annual report, except where the context otherwise requires and for purposes of this annual report only:

 

   

“we,” “us,” “our company,” “our,” or “Baidu” refers to Baidu, Inc., its subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing our operations and consolidated financial information, our consolidated affiliated entities in China, including but not limited to Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd., or Baidu Netcom;

 

   

“user traffic” or “traffic” refers generally to page views and the reach of a website, with “page views” measuring the number of web pages viewed by internet users over a specified period of time except that multiple page views of the same page viewed by the same user on the same day are counted only once, and “reach” measuring the number of internet users and typically expressed as the percentage of all internet users who visit a given website;

 

   

“China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, and solely for the purpose of this annual report, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau;

 

   

“shares” or “ordinary shares” refers to our ordinary shares, which include both Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares;

 

   

“ADSs” refers to our American depositary shares, and we effected a change of the ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 1 ADS representing 1 Class A ordinary share to 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share on May 12, 2010, which has the same effect as a 10-for-1 ADS split;

 

   

“U.S. GAAP” refers to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States;

 

   

“RMB” or “Renminbi” refers to the legal currency of China;

 

   

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

 

   

all discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This annual report on Form 20-F contains 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,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “is/are likely to” 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, but are not limited to:

 

   

our growth strategies;

 

   

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

 

   

our ability to attract and retain users and customers and generate revenue and profit from our customers;

 

   

our ability to retain key personnel and attract new talent;

 

   

competition in the internet search, online marketing and other businesses in which we engage;

 

   

the outcome of ongoing or any future litigation, including those relating to intellectual property rights; and

 

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PRC governmental regulations and policies relating to the internet and internet search providers and to the implementation of a corporate structure involving variable interest entities in China.

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 in “Item 3D. Key Information—Risk Factors.” Those risks are not exhaustive. 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.

PART I

 

Item 1.

Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers

Not applicable.

 

Item 2.

Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable

Not applicable.

 

Item 3.

Key Information

 

A.

Selected Financial Data

The following table presents the selected consolidated financial information for our company. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data for the three years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2011 and the selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2010, 2011 and 2012 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2011 and 2012, which are not included in this annual report. Our historical results do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future periods. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” below. Our audited consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

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  For the Years Ended December 31,  
  2010   2011   2012   2013   2014  
  RMB   RMB   RMB   RMB   RMB   US$  
  (In thousands except per share and per ADS data)  

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Data

Revenues:

Online marketing services

  7,912,869      14,489,767      22,245,643      31,802,219      48,495,215      7,816,010   

Others

  2,205      11,019      60,383      141,705      557,103      89,789   

Total revenues

  7,915,074      14,500,786      22,306,026      31,943,924      49,052,318      7,905,799   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating costs and expenses:

Cost of revenues

  (2,149,288   (3,896,883   (6,448,545   (11,471,839   (18,885,450   (3,043,781

Selling, general and administrative

  (1,088,980   (1,692,810   (2,501,336   (5,173,533   (10,382,142   (1,673,298

Research and development

  (718,038   (1,334,434   (2,304,825   (4,106,832   (6,980,962   (1,125,127
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating costs and expenses

  (3,956,306   (6,924,127   (11,254,706   (20,752,204   (36,248,554   (5,842,206
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating profit

  3,958,768      7,576,659      11,051,320      11,191,720      12,803,764      2,063,593   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest income

  103,096      418,201      866,465      1,308,542      1,992,818      321,184   

Interest expense

  (35,975   (82,551   (107,857   (447,084   (628,571   (101,307

Loss from equity method investments

  (8,965   (179,408   (294,229   (5,806   (26,952   (4,344

Other income, net, including exchange gains or losses

  44,239      76,278      449,738      137,644      333,484      53,748   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

  4,061,163      7,809,179      11,965,437      12,185,016      14,474,543      2,332,874   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income taxes

  (535,995   (1,188,861   (1,574,159   (1,828,930   (2,231,172   (359,599

Net income

  3,525,168      6,620,318      10,391,278      10,356,086      12,243,371      1,973,275   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

  —        (18,319   (64,750   (162,880   (943,698   (152,097
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

  3,525,168      6,638,637      10,456,028      10,518,966      13,187,069      2,125,372   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share for Class A and Class B ordinary shares(1)

Basic

  101.28      190.27      298.62      299.75      374.60      60.37   

Diluted

  100.96      189.88      298.29      299.32      373.15      60.14   

Earnings per ADS (1 Class A ordinary share is represented by 10 ADSs)

Basic

  10.13      19.03      29.86      29.98      37.46      6.04   

Diluted

  10.10      18.99      29.83      29.93      37.32      6.01   

 

(1)

As holders of Class A and Class B ordinary shares have the same dividend right and the same participation right in our undistributed earnings, the basic and diluted net income per Class A ordinary share and Class B ordinary share are the same for all the periods presented during which there were two classes of ordinary shares. The weighted average number of ordinary shares represents the sum of the weighted average number of Class A and Class B ordinary shares. Please see “Earnings per Share” under Note 17 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report for additional information regarding the computation of the per share amounts and the weighted average numbers of Class A and Class B ordinary shares.

 

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     As of December 31,  
     2010      2011      2012      2013      2014  
     RMB      RMB      RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

     7,781,976         4,127,482         11,880,632         9,691,797         13,852,725         2,232,654   

Restricted cash

     38,278         483,387         395,029         259,533         413,010         66,565   

Short-term investments

     376,492         10,051,578         20,604,223         28,734,761         43,818,037         7,062,186   

Total assets

     11,048,439         23,340,541         45,668,890         70,985,788         99,661,508         16,062,518   

Total liabilities

     2,642,847         7,015,028         18,453,765         30,320,538         45,155,920         7,277,812   

Total Baidu, Inc. shareholders’ equity

     8,405,592         15,291,716         26,055,229         38,424,915         51,525,629         8,304,424   

Total equity

     8,405,592         15,389,535         26,181,842         40,665,250         52,611,086         8,479,368   

Exchange Rate Information

Our business is primarily conducted in China and almost all of our revenues are denominated in RMB. However, periodic reports made to shareholders will include current period amounts translated into U.S. dollars using the then current exchange rates, for the convenience of the readers. The conversion of RMB into U.S. dollars in this annual report is based on the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers in RMB as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Board. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to RMB in this annual report were made at a rate of RMB6.2046 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect as of December 31, 2014. We make no representation that any RMB or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of RMB into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. On March 20, 2015, the noon buying rate was RMB6.2037 to US$1.00.

The following table sets forth information concerning exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar for the periods indicated.

 

     Noon Buying Rate  

Period

   Period-End      Average(1)      Low      High  
     (RMB per U.S. Dollar)  

2010

     6.6000         6.7603         6.8330         6.6000   

2011

     6.2939         6.4475         6.6364         6.2939   

2012

     6.2301         6.2990         6.3879         6.2221   

2013

     6.0537         6.1412         6.2438         6.0537   

2014

     6.2046         6.1704         6.2591         6.0402   

September

     6.1380         6.1382         6.1495         6.1266   

October

     6.1124         6.1251         6.1385         6.1107   

November

     6.1429         6.1249         6.1429         6.1117   

December

     6.2046         6.1886         6.2256         6.1490   

2015

           

January

     6.2495         6.2181         6.2535         6.1870   

February

     6.2695         6.2518         6.2695         6.2399   

March (through March 20, 2015)

     6.2037         6.2526         6.2741         6.1955   

 

Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release

 

(1)

Annual averages are calculated using the average of month-end rates of the relevant year. Monthly averages are calculated using the average of the daily rates during the relevant period.

 

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B.

Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

 

C.

Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D. Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business

If we fail to retain existing customers or attract new customers for our online marketing services, our business, results of operations and growth prospects could be seriously harmed.

We generate substantially all of our revenues from online marketing services, a substantial majority of which are derived from our pay-for-performance, or P4P, services. Our online marketing customers will not continue to do business with us if their investment does not generate sales leads and ultimately consumers, or if we do not deliver their web pages in an appropriate and effective manner. Our P4P customers may discontinue their business with us at any time and for any reason as they are not subject to fixed-term contracts. We have in the past removed, and may in the future again remove, questionable paid search listings of some customers to ensure the quality and reliability of our search results. Such removal, whether temporary or permanent, may cause the affected customers to discontinue their business with us. In addition, third parties may develop and use certain technologies to block the display of our customers’ advertisements and other marketing products on our Baidu.com website, which may in turn cause us to lose customers and adversely affect our results of operations. Furthermore, we adjust prices for some of our online marketing services from time to time. We may lose customers who decide not to pay for our increased prices. Failure to retain our existing customers or attract new customers for our online marketing services could seriously harm our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

In recent years, we have generated an increasing amount of online marketing revenues from online advertising. We believe our large user base and traffic provide advertisers with a broad reach and optimal monetization results. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to attract new advertisers or retain our existing advertisers. If our advertisers determine that their expenditures on our websites do not generate expected returns, they may allocate a portion or all of their advertising budgets to other advertising channels such as television and outdoor media and reduce or discontinue business with us. Since most of our advertisers are not bound by long-term contracts, they may amend or terminate advertising arrangements with us easily without incurring liabilities. Failure to retain existing advertisers or attract new ones to advertise on our websites may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If online marketing does not further grow in China, our ability to increase revenue and profitability could be materially and adversely affected.

The use of the internet as a marketing channel is at a developing stage in China. Internet penetration rate in China is relatively low as compared to that in most developed countries. Many of our current and potential customers have limited experience with the internet as a marketing channel, and historically have not devoted a significant portion of their marketing budgets to online marketing and promotion. As a result, they may not consider the internet to be an effective channel to promote their products and services as compared to traditional print and broadcast media. Our ability to increase revenue and profitability from online marketing may be adversely impacted by a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

 

   

difficulties associated with developing a larger user base with demographic characteristics attractive to online marketing customers;

 

   

increased competition and potential downward pressure on online marketing prices;

 

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higher customer acquisition costs due in part to the limited experience of small to medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, with the internet as a marketing channel;

 

   

failure to develop an independent and reliable means of verifying online traffic;

 

   

ineffectiveness of our online marketing delivery, tracking and reporting systems; and

 

   

decreased use of internet or online marketing in China.

Our business depends on a strong brand, and if we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, our business and results of operations may be harmed.

We believe that our brand “Baidu” has contributed significantly to the success of our business. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing the “Baidu” brand is critical to increasing the number of our users, customers and Baidu Union members. We have conducted various marketing and brand promotion activities, but we cannot assure you that these activities will achieve the brand promotion effect expected by us. If we fail to maintain and further promote the “Baidu” brand, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any negative publicity about our company, our products and services, our employees, our business practices, or our search results or the websites to which our search results link, regardless of its veracity, could harm our brand image and in turn adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We face significant competition and may suffer from loss of users and customers as a result.

We face significant competition in almost every aspect of our business, particularly from other companies that seek to provide internet search services to users and provide online marketing services to customers. In the Chinese internet search market, our main competitors include U.S.-based internet search providers providing Chinese language internet search services, such as Google, and China-based internet companies, such as Tencent, Alibaba and Qihoo 360. We compete with these entities for both users and customers on the basis of user traffic, quality (relevance), safety and user experience of the search results, availability and ease of use of products and services, the number of customers, distribution channels and the number of associated third-party websites. Some of our competitors have significant financial resources, long operating histories and are experienced in attracting and retaining users and managing customers. They may use their experience and resources to compete with us in a variety of ways, including by competing more heavily for users, customers, distributors, strategic partners and networks of third-party websites, investing more heavily in research and development and making acquisitions. If any of our competitors provides comparable or better Chinese language search experience, our user traffic could decline significantly. Additionally, if the channels that we use to distribute services or products to our users and customers are no longer available to us, we may experience a decline in user traffic. Any such decline in traffic could weaken our brand and result in loss of users and customers, which would have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.

We also face competition from other types of advertising media, such as newspapers, magazines, yellow pages, billboards, other forms of outdoor media, television, radio and mobile applications. Large companies in China generally allocate, and may continue to allocate, most of their marketing budgets to traditional advertising media and only a small portion of their budgets to online marketing and other forms of advertising media. If these companies do not devote a larger portion of their marketing budgets to online marketing services provided by us, or if our existing customers reduce the amount they spend on online marketing, our results of operations and growth prospects could be adversely affected.

If our expansions into new internet businesses are not successful, our future results of operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

As part of our growth strategy, we enter into new internet businesses from time to time by leveraging our large internet search user base to generate additional revenue streams and through our development of new

 

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business lines or strategic investments in or acquisitions of other businesses. Expansions into new businesses may present operating and marketing challenges that are different from those that we currently encounter. For each new business we enter into, we face competition from existing leading players in that business. If we cannot successfully activate our user base by addressing the new challenges and providing service of exceptional quality, we may not be able to compete effectively against the existing leading players, recover costs incurred for investing in, developing and marketing new businesses, and eventually achieve profitability from these businesses, and our future results of operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

If we fail to continue to innovate and provide products and services to attract and retain users, we may not be able to generate sufficient user traffic levels to remain competitive.

Our success depends on providing products and services to attract users and enable users to have a high-quality internet experience. In order to attract and retain users and compete against our competitors, we must continue to invest significant resources in research and development to enhance our internet search technology, improve our existing products and services and introduce additional high-quality products and services. If we are unable to anticipate user preferences or industry changes, or if we are unable to enhance the quality of our products and services on a timely basis or fail to provide sufficient content, we may lose users. Our results of operations may also suffer if our innovations do not respond to the needs of our users, are not appropriately timed with market opportunities or are not effectively brought to market. As search technology continues to develop and mobile devices and applications are increasingly used to access the internet, our competitors may be able to offer products and services that are, or that are perceived to be, substantially similar to or better than those provided by us. This may force us to expend significant resources in research and development and strategic investments and acquisitions in order to remain competitive.

If we fail to keep up with rapid changes in technologies and user behavior, our future success may be adversely affected.

Our future success will depend on our ability to respond to rapidly changing technologies, adapt our products and services to evolving industry standards and improve the performance and reliability of our products and services. Our failure to adapt to such changes could harm our business. In addition, changes in user behavior resulting from technological developments may also adversely affect us. For example, the number of people accessing the internet through mobile devices, including mobile phones, tablets and other hand-held devices, has increased in recent years, and we expect this trend to continue while 3G and more advanced mobile communications technologies are broadly implemented. If we fail to develop products and technologies that are compatible with all mobile devices and operating systems, or if the products and services we develop are not widely accepted and used by users of various mobile devices and operating systems, we may not be able to penetrate the mobile internet market. In addition, the widespread adoption of new internet, networking or telecommunications technologies or other technological changes could require substantial expenditures to modify or integrate our products, services or infrastructure. If we fail to keep up with rapid technological changes to remain competitive, or consequently fail to retain users with products and service of exceptional quality, our future success may be adversely affected.

Interruption or failure of our own information technology and communications systems or those of third-party service providers we rely upon could impair our ability to provide products and services, which could damage our reputation and harm our results of operations.

Our ability to provide products and services depends on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems. Any damage to or failure of our systems could interrupt our services. Service interruptions could reduce our revenues and profits and damage our brand if our systems are perceived to be unreliable. Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption as a result of terrorist attacks, wars, earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, undetected errors or “bugs” in our software, computer viruses, interruptions in access to our websites through the use of “denial of service” or similar attacks,

 

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hacking or other attempts to harm our systems, and similar events. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning does not account for all possible scenarios. In May 2014, the service of our Baidu Yun was inaccessible to some users for approximately four hours due to a failure of the internet infrastructure.

Our servers, which are hosted at third-party or our own internet data centers, are vulnerable to break-ins, sabotage and vandalism. The occurrence of natural disaster or closure of an internet data center by a third-party provider without adequate notice could result in lengthy service interruptions. In addition, our domain names are resolved into internet protocol (IP) addresses by systems of third-party domain name registrars and registries. Any interruptions or failures of those service providers’ systems, which are beyond our control, could significantly disrupt our own services. If we experience frequent or persistent system failures on our websites, whether due to interruptions and failures of our own information technology and communications systems or those of third-party service providers we rely upon, our reputation and brand could be severely harmed. The steps we take to increase the reliability and redundancy of our systems are expensive, may reduce our operating margin and may not be successful in reducing the frequency or duration of service interruptions.

More people are using devices other than personal computers to access the internet. If users do not widely adopt versions of our web search technology, products and services developed for these devices, our business could be adversely affected.

The number of people who access the internet through devices other than personal computers, including mobile phones, smartphones, handheld computers such as iPad and other tablets, and television set-top devices, is increasing dramatically. The varying display sizes, functionality, and memory associated with some alternative devices make the use of our products and services on such devices more difficult and the versions of our products and services developed for these devices may not be compelling to users, manufacturers, or distributors of devices. Each manufacturer or distributor may establish unique technical standards for its devices, and our products and services may not work or be accessible on these devices. Some manufacturers may also elect not to include our products on their devices. In addition, search queries are increasingly being undertaken through “apps” tailored to particular devices or social media platforms, which could affect our share of the search market over time. As new devices and new platforms are continually being released, it is difficult to predict the problems we may encounter in developing versions of our products and services for use on these alternative devices and we may need to devote significant resources to the creation, support, and maintenance of our products and services tailored for such devices. If we are unable to attract and retain a substantial number of alternative device manufacturers, distributors, and users to adopt and use our products and services, or if we are slow to develop products and technologies that are more compatible with alternative devices, we may fail to capture a significant share of an increasingly important portion of the market for online services, which could adversely affect our business.

We may not be able to manage our expanding operations effectively.

We have significantly expanded our operations in recent years. We expect this expansion trend to continue as we grow our user and customer base and explore new opportunities. To manage the further expansion of our business and growth of our operations and personnel, we need to continually improve our operational and financial systems, procedures and controls, and expand, train, manage and maintain good relations with, our growing employee base. We have experienced labor disputes in the past. Although these disputes were resolved promptly, we cannot assure you that there will not be any new labor dispute in the future. In addition, we must maintain and expand our relationships with other websites, internet companies and other third parties. Our current and future personnel, systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support our expanding operations.

 

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We may face intellectual property infringement claims and other related claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend and may result in an adverse impact over our operations.

Internet, technology and media companies are frequently involved in litigation based on allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights, unfair competition, invasion of privacy, defamation and other violations of other parties’ rights. The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property in internet-related industries, particularly in China, are uncertain and still evolving. As we face increasing competition and as litigation becomes more common in China in resolving commercial disputes, we face a higher risk of being the subject of intellectual property infringement claims. We may be subject to administrative actions brought by the PRC State Copyright Bureau, and in the most severe scenario criminal prosecution, for alleged copyright infringement, and as a result may be subject to fines and other penalties and be required to discontinue infringing activities. Furthermore, as we expand our operations outside of China, we may be subject to claims brought against us in jurisdictions outside of China.

Our search products and services, such as Baidu Video Search, link to materials in which third parties may claim ownership of trademarks, copyrights or other rights. Our audio and video player, Baidu Media Player, enables users to play multimedia files, which may be protected by copyright or other intellectual property rights. In addition, as we adopt new technologies and roll out new products and services, we face the risk of being subject to intellectual property infringement claims that may arise from our use of new technologies and provision of new products and services. Our products and services including those based on cloud computing technology, such as Baidu Yun, Baidu WenKu and Baidu Post Bar, allow our users to upload, store and share documents, images, audios and videos on our servers, or share, link to or otherwise provide access to contents from other websites, and we also operate distribution platforms whereby developers can upload, share and sell their applications or games to users. Although we have made commercially reasonable efforts to request users or developers to comply with applicable intellectual property laws, we cannot ensure that all of our users or developers have the rights to upload or share these contents or applications. In addition, we have been and may continue to be subject to copyright or trademark infringement and other related claims from time to time, in China and internationally.

We have been making continuous efforts to keep ourselves informed of and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations affecting our business. However, PRC laws and regulations are evolving, and uncertainties still exist with respect to the legal standards as well as the judicial interpretation of the standards for determining liabilities of internet search and other internet service providers for providing links to contents on third-party websites that infringe upon others’ copyrights or hosting such contents, or providing information storage space, file sharing technology or other internet services that are used by internet users to disseminate such contents. The Supreme People’s Court of China promulgated a judicial interpretation on infringement of the right of dissemination through internet in December 2012. This judicial interpretation, like certain court rulings and certain other judicial interpretations, provide that the courts will place the burden on internet service providers to remove not only links or contents that have been specifically mentioned in the notices of infringement from right holders, but also links or contents they “should have known” to contain infringing content. The interpretation further provides that where an internet service provider has directly obtained economic benefits from any contents made available by an internet user, it has a higher duty of care with respect to internet users’ infringement of third-party copyrights. A guidance on the trial of audio/video sharing copyright disputes promulgated by the Higher People’s Court of Beijing in December 2012 provides that where an internet service provider has directly obtained economic benefits from any audio/video contents made available by an internet user who has no authorization for sharing such contents, the internet service provider shall be presumed to be at fault. These interpretations could subject us and other internet service providers to significant administrative burdens and litigation risks.

We conduct our business operations primarily in China. There might be claims that we are subject to U.S. copyright laws, including the legal standards for determining indirect liability for copyright infringement, although we believe such claims are without merits. We cannot assure you that we will not be subject to copyright infringement lawsuits or other proceedings in the U.S. or elsewhere in the future.

 

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Intellectual property litigation is expensive and time-consuming and could divert resources and management attention from the operations of our business. We are currently named as a defendant in some copyright infringement suits in connection with our Baidu WenKu, Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Media Player, Baidu Video Search, iQiyi and certain other products or services. See “Item 8.A. Financial Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” There is no guarantee that the competent courts will accept our defenses and rule in our favor. If there is a successful claim of infringement, we may be required to discontinue the infringing activities, pay substantial fines and damages and/or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to obtain a license of the rights on a timely basis could harm our business. Any intellectual property litigation by third parties and/or negative publicity alleging our intellectual property infringement could have an adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations. To address the risks relating to intellectual property infringement, we may have to substantially modify, limit or terminate some of our search services. Any such change could materially affect user experience and in turn have an adverse impact on our business.

We have been and may again be subject to claims based on the content found on our websites, the results in our paid search listings or other products and services we offer.

In addition to the content developed by ourselves and posted on our websites, our users are free to post information on Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Knows, Baidu Encyclopedia, Baidu WenKu and other sections of our websites, and our P4P customers may create text-based descriptions, image descriptions and other phrases to be used as text, image or keywords in our search listings, and users can also use our personal cloud computing service, Baidu Yun, to upload, store and share documents, images, audios and videos on our cloud servers. We have been and may continue to be subject to claims for intellectual property infringement, defamation, negligence or other legal theories based on the content found on our websites, the results in our paid search listings or our other products and services, which, with or without merit, may result in diversion of management attention and financial resources and negative publicity on our brand and reputation. See “Item 8.A. Financial Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” Furthermore, if the content posted on our websites or found, stored or shared through our other products and services contains information that government authorities find objectionable, our websites or relevant products or services may be shut down and we may be subject to other penalties. See “—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the internet in China may adversely affect our business, and subject us to liability for information displayed on or linked to our websites, and negative publicity in international media.”

Under PRC advertising laws and regulations, we are obligated to monitor the advertising content posted on our websites to ensure that such content is fair and accurate and in compliance with applicable law. In addition, where a special government review is required for specific categories of advertisements before posting, we are obligated to confirm that such review has been performed and approval has been obtained. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Advertisements.” Our P4P services are not subject to PRC advertising laws and regulations, because PRC laws and regulations and administrative authorities currently do not classify P4P services as a form of online advertising. However, if P4P services are classified as a form of online advertising in the future, we would be obligated to examine the content of our P4P customers’ listings on our websites as required by PRC advertising laws and regulations, which could be very burdensome, and we may have to stop posting certain categories of listings on our websites or otherwise cease our P4P services for certain categories of customers. If advertisements shown on our websites are in violation of relevant PRC advertising laws and regulations, or if the supporting documentation and government approvals provided to us by our advertising clients in connection with the advertising content are not complete or accurate, we may be subject to legal liabilities and our reputation could be harmed.

We have been and in the future may again be subject to claims or negative publicity based on the results in our paid search listings. Claims have been filed against us after we allowed certain customers to register keywords containing trademarks, trade names or brand names owned by others and displayed links to such

 

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customers’ websites in our paid search listings. While we maintain a database of certain well-known trademarks and update continually our system algorithms and functions aiming at preventing customers from submitting a keyword containing the well-known trademarks that we know are owned by others, it is not possible for us to completely prevent our customers from bidding on keywords that contain trademarks, trade names or brand names owned by others. There has been negative publicity about fraudulent information in our paid search listings. Although we have been continually enhancing our technology, control and oversight to prevent fraudulent websites, web pages and information from our paid search listings, there is no guarantee that the measures we have taken are effective at all times. Claims and negative publicity based on the results in our paid search listings, regardless of their merit, may divert management attention, severely disrupt our operations, adversely affect our results of operations and harm our reputation.

We may be subject to patent infringement claims with respect to our P4P platform.

Our technologies and business methods, including those relating to our P4P platform, may be subject to third-party claims or rights that limit or prevent their use. In June 2005, we applied for a patent in China for our P4P platform, but our application was rejected on the ground that it is not patentable. Certain U.S.-based companies, including Overture Services Inc., have been granted patents in the United States relating to P4P platforms and similar business methods and related technologies. While we believe that we are not subject to U.S. patent laws since we conduct our business operations outside of the United States, we cannot assure you that U.S. patent laws would not be applicable to our business operations, or that holders of patents relating to a P4P platform would not seek to enforce such patents against us in the United States or China.

Many parties are actively developing and seeking protection for internet-related technologies, including patent protection. They may hold patents issued or pending that relate to certain aspects of our technologies, products, business methods or services. Any patent infringement claims, regardless of their merits, could be time-consuming and costly to us. If we were sued for patent infringement claims with respect to our P4P platform and were found to infringe upon the patents and were not able to adopt non- infringing technologies, we may be severely limited in our ability to operate our P4P platform, which would have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and prospects.

Our business may be adversely affected by third-party software applications or practices that interfere with our receipt of information from, or provision of information to, our users, which may impair our users’ experience.

Our business may be adversely affected by third-party malicious or unintentional software applications that make changes to our users’ computers and interfere with our products and services. These software applications may change our users’ internet experience by hijacking queries to our websites, altering or replacing our search results, or otherwise interfering with our ability to connect with our users. The interference often occurs without disclosure to or consent from users, resulting in a negative experience, which users may associate with our websites. These software applications may be difficult to remove or disable, may reinstall themselves and may circumvent other applications’ efforts to block or remove them. In addition, our business may be adversely affected by the practices of third-party website owners, content providers and developers which interfere with our ability to crawl and index their web pages and contents including applications. The ability to provide a superior user experience is critical to our success. If we are unable to successfully combat malicious third-party software applications that interfere with our products and services, our reputation may be harmed. If a significant number of website owners, content providers and developers prevent us from indexing and including their high-quality web pages and contents including applications in our search results, the quality of our search results may be impaired.

 

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We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.

We rely on a combination of copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as nondisclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. The protection of intellectual property rights in China may not be as effective as those in the United States or other countries. The steps we have taken may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our technology. Reverse engineering, unauthorized copying or other misappropriation of our technologies could enable third parties to benefit from our technologies without paying us. Moreover, unauthorized use of our technology could enable our competitors to offer products and services that are comparable to or better than ours, which could harm our business and competitive position. We have in the past resorted to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, and may have to do so from time to time in the future. There is no guarantee that the competent courts will accept our claims and rule in our favor. Such litigation may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

Our success depends on the continuing and collaborative efforts of our management team and other key personnel, and our business may be harmed if we lose their services.

Our future success depends heavily upon the continuing services of our management team, in particular our chairman and chief executive officer, Robin Yanhong Li. If one or more of our executives or other key personnel are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, and our business may be disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Competition for management and key personnel is intense, the pool of qualified candidates is limited, and we may not be able to retain the services of our executives or key personnel, or attract and retain experienced executives or key personnel in the future.

If any of our executives or other key personnel joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose customers, distributors, know-how and key personnel. Each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement with us, containing confidentiality and non-competition provisions. If any disputes arise between any of our executives or key personnel and us, we cannot assure you the extent to which any of these agreements may be enforced.

We rely on highly skilled personnel. If we are unable to retain or motivate them or hire additional qualified personnel, we may not be able to grow effectively.

Our performance and future success depend on the talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals. We will need to continue to identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel for all areas of our organization and business operations. Competition in the internet industry for qualified employees is intense. Our continued ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and motivate our existing employees. As competition in the internet industry intensifies, it may be more difficult for us to hire, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel. If we do not succeed in attracting additional highly skilled personnel or retaining or motivating our existing personnel, we may be unable to grow effectively.

Our strategy of investments and acquiring complementary businesses and assets may fail.

As part of our business strategy, we have pursued, and intend to continue to pursue, selective strategic investments and acquisitions of businesses and assets that complement our existing business. In the past three years, we acquired certain businesses and intangible assets, through several strategic investments and acquisitions, such as our investment in Qunar Cayman Islands Limited, or Qunar, and Qiyi.com, Inc., and our acquisition of the online video business of PPStream Inc. and acquisition of 91 Wireless Websoft Limited, or 91 Wireless. We intend to make other strategic investments and acquisitions in the future if suitable opportunities arise. Investments and acquisitions involve uncertainties and risks, including:

 

   

potential ongoing financial obligations and unforeseen or hidden liabilities, including liability for infringement of third-party copyrights or other intellectual property;

 

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failure to achieve the intended objectives, benefits or revenue-enhancing opportunities;

 

   

costs and difficulties of integrating acquired businesses and managing a larger business;

 

   

potentially significant goodwill impairment charges;

 

   

high acquisition and financing costs;

 

   

possible loss of key employees of a target business;

 

   

potential claims or litigation regarding our board’s exercise of its duty of care and other duties required under applicable law in connection with any of our significant acquisitions or investments approved by the board; and

 

   

diversion of resources and management attention.

Any failure to address these risks successfully may have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Investments and acquisitions may require a significant amount of capital investment, which would decrease the amount of cash available for working capital or capital expenditures. In addition, if we use our equity securities to pay for investments and acquisitions, we may dilute the value of our ADSs and the underlying ordinary shares. If we borrow funds to finance investments and acquisitions, such debt instruments may contain restrictive covenants that could, among other things, restrict us from distributing dividends. Moreover, acquisitions may also generate significant amortization expenses related to intangible assets. We may also incur impairment charges to earnings for investments and acquired businesses and assets which are determined to be impaired, and recognize the proportional share of the net losses of the investees to the extent of the amount of the investments for the equity method investments.

We are subject to risks and uncertainties faced by companies in a rapidly evolving industry.

We operate in the rapidly evolving internet industry, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations. Accordingly, you should consider our future prospects in light of the risks and uncertainties experienced by companies in evolving industries. Some of these risks and uncertainties relate to our ability to:

 

   

maintain our leading position in the Chinese language internet search market;

 

   

offer new, innovative products and services and enhance our existing products and services with innovative and advanced technology to attract and retain a larger user base;

 

   

attract users’ continuing use of internet search services;

 

   

retain existing customers and attract additional customers and increase spending per customer;

 

   

upgrade our technology to support increased traffic and expanded product and service offerings;

 

   

further enhance our brand;

 

   

respond to competitive market conditions;

 

   

respond to evolving user preferences or industry changes;

 

   

respond to changes in the regulatory environment and manage legal risks, including those associated with intellectual property rights;

 

   

maintain effective control of our costs and expenses;

 

   

execute our strategic investments and acquisitions and post-acquisition integrations effectively;

 

   

attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and maintain good relations with a young and growing work force; and

 

   

build profitable operations in new markets and other overseas internet search markets we have entered into.

 

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If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of these risks and uncertainties, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Our historical growth rate may not be indicative of our future growth rate.

We have experienced substantial growth in recent years. Our total revenues and net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. grew at a compound annual growth rate of 57.8% and 39.1%, respectively, from 2010 to 2014. Our growth was driven in part by the growth in China’s internet and online marketing industries, which may not be indicative of future growth or be sustainable. Our past growth rate may not be indicative of our future growth rate.

Our indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to obtain additional capital on reasonable terms when necessary.

As of December 31, 2014, we had an aggregate of US$4.2 billion of outstanding indebtedness that will mature between 2015 and 2022 and we may incur additional indebtedness in the future. Our current and future debt requires us to dedicate a portion of our cash flow to service interest and principal payments and may limit our ability to engage in other transactions. Our ability to pay interest and repay the principal for our indebtedness is dependent upon our ability to manage our business operations, generate sufficient cash flows to service such debt and the other factors discussed in this section. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage any of these risks successfully.

We may require additional capital to support our business growth or to respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances. Our ability to obtain additional capital, if and when required, will depend on our business plans, investor demand, our operating performance, the condition of the capital markets, and other factors, and our indebtedness may limit our ability to borrow additional funds. We may have difficulty incurring new debt on terms that we would consider to be commercially reasonable, if at all. In addition, we may also need to refinance a portion of our outstanding debt as it matures. There is a risk that we may not be able to refinance existing debt or that the terms of any refinancing may not be as favorable as the terms of our existing debt.

Our results of operations may fluctuate, which makes our results difficult to predict and could cause our results to fall short of expectations.

Our results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. For these reasons, comparing our results of operations on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful, and you should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance. Our quarterly and annual revenues and costs and expenses as a percentage of our revenues may be significantly different from our historical or projected figures. Our results of operations in future quarters may fall below expectations. Any of these events could cause the price of our ADSs to fall. Any of the risk factors listed in this “Risk Factors” section, and in particular the following factors, could cause our results of operations to fluctuate from quarter to quarter:

 

   

general economic conditions in China and economic conditions specific to the internet, internet search and online marketing industries;

 

   

our ability to continue to attract users to our websites despite the emergence of mobile applications;

 

   

our ability to attract additional customers and increase spending per customer;

 

   

the announcement or introduction of new or enhanced products and services by us or our competitors;

 

   

the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures related to the maintenance and expansion of our businesses, operations and infrastructure;

 

   

the results of our acquisitions of, or investments in, other businesses or assets;

 

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PRC regulations or government actions pertaining to activities on the internet, including various forms of entertainment, online payment and activities otherwise affecting our online marketing customers, and those relating to the new products and services we may introduce from time to time;

 

   

unforeseen events, such as negative publicity arising from widespread media coverage and other sources and labor disputes; and

 

   

geopolitical events, natural disasters or epidemics.

Because of the rapid growth of our business, our historical results of operations may not be useful to you in predicting our future results of operations. Our user traffic tends to be seasonal. For example, we generally experience less user traffic during public holidays and other special event periods in China. In addition, advertising and other marketing spending in China has historically been cyclical, reflecting overall economic conditions as well as budgeting and buying patterns. Our rapid growth has lessened the impact of the cyclicality and seasonality of our business. As we continue to grow, we expect that the cyclicality and seasonality in our business may cause our results of operations to fluctuate.

A severe and prolonged global economic recession and the slowdown in the Chinese economy may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The global macroeconomic environment is facing challenges, including the escalation of the European sovereign debt crisis since 2011, the end of quantitative easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the economic slowdown in the Eurozone in 2014. The Chinese economy has slowed down in recent years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 7.4% in 2014. There have been concerns over unrest in the Middle East and Africa, which have resulted in volatility in oil and other markets, and over the possibility of a war involving Ukraine. There have also been concerns on the relationship among China and other Asian countries, which may result in or intensify potential conflicts in relation to territorial disputes. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. Any prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs. Our customers may reduce or delay spending with us, while we may have difficulty expanding our customer base fast enough, or at all, to offset the impact of decreased spending by our existing customers. In addition, to the extent we offer credit to any customer and the customer experiences financial difficulties due to the economic slowdown, we could have difficulty collecting payment from the customer.

Because we rely to a large extent on distributors in providing our P4P services, failure to retain key distributors or attract additional distributors could materially and adversely affect our business. Moreover, there is no assurance that our direct sales model in some key geographic markets will continue to be successful.

Online marketing is at a development stage in China and is not as widely accepted by or available to businesses in China as in the United States. As a result, we rely, to a large extent, on a nationwide distribution network of third-party distributors for our sales to, and collection of payment from, our P4P customers. If our distributors do not provide quality services to our P4P customers or otherwise breach their contracts with our P4P customers, we may lose customers and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Since most of our distributors are not bound by long-term contracts, we cannot assure you that we will continue to maintain favorable relationships with them. If we fail to retain our key distributors or attract additional distributors on terms that are commercially reasonable, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We have transitioned to using our direct sales force to serve P4P customers in some key geographic markets, such as Beijing, Shanghai and major cities in Guangdong Province. There is no assurance that our direct

 

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sales model in those markets will continue to be successful. If we fail to maintain an adequate direct sales force, retain existing customers and continue to attract new customers in those markets, our business, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

We rely on our Baidu Union members for a significant portion of our revenues. If we fail to retain existing Baidu Union members or attract additional members, our revenue growth and profitability may be adversely affected.

We pay Baidu Union members a portion of our revenues based on click-throughs by users of Baidu Union members’ properties. We consider our Baidu Union critical to the future growth of our revenues. Some of our Baidu Union members, however, may compete with us in one or more areas of our business. Therefore, they may decide in the future to terminate their relationships with us. If our Baidu Union members decide to use a competitor’s or their own internet search services, our user traffic may decline, which may adversely affect our revenues. If we fail to attract additional Baidu Union members, our revenue growth may be adversely affected. In addition, if we have to share a larger portion of our revenues to retain existing Baidu Union members or attract additional members, our profitability may be adversely affected.

Our overseas operations may not be successful.

We have started to launch products and services in local languages to internet users in several countries. It is uncertain when the operation will become profitable, if at all. In particular, we rely on local telecommunication operators and service providers to provide us with network services and data center hosting services, and our systems for these international products and services are not redundant across different regions and data centers. Any interruption to the internet infrastructure or any data center may render our products and services in the region unavailable.

We face certain risks inherent in doing business internationally, including:

 

   

difficulties in developing, staffing and simultaneously managing a foreign operation as a result of distance, language and cultural differences;

 

   

longer customer payment cycles;

 

   

currency exchange rate fluctuations;

 

   

political or social unrest or economic instability;

 

   

unexpected changes in laws or regulations;

 

   

severe natural disasters; and

 

   

potentially adverse tax consequences.

One or more of these factors could harm our overseas operations and consequently, could harm our overall results of operations.

If we are unable to adapt or expand our existing technology infrastructure to accommodate greater traffic, content or additional customer requirements, our business may be harmed.

Our Baidu.com website regularly serves a large number of users and customers and delivers a large number of daily page views. Our technology infrastructure is highly complex and may not provide satisfactory service in the future, especially as the number of users and customers increases. We may be required to upgrade our technology infrastructure to keep up with the increasing traffic on our Baidu.com website, such as increasing the capacity of our servers and the sophistication of our software. If we fail to adapt our technology infrastructure to accommodate greater traffic or customer requirements, our users and customers may become dissatisfied with our services and switch to our competitors’ websites, which could harm our business.

 

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If we fail to detect fraudulent click-throughs, our customers’ confidence in us could be damaged and our revenues could decline.

We are exposed to the risk of click-through fraud on our paid search results. Click-through fraud occurs when a person clicks paid search results for a reason other than to view the underlying content of search results. If we fail to detect fraudulent clicks or otherwise are unable to prevent this fraudulent activity, the affected customers may experience a reduced return on investments, or ROI, in our online marketing services and lose confidence in the integrity of our systems, and we may have to issue refunds to our customers. If this happens, we may be unable to retain existing customers or attract new customers for our online marketing services, and our online marketing revenues could decline. In addition, affected customers may also file legal actions against us claiming that we have over-charged or failed to refund them. Any such claims or similar claims, regardless of their merits, could be time-consuming and costly for us to defend against and could also adversely affect our brand and our customers’ confidence in the integrity of our systems.

The successful operation of our business depends upon the performance and reliability of the internet infrastructure and fixed telecommunications networks in China.

Our business depends on the performance and reliability of the internet infrastructure in China. Almost all access to the internet is maintained through state-owned telecommunication operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT. In addition, the national networks in China are connected to the internet through international gateways controlled by the PRC government. These international gateways are the only channels through which a domestic user can connect to the internet. It is unpredictable whether a more sophisticated internet infrastructure will be developed in China. We may not have access to alternative networks in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with China’s internet infrastructure. In addition, the internet infrastructure in China may not support the demands associated with continued growth in internet usage.

We rely heavily on China Telecommunications Corporation, or China Telecom, China United Network Communications Group Company Limited, or China Unicom, and China Mobile Communications Corporation, or China Mobile, to provide us with network services and data center hosting services. We have entered into contracts with various local branches or subsidiaries of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile to obtain data communications capacity. We have limited access to alternative services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with the fixed telecommunications networks of these companies, or if these companies otherwise fail to provide the services. In May 2014, the service of our Baidu Yun was inaccessible to some users for approximately four hours due to a failure of the internet infrastructure. Any unscheduled service interruption could damage our reputation and result in a decrease in our revenues. Furthermore, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by these telecommunication companies. If the prices that we pay for telecommunications and internet services rise significantly, our gross margins could be adversely affected. In addition, if internet access fees or other charges to internet users increase, our user traffic may decrease, which in turn may harm our revenues.

Failure of information security could subject us to penalties, damage our reputation and brand, and harm our business and results of operations.

The internet industry is facing significant challenges regarding information security and privacy, including the storage, transmission and sharing of confidential information. We transmit and store over our systems confidential and private information of our users, customers, distributors and Baidu Union members, such as personal information, including names, user IDs and passwords, and payment or transaction related information. We are required by PRC law to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability and authenticity of the information of our users, customers, distributors and Baidu Union members, which is also essential to maintain their confidence in our online products and services.

 

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We have adopted strict information security policies and deployed advanced measures to implement the policies, including, among others, advanced encryption technologies. However, advances in technology, increased level of sophistication and diversity of our products and services, increased level of expertise of hackers, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or others could still result in a compromise or breach of the measures that we use. Because of our leading market position in the internet industry in China, we believe we are a particularly attractive target for security breaches and hacking attacks. We have experienced in the past, and may experience in the future, such attacks. In December 2012, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress promulgated the Decision on Strengthening Network Information Protection, or the Network Information Protection Decision, to enhance the legal protection of information security and privacy on the internet. The Network Information Protection Decision also requires internet operators to take measures to ensure confidentiality of information of users. In July 2013, the MIIT promulgated the Provisions on Protection of Personal Information of Telecommunication and Internet Users to regulate the collection and use of users’ personal information in the provision of telecommunication service and internet information service in China. However, the effect of these laws on curbing hacking and other illegal online activities still remains to be seen. Significant capital, managerial and human resources are required to comply with legal requirements, enhance information security and to address any issues caused by security failures. If we are unable to protect our systems, hence the information stored in our systems, from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction, such problems or security breaches could cause loss or give rise to our liabilities to the owners of confidential information, such as our users, customers, distributors and Baidu Union members, subject us to penalties imposed by administrative authorities, and disrupt our operations. Any negative publicity on our website’s safety or privacy protection mechanism and policy could also have a material and adverse effect on reputation and brand and harm our business and results of operations.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may lose investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.

We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, adopted rules requiring every public company to include a management report on the company’s internal control over financial reporting in its annual report, which contains management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, an independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We have been subject to these requirements since the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014. See “Item 15. Controls and Procedures.” Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation report, which has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective in all material aspects as of December 31, 2014. However, if we fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, our management and our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting at a reasonable assurance level. This could in turn result in loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements and negatively impact the trading price of our ADSs. Furthermore, we have incurred and anticipate that we will continue to incur considerable costs, management time and other resources in an effort to comply with Section 404 and other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

We have limited business insurance coverage.

The insurance industry in China is still at a relatively early stage of development. Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance products. We do not have any business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business disruption may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of our resources.

 

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We face risks related to health epidemics, severe weather conditions and other outbreaks.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of avian influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the influenza A virus, Ebola virus, severe weather conditions or other epidemic or outbreak. Health or other government regulations adopted in response to an epidemic, severe weather conditions such as snow storm, flood or hazardous air pollution, or other outbreaks may require temporary closure of our offices or internet cafes where many users access our websites. Such closures may disrupt our business operations and adversely affect our results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

PRC laws and regulations governing our businesses and the validity of certain of our contractual arrangements are uncertain. If we are found to be in violation, we could be subject to sanctions. In addition, changes in PRC laws and regulations or changes in interpretations thereof may materially and adversely affect our business.

The PRC government restricts or imposes conditions on foreign investment in internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses. We and our PRC subsidiaries are considered foreign persons or foreign-invested enterprises under PRC foreign investment related laws. As a result, we and our PRC subsidiaries are subject to PRC legal restrictions on or conditions for foreign ownership of internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses. Due to these restrictions and conditions, we operate our websites and conduct online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses in China through our consolidated affiliated entities. As all the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities are either PRC citizens or PRC domestic enterprises, these entities are therefore considered as PRC domestic enterprises under PRC law. The “nominee shareholders” refer to those shareholders who have pledged their equity interest in our consolidated affiliated entities to us and entered into exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreements with us as part of the contractual arrangements. Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders allow us to have the power to direct the activities of these entities that most significantly impact their economic performance. These contractual arrangements demonstrate our ability and intention to continue to exercise the ability to absorb substantially all of the profits and the expected losses of the affiliated entities. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, we derived approximately 29%, 28% and 27% of our total revenues, respectively, from our consolidated affiliated entities through contractual arrangements.

There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities, including but not limited to Baidu Netcom and the nominee shareholders. These laws and regulations may be subject to change, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively.

Although we believe we comply with current PRC laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that the PRC government would agree that our contractual arrangements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. The PRC government has broad discretion in determining penalties for violations of laws and regulations. If the PRC government determines that we do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke our business and operating licenses, require us to discontinue or restrict our operations, restrict our right to collect revenues, block our websites, require us to restructure our operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply, impose restrictions on our business operations or on our customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business. Any of these or similar occurrences could significantly disrupt our business operations or restrict us from conducting a substantial portion of our business operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of any of our

 

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consolidated affiliated entities that most significantly impact its economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from any of our consolidated affiliated entities, we may not be able to consolidate the entity in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

If the PRC government were to classify P4P services as a form of online advertising or as part of internet content services, our effective tax rate may increase and we might be subject to sanctions and required to pay delinquent taxes.

PRC laws and regulations and administrative authorities currently do not classify P4P services as a form of online advertising or as part of internet content services that require an ICP license, or ICP services. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not classify P4P services as a form of online advertising or as part of ICP services in the future. If new regulations characterize P4P services as a form of online advertising or as part of ICP services, our tax liability may increase, given the advertising revenues are subject to a 3% construction fee for culture undertakings in addition to the 6% value-added tax, or VAT, which has replaced the original 5% business tax for advertising revenues. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation” for more information on PRC business tax and VAT. Moreover, if the change in classification of P4P services were to be retroactively applied, we might be subject to sanctions, including payment of delinquent taxes and fines. In addition, the classification of P4P services as a form of online advertising could subject us to an obligation to examine the content of our P4P customers’ listings on our websites and the associated risks. See “—Risks Related to Our Business—We have been and may again be subject to claims based on the content found on our websites or the results in our paid search listings.” Such examinations could be burdensome and increase our operating costs and expenses. Any change in the classification of P4P by the PRC government may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities in China and the individual nominee shareholders may not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct ownership.

Since PRC law restricts or imposes conditions on foreign equity ownership in internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution companies in China, we operate our websites and conduct our online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses through our consolidated affiliated entities in China. We have no equity interest in any of these entities and must rely on contractual arrangements to control and operate the businesses and assets held by our consolidated affiliated entities, including the domain names and trademarks that have been transferred from our subsidiaries to our consolidated affiliated entities in accordance with requirements of PRC law. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct ownership. For example, our consolidated affiliated entities and the individual nominee shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to operate our business, such as using the domain names and trademarks our subsidiaries have transferred to them or maintaining our websites, in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If our consolidated affiliated entities or the individual nominee shareholders fail to perform their obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including contract remedies, which may not be sufficient or effective. If we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to have the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of our consolidated affiliated entities, and we may lose control over the assets owned by our consolidated affiliated entities, including our baidu.com domain name and website, and any other domain names and websites we have access to may not attract a large number of users and customers at the same level as baidu.com. As a result, our ability to conduct our business may be materially and adversely affected, and we may not be able to consolidate the financial results of the relevant affiliated entities into our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which may materially and adversely affect our results of operations and damage our reputation.

 

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Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities in China may result in adverse tax consequences to us.

As a result of our corporate structure and the contractual arrangements between our subsidiaries and each of our consolidated affiliated entities in China, we are subject to VAT at a rate of 6% as a result of the pilot VAT reform program on both revenues generated by our consolidated affiliated entities’ operations in China and revenues derived from our subsidiaries’ contractual arrangements with these consolidated affiliated entities. Where our consolidated affiliated entity is qualified as a VAT general taxpayer, the VAT charged by our subsidiaries on the revenues obtained from such consolidated affiliated entity based on the contractual arrangement between our subsidiaries and such consolidated affiliated entity will constitute input VAT for the consolidated affiliated entity, and will be creditable against output VAT arising in connection with VAT taxable activities carried out by the consolidated affiliated entity. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation” for more information on the pilot VAT reform program. Moreover, we would be subject to adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities were to determine that the contracts between our subsidiaries and these consolidated affiliated entities were not on an arm’s-length basis and therefore constituted a favorable transfer pricing. Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, an enterprise must submit its annual tax return together with information on related-party transactions to the PRC tax authorities. The PRC tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s-length principles. For example, the PRC tax authorities could request that our consolidated affiliated entities adjust their taxable income upward for PRC tax purposes. Such adjustment could adversely affect us by increasing our consolidated affiliated entities’ tax expenses without reducing our subsidiaries’ tax expenses, which could subject our consolidated affiliated entities to interest due on late payments and other penalties for under-payment of taxes.

We may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.

We are subject to enterprise income tax, or EIT, business tax, VAT, and other taxes in many provinces and cities in China and our tax structure is subject to review by various local tax authorities. The determination of our provision for income tax and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. For example, under the EIT Law, the PRC tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s-length principles. Particularly, the State Administration of Tax issued a Public Notice, or Public Notice 16, on March 18, 2015, to further regulate and strengthen the transfer pricing administration on outbound payments by a PRC enterprise to its overseas related parties. In addition to emphasizing that outbound payments by a PRC enterprise to its overseas related parties must comply with arm’s-length principles, Public Notice 16 specifies certain circumstances whereby such payments are not deductible for the purpose of the enterprise income tax of the PRC enterprise, including payments to an overseas related party which does not undertake any function, bear any risk or has no substantial operation or activities, payments for services which do not enable the PRC enterprise to obtain direct or indirect economic benefits, or for services that are unrelated to the functions and risks borne by the PRC enterprise, or relate to the protection of the investment interests of the direct or indirect investor of the PRC enterprise, or for services that have already been purchased from a third party or undertaken by the PRC enterprise itself, and royalties paid to an overseas related party which only owns the legal rights of the intangible assets but has no contribution to the creation of such intangible assets. Although we believe all our related party transactions, including all payments by our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to our non-PRC entities, are made on an arm’s-length basis and our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate decisions by the relevant tax authorities may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.

 

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The individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may adversely affect our business. We do not have any arrangements in place to address such potential conflicts.

We have designated individuals who are PRC nationals to be the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities in China. For example, Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive officer and co-founder, is also the principal nominee shareholder of Baidu Netcom, which is our principal consolidated affiliated entity.

Although the individual nominee shareholders are contractually obligated to act in good faith and in our best interest, they may still have potential conflicts of interest with us. For example, some individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities do not have a significant equity stake in our company other than the share options granted to them. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these individuals will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these individuals may breach, cause our consolidated affiliated entities to breach or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements with us. Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these individuals and our company, except that we could exercise our transfer option under the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement with the relevant individual nomine shareholder to request him/her to transfer all of his/her equity ownership in the relevant consolidated affiliated entity to a PRC entity or individual designated by us. We rely on Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, who is also a director of our company, to abide by the Cayman Islands law, which provides that directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company, and those who are also directors or officers of our PRC subsidiaries to abide by PRC law, which provides that directors and officers owe a fiduciary duty to the company. Such fiduciary duty requires directors and/or officers to act in good faith and in the best interests of the company and not to use their positions for personal gains. There are, however, no specific provisions under the Cayman Islands or PRC law on how to address potential conflicts of interest. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could disrupt our business, distract management and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

We may be unable to collect long-term loans to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities in China.

As of the date of this annual report, we have made long-term loans in an aggregate principal amount of RMB2.1 billion (US$343.9 million) to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities. We extended these loans to enable the nominee shareholders to fund the capitalization of these entities. As of the date of this annual report, all of the registered capital of our consolidated affiliated entities in China has been fully funded. We may in the future provide additional loans to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities in China in connection with any increase in their capitalization to the extent necessary and permissible under applicable law. Our ability to ultimately collect these loans will depend on the profitability of these consolidated affiliated entities and their operational needs, which are uncertain.

We are in the process of registering the pledges of equity interests by nominee shareholders of some of our consolidated affiliated entities, and we may not be able to enforce the equity pledges against any third parties who acquire the equity interests in good faith in the relevant consolidated affiliated entities before the pledges are registered.

The nominee shareholders of each of our consolidated affiliated entities have pledged all of their equity interests in the relevant consolidated affiliated entities to our subsidiaries. An equity pledge agreement becomes effective among the parties upon execution. However, according to the PRC Property Rights Law, an equity pledge is not perfected as a security property right unless it is registered with the relevant local administration for industry and commerce. The pledge relating to each of Baidu Netcom and Beijing BaiduPay Science and

 

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Technology Co., Ltd., or BaiduPay, has been registered with the relevant local administration for industry and commerce, while we are in the process of registering the pledge of the registered capital of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Perusal, relating to recent increase of its registered capital. Prior to the completion of the registration, we may not be able to successfully enforce the equity pledge against any third parties who have acquired property right interests in good faith in the equity interests in the relevant consolidated affiliated entities.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material and adverse effect on our business and operations.

Most of our business operations are conducted in China. Accordingly, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects are affected by economic, political and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.

China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

Growth of China’s economy has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Since 2012, growth of the Chinese economy has slowed down. Some of the government measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. Any stimulus measures designed to boost the Chinese economy, may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee compensation and office operating expenses, may increase as a result of higher inflation. Additionally, because a substantial portion of our assets consists of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, high inflation could significantly reduce the value and purchasing power of these assets.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.

We conduct our business primarily through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. Our subsidiaries are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.

PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China for the past decades. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of published decisions and their nonbinding nature, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. The following are a few examples:

 

   

China enacted the Anti-Monopoly Law, which became effective on August 1, 2008. Because the Anti-Monopoly Law and the related regulations are still new, and there have been very few court rulings and

 

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judicial or administrative interpretations on certain key concepts used in the law, it is uncertain how the implementation and enforcement of the Anti-Monopoly Law and the related regulations would affect our business.

 

   

The PRC Tort Liability Law became effective on July 1, 2010. In accordance with the Tort Liability Law, where an internet service provider is informed or knows that an internet user is infringing upon other persons’ rights and interests through its internet service but fails to take necessary actions, it will be jointly and severally liable with the internet user as to the damages suffered by the right holders as a result of the infringing activity known to the internet service provider. The interpretation of the applicability and enforceability of the Tort Liability Law on internet search providers remain uncertain, thus we are not sure how it would affect our business.

Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all. As a result, we may not be aware of our potential violation of these policies and rules. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of internet business and companies.

The PRC government regulates the internet industry extensively, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the internet industry. These internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainty. As a result, under certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be violations of applicable laws and regulations. Issues, risks and uncertainties relating to PRC government regulation of the internet industry include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

   

We only have contractual control over our websites. We do not own the websites due to the restriction of foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunications services in China, including online information services.

 

   

The licensing requirements relating to the internet business in China are uncertain and evolving. This means that permits, licenses or operations at some of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities may be subject to challenge, or we may not be able to obtain or renew certain permits or licenses, including without limitation, a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License, which is issued by the MIIT, an Internet News License, which is issued by the State Council News Office, an Internet Culture Business Permit with the permitted scope of business covering online game operation and online game virtual currency issuance or trading, which is issued by the Ministry of Culture, an Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, which is issued by the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, or the SARFT (which was consolidated with the General Administration of Press and Publication, or the GAPP, and is currently known as the State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television, or the SAPPRFT), an Internet Publication License, which is issued by the GAPP (which was consolidated with the SARFT and is currently known as the SAPPRFT), a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate for internet map services, which is issued by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation (formerly known as the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping), a Payment Service Permit, which is issued by the People’s Bank of China, and a Qualification Certificate for Internet Drug Information Services, which is issued by provincial branch of the State Food and Drug Administration. Failure to obtain or renew these permits and licenses may significantly disrupt our business, or subject us to sanctions, requirements to increase capital or other conditions or enforcement, or compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other harmful effects on us.

 

   

New laws and regulations may be promulgated to regulate internet activities, including online advertising and online payment. Other aspects of our online operations may be regulated in the future.

 

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If these new laws and regulations are promulgated, additional licenses may be required for our online operations. If our operations do not comply with these new regulations at the time they become effective, or if we fail to obtain any licenses required under these new laws and regulations, we could be subject to penalties.

We provide value-added telecommunications services through our consolidated affiliated entities, which hold the required licenses. In July 2006, the MIIT issued the Notice of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-Added Telecommunications Services. This notice prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling telecommunication business operating licenses to any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities to any foreign investor for their illegal operation of a telecommunication business in China. According to this notice, either the holder of a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License or its shareholders must directly own the domain names and trademarks used by the license holder in its provision of value-added telecommunications services. The notice also requires each license holder to have the necessary facilities, including servers, for its approved business operations and to maintain these facilities in the regions covered by its license. Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay, our consolidated affiliated entities, own the necessary domain names and trademarks, including pending trademark applications and have the necessary personnel and facilities to operate our websites.

We offer online games provided by our game operator partners on our websites owned and operated by our consolidated affiliated entities. We have also acquired 91 Wireless, which operates two leading smartphone application distribution platforms in China as well as a mobile game platform through its consolidated affiliated entities. In September 2009, the GAPP (currently known as the SAPPRFT) together with several other government agencies issued a notice, or the Circular 13, prohibiting foreign investors from participating in online game operating businesses through wholly-owned enterprises, equity joint ventures or cooperative joint ventures in China. Circular 13 expressly prohibits foreign investors from gaining control over or participating in PRC operating companies’ online game operations through indirect means, such as establishing joint venture companies, entering into contractual arrangements with or providing technical support to the operating companies, or through a disguised form, such as incorporating user registration, user account management or payment through game cards into online game platforms that are ultimately controlled or owned by foreign investors. Other government agencies that also have the authority to regulate online game operations in China, such as the Ministry of Culture and the MIIT, did not join the GAPP in issuing the Circular 13. To date, neither the GAPP nor the SAPPRFT has issued any interpretation of the Circular 13. Due to the ambiguity among various regulations on online games and a lack of interpretations from the relevant PRC authorities governing online game operations, there are uncertainties regarding whether PRC authorities would consider our relevant contractual arrangements to be foreign investment in online game operation businesses. While we are not aware of any online game companies which use the same or similar contractual arrangements as ours having been penalized or ordered to terminate operation by PRC authorities claiming that the contractual arrangements constitute control over, or participation in, the operation of online game operations through indirect means, it is unclear whether and how the various regulations of the PRC authorities might be interpreted or implemented in the future. If our relevant contractual arrangements were deemed to be “indirect means” or “disguised form” under the Circular 13, the relevant contractual arrangements may be challenged by the SAPPRFT or other governmental authorities. If we were found to be in violation of the Circular 13 to operate our mobile game platform, the SAPPRFT, in conjunction with relevant regulatory authorities, would have the power to investigate and deal with such violations, including in the most serious cases, suspending or revoking the relevant licenses and registrations. If we were found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, including the MIIT notice and the Circular 13, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violations.

As we enter into new businesses, we may encounter additional regulatory uncertainties. For example, it remains unclear whether the provision of online payment services by BaiduPay will require BaiduPay to apply for a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for “online data processing and transaction

 

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processing businesses” as provided in the Catalog of Telecommunication Businesses promulgated by the MIIT. BaiduPay, however, has applied for this Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for “online data processing and transaction processing businesses.” In addition, in March 2014, according to reports on certain websites, the People’s Bank of China has formulated a draft of the Administrative Measures on the Online Payment Business of Payment Institutions for the purpose of soliciting opinions from selected groups on certain proposed changes to laws relating to online payments, such as the imposition of limits on the amounts that can be paid for consumption purposes from online payment accounts opened with online payment institutions. There are substantial uncertainties as to if and when the draft administrative measures will be adopted into law and what further changes will be made to such measures prior to or during such adoption. If the draft administrative measures are adopted into law in the future, our Baidu Wallet business may be adversely affected.

The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating to the internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, internet businesses in China, including our business.

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the enactment timetable, interpretation and implementation of draft PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

The Ministry of Commerce published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law in January 2015 aiming to, upon its enactment, replace the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The draft Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. The Ministry of Commerce is currently soliciting comments on this draft and substantial uncertainties exist with respect to its enactment timetable, interpretation and implementation. The draft Foreign Investment Law, if enacted as proposed, may materially impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations in many aspects.

Among other things, the draft Foreign Investment Law expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company should be treated as a foreign-invested enterprise, or an FIE. According to the definition set forth in the draft Foreign Investment Law, FIEs refer to enterprises established in China pursuant to PRC law that are solely or partially invested by foreign investors. The draft Foreign Investment Law specifically provides that entities established in China (without direct foreign equity ownership) but “controlled” by foreign investors, through contract or trust for example, will be treated as FIEs. Once an entity falls within the definition of FIE, it may be subject to foreign investment “restrictions” or “prohibitions” set forth in a “negative list” to be separately issued by the State Council later. If an FIE proposes to conduct business in an industry subject to foreign investment “restrictions” in the “negative list,” the FIE must go through a market entry clearance by the Ministry of Commerce before being established. If an FIE proposes to conduct business in an industry subject to foreign investment “prohibitions” in the “negative list,” it must not engage in the business. However, an FIE, during the market entry clearance process, may apply in writing to be treated as a PRC domestic enterprise if its foreign investor(s is/are ultimately “controlled” by PRC government authorities and its affiliates and/or PRC citizens. In this connection, “control” is broadly defined in the draft law to cover the following summarized categories: (i) holding 50% of more of the voting rights of the subject entity; (ii) holding less than 50% of the voting rights of the subject entity but having the power to secure at least 50% of the seats on the board or other equivalent decision making bodies, or having the voting power to exert material influence on the board, the shareholders’ meeting or other equivalent decision making bodies; or (iii) having the power to exert decisive influence, via contractual or trust arrangements, over the subject entity’s operations, financial matters or other key aspects of business operations.

 

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The “variable interest entity” structure, or VIE structure, has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, including us, to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China. See “—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” and “Our Corporate History and Structure.” Under the draft Foreign Investment Law, variable interest entities that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as FIEs, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors. Therefore, for any companies with a VIE structure in an industry category that is included in the “negative list” as restricted industry, the VIE structure may be deemed legitimate only if the ultimate controlling person(s) is/are of PRC nationality (either PRC government authorities and its affiliates or PRC citizens). Conversely, if the actual controlling person(s) is/are of foreign nationalities, then the variable interest entities will be treated as FIEs and any operation in the industry category on the “negative list” without market entry clearance may be considered as illegal.

Through our dual-class share structure, Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive officer and principal shareholder, a PRC citizen, possessed and controlled 53.6% of the voting power of our company as of February 28, 2015. The draft Foreign Investment Law has not taken a position on what actions shall be taken with respect to the existing companies with a VIE structure, whether or not these companies are controlled by Chinese parties, while it is soliciting comments from the public on this point. Moreover, it is uncertain whether the internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses, in which our variable interest entities operate, will be subject to the foreign investment restrictions or prohibitions set forth in the “negative list” to be issued. If the enacted version of the Foreign Investment Law and the final “negative list” mandate further actions, such as Ministry of Commerce market entry clearance, to be completed by companies with existing VIE structure like us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all.

The draft Foreign Investment Law, if enacted as proposed, may also materially impact our corporate governance practice and increase our compliance costs. For instance, the draft Foreign Investment Law imposes stringent ad hoc and periodic information reporting requirements on foreign investors and the applicable FIEs. Aside from investment implementation report and investment amendment report that are required at each investment and alteration of investment specifics, an annual report is mandatory, and large foreign investors meeting certain criteria are required to report on a quarterly basis. Any company found to be non-compliant with these information reporting obligations may potentially be subject to fines and/or administrative or criminal liabilities, and the persons directly responsible may be subject to criminal liabilities.

Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the internet in China may adversely affect our business, and subject us to liability for information displayed on or linked to our websites and negative publicity in international media.

The PRC government has adopted regulations governing internet access and distribution of news and other information over the internet. Under these regulations, internet content providers and internet publishers are prohibited from posting or displaying over the internet content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China, or is reactionary, obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the revocation of licenses to provide internet content and other licenses and the closure of the concerned websites. In the past, failure to comply with these requirements has resulted in the closure of certain websites. The website operator may also be held liable for the censored information displayed on or linked to the website.

In particular, the MIIT has published regulations that subject website operators to potential liability for content displayed on their websites and the actions of users and others using their systems, including liability for violations of PRC laws and regulations prohibiting the dissemination of content deemed to be socially destabilizing. The Ministry of Public Security has the authority to order any local internet service provider to block any internet website at its sole discretion. From time to time, the Ministry of Public Security has stopped the dissemination over the internet of information which it believes to be socially destabilizing. The State

 

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Secrecy Bureau is also authorized to block any website it deems to be leaking state secrets or failing to meet the relevant regulations relating to the protection of state secrets in the dissemination of online information. Furthermore, we are required to report any suspicious content to relevant governmental authorities, and to undergo computer security inspections. If we fail to implement the relevant safeguards against security breaches, our websites may be shut down and our business and ICP licenses may be revoked. In addition, internet companies that provide bulletin board systems (BBS), chat rooms or similar services must apply for approval from relevant authorities in practice.

Although we attempt to monitor the content in our search results and on our online communities such as Baidu Post Bar, we are not able to control or restrict the content of other internet content providers linked to or accessible through our websites, or content generated or placed on our Baidu Post Bar message boards or our other online communities by our users. To the extent that PRC regulatory authorities find any content displayed on our websites illegal, they may require us to limit or eliminate the dissemination of such information on our websites. To the extent that PRC regulatory authorities find any content displayed on our websites objectionable, they may suggest that we limit or eliminate the dissemination of such information on our websites. If third-party websites linked to or accessible through our websites conduct unlawful activities such as online gambling on their websites, PRC regulatory authorities may require us to report such unlawful activities to relevant authorities and to remove the links to such websites, or they may suspend or shut down the operation of these third-party websites. PRC regulatory authorities may also temporarily block access to certain websites for a period of time for reasons beyond our control. Any of these actions may reduce our user traffic and adversely affect our business. In addition, we may be subject to penalties for violations of those regulations arising from information displayed on or linked to our websites, including a suspension or shutdown of our online operations.

Moreover, our compliance with PRC regulations governing internet access and distribution of news and other information over the internet may subject us to negative publicity or even legal actions outside of China. In May 2011, eight New York residents filed a lawsuit against us before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York accusing us of aiding Chinese censorship in violation of the U.S. Constitution. In March 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted our motion for judgment on the pleadings based upon the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and dismissed the plaintiffs’ complaint in its entirety. Even though we have won the case, our reputation may be adversely affected among users and investors outside of China.

A notice issued by the Ministry of Culture in August 2009 may affect our online music services.

In August 2009, the Ministry of Culture promulgated the Notice on Strengthening and Improving the Content Review of Online Music, which provides, among others, that only “internet culture operating entities” approved by the Ministry of Culture may engage in the production, release, dissemination (including providing direct links to music products) and importation of online music products. In addition, it is required that imported music products must pass prior content review by the Ministry of Culture before they are put on internet and domestic music products must be filed with the Ministry of Culture within 30 days after the commencement date of the online operation of the domestic music products. We hold an Internet Culture Business Permit granted by the Ministry of Culture, which allows us to engage in “internet culture activities” as defined in the relevant regulations promulgated by the Ministry of Culture. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Internet Culture Activities.” We provide music for users to stream and download on our platform and we have obtained licenses from many content providers. We have been communicating with the government authority in order to comply with the review or filing requirement. If we are found by the Ministry of Culture to have failed to fully comply with the requirements of this notice, we could be subject to administrative penalties, including an order to stop providing the music products that have not been reviewed by or filed with the Ministry of Culture, fines, or confiscation of income derived from activities deemed in violation of the notice. Any of these occurrences could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

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The discontinuation of any of the preferential income tax treatments currently available to us in the PRC could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations and financial condition.

Pursuant to the EIT Law, as further clarified by subsequent tax regulations implementing the EIT Law, foreign-invested enterprises and domestic enterprises are subject to EIT at a uniform rate of 25%. Certain enterprises may still benefit from a preferential tax rate of 15% under the EIT Law if they qualify as “High and New Technology Enterprises strongly supported by the state,” subject to certain general factors described in the EIT Law and the related regulations.

A number of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, such as Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., or Baidu Online, and Baidu Netcom are entitled to enjoy a preferential tax rate of 15% due to their qualification as “High and New Technology Enterprise”, which has a term of three years. If any or some of these PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities fail to maintain the “High and New Technology Enterprise” qualification, their applicable EIT rate will be up to 25%. Furthermore, Baidu Online obtained the certificate of “Key Software Enterprise” jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the MIIT, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation in April 2013, which entitled it to enjoy a preferential income tax rate of 10% for 2011 and 2012, and successfully re-applied for and obtained the certificate of “Key Software Enterprise” in December 2013, which entitled it to enjoy a preferential income tax rate of 10% for 2013 and 2014. Baidu Online’s “Key Software Enterprise” certificate and the related tax holiday expired on January 1, 2015. Baidu Online is in the process of re-applying for the “Key Software Enterprise” status for 2015 and 2016. There is no assurance that Baidu Online will continue to be granted the “Key Software Enterprise” status. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation—PRC Enterprise Income Tax.”

The discontinuation of any of the above-mentioned preferential income tax treatments currently available to us in the PRC could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations and financial condition. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain our current effective tax rate in the future.

If our PRC subsidiaries declare and distribute dividends to their respective offshore parent companies, we will be required to pay more taxes, which could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations.

Under the EIT Law and related regulations, dividends, interests, rent or royalties payable by a foreign-invested enterprise, such as our PRC subsidiaries, to any of its foreign non-resident enterprise investors, and proceeds from any such foreign enterprise investor’s disposition of assets (after deducting the net value of such assets) are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless the foreign enterprise investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax. Undistributed profits earned by foreign-invested enterprises prior to January 1, 2008 are exempted from any withholding tax. The British Virgin Islands, where Baidu Holdings Limited, the direct parent company of our PRC subsidiary Baidu Online, is incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China. Hong Kong has a tax arrangement with China that provides for a 5% withholding tax on dividends subject to certain conditions and requirements, such as the requirement that the Hong Kong resident enterprise own at least 25% of the PRC enterprise distributing the dividend at all times within the 12-month period immediately preceding the distribution of dividends and be a “beneficial owner” of the dividends. For example, Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, which directly owns our PRC subsidiaries Baidu China and Baidu Times, is incorporated in Hong Kong. However, if Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited is not considered to be the beneficial owner of dividends paid to it by Baidu China and Baidu Times under the tax circulars promulgated in February and October 2009, such dividends would be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10%. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation—PRC Enterprise Income Tax.” If our PRC subsidiaries declare and distribute profits earned after January 1, 2008 to us in the future, such payments will be subject to withholding tax, which will increase our tax liability and reduce the amount of cash available to our company.

 

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We may be deemed a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, which could subject us to PRC taxation on our global income, and which may have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.

Under the EIT Law and related regulations, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a PRC resident enterprise and is subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income as well as PRC EIT reporting obligations. The related regulations define the term “de facto management body” as “the establishment that exercises substantial and overall management and control over the production, business, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise.” The State Administration of Taxation issued a SAT Circular 82 in April 2009, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated enterprise is located in China. The State Administration of Taxation issued additional rules to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 in July 2011, and issued an amendment to SAT Circular 82 delegating the authority to its provincial branches to determine whether a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated enterprise should be considered a PRC resident enterprise, in January 2014. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation—PRC Enterprise Income Tax.” Although the SAT Circular 82, the additional guidance and amendment apply only to overseas registered enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises, not to those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in SAT Circular 82 may reflect the State Administration of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises or individuals. If we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, we may be subject to the EIT at 25% on our global income, except that the dividends we receive from our PRC subsidiaries may be exempt from the EIT to the extent such dividends are deemed as “dividends among qualified PRC resident enterprises.” If we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise and earn income other than dividends from our PRC subsidiaries, a 25% EIT on our global income could significantly increase our tax burden and materially and adversely affect our cash flow and profitability.

Under PRC tax laws, dividends payable by us and gains on the disposition of our shares or ADSs may be subject to PRC taxation.

If we are considered a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, our shareholders and ADS holders who are deemed non-resident enterprises may be subject to the EIT at the rate of 10% upon the dividends payable by us or upon any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, if such income is deemed derived from China, provided that (i) such foreign enterprise investor has no establishment or premises in China, or (ii) it has establishment or premises in China but its income derived from China has no real connection with such establishment or premises. If we are required under the EIT Law to withhold PRC income tax on our dividends payable to our non-PRC resident enterprise shareholders and ADS holders, or if any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs by our non-PRC resident enterprise shareholders and ADS holders are subject to the EIT, your investment in our shares or ADSs could be materially and adversely affected.

Furthermore, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise and relevant PRC tax authorities consider dividends we pay with respect to our shares or ADSs and the gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs to be income derived from sources within the PRC, it is possible that such dividends and gains earned by non-resident individuals may be subject to PRC individual income tax at a rate of 20%. If we are required under PRC tax laws to withhold PRC income tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC investors that are non-resident individuals or if you are required to pay PRC income tax on the transfer of our shares or ADSs, the value of your investment in our shares or ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

Our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China are subject to restrictions on paying dividends and making other payments to our holding company.

Baidu, Inc. is our holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and does not conduct any business operations other than holding equity interests in our subsidiaries. As a result of the holding company structure, it currently relies on dividend payments from our subsidiaries in China. However, PRC regulations currently permit

 

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payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China are also required to set aside a portion of their after-tax profits according to PRC accounting standards and regulations to fund certain reserve funds. The PRC government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of foreign currencies out of China. We may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency. See “—Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.” Furthermore, if our subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities in China incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China are unable to pay dividends or make other payments to us, we may be unable to pay dividends on our ordinary shares and ADSs.

Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of foreign currency out of China. We receive most of our revenues in RMB. Under our current structure, our income at the Cayman Islands holding company level will primarily be derived from dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders or ADS holders.

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from making loans to our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities, or making additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.

Baidu, Inc. is our offshore holding company conducting operations in China through our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities. We may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, or we may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries. Loans by Baidu, Inc. or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our PRC subsidiaries, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. Such loans to any of our PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE. The statutory limit for the total amount of foreign debts of a foreign-invested enterprise is the difference between the amount of total investment as approved by the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart and the amount of registered capital of such foreign-invested enterprise. Any medium or long-term loans by Baidu, Inc. or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our consolidated affiliated entities, which are domestic PRC entities, must be approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and SAFE, or their relevant local counterparts. We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiaries by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be approved by the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart. Meanwhile, we are not likely to finance the activities of our consolidated affiliated entities by means of capital contributions given the PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership of internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses.

 

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In August 2008, SAFE promulgated a SAFE Circular No. 142 regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of foreign currency registered capital into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. SAFE Circular No. 142 provides that the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the applicable government authority and may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. In addition, SAFE strengthened its oversight of the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise. The use of such RMB capital may not be altered without SAFE’s approval, and such RMB capital may not in any case be used to repay RMB loans if the proceeds of such loans have not been used. SAFE also promulgated a SAFE Circular No. 45 in November 2011, which, among other things, restrict a foreign-invested enterprise from using RMB converted from its registered capital to provide entrusted loans or repay loans between non-financial enterprises. Violations of these circulars could result in severe monetary or other penalties.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, including SAFE Circulars referred to above, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities or additional capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries, and conversion of such loans or capital contributions into RMB. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.

PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect us.

The Notice on Issues Relating to the Administration of Foreign Exchange in Fund-Raising and Round-Trip Investment Activities of Domestic Residents Conducted via Offshore Special Purpose Companies, or SAFE Circular No. 75, and a series of implementation rules and guidance issued by SAFE, including the circular relating to operating procedures that came into effect in July 2011, require PRC residents and PRC corporate entities to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment in an overseas special purpose vehicle, or SPV, for the purposes of overseas equity financing activities, and to update such registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to that offshore company. SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular No. 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the SAFE Circular No. 75. SAFE Circular No. 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular No. 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” The term “control” under SAFE Circular No. 37 is broadly defined as the operation rights, beneficiary rights or decision-making rights acquired by the PRC residents in the offshore special purpose vehicles or PRC companies by such means as acquisition, trust, proxy, voting rights, repurchase, convertible bonds or other arrangements. SAFE Circular No. 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any changes with respect to the basic information of the special purpose vehicle, such as changes in a PRC resident individual shareholder, name or operation period; or any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. If the shareholders of the offshore holding company who are PRC residents do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, the PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to the offshore company, and the offshore company may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital to its PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with SAFE registration and amendment requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of applicable

 

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foreign exchange restrictions. On February 28, 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, which will become effective on June 1, 2015. After SAFE Notice 13 becomes effective, entities and individuals will be required to apply for foreign exchange registration of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment, including those required under the SAFE Circular No. 37, with qualified banks, instead of SAFE. The qualified banks, under the supervision of SAFE, will directly examine the applications and conduct the registration.

We have notified holders of ordinary shares of our company whom we know are PRC residents to register with the local SAFE branch and update their registrations as required under the SAFE regulations described above. We are aware that Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive officer and principal shareholder, who is a PRC resident, has registered with the relevant local SAFE branch, and is in the process of updating such registration to comply with requirements under the new SAFE Circular No. 37. We, however, cannot provide any assurances that all of our shareholders who are PRC residents will file all applicable registrations or update previously filed registrations as required by these SAFE regulations. The failure or inability of our PRC resident shareholders to comply with the registration procedures may subject the PRC resident shareholders to fines and legal sanctions, restrict our cross-border investment activities, or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to or obtain foreign exchange-dominated loans from our company.

As it is uncertain how the SAFE regulations described above will be interpreted or implemented, we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or future strategy. For example, we may be subject to more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the SAFE regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.

Failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock ownership plans or share option plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, or the Stock Option Rule, replacing the earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Under the Stock Option Rule, PRC residents who are granted stock options by an overseas publicly listed company are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed company, to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. We and our PRC resident employees who have been granted stock options are subject to these regulations. We have designated our PRC subsidiary Baidu Online to handle the registration and other procedures required by the Stock Option Rule. If we or our PRC optionees fail to comply with these regulations in the future, we or our PRC optionees and their local employers may be subject to fines and legal sanctions.

PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions conducted by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August 2006, among other things, established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. In addition, the Implementing Rules Concerning Security Review on the Mergers and Acquisitions by Foreign Investors of Domestic Enterprises, issued by the Ministry of Commerce in August 2011, specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors involved in “an industry related to national security” are subject to strict review by the Ministry of Commerce, and prohibit any activities attempting to bypass such security review,

 

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including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. We believe that our business is not in an industry related to national security, but we cannot preclude the possibility that the Ministry of Commerce or other government agencies may publish explanations contrary to our understanding or broaden the scope of such security reviews in the future, in which case our future acquisitions in the PRC, including those by way of entering into contractual control arrangements with target entities, may be closely scrutinized or prohibited. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain filing thresholds are triggered. We may grow our business in part by directly acquiring complementary businesses in China. Complying with the requirements of the laws and regulations mentioned above and other PRC regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the Ministry of Commerce, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share. Our ability to expand our business or maintain or expand our market share through future acquisitions would as such be materially and adversely affected.

Our auditor, like other independent registered public accounting firms operating in China, is not permitted to be subject to inspection by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and as such, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit reports included in our annual reports filed with the SEC, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB, is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because our auditor is located in China, a jurisdiction where PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the PRC authorities, our auditor, like other independent registered public accounting firms operating in China, is currently not inspected by PCAOB. In May 2013, PCAOB announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Enforcement Cooperation with the CSRC and the Ministry of Finance, which establishes a cooperative framework between the parties for the production and exchange of audit documents relevant to investigations undertaken by PCAOB, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, or the Ministry of Finance in the United States and the PRC, respectively. PCAOB continues to be in discussions with the CSRC and the Ministry of Finance to permit joint inspections in the PRC of audit firms that are registered with PCAOB and audit Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges.

Inspections of other firms that PCAOB has conducted outside of China have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The inability of PCAOB to conduct inspections of independent registered public accounting firms operating in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures or quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

Proceedings instituted by the SEC against certain PRC-based accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

In December 2012, the SEC brought administrative proceedings against five accounting firms in China, including our independent registered public accounting firm, alleging that they had refused to produce audit work papers and other documents related to certain other China-based companies under investigation by the SEC. On January 22, 2014, an initial administrative law decision was issued, censuring these accounting firms and suspending four of these firms from practicing before the SEC for a period of six months. The decision is neither final nor legally effective unless and until reviewed and approved by the SEC. On February 12, 2014, four of these PRC-based accounting firms appealed to the SEC against this decision. In February 2015, each of the four PRC-based accounting firms agreed to a censure and to pay a fine to the SEC to settle the dispute and avoid

 

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suspension of their ability to practice before the SEC. The settlement requires the firms to follow detailed procedures to seek to provide the SEC with access to Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. If the firms do not follow these procedures, the SEC could impose penalties such as suspensions, or it could restart the administrative proceedings.

In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings, depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC, which could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, including possible delisting. Moreover, any negative news about the proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor uncertainty regarding China-based, United States-listed companies and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.

If our independent registered public accounting firm were denied, even temporarily, the ability to practice before the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our financial statements could be determined not to be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Such a determination could ultimately lead to our delisting from the NASDAQ Global Select Market or deregistration from the SEC, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our ADSs in the United States.

Fluctuation in the value of the RMB may have a material and adverse effect on your investment.

The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions and foreign exchange policies. The conversion of RMB into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. The PRC government allowed the RMB to appreciate by more than 20% against the U.S. dollar between July 2005 and July 2008. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the PRC government has allowed the RMB to appreciate slowly against the U.S. dollar again, though there have been periods when the U.S. dollar has appreciated against the Renminbi as well. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar in the future.

Our revenues and costs are mostly denominated in RMB. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in U.S. dollars. For example, an appreciation of RMB against the U.S. dollar would make any new RMB denominated investments or expenditures more costly to us, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into RMB for such purposes. An appreciation of RMB against the U.S. dollar would also result in foreign currency translation losses for financial reporting purposes when we translate our U.S. dollar denominated financial assets into RMB, as RMB is our reporting currency. Conversely, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce the U.S. dollar equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our ADSs.

We face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies. Enhanced scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.

Pursuant to the Notice on Strengthening Administration of Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfers by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or Circular 698, issued by the State Administration of Taxation, which became effective retroactively as of January 1, 2008, where a non-resident enterprise investor transfers equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise indirectly by way of disposing of equity interests in an overseas holding company, the non-resident enterprise investor, being the transferor, may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, if the indirect transfer is considered to be an abusive use of company structure without reasonable commercial purposes. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC withholding tax at the rate of up to 10%.

 

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In addition, the PRC resident enterprise may be required to provide necessary assistance to support the enforcement of Circular 698.

On February 3, 2015, the State Administration of Tax issued a Public Notice Regarding Certain Corporate Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Tax Resident Enterprises, or Public Notice 7. Public Notice 7 has introduced a new tax regime that is significantly different from that under Circular 698. Public Notice 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only indirect transfers set forth under Circular 698 but also transactions involving transfer of other taxable assets, through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, Public Notice 7 provides clearer criteria than Circular 698 on how to assess reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. Public Notice 7 also brings challenges to both the foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of the taxable assets. Where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, the non-resident enterprise being the transferor, or the transferee, or the PRC entity which directly owned the taxable assets may report to the relevant tax authority such indirect transfer. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may re-characterize such indirect transfer as a direct transfer of the equity interests in the PRC tax resident enterprise and other properties in China. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of up to 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.

We face uncertainties with respect to the reporting and consequences of private equity financing transactions, share exchange or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, or sale or purchase of shares in other non-PRC resident companies or other taxable assets by us. Our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group may be subject to filing obligations or being taxed if our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group are transferors in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group are transferees in such transactions, under Circular 698 and Public Notice 7. For the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under Circular 698 and Public Notice 7. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Circular 698 and Public Notice 7 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The PRC tax authorities have the discretion under Circular 698 and Public Notice 7 to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the difference between the fair value of the taxable assets transferred and the cost of investment. If the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to the taxable income of the transactions under Circular 698 and Public Notice 7, our income tax costs associated with such potential acquisitions will be increased, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our ADSs

The trading price of our ADSs has been volatile and may continue to be volatile regardless of our operating performance.

The trading price of our ADSs has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations. The market price for our ADSs may continue to be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:

 

   

actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations;

 

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changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;

 

   

conditions in internet search and online marketing markets;

 

   

changes in the operating performance or market valuations of other internet search or internet companies;

 

   

announcements by us or our competitors or other internet companies of new products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;

 

   

addition or departure of key personnel;

 

   

fluctuations of exchange rates between RMB and the U.S. dollar;

 

   

intellectual property litigation; and

 

   

general economic or political conditions in China or elsewhere in the world.

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for internet-related companies and companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. In particular, the global financial crisis and the ensuing economic recessions in many countries have contributed and may continue to contribute to extreme volatility in the global stock markets. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. Volatility or a lack of positive performance in our ADS price may also adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, most of whom have been granted options or other equity incentives.

Substantial future sales or the perception of sales of our ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline.

Sales of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our ADSs to decline. Such sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate. If any existing shareholder or shareholders sell a substantial amount of ADSs, the prevailing market price for our ADSs could be adversely affected. In addition, if we pay for our future acquisitions in whole or in part with additionally issued ordinary shares, your ownership interests in our company would be diluted and this, in turn, could have a material and adverse effect on the price of our ADSs.

You may not have the same voting rights as the holders of our ordinary shares and may not receive voting materials in time to be able to exercise your right to vote.

Except as described in this annual report and in the deposit agreement, holders of our ADSs will not be able to exercise voting rights attached to the shares evidenced by our ADSs on an individual basis. Holders of our ADSs will appoint the depositary or its nominee as their representative to exercise the voting rights attached to the shares represented by the ADSs. You may not 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. Upon our written request, the depositary will mail to you a shareholder meeting notice which contains, among other things, a statement as to the manner in which your voting instructions may be given, including an express indication that such instructions may be given or deemed

 

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given to the depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us if no instructions are received by the depositary from you on or before the response date established by the depositary. However, no voting instruction will be deemed given and no such discretionary proxy will be given with respect to any matter as to which we inform the depositary that (i) we do not wish such proxy given, (ii) substantial opposition exists, or (iii) such matter materially and adversely affects the rights of shareholders.

You may not be able to participate in rights offerings and may experience dilution of your holdings as a result.

We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, the depositary will not offer those rights to ADS holders unless both the rights and the underlying securities to be distributed to ADS holders are either registered under the Securities Act of 1933, or exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. In addition, we may not be able to take advantage of any exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, holders of our ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in their holdings as a result.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary deems it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law, conduct most of our operations in China and all of our officers reside outside of the United States.

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and conduct most of our operations in China through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China. All of our officers and a majority of our directors reside outside of the United States and some or all of the assets of these persons are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may not be possible to effect service of process within the United States or elsewhere outside of China upon our executive officers, including with respect to matters arising under U.S. federal securities laws or applicable state securities laws.

It may also be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against our directors and officers in the Cayman Islands or in China in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will generally recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits. Moreover, our PRC counsel has advised us that the PRC does not have treaties with the United States or many other countries providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgment of courts.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association and by the Companies Law (2013 Revision) and common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors and us, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the

 

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Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and provides significantly less protection to investors. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action before the federal courts of the United States.

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.

Our dual-class ordinary share structure with different voting rights could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to ten votes per share. We issued Class A ordinary shares represented by our ADSs in our initial public offering. Our co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Robin Yanhong Li, who acquired our shares prior to our initial public offering, holds our Class B ordinary shares. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof, while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares will be automatically and immediately converted into the equal number of Class A ordinary shares. In addition, if at any time Robin Yanhong Li and his affiliates collectively own less than 5% of the total number of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares, each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share will be automatically and immediately converted into one Class A ordinary share, and we shall not issue any Class B ordinary shares thereafter.

Due to the disparate voting powers attached to these two classes, certain shareholders have significant voting power over matters requiring shareholder approval, including election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or sale of our company or our assets. This concentrated control could discourage or prevent others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions with our company, which could deprive our shareholders and ADS holders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares or ADSs as part of a sale of our company and might reduce the price of our ADSs.

Our articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could adversely affect the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

Our articles of association include certain provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company, and therefore may deprive the holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs of the opportunity to sell their ordinary shares or ADSs at a premium over the prevailing market price by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transactions. These provisions include the following:

 

   

A dual-class ordinary share structure.

 

   

Our board of directors has the authority, without approval by the shareholders, to issue up to a total of 10,000,000 preferred shares in one or more series. Our board of directors may establish the number of shares to be included in each such series and may fix the designations, preferences, powers and other rights of the shares of a series of preferred shares.

 

   

Our board of directors has the right to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the increase of the board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents shareholders from having the sole right to fill vacancies on our board of directors.

 

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We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequence to U.S. Holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.

Based on the market price of our ADSs and ordinary shares, the value of our assets, and the composition of our assets and income, we believe that we were not a “passive foreign investment company,” or PFIC, for our taxable year ended December 31, 2014, and we do not expect to be a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2015 or for the foreseeable future. A non-U.S. corporation, such as our own, will be considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets during a taxable year) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. The value of our assets is generally determined by reference to the market price of the ADSs and ordinary shares, which may fluctuate considerably. In addition, because there are uncertainties in the application of the relevant rules and because PFIC status is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis, no assurance may be given with respect to our PFIC status for the current or any future taxable year.

If we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (defined below) held an ADS or an ordinary share, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to the U.S. Holder. See “Item 10.E. Additional Information—Taxation—United States Federal Income Taxation—Passive Foreign Investment Company.”

 

Item 4.

Information on the Company

 

A.

History and Development of the Company

We were incorporated in the Cayman Islands in January 2000. Since our inception, we have conducted our operations in China principally through Baidu Online, our wholly owned subsidiary in Beijing, China. Since June 2001, we also have conducted part of our operations in China through Baidu Netcom, a consolidated affiliated entity in Beijing, China, which holds the licenses and approvals necessary to operate our websites and provide online advertising services. In more recent years, we have established additional subsidiaries inside and outside of China and assisted in establishing additional PRC consolidated affiliated entities to conduct part of our operations.

On August 5, 2005, we listed our ADSs on The NASDAQ National Market (later renamed The NASDAQ Global Market) under the symbol “BIDU.” We and certain selling shareholders of our company completed the initial public offering of 4,604,224 ADSs, each then representing one Class A ordinary share, on August 10, 2005. On May 12, 2010, we effected a change of the ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 1 ADS representing 1 Class A ordinary share to 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share. The ratio change has the same effect as a 10-for-1 ADS split. Our ADSs are currently traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market.

In December 2008, our shareholders approved our name change from Baidu.com, Inc. to Baidu, Inc. In November 2009, we moved into our new corporate headquarters, which we name as Baidu Campus. Our principal executive offices are located at Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, the People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 (10) 5992-8888.

In July 2011, we acquired a majority stake in Qunar, an online travel search services provider, and have since then consolidated the financial results of Qunar in our consolidated financial statements. On November 1, 2013, Qunar listed its ADSs, each representing three Class B ordinary shares of Qunar, on the NASDAQ Global Market in connection with its initial public offering. We remain to be the majority shareholder of Qunar after its initial public offering.

In November 2012, we obtained the controlling interest in Qiyi.com, Inc., a prior equity method investee, and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements. In May 2013, we acquired the online video business of PPStream Inc. and have merged it with iQiyi and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements.

 

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In October 2013, we acquired 100% equity interest of 91 Wireless from NetDragon Websoft Inc., or NetDragon, and the other shareholders of 91 Wireless, and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements.

B. Business Overview

We are the leading Chinese language internet search provider. As a technology-based media company, we aim to provide the best and most equitable way for people to find what they are looking for. In addition to serving individual internet search users, we provide an effective platform for businesses to reach potential customers.

Our Baidu.com website is the largest website in China and the fifth largest website globally, as measured by average daily visitors and page views during the three-month period ended December 31, 2014, according to Alexa.com, an internet analytics firm. We are the most used internet search provider in China, with our combined share of PC and mobile search page views standing at 71% in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to Analysys International, a market research firm. Our “Baidu” brand is one of the highest ranking brands in China in BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Chinese Brands 2014, a study published by Millward Brown Optimor, a brand strategy research firm. During the six-month period ended December 2014, approximately 92% of Chinese internet search users have used Baidu as their internet search engine, according to China Internet Network Information Center.

We conduct our operations primarily in China. Revenues generated from our operations in China accounted for approximately 99.5%, 99.8% and 99.5% of our total revenues in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

We serve three types of online participants:

Users. We offer a Chinese language search platform on our Baidu.com website that enables users to find relevant information online, including web pages, news, images, documents and multimedia files, through links provided on our website. We also provide a broad range of products and services to enrich user experience and facilitate easy and quick search, including search products, social-networking products, user-generated-content-based (UGC-based) knowledge products, location-based products and services, entertainment products, security products, mobile related products and services, products and services for developers and webmasters and other products and services. Our products and services can be accessed through PCs and mobile devices. We aspire to provide the best search experience to our users. To this end, we have invested in advanced technology such as deep learning and semantic intelligence.

We offer a broad range of mobile products, including Baidu Mobile Search, Baidu Mobile Maps, Baidu Mobile Assistant, Baidu Connect, 91 Assistant, HiMarket, Baidu Mobile Guardian, Baidu Mobile Browser, Baidu Photo Wonder and Baidu Yun.

Customers. We deliver online marketing services to a diverse customer base operating in a variety of industries. In 2014, we had approximately 813,000 active online marketing customers. Our online marketing customers consist of SMEs throughout China, large domestic companies and Chinese divisions and subsidiaries of large, multinational companies. We have a diverse customer base in terms of industries and geographical locations. Our defined industries in which our customers operate include medical and healthcare, tourism and ticketing, education, software and online games, machinery and equipment, network service, transportation, construction and decoration, financial services, business services and franchising. Customers in our top five industries contributed approximately 49% of our total online marketing revenues in 2014. Although we have customers located throughout China, we have a more active and larger customer base in coastal regions, reflecting the current general economic demographics in China.

We reach and serve our customers through our direct sales force as well as a network of third-party distributors across China. As many of our customers are SMEs, we use distributors to help us identify potential

 

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SME customers, collect payments and assist SMEs in setting up accounts with us and using our online marketing services. We have also engaged third-party agencies to identify and reach potential customers outside of China. To better enable our customers to capture the mobile opportunity, we provide free tools to customers to help them build and modify mobile landing pages and proactively educate customers about mobile marketing. We also have an integrated bidding system to better streamline the bidding experience for PC and mobile channels for our customers. Mobile revenues accounted for 36.5% of our total revenues for 2014.

Baidu Union Members. Baidu Union consists of a large number of third-party web content, software and mobile application providers. Baidu Union members can display on their properties our customers’ promotional links that match the content of such members’ properties. Some Baidu Union members also embed some of our products and services into their properties. We allow Baidu Union members to provide high-quality and relevant search results to their users without the cost of building and maintaining advanced search capabilities in-house and to monetize their traffic through revenue sharing arrangements with us. We reward Baidu Union members which bring higher quality traffic to us by sharing with these members more revenues as a percentage of total revenues recognized by us. Traffic and revenues contributed by Baidu Union members increased in 2014, while the total number of members declined as a result of our continued effort to optimize the quality of Baidu Union members.

Products and Services for Users

We focus on offering products and services that enable our users to find relevant information quickly and easily. We offer our main products and services to users through Baidu.com free of charge generally. These products and services can be accessed through PCs, mobile and other non-mobile devices. We organize our products and services into nine categories, namely, search products, social-networking products, UGC-based knowledge products, location-based products and services, entertainment products, security products, mobile related products and services, products and services for developers and webmasters, and other products and services. We also offer some products and services provided by our associated or cooperative websites.

Search Products

Baidu Web Search. Baidu’s web search allows users to locate information through search queries. After typing a search query, users generally receive a list of ranked search results, which may include our customers’ content presented in a specific format. Users can then access the desired information by examining the returned search snippets, or clicking on the hypertext links displayed in the search results.

We have integrated many features into our web search system to help users easily access the right information out of a huge number of web pages. The Baidu web search includes, but not limited to, the following features:

 

   

Query Suggestion—based on the keywords in users’ search queries and their search history, we recommend related topics (such as books, historical figures, movies and games) that may be of interest to users in order to unleash their potential demands. With our machine learning and big data analytics technologies, we predict the queries that the users may need later on and display them in the dropdown list under the search box.

 

   

Recommended Keywords after Click—after a user clicks a search result, browses the relevant web page and returns to search result page, we provide recommended keywords that may be of interest to the user under the search result that the user has clicked on.

 

   

Instant Search—returns search results when a user is typing a search query to speed up the search process and save time, by leveraging on our innovative asynchronous pre-fetch technology and big data prediction capability.

 

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Advanced Search—provides multi-vector recommendations, directory navigation, structured guidance and group-based search results filtering that are related to a particular keyword, enabling users easily and conveniently browse recommended search result web pages without jumping to another web page.

 

   

Snapshots—provides snapshots of web pages when the pages were indexed, allowing users to view web pages that cannot be opened quickly or easily.

 

   

Rich Content—provides users with live image/video feeds of the world, such as tourist destinations and street views, as well as encyclopedic background knowledge on search terms that together create more depth and breadth to our search results. We are constantly seeking to optimize the crawling, selection, and presentation of images, and encourage webmasters to provide rich content with high-quality images.

 

   

Layout Design—for users who do not sign in, we have introduced a very simplified home page, which upgraded the layout and interactive experience for our users.

 

   

Baidu Personalized Homepage—offers a customizable homepage providing signed-in users a personalized experience based on their historical search behavior. Users are presented with an intelligently recommended list of recent favorite websites or online services and can add their favorite websites and online applications on the personalized homepage.

 

   

Customized Experience for Different Hardware—provides customized search experience for devices such as iPads, PCs and wearable devices. For iPads, we have introduced voice, image and other multi-media search functions, as well as our iPad intelligent home page service. For our PC search app, we provide a wide range of personalized services, such as personal search, mini-apps and reminders. We have also introduced a search app for Android Wear, which allows users to launch the app through movement or voice and to conduct the search through voice command.

 

   

In-depth Answers—provides relevant and in-depth answers to search inquiries using our deep learning technology to locate, summarize and integrate relevant information from massive data.

 

   

Other Baidu products—integrates and displays search results from other Baidu products including Baidu News, Baidu Image Search, Baidu Video Search, Hao123, Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Space, Baidu Knows, Baidu Encyclopedia, Baidu WenKu, Baidu Map Search, Baidu Music, Baidu Translation and Baidu Dictionary.

Baidu Image Search. Baidu Image Search enables users to search for images on the internet by term queries or various categories and offers advanced features, such as search by image file type and search within a designated website or web page. Baidu Image Search also allows users to search information on an image or search other similar images by allowing users to upload an image or enter its uniform resource locator (URL). In addition, registered users can upload, label and share with others high-quality pictures through Baidu Image Search.

Baidu Video Search. Baidu Video Search enables users to search by term queries for and access through hyperlinks online video clips that are hosted on third parties’ websites. Baidu Video Search also allows users to locate and play various video content on smartphones and tablets, and support blue ray playing based on the mobile cloud technology.

Baidu News. Baidu News provides links to an extensive selection of local, national and international news and presents news stories in a searchable format, typically within minutes of their publication on the internet. Baidu News uses an automated process to display links to related headlines, which enables users to see many different viewpoints on the same story. Baidu News also intelligently recommends news items to users through push notifications based on user preferences and behavior patterns. Baidu News is typically updated every five minutes throughout the day. Users can also choose to have links of specific types of news articles, e.g., financial news, or news articles containing specific keywords delivered to their email accounts.

 

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Baidu Web Directory. It enables users to browse and search through websites that have been organized into categories.

Hao123.com. We also operate Hao123.com, a popular Chinese website directory navigation site in China.

Qunar. Qunar is a leading internet and mobile travel platform in China. Powered by its proprietary technology and having a user base of hundreds of millions, it enables travelers to find and transact diverse deals in flight, hotel and vacation packages by processing highly fragmented travel products information from tens of thousands of travel service providers in China and globally.

Nuomi. We acquired a majority equity interest in Nuomi Holdings Inc., or Nuomi, previously a wholly owned subsidiary of Renren Inc., in October 2013, and acquired the remaining equity interest in Nuomi in February 2014. Nuomi.com, now a wholly owned subsidiary of us, offers group buying services and products to Nuomi users. Entertainment, dining, health and beauty services make up the majority of its social commerce deals. Nuomi users can access the service through nuomi.com, Nuomi’s mobile app and additional channels such as Baidu Maps and tuan.baidu.com.

Baidu Scholar. Baidu Scholar is a search platform of academic resources, providing quality search services to scholars and researchers by integrating internet-wide high caliber academic resources of multiple languages. Baidu Scholar is aimed at establishing a new pathway between users and academic sites, and creating an academic ecosystem of openness, equality and freedom.

Social-networking Products

Baidu Post Bar. Baidu Post Bar provides users with a query-based searchable community to exchange views and share knowledge and experience, as well as an enhanced instant communication tool. Baidu Post Bar offers both web and mobile versions. The mobile version of Baidu Post Bar has a group real-time interaction function, through which users can create or join a group based on their interests or locations. The community can be further expanded by users posting new topics that have not been covered in the community before. In Baidu Post Bar, users can search, read and browse internet message boards and after signing in, reply to other members of the community publicly. Registered users can also follow a topic through text, image, audio and video posts, and send private text and image messages, as well as audio message on mobile devices, to each other within the community. Baidu Post Bar covers a broad range of topics and interest areas, such as society, sports and entertainment. In addition, we have started cooperation with third-party partners by allowing them to set up affiliated post bars to facilitate better communication with users.

Baidu Album. Baidu Album is a cloud-enabled photo storing and sharing service, which allows users to upload pictures without compression and share with others with privacy control. Baidu Album uses cloud-based back-up technology to preserve the uploaded pictures.

UGC-based Knowledge Products

Baidu Knows. Baidu Knows provides users with a query-based searchable community to share knowledge and experiences. Through Baidu Knows, registered users can both post specific questions for other users to respond and respond to questions posted by others. Baidu Knows is accessible through both web page and mobile application. Any users of our Baidu.com website can also search, read and browse questions and answers by registered users of Baidu Knows. Baidu Knows has also invited experts in many fields such as medical care, maternal and child health, law and education to address users’ questions.

Baidu Encyclopedia. Baidu Encyclopedia is an evolving encyclopedia compiled by registered users. Registered users can share their knowledge by adding new terms and new content in Baidu Encyclopedia. Baidu Encyclopedia has experts in many fields, such as medical care and studio arts, among its registered users, which experts have contributed a rich collection of influential content. Any users of our Baidu.com website can also search, read and browse all terms and content contributed by registered users of Baidu Encyclopedia.

 

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Baidu Homework. Tracing its inspiration to the vertical development of Baidu Knows, Baidu Homework is an innovative mobile application aimed at the online K12 education market. Through Baidu Homework, users may post questions or respond to questions posted by others using text or image inputs and can engage with other online users in real time. Baidu Homework is designed to rapidly search for and generate answers and step-by-step analysis of solutions to academic-related questions encountered by users. Baidu Homework also features online tutoring videos taught by thousands of experienced and reputable teachers nationwide.

Baidu WenKu. Baidu WenKu is an online document sharing platform, through which registered users of our Baidu.com website can search, browse or read, by categories, documents in various formats such as Microsoft WORD, PDF and Microsoft Excel. Baidu WenKu also allows registered users to upload documents to and download from this user-created documents database.

Baidu Review. Baidu Review is a platform facilitating interaction among users as well as between users and businesses, and aims at building a creditable ecosystem by providing references that could guide users in their decision making for daily activities through user-generated ratings, comments and other content.

Location-based Products and Services

Baidu Maps. Baidu Maps integrates map data from third-party suppliers and web information, providing users with services relating to locations, routes, and local merchants on their PCs and mobile devices in both offline and online modes. Baidu Maps for mobile devices (Baidu Mobile Maps) increasingly serves as a gateway for users to conduct local searches. In addition to Mainland China, Baidu Maps currently also covers Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, providing both offline and online modes of service in these regions. It has an open platform that integrates location-based services from third-party partners. According to Analysys International, Baidu Mobile Maps has approximately 71% market share in terms of number of daily active users in December 2014.

 

   

Local Life Service. Through Baidu Maps, users can access in-depth information of local merchants and can also review services provided by local business owners. Through Baidu Mobile Maps, users can also locate their current position and search for points of interests and services near their current location or designated location. These points of interests and services include restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, KTVs, gas stations, scenic spots, banks, bars, as well as food delivery, coupons and group buy deals offered and displayed by local merchants. Users can access local merchants’ telephone numbers, addresses, directions, reviews and comments, coupons and latest group buy offers. Users can make online reservation at a restaurant or cinema or arrange for a taxi or limousine pickup through Baidu Maps.

 

   

Intelligent Direction Navigation Service. Users can enjoy comprehensive intelligent direction navigation service, including suggested routes for driving, public transportation and walking, voice navigation, real-time traffic status and real-time public transportation status.

Baidu Navigation. Baidu Navigation is a professional navigation application that can be used in both offline and online modes. It can support both Android and iOS systems. Baidu Navigation provides users with destination searching, positioning, route planning and navigation service, all based on real-time traffic situations. Baidu Navigation also supports site searching and navigation launching through voice commands and is compatible with a wide variety of automobile-connected hardware devices.

Baidu Travel. As a leading online database of tourist destinations in China, Baidu Travel provides comprehensive travel information and solutions to our users. Prior to the journey, users can access destination-related information on domestic and international tourist attractions, as well as conveniently book flights and hotels through Baidu Travel. When travelling, users can access real-time information using the location-based services and live broadcasting functions on the Baidu Travel mobile application. After the trip, users can share their travel tips and interact with other users through Baidu Travel. Leveraging our big data analytics capabilities, Baidu Travel has introduced the one-click trip planning function through which we intelligently provide trip planning recommendations to users. Baidu Travel also recently debuted its customized trip planner service for users.

 

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Baidu Delivery. Baidu Delivery enables users to order food online from restaurants at their selected locations. Users can locate restaurants on either PCs or mobile devices. When accessing from mobile devices, users can search for restaurants close to their current location.

Entertainment Products

IQiyi and PPS. IQiyi is an online video platform with a content library that includes copyrighted movies, television series, cartoons, variety shows and other programs. The programs are provided by content providers under licensing arrangements. Apart from sourcing copyrighted contents, iQiyi also produces a variety of original content. In addition, iQiyi provides online community services to facilitate user communication and interaction. Users can also search and watch iQiyi.com videos on their mobile devices free of charge. In May 2013, we acquired the online video business of PPStream Inc. and have merged it with iQiyi. PPS has since then operated as sub-brand of iQiyi. The combined entity is among the leading online video platforms in China.

Baidu Music. Baidu Music is a digital music service that gives users access to millions of songs. We have partnered with many content providers, including well-known international labels such as Universal Music and EMI Music, to make licensed music available for streaming and downloading for users in geographic locations within the license scope. Baidu Music’s front page mainly provides the latest releases, hot charts and editor’s compilation, and also contains a search box whereby users can search for music by term queries. Registered members can store their music in a cloud-based “digital music space” and synchronize their personal playlist across multiple devices. Baidu Music can also be played on iPhone and Android-powered mobile phones.

Baidu Media Player. Baidu Media Player is an audio and video player using the streaming media technology. Baidu Media Player enables users to play multimedia files of various popular formats online and offline.

Baidu Games. Baidu Games is a channel where registered users can play web games provided by our online game operator partners. In addition, we also offer a web games portal, providing game players with updated web game-related information such as new releases, walk-throughs and reviews. Baidu mobile games platform collaborates with Chinese and international licensed content providers in providing a diverse array of licensed and healthy games to users, hosting dedicated mobile channels and up-to-date licensed games, and has attracted a large community of mobile game players.

Security Products

Baidu Mobile Guardian. Baidu Mobile Guardian is a powerful phone security software, using mobile anti-virus technology. It can provide users with free system optimization, mobile handset accelerator, virus sweeper, data privacy, free system optimization, harassing phone intercept, secure payment and other features. Baidu Mobile Guardian has been continuously ranked No. 1 since May 2014 by AV-Test, which is an international authoritative testing organization.

Baidu Guard. Baidu Guard is a computer maintenance software that we offer free of charge. Using cloud-based technology, Baidu Guard offers computer speedup, system cleanup, software management, and security maintenance functions.

Baidu Antivirus. Baidu Antivirus is an antivirus software that we offer free of charge. It offers proactive defense, file protection, USB protection, download protection, browser protection, self-defense and other professional security features, and protects PCs from virus, worms, Trojans and other malware infections. Ultrafast response based on cloud technology provides accurate scan reports and real-time protection for PCs.

 

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Mobile Related Products and Services

Baidu Mobile Search. Baidu Mobile Search enables users to access our search and community-based products and services such as Baidu News, Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Knows and Baidu Map Search using mobile devices, including WAP-enabled mobile phones. Baidu Mobile Search supports text, voice and image search to better serve users of mobile devices. By minimizing graphics and interactive contents, Baidu Mobile Search offers a user friendly and productive mobile internet search experience. We have solidified our leading position in mobile search market through our efforts to improve our offering and strengthen channel distribution.

Baidu Connect. We launched Baidu Connect in September 2014. Building upon Light Apps, Baidu Connect is a powerful tool for merchants that can bring in leads from other Baidu products such as search and maps. It is built with functionality that enables high conversion and offers merchants a powerful CRM system. We provide easy to set up templates tailored for specific industries. The Baidu Connect account helps merchants reach new customers and maintain engagement with existing ones. Baidu Connect enables both pull and push marketing: Pull marketing is achieved through search function, either by a general search or by adding the @ symbol before the real name of a service business and landing directly on the Baidu Connect page. Push marketing is achieved through the “Discover” button in Mobile Baidu or the “Nearby” button in Baidu Maps. Once a user has decided to follow a business or make a purchase, the merchant can roadcast to the user, individually or in groups. Baidu Connect features an industry-tailored, user friendly, click-to-action interface. Baidu Connect is still in its early phases of development, and we intend to broaden its rollout to create tangible, positive value for a larger set of merchants.

Baidu Mobile Assistant. Baidu Mobile Assistant is a mobile application marketplace designed for Android mobile devices. The platform offers an extensive and diversified array of applications, and selects and recommends high-quality applications based on big data analytics. Baidu Mobile Assistant helps improve users’ phone management, allowing users to download, upgrade, manage and delete applications easily and conveniently. It also allows users to share files such as applications, videos, audios and images easily without data usage.

91 Wireless. 91 Wireless is one of the leading mobile application marketplaces and mobile game operators in China. 91 Wireless mainly engages in the development and operation of two leading smartphone application distribution platforms in China, namely 91 Assistant and HiMarket, or together the 91 Smartphone Apps Marketplaces, a community website 91.com, 91 Launcher, 91 Panda Reader, as well as other popular products for smartphone users. 91 Wireless operates its mobile games through 18183.com, which is a comprehensive game portal site where users can search and download mobile games, obtain game related news and share experience.

Baidu Mobile Browser. We offer this web browser for mobile phones based on Windows, Android and iOS.

Baidu Yun. Baidu Yun, our personal cloud computing service, allows users to upload documents, images, audios and videos to its cloud servers, stores the uploaded data with security control and provides real-time back-ups, and making the data accessible across different terminals including tablets, smartphones and desktops. Users can also share their data through Baidu Yun.

Baidu PhotoWonder. Baidu PhotoWonder is an application for users of smartphones powered by iOS and Android to take and enhance photos and share them among some social networking sites. Baidu PhotoWonder has a celebrity face match functionality that uses facial recognition and search technology and allows users to find celebrities who look similar to the users.

Other Baidu Mobile Applications. We offer several other mobile applications which provide functions similar to those provided by non-mobile devices such as Baidu Travel, Baidu Encyclopedia, Baidu WenKu, Baidu Album and Baidu News. These applications are tailored for mobile device users and also offer some particular functions.

 

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Products and Services for Developers and Webmasters

Baidu Open Cloud. Through the paradigm of LightApp, mobile applications, and opening up its technologies and cloud capacities to developers, Baidu Open Cloud platform provides a complete solution that takes developers from “development” to “distribution” and from “creation” to “monetization.” Baidu Open Cloud platform works with developers in the following aspects in building an ecosystem:

 

   

App Builder—App Builder is a set of tools to help content publishers and service providers build applications quickly and easily. It provides services such as standardization guidelines, a wide selection of templates and components, and the ability to import data and generate and distribute applications.

 

   

Clouda—Clouda is an open-source project created and maintained by Baidu Open Cloud and worldwide developer community over the past two years. Clouda uses JavaScript as its only language for both server and client implementations, and has a built-in cloud-client unifying philosophy, a reactive user interface, real-time infrastructure and spider-friendly capability. Clouda can be used to build both web applications and hybrid applications.

 

   

SiteApp—SiteApp is the tool that allows webmasters to effortlessly transform PC websites into mobile-compatible sites. When users search for a site with Baidu mobile search, they will automatically be directed to the mobile site generated by SiteApp instead of the PC website if the webmasters choose to use SiteApp. The choice will increase traffic to the mobile sites. In addition, SiteApp can help monetize mobile traffic if webmasters choose to utilize online ads or other Baidu Union resources.

 

   

Baidu Cloud Push—Baidu Cloud Push is a messaging service that helps developers send messages from the server to their mobile applications. It builds a stable communication channel between the cloud and end devices, allowing end-to-end data exchange. Baidu Cloud Push now supports both Android and iOS platforms with a unified backend solution, providing push notifications and push messaging with user targeting and geo-location targeting options.

 

   

Personal Cloud Storage (PCS)—PCS provides cloud storage and service to individual users. The service allows users to backup or restore personal data, synchronize data among various devices, and share data with others. In addition, PCS provides developers with abundant capabilities, such as handling both file data and structured data, generating thumbnail, transcoding, labeling, Cloud Match and third-party ID access/authorization.

 

   

Baidu App Engine (BAE)—BAE provides developers with a runtime environment for PHP, JAVA and Python. Additionally, cloud storage, message service and cloud database are also provided by BAE. The goal of BAE is to enable developers to deploy and manage their applications easily and automatically and provide a running environment of dynamic scaling and load balancing. Owing to BAE, developers can focus on the business logic instead of the maintenance work.

 

   

Mobile Test Center (MTC)—MTC provides developers with overall and automated test services based on hundreds of models, free of charge. It covers both native application and web application, including all the mainstream resolutions, models and Android versions.

 

   

Baidu Media Cloud—Baidu Media Cloud provides a package of multimedia-related services, including video-processing, face recognition, voice recognition and image-processing services, through cross-platform software development kits (SDKs) and RESTful APIs.

 

   

Baidu Website Monitoring—This is a cloud technology based service monitoring website security and loading speed in real time.

LBS Open Platform. Location based services (LBS) open platform provides Web, Android or iOS-powered third-party application developers with free services, including location, maps, data on local merchants, cloud storage, cloud computing of LBS data, as well as positioning and tracing services. Based on these basic services, developers can develop their own LBS applications. We also provide automobile manufacturers,

 

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telematics service providers (TSPs), automobile terminal hardware manufacturers, and hardware related software developers with automobile networking API in order to facilitate the developments of automobile terminal applications, including location search, driving routes search, latitude and longitude search by addresses, sending routes information on the web to mobile phones and inquires about transportation events at current city.

Baidu Webmaster Platform. Baidu Webmaster Platform consists primarily of the tools section, data section and discussion section, and provides website managers with tools and data to allow them to better monitor and manage their websites and improve the search engine optimization (SEO) and hence the user experiences of their websites.

Baidu Top Searches and Search Index. Baidu Top Searches provides listings of top search terms based on daily search queries entered on Baidu.com. The listings are organized by categories and allow users to easily locate popular search terms on topics of interest. We also offer Baidu Search Index, a data sharing platform based on the behavior data of Baidu users, through which one can study the search trend of a particular query, observe users’ interest and demand, monitor public opinions, locate users’ features and analyze the market characteristics.

Baidu Open Platform. Baidu Open Platform is a platform providing one-stop online services to users by intelligently identifying users’ demands before providing optimized treatments and responses. It is also designed to increase coverage of Baidu products and services. Baidu Open Platform, accessible through open.baidu.com, has many other specialized accesses such as mobileapp.baidu.com. Content providers can submit their contents to Baidu Open Platform. These contents are presented on Baidu’s search result pages directly and at accesses such as open.baidu.com by categories.

Baidu Statistics. Baidu Statistics is a platform that helps our online marketing customers to evaluate the efficacy of our online marketing solutions by providing various data and analyses that could be used to monitor ROI. Baidu Union members and other website owners can also benefit from Baidu Statistics in web analytics and user experience optimization. Baidu Statistics can be used for mobile applications based on iOS and Android, allowing application developers to monitor the performance of applications on a real-time basis.

Baidu Cloud Acceleration. Baidu Cloud Acceleration is a one-stop management platform that offers acceleration, security protection and search engine optimization services to websites. Baidu Cloud Acceleration can significantly increase the speed for webpage visits through acceleration, buffering and webpage optimization. Baidu Cloud Acceleration features a distributed network system that intelligently recognizes and blocks hacking activities, protecting websites that have connected to the cloud acceleration network and enabling regular visitors and search engines unfettered access to source websites.

Other Products and Services

Baidu Wallet. Baidu Wallet, formerly branded as BaiduPay, provides online and mobile payment services. We strive to build Baidu Wallet into a comprehensive platform for consumption, connecting the broad portfolio of Baidu products and merchants on our platform with our users, as well as offering a suite of payment services that include, for example, online transfer, bill payment, account refills and group social network payment collection services. Baidu Wallet has introduced innovative functions such as payment via images and facial scans. Baidu Wallet is a key service which enables our users to go from query to service fulfillment to payment in one seamless, closed loop transaction.

Baidu Wealth Management. Baidu offers -wealth management products managed by third-party funds and other companies to our users. After registering on the Baidu Wealth Management platform, users can invest in wealth management products provided by third-party funds and other companies. Baidu Wealth Management provides account services to help users manage their wealth. Baidu Wealth Management has introduced the Baifa 100 Index, a pioneering internet finance index in China developed based on big data capabilities.

 

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Baidu Data Research Center. Baidu Data Research Center is an online platform that delivers industry and market insights into both internet and traditional non-internet sectors to business researchers, decision-makers and others in the form of regularly published industry-specific reports and data products through various channels. Our research reports and data products are generated by mining and analyzing data from diverse sources in depth, which fully utilizes Baidu’s core data technologies. Users may browse and download the reports and products once they have registered with Baidu Data Research Center.

Baidu Translate. Baidu Translate is a free online translation service that supports instant translation of texts and web pages in ten different languages, including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French, Spanish, Thai, Arabic, Portuguese, Deutsch and Italian. Baidu Translate has made a breakthrough by offering localized translation service among Mandarin and Cantonese, modern Chinese and classical Chinese. Baidu Translate supports functions such as dictionary, search and translation services in one interface, and provides free open translation API for developers’ convenience. Its mobile app enables offline and online, voice activated translation, optical character recognition and image recognition. Baidu Translate also helps users who travel overseas with a menu translation function.

Baidu Reading. Baidu Reading is an e-book platform. Baidu Reading has partnered with copyright owners and offers licensed digital books covering as social science, technology, education and many other fields. Baidu Reading is accessible from PCs and mobile devices, and allows paid online reading and download.

Baidu Browser. Baidu Browser is a PC internet browser. Baidu Browser has a landing page with links to select popular websites. Users can also search for their favorite websites and customize their Baidu Browser landing pages.

Baidu Chuanke. Baidu Chuanke is an emerging online education platform which allows registered users to enroll in online courses, purchase videos of lectures on various topics and interact with lecturers. Baidu Chuanke can also provide a host of one-stop services such as teaching management, content exchange, faculty and student administration and data analytics services to educational institutions. Users can access Baidu Chuanke through PCs, mobile devices and TVs.

Major Products and Services by Associated or Cooperative Websites

Baidu Leju. Baidu Leju is a real estate information search platform jointly developed by Baidu and Leju Holdings Limited, or Leju. Baidu Leju is designed to provide Chinese internet users with comprehensive, timely information relating to the real estate markets throughout China. Leju has the exclusive right to build and operate Baidu’s web channels related to real estate and home furnishing.

International Products and Services

We offer search services, PC client-end products including BAV and PC Faster, mobile Android apps Du Battery Saver and Du Speed Booster, an input method editor for PC and mobile users, as well as a directory navigation product, Hao123, and Baidu Browser (for both PC and mobile) in select countries and regions.

Products and Services for Customers

We focus on providing customers with cost-effective and targeted marketing solutions. We generate almost all of our revenues from online marketing services, including online marketing services based on search queries, contextuals, audience attributes, media and placement attributes and online marketing services of other forms. Our online marketing services generally comprise text links, images, multimedia files and interactive forms.

Online Marketing Services Based on Search Queries

Online marketing services based on search queries are keyword-based marketing services targeted at and triggered by internet users’ search queries, which include our P4P services and other search query–based online

 

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marketing services, for example, BrandZone. Typically, a P4P customer pays us when users click on one of its website links on Baidu search result pages or Baidu Union members’ properties, while a Brand-Link customer pays us based on the duration of the placement on Baidu search result pages. Users could reach our P4P sponsored links and Brand-Link on either mobile or non-mobile devices.

P4P. Our auction-based P4P services enable our customers to bid for priority placement of their links in keyword search results. We believe we were the first auction-based P4P service provider in China. Our P4P platform enables our customers to reach users who search for information related to their products or services. Customers may use our automated online tools to create text-based descriptions of their web pages and bid on keywords that trigger the display of their web page information and links. Our P4P platform features an automated online sign-up process that allows customers to activate and manage their accounts at any time.

Our P4P platform is an online marketplace that introduces internet search users to customers who bid for priority placement in the search results. Our intelligent ranking system takes into consideration the “quality factor” of a sponsored link for a search query in addition to the price bid on the keyword. The quality factor of a sponsored link for a search query is determined based on the relevance and certain other factors. The relevance is determined based on our analysis of past search and click-through results. Links to customers’ websites are ranked according to a comprehensive ranking index, calculated based on both the quality factor of a sponsored link for a search query and the price bid on that keyword. Our P4P online marketing customers may choose to set a daily limit on the amount spent and may also choose to target only users accessing our website from specified regions in China and/or during specific time period of the day.

We customize search results by vertical industries through commercial Knowledge graph. The commercial Knowledge graph enhances the presentation of our customers’ commercial promotions, and allows users to purchase or acquire the products or services offered by our customers in the search results. The search results of commercial Knowledge graph consist of a special aggregated type of promotion called “Card” in the search results page, and a corresponding landing page that aggregates customers’ promotions and information. In order to meet users’ demand for different industries, we are developing commercial Knowledge graph that target an array of different verticals, including medical care, education, online gaming, finance, and various service industries.

Phoenix Nest, one of our current online marketing systems, is designed to improve relevance in paid search and increase value for customers, thus driving monetization efficiency. Compared to our previous auction-based online marketing system, Phoenix Nest adopts enhanced algorithms that generate more relevant online marketing and provides customers with additional tools and information to help them better manage their spending and achieve higher ROI. We have made enhancements continually to our Phoenix Nest platform. We have opened online marketing on mobile search to all customers to allow them to promote their products and services. Besides text descriptions, customers can also promote their applications on mobile search. In order to help customers achieve better ROI from mobile search campaigns, we provide a series of special management tools in Phoenix Nest, including WAP site building tool for enhanced user experience, online chatting tool for better user engagement, mobile statistics analysis tool for enhanced conversion tracking, and performance reporting for managing campaign effectiveness. Meanwhile, we provide optimization packages in Phoenix Nest to help customers enhance the marketing performance more easily. Moreover, we have launched Phoenix Nest App (Android and iOS) allowing customers to manage their online marketing anywhere and anytime. We provide tools and features, such as Phone Calls, App Downloads, Site-Links on Mobile, Brand-Link on Mobile, allowing customers to manage and optimize mobile marketing and understand the mobile opportunity properly. We have also upgraded the effectiveness and usability of our site building tools such as SiteApp, and provided a series of ancillary tools, so as to improve the number and quality of the sites built by our customers.

In 2014, we further upgraded Phoenix Nest by introducing a suite of new functionalities and services. To enhance the effectiveness and relevancy of our marketing service, we fine-tuned the precision of advertising delivery from provincial level to municipal level, allowing SME customers to accurately select the cities within a

 

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particular province for advertising delivery. To increase the return and efficiency of marketing spending for customers, we have launched new dynamic marketing solution offering diversified content and format. Leveraging on our ability to precisely recognize the search intention of users and matching the intention with the website content of the customers, our dynamic marketing solution present marketing content in varying formats that we consider would best cater to the needs of users. Furthermore, we can also intelligently present certain value-added content based on the marketing purposes, such as image-centric advertisements which enhance the visual impact and uniqueness of the promotional materials, as well as user reviews and new promotions. Leveraging on our big data capabilities, Phoenix Nest helps merchants locate potential customers more precisely and improve the marketing effectiveness towards the potential customers.

BrandZone. BrandZone is our flagship branding display marketing product. The marketing message for a customer can integrate text description, image and video, and appear in a prominent position of the search result page. The inventory for Brandzone includes not only our web search but also various vertical search products, such as Baidu Knows, Baidu Image Search and Baidu Video Search. BrandZone allows the brand image of an advertiser to be displayed in all the vertical search products in a structured and uniform manner.

Aladdin. Aladdin is a form of commercialization of our Baidu data open platform. Based on our analysis of user search needs, we collaborate with vertical websites, who supply us with high quality and structured data for our inclusion in the search results to our users, and in return receive high-quality user traffic generated by us. We generate revenues from Aladdin service typically based on the duration of contract, while some customers pay us based on the number of clicks on our customers’ links that we help to generate.

Online Marketing Services Based on Contextuals

Online marketing services based on contextuals refer to our Network Marketing services and native advertising services.

Network Marketing. Using our ProTheme contextual promotion technology, we offer Network Marketing, a service that enables our customers’ promotional links to be displayed on both Baidu’s properties and Baidu Union members’ properties where the customers’ links are relevant to the subject and content of such web pages. The properties consist of PC web pages, mobile WAP web pages and mobile applications. We generate revenues from our Network Marketing service based on the number of clicks on our customers’ links and share the revenues with our Baidu Union members for displaying our customers’ promotional links on Baidu Union members’ properties in accordance with pre-agreed terms.

Native Ads. We allow native ads to be placed in our vertical search products. For example, advertisers can provide corporate information and news as well as expert answers to users’ inquiries in our knowledge-based vertical search products such as Baidu Knows, Baidu Encyclopedia and Baidu News, and place rich media ads in our multimedia vertical search products.

ImagePlus. ImagePlus is the newest monetization model based on our advanced image recognition and advertisement matching technologies, which offer relevant business information to specific image traffic. ImagePlus has been deployed on Baidu’s image search and Baidu Union network. We generate revenues from these services typically based on the number of clicks on our customers’ links and share the revenues with our Baidu Union members.

Online Marketing Services based on Audience Attributes

Online marketing services based on audience attributes allow our customers to match their promotional links or advertisements to their target audience. Customers can define and manage their target audience using a combination of individual audience attributes selected from a portfolio of pre-defined audience attributes, which cover online consumers’ intent, needs and wants, demographics, location, interest, lifestyle, preferences and

 

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others. Our online marketing services are accessible through PCs and smartphones. We generate revenue from these services typically based on the number of clicks on our customers’ links and share the revenues with our Baidu Union members for displaying our customers’ promotional links on Baidu Union members’ properties in accordance with pre-agreed terms. Some customers pay us on a cost per thousand impressions basis for the links on Baidu Union members’ properties.

Online Marketing Services based on Media and Placement Attributes

Online marketing services based on media and placement attributes enable our customers to display links on Baidu’s properties or Baidu Union members’ properties according to the value and attributes of media and placements. We have extended our display ads network to WAP web page and mobile applications, helping mobile website masters and mobile application developers monetize their mobile contents and applications in innovative ways, such as click-to-call, location based services and application distributions. Customers typically pay us based on the duration of the placement, and some customers pay us on a cost-per-thousand-impressions or on a cost-per-action basis.

Online Marketing Services of Other Forms

We offer other forms of online marketing services, including directing traffic to a customer’s content to allow more exposure of the content to users, and to enable users to purchase and use the content through non-mobile devices. Users could also access some of the content through mobile devices, such as 91 Wireless’ mobile game and application distribution platforms. In addition, we also provide group buying services through nuomi.com.

Value-added Consultative Services Provided for Customers

We also offer certain value-added consultative services that help customers maximize their ROI.

Baidu Marketing Platform. On Baidu Marketing Platform, customers can not only understand and use our various online marketing services but also enjoy our value-added services. At the early phase of their marketing placement, we provide various consulting services to assist customers in better understanding the market conditions and designing suitable marketing solutions. We also provide all-around marketing infrastructure services, including guidance on building mobile sites, site building tools such as SiteApp, and site testing tools. During the marketing placement, our experts on the platform can assist customers in understanding and using our various products and services to increase customer satisfaction. At the later phase of the placement, our statistics analysis tools can help customers assess the marketing effectiveness and achieve better ROI.

Certification Services. We classify and certify merchants based on the standards developed based on our experiences, and evaluate the credibility of merchants periodically based on their behavior on Baidu Marketing Platform and other business activities. We have adopted related reward and penalty measures aiming to guide the merchants to improve their credibility.

Baidu Credit. Based on customers’ historical marketing placements and credibility on the Baidu Marketing Platform, we provide a short-term credit line to customers so that they can continue their marketing activities when they are short of capital.

Sales and Distribution

We sell our online marketing services directly and through our distribution network. We have direct sales presence in Beijing, Shanghai and major cities in Guangdong Province, covering the major regional markets for our online marketing services.

 

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Our distributors provide numerous services, including identifying customers, collecting payments, assisting customers in setting up accounts with us, suggesting keywords to maximize ROI and engaging in other marketing and educational services aimed at acquiring customers. We offer discounts to distributors as consideration for their services. We have relied on distributors for several reasons. Our P4P customer base in China is geographically diverse and fragmented, as many of our P4P customers are SMEs located in different regions in China. Moreover, SMEs are generally less experienced with online marketing as compared to large companies and therefore benefit from the extensive services provided by distributors. Finally, secure online payment and credit card systems are in early stages of development in China. Distributors serve as an important channel to reach SME customers throughout China and collect payments from them. We offer our online marketing services to medium and large corporate customers through third-party agencies and our direct sales force. We have also engaged third-party agencies to identify and reach the potential customers outside of China.

Marketing

We focus on continually improving the quality of our products and services, as we believe satisfied users and customers are more likely to recommend our products and services to others. Through these efforts and the increased use of internet in China, we have built our brand with modest marketing expenditures.

Our initial public offering in 2005 and subsequent positive media coverage have significantly enhanced our brand recognition. We have also implemented a number of marketing initiatives designed to promote our brand awareness among potential users, customers and Baidu Union members. In addition to our brand positioning in the market, we have also initiated a series of marketing activities to promote our products, especially those in relation to mobile applications, among existing and potential users and customers. In 2014, we hosted an auction for the sale of Baidu display advertising resources in order to further raise the popularity of our media platform. In our 2014 “Baidu World” event, we shared with our customers our new concepts in technology-based marketing and case studies of innovative sales events based on our media platform in the mobile internet age. Furthermore, we published the manual on digital brand management that we co-authored with McKinsey during our 2014 “Baidu Moments Marketing Ceremony,” which was aimed at helping brands to better market in the mobile internet era.

Competition

The internet search industry in China is rapidly evolving and highly competitive. Our primary competitors include U.S.-based internet search providers providing Chinese language internet search services and China-based internet companies. We compete with these entities for both users and customers on the basis of user traffic, quality (relevance) and safety and user experience of search results, availability and ease of use of products and services, the number of customers, distribution channels and the number of associated third-party websites. We also face competition from traditional advertising media.

U.S.-based Internet Search Providers. U.S.-based internet search providers such as Google have a strong global presence, well established brand names, more users and customers and significantly greater financial resources than we do. We may also continue to face competition from other existing competitors and new entrants in the Chinese language search market.

China-based Internet Companies. Chinese internet companies such as Sohu and Tencent offer a broad range of online services, including search service. Tencent has merged its search engine “SOSO” related business with Sohu’s search engine “Sogou” as part of Tencent’s investment in Sogou in 2013. These companies have widely recognized brand names in China and significant financial resources. We compete with these portals primarily for user traffic, display advertisement and online marketing. We also compete with B2B service providers such as Alibaba, which also offers search services on its websites. In addition, Qihoo 360, a company operating an internet platform and primarily providing security products, launched its search services in 2012 and competes with us on internet search.

 

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Other Advertising Media. Other advertising media, such as newspapers, yellow pages, magazines, billboards, other forms of outdoor media, television, radio and mobile applications compete for a share of our customers’ marketing budgets. Large enterprises currently spend a relatively small percentage of their marketing budgets on online marketing as compared to other advertising media.

Technology

We have developed a proprietary technological infrastructure consisting of technologies for web search, mobile, P4P, targetizement and large-scale systems. Our established infrastructure serves as the backbone for both our PC and mobile platforms.

We have three labs under the umbrella of Baidu Research, the Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab, the Beijing Deep Learning Lab and the Beijing Big Data Lab. We recently opened the Silicon Valley AI Lab in May 2014, enhancing our research and development capabilities in Silicon Valley. We established the Baidu Institute of Deep Learning, currently known as the Beijing Deep Learning Lab, in January 2013. Deep learning is an emerging computer science field that seeks to mimic the human brain with hardware and software. It has helped us develop cutting-edge speech and image recognition technologies, enhance the search experience we provide to users and improve our ad targeting technology and monetization capability.

Web Search Technology

Our web search is powered by a set of advanced technologies including, among others, the following:

Link Analysis. Link analysis is a technique that determines the importance of a web page by evaluating the combination of the anchor texts and the number of web pages linked to that web page. We treat a link from web page A to web page B as a “vote” by page A in favor of page B. The subject of the “vote” is described in the anchor texts of that link. The more “votes” a web page gets, the higher the importance.

Ranking. We compare search queries with the content of web pages to help determine relevance. We have significantly improved the relevancy and freshness of ranking using our machine learning modules to analyze the rich internet and user interaction data and prioritize the search results. For example, our technology determines the proximity of individual search terms to each other on a given web page, and prioritizes results where the search terms are near each other. Other aspects of a page’s content are also considered. We have innovatively applied our machine learning technology to better understand the semantics beyond simple text of the keywords inputted by our users, allowing us to provide more relevant search results to users.

Information Extraction. We extract information from a web page using high performance algorithms and information extraction techniques. Our techniques enable us to understand web page content, delete extraneous data, build link structures, identify duplicate and junk pages and decide whether to include or exclude a web page based on its quality. Our techniques can process millions of web pages quickly. In addition, our anti-spam algorithms and tools can identify and respond to spam web pages quickly and effectively.

Web Crawling. Our powerful computer clusters and intelligent scheduling algorithms allow us to crawl web pages efficiently. We can easily scale up our system to collect an ever-growing number of Chinese web pages. Our spider technology enables us to refresh web indices at intervals ranging from every few minutes to every few weeks. We set the index refresh frequency based on our knowledge of internet search users’ needs and the nature of the information. For example, our news index is typically updated every five minutes, and can be as frequent as every minute, throughout the day given the importance of timely information for news. We also mine multimedia and other forms of files from web page repositories.

Knowledge Graph. Our knowledge graph aggregates the contents from multiple sources and classifies them into billions of different knowledge entities, where each knowledge entity is of well-defined structure, consisting of various attributes and operations. We have also developed applied computing technology based on our knowledge graph that has generated rich new knowledge based on existing knowledge data to meet the demands

 

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of users. Our knowledge graph provides a powerful link between knowledge entities and online services in a wide range of areas.

Natural Language Processing. We analyze and understand user queries and web pages by using various natural language processing techniques, including, among others, word segmentation, named entity recognition, syntax and semantic analysis, paraphrasing and language dependent encoding, all of which enhance the accuracy of our search results. For Q&A type searches, we provide relevant and in-depth answers to search inquiries using our deep learning technology to locate, summarize and integrate relevant information from massive data.

Multimedia Technologies. We work on developing intelligent algorithms and systems to better understand human spoken languages, identify audio contents, and recognize the meaning of images and videos. These technologies will enable users to access information in a most natural way, and help our search engine better organize the vast amount of multimedia contents on the web. For example, our speech recognition technology has been applied to our mobile search on smartphones, and our face recognition technology has been applied to generate relevant photos when a person is searched. We have also launched similar image search engine, which can recognize the object and scene in the image that users want to search for and return an image that contains the most similar object and scene.

Mobile Search Technology. For our users, our mobile search technology enables superior user experiences by providing relevant and accurate mobile search results and flexible mobile search input methods. For our customers, we provide free tools to optimize landing pages for mobile devices, by analyzing the content and features and automatically converting to the layouts suitable for mobile devices. The technology also allows users to view the pages in an efficient way, with less time and less traffic consumed. We offer an integrated bidding systems to streamline the bidding experience on both PC and mobile channels. We also provide a series of mobile specific management and analytic tools to help our customers improve return on investments (ROI).

Our Project Aladdin, an ongoing research and development project, aims at discovering useful information of the “Hidden Web,” which usually refers to the invisible database of the numerous websites and the part of the internet that traditional search engine technology may not be able to index. The resulted Aladdin platform enriches our search index and hence provides richer search results to our users. In 2012, we made a major upgrade to the Aladdin platform, which not only provides a better and faster way to integrate new “hidden web” information into our search index, but also revolutionizes the search result presentation of the left side of the search result page. Furthermore, the upgraded platform integrates our knowledge graph to render highly relevant “knowledge panel” at the right side of the search result page to encourage users to acquire more knowledge or take actions directly within the page. Aladdin has become Baidu Open Platform. With Aladdin, mobile application developers do not have to construct and manage websites, and can therefore focus on improving their mobile applications. Aladdin can help incubate websites without web pages.

P4P Technology

Our P4P platform serves billions of relevant, targeted sponsored links each day based on search terms users enter or content they view on the web page. Our key P4P technology includes:

P4P Auction System. We use a web-based auction system to enable customers to bid for positions and automatically deliver relevant, targeted promotional links on Baidu’s properties and Baidu Union members’ properties. The system starts by screening the relevance between the sponsored links and a particular query. Our intelligent ranking system takes into consideration the quality factor of a sponsored link for a search query in addition to the price bid on the keyword. The quality factor of a sponsored link for a search query is determined based on the relevance and certain other factors. The relevance is determined based on the analysis of past search and click-through results. Links to customers’ websites are ranked according to a comprehensive ranking index, calculated based on both the quality factor of a sponsored link for a search query and the price bid on that keyword. We employ a dynamic mechanism in determining the minimum bidding price for each keyword.

 

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One of our current online marketing systems, Phoenix Nest, is designed to generate more relevant results, compared with the previous auction-based online marketing system we used before December 2009. Phoenix Nest helps customers more easily find users’ favorite search terms to bid on, and provides customers with more tools for budget management and more data for the effective measurement of ROI. We have been continually improving our click-through rate (CTR) estimation technology, for example, we have introduced deep neutral network (DNN) technology into our CTR estimation,

P4P Billing System. We record every click and charge customers a fee by multiplying the number of clicks by the cost per click. Our system is designed to detect fraudulent clicks based on factors such as click patterns and timestamps. This system also computes the amount a Baidu Union member or a distributor should be paid. The billing information is integrated with our internal Oracle ERP financial system.

P4P Customer Service System. This system offers data and tools to analyze data for our customers to evaluate and optimize the performance of our online marketing services provided to them. Through this system, our customers can also manage information relating to online marketing services such as their budgets and time periods for the services.

ProTheme Contextual Promotion Technology. Our ProTheme technology employs techniques that consider factors such as theme finding, keyword analysis, word frequency and the overall link structure of the web to analyze the content of individual web pages and to match sponsored links in our P4P platform to the web pages almost instantaneously. With this targeting technology, we can automatically provide contextually relevant promotional links. For example, our technology can provide links offering tickets to fans of a specific sports team or a news story about that team.

Targetizement Technology

Our Targetizement technology matches our customers’ promotional links with their targeted internet users. Our automatic algorithm can analyze a user’s audience attributes based on his or her past search experience and display promotional links that the user may be interested in viewing.

Large-Scale Systems and Technologies

Large Size Cluster Management. In order to provide highly efficient and stable search services, we have developed an automated management platform for large size clusters. The platform enables us to intelligently manage and allocate resources and automatically debug and relocate services, thereby allowing tens of thousands of different source requests on the Baidu search engine and other non-search business to function stably across multiple internet data centers and thousands of servers.

Storage. We have developed an efficient, distributed and structured storage system to support our search services. Our storage system supports PB-level holistic, sequential data storage, and ten thousand times of real-time processing per second per device. Our storage system also has dynamic data attribute addition and subtraction function and historical data management capability.

Distributed Computing System. We have developed our proxy computing system, a comprehensive set of ultra-large scale distributed computer system, to increase the utility rate of idle resources, providing a strong base support for our core operations. Our proxy computing system has realized various distributed computing software stacks, such as resource isolation, resource distribution, computing modeling and application framework, and supports commonly used computing modules such as MapReduce, Spark, Stream and WebService.

Indexing Technology. Our indexing technology supports billions of daily search requests on over tens of thousands of servers located across multiple internet data centers of different network operators. Through our

 

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indexing technology, we have been able to index over one hundred billion of web pages without utilizing additional resources and have improved the freshness of indexed information.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of trademark, copyright and trade secret protection laws in China and other jurisdictions, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property and our brand. We have 243 issued patents in China and intend to apply for more patents to protect our core technologies. We also enter into confidentiality, non-compete and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and nondisclosure agreements with selected third parties. “ LOGO ”, our company’s name “Baidu” in Chinese, has been recognized as a well-known trademark in China by the Trademark Office under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. In addition to owning the trademarks LOGO and the related logos, we have applied for registration of the trademark “ LOGO ” and the related logo. We also have registered certain trademarks in Hong Kong, including “ LOGO ” and our company logo, in the United States, including “ LOGO ” and “Baidu,” in Singapore and Indonesia, including our company logo. In addition, we have registered our domain name Baidu.com, hao123.com and baifubao.com with MarkMonitor.com, Baidu.jp with humeia.co.jp and Baidu.cn, Baidu.com.cn, and certain other websites with China National Network Information Center, or CNNIC.

Internet, technology and media companies are frequently involved in litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. Furthermore, the application of laws governing intellectual property rights in China and abroad is uncertain and evolving and could involve substantial risks to us. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—We may face intellectual property infringement claims and other related claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend and may result in an adverse impact over our operations” and “—We may be subject to patent infringement claims with respect to our P4P platform.”

Regulation

The PRC government extensively regulates the telecommunications industry, including the internet sector. The State Council, the MIIT and other relevant government authorities have promulgated an extensive regulatory scheme governing internet-related services. This section summarizes the principal PRC laws and regulations relating to our business.

In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel, (i) the ownership structure relating to our consolidated affiliated entities complies with current PRC laws and regulations; (ii) subject to the disclosure and risks disclosed under “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure,” “—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” and “—Regulation,” our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders are valid and binding on all parties to these arrangements and do not violate current PRC laws or regulations; and (iii) subject to the disclosure and risks disclosed under “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure,” “—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” and “—Regulation,” the business operations of our consolidated affiliated entities, as described herein, comply with current PRC laws and regulations in all material respects.

China’s internet industry and online advertising market are evolving. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of existing or proposed PRC laws and regulations. We cannot assure you that the PRC regulatory authorities would find that our corporate structure and our business operations comply with PRC laws and regulations. If the PRC government finds us to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations, we may be required to pay fines and penalties, obtain certain licenses or permits and change, suspend or discontinue our business operations until we comply with applicable PRC laws and regulations.

 

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Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunications Services and Internet Content Services

Internet content services. The Telecommunications Regulations promulgated by the PRC State Council in September 2000 categorize all telecommunication businesses in the PRC as either basic or value-added. Internet content services, or ICP services, are classified as value-added telecommunication businesses. Pursuant to the Telecommunications Regulations, commercial operators of value-added telecommunications services must first obtain an operating license from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts. The Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, also promulgated by the PRC State Council in September 2000, require companies engaged in the provision of commercial internet content services to obtain an ICP license from the relevant government authorities before providing any commercial internet content services within the PRC. “Commercial internet content services” generally refer to provision of information, web page production and other services through internet for a fee. We do not believe our P4P services are categorized as part of internet content services that require an ICP license under these regulations. Although our PRC subsidiary Baidu Online conducts the P4P business by, among other things, designing P4P keywords, interacting with potential P4P customers and engaging in sales activities with our customers, P4P search results are displayed on the websites operated by Baidu Netcom, including baidu.com. Baidu Netcom, as the owner of our domain name baidu.com and holder of the necessary licenses and approvals, such as an ICP license, operates the website to display P4P search results and other marketing content.

The Administrative Measures for Telecommunication Business Operating License, promulgated by the MIIT with latest amendments becoming effective in April 2009, set forth the types of licenses required for value-added telecommunications services and the qualifications and procedures for obtaining such licenses. For example, a value-added telecommunications service operator providing commercial value-added services in multiple provinces is required to obtain an inter-regional license, whereas a value-added telecommunications service operator providing the same services in one province is required to obtain a local license.

BBS services. The Internet Electronic Messaging Service Administrative Measures promulgated by the MIIT in November 2000 require ICP operators to obtain specific approvals before providing BBS services. BBS services include electronic bulletin boards, electronic forums, message boards and chat rooms. On July 4, 2010, the approval requirement for operating BBS services was terminated by a decision issued by the PRC State Council. However, in practice, the competent authorities in Beijing still require the relevant operating companies to obtain such approval for the operation of BBS services.

Content regulation. National security considerations are an important factor in the regulation of internet content in China. The National People’s Congress, the PRC’s national legislature, has enacted laws with respect to maintaining the security of internet operation and internet content. Under these laws and applicable regulations, violators may be subject to penalties, including criminal sanctions, for internet content that:

 

   

opposes the fundamental principles stated in the PRC constitution;

 

   

compromises national security, divulges state secrets, subverts state power or damages national unity;

 

   

harms the dignity or interests of the state;

 

   

incites ethnic hatred or racial discrimination or damages inter-ethnic unity;

 

   

undermines the PRC’s religious policy or propagates heretical teachings or feudal superstitions;

 

   

disseminates rumors, disturbs social order or disrupts social stability;

 

   

disseminates obscenity or pornography, encourages gambling, violence, murder or fear or incites the commission of a crime;

 

   

insults or slanders a third party or infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of a third party; or

 

   

is otherwise prohibited by law or administrative regulations.

 

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ICP operators are required to monitor their websites, including electronic bulletin boards. They may not post or disseminate any content that falls within the prohibited categories and must remove any such content from their websites. The PRC government may shut down the websites of ICP license holders that violate any of the above-mentioned content restrictions and revoke their ICP licenses.

Restrictions on Foreign Ownership in Value-Added Telecommunications Services

Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises, promulgated by the PRC State Council with latest amendments becoming effective in September 2008, the ultimate foreign equity ownership in a value-added telecommunications service provider must not exceed 50%. In order to acquire any equity interest in a value-added telecommunication business in China, a foreign investor must satisfy a number of stringent performance and operational experience requirements, including demonstrating good track records and experience in operating value-added telecommunication business overseas. Foreign investors that meet these requirements must obtain approvals from the MIIT and the Ministry of Commerce (or the Ministry of Commerce’s authorized local counterparts), which retain considerable discretion in granting approvals. According to publicly available information, the PRC government has issued telecommunication business operating licenses to only a limited number of foreign-invested companies, all of which are Sino-foreign joint ventures engaging in the value-added telecommunication business. We believe that it would be impracticable for us to acquire any equity interest in our consolidated affiliated entities without diverting management attention and resources. Moreover, we believe that our contractual arrangements with these entities and the individual nominee shareholders provide us with sufficient and effective control over these entities. Accordingly, we currently do not plan to acquire any equity interest in any of these entities.

An Notice on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-Added Telecommunications Services, issued by the MIIT in July 2006, prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling telecommunication business operating licenses to any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities to any foreign investor for their illegal operation of a telecommunication business in China. Pursuant to this notice, either the holder of a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License or its shareholders must directly own the domain names and trademarks used by such license holders in their provision of value-added telecommunications services. The notice further requires each license holder to have the necessary facilities, including servers, for its approved business operations and to maintain the facilities in the regions covered by its license. If a license holder fails to comply with the requirements in the notice and cure such non-compliance, the MIIT or its local counterparts have the discretion to take measures against such license holders, including revoking their Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating Licenses.

Due to the restrictions under these PRC regulations, we operate our websites mainly through Baidu Netcom and Beijing Perusal, and operate an online payment platform through BaiduPay. Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay are our PRC consolidated affiliated entities, and are considered domestic PRC entities under PRC law given that the nominee shareholders are PRC citizens or PRC entities. Each of Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal, BaiduPay and some of our other PRC consolidated affiliated entities holds a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License. In compliance with the Notice of the MIIT on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-Added Telecommunications Services, Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay, our consolidated affiliated entities, own the necessary domain names and trademarks, including pending trademark applications and have the necessary personnel and facilities to operate our websites. It remains unclear whether the provision of online payment services by BaiduPay will require BaiduPay to apply for a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for “online data processing and transaction processing businesses” as provided in the Catalog of Telecommunication Businesses promulgated by the MIIT, although in practice many companies conducting such business do not apply for such license.

 

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Regulations on News Display

Displaying news on a website and disseminating news through the internet are highly regulated in the PRC. The Provisional Measures for Administrating Internet Websites Carrying on the News Displaying Business, jointly promulgated by the State Council News Office and the MIIT in November 2000, require an ICP operator (other than a government authorized news unit) to obtain State Council News Office approval to post news on its website or disseminate news through the internet. Furthermore, the disseminated news must come from government-approved sources pursuant to contracts between the ICP operator and the sources, copies of which must be filed with the relevant government authorities.

In September 2005, the State Council News Office and the MIIT jointly issued the Provisions on the Administration of Internet News Information Services, requiring internet news information service organizations to provide services as approved by the State Council News Office, subject to annual inspection under the provisions. Pursuant to the provisions, no internet news information service organizations may take the form of a foreign-invested enterprise, whether a joint venture or a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, and no cooperation between internet news information service organizations and foreign-invested enterprises is allowed prior to the security evaluation by the State Council News Office.

Baidu Netcom obtained the Internet News License, which permits it to publish internet news pursuant to the relevant PRC laws and regulations, in December 2006, and had the license renewed in June 2010. The Internet News License is subject to annual inspection by relevant government authorities.

Regulations on Internet Drug Information Services

According to the Measures for the Administration of Internet Drug Information Services, issued by the State Food and Drug Administration in July 2004, an ICP operator publishing drug-related information must obtain a qualification certificate from the State Food and Drug Administration or its provincial level counterpart.

Baidu Netcom obtained the Qualification Certificate for Internet Drug Information Services, which permits it to publish drug-related information on its website, in November 2007, and had the certificate renewed in September 2012. We have several other entities in our group that have obtained the Qualification Certificate for Internet Drug Information Services.

Regulations on Internet Culture Activities

The amended Internet Culture Administration Measures, promulgated by the Ministry of Culture and becoming effective in April 2011, require ICP operators engaging in “internet culture activities” to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture. The “internet culture activities” include, among other things, online dissemination of internet cultural products (such as audio-video products, games, performances of plays or programs, works of art and cartoons) and the production, reproduction, importation, distribution and broadcasting of internet cultural products. Imported internet cultural products are subject to content review by the Ministry of Culture before they are disseminated online, while domestic internet cultural products must be filed with the local branch of the Ministry of Culture within 30 days following the online dissemination. Baidu Netcom was granted an Internet Culture Business Permit in April 2007, which was renewed again in November 2013. Beijing Perusal and some other entities in our group were also granted an Internet Culture Business Permit.

The Several Suggestions on the Development and Administration of the Internet Music, issued by the Ministry of Culture and becoming effective in November 2006, reiterate the requirement for the internet service provider to obtain the Internet Culture Business Permit to carry on any business of internet music products. In addition, foreign investors are prohibited from engaging in the internet culture business operation.

Furthermore, the Notice on Strengthening and Improving the Content Review of Online Music, issued by Ministry of Culture in August 2009, provides that only “internet culture operating entities” approved by the

 

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Ministry of Culture may engage in the production, release, dissemination (including providing direct links to music products) and importation of online music products. Internet culture operating entities should establish strict self-monitoring system of online music content and set up special department in charge of such monitoring.

Regulations on Internet Publishing

The Interim Provisions for the Administration of Internet Publishing, jointly issued by the GAPP and the MIIT and becoming effective in August 2002, require entities that engage in internet publishing to obtain approval from the GAPP. Pursuant to the provisions, “internet publishing” refers to the act of online spreading of articles, whereby the internet information service providers select, edit and process works created by themselves or others and subsequently post such works on the internet or transmit such works to the users’ end through internet for the public to browse, read, use or download. Beijing Perusal and another entity in our group have obtained the Internet Publication Licenses. Baidu Netcom is in the process of applying for the Internet Publication License.

Regulation on Broadcasting Audio/Video Programs through the Internet

In July 2004, the SARFT promulgated the Rules for the Administration of Broadcasting of Audio/Video Programs through the Internet and Other Information Networks, or the Audio/Video Broadcasting Rules. The Audio/Video Broadcasting Rules apply to the opening, broadcasting, integration, transmission or download of audio/video programs through internet and other information networks. Anyone who wishes to engage in internet broadcasting activities must first obtain an Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, with a term of two years, issued by the SARFT and operate in accordance with the scope as stipulated in such license. Foreign-invested enterprises are not allowed to engage in the above-mentioned business activities.

The Rules for the Administration of Internet Audio and Video Program Services, commonly known as Document 56, jointly promulgated by the SARFT and the MIIT in December 2007, reiterate the requirement set forth in the Audio/Video Broadcasting Rules that online audio/video service provider must obtain a license from the SARFT. Furthermore, Document 56 requires all online audio/video service providers to be either wholly state-owned or state-controlled. According to some official answers to press inquiries published on the SARFT’s website in February 2008, officials from the SARFT and the MIIT clarified that online audio/video service providers that already had been operating lawfully prior to the issuance of Document 56 may re-register and continue to operate without becoming state-owned or controlled, provided that the providers have not engaged in any unlawful activities. This exemption will not be granted to online audio/video service providers established after Document 56 was issued. Baidu Netcom has renewed its Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, which remains valid till July 2015, iQiyi has an Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License valid till October 2015, and another entity in our group has recently renewed its Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, which remains valid till March 2017.

Regulations on Payment Services by Non-financial Institutions

Pursuant to the People’s Bank of China’s Measures Concerning Payment Services by Non-financial Institutions, which took effect in September 2010, and its implementation rules, non-financial institutions that have been providing monetary transfer services as an intermediary between payees and payers, including online payment, issuance and acceptance of prepaid card or bank card, and other payment services as specified by the People’s Bank of China, must obtain a license from the People’s Bank of China prior to September 1, 2011, in order to continue providing monetary transfer services. BaiduPay applied for the license after the regulations mentioned above were promulgated and prior to September 1, 2011, and was granted the license for online payment in July 2013.

 

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Regulations on Internet Map Services

According to the Administrative Rules of Surveying Qualification Certificate and the amended Standard for Internet Map Services issued by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation (formerly known as the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping) in March 2009 and May 2010, respectively, the provision of internet map services by any non-surveying and mapping enterprise is subject to the approval of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation and requires a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate. Internet maps refer to maps called or transmitted through internet. Pursuant to the Notice on Further Strengthening the Administration of Internet Map Services Qualification issued by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation in December 2011, any entity without applying for a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate for internet map services is prohibited from providing any internet map services. Baidu Netcom currently provides online traffic information inquiry services as well as internet map services and has obtained a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate for internet map services. Another entity in our group has also obtained the Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate.

Regulations on Online Games

Pursuant to the Interim Provisions for the Administration of Internet Publishing, the online games services provided on our websites by our online game operator partners may be deemed as a type of “internet publication” provided by us, and we may be required to obtain an Internet Publication License from the GAPP. Beijing Perusal and another entity in our group have obtained the Internet Publication Licenses. Baidu Netcom is in the process of applying for the Internet Publication License. The required approval by the GAPP of each online game provided on our websites is handled by our online game operator partners.

In June 2010, the Ministry of Culture promulgated the Interim Administration Measures of Online Games. In accordance with these measures, an ICP service provider operating online games, must obtain an Internet Culture Business Permit. Baidu Netcom and some other entities in our group have obtained an Internet Culture Business Permit for operating online games. These measures also specify that the Ministry of Culture is responsible for the censorship of imported online games and the filing of records of domestic online games. The procedures for the filing of records of domestic online games must be conducted with the Ministry of Culture within 30 days after the commencement date of the online operation of such online games or the occurrence date of any material alteration of such online games. The approval by or filing with the Ministry of Culture of each online game provided on our websites has been handled primarily by our online game operator partners.

In September 2009, the GAPP (currently known as the SAPPRFT) together with several other government agencies issued a Circular 13, which explicitly prohibits foreign investors from participating in online game operating businesses through wholly-owned enterprises, equity joint ventures or cooperative joint ventures in China. The Circular 13 expressly prohibits foreign investors from gaining control over or participating in PRC operating companies’ online game operations through indirect means, such as establishing joint venture companies, entering into contractual arrangements with or providing technical support to the operating companies, or through a disguised form, such as incorporating user registration, user account management or payment through game cards into online game platforms that are ultimately controlled or owned by foreign investors. We offer online games provided by our game operator partners on our websites owned and operated by our consolidated affiliated entities. We have also acquired 91 Wireless, which operates two leading smartphone application distribution platforms in China as well as a mobile game platform through its consolidated affiliated entities. If our contractual arrangements were deemed to be “indirect means” or “disguised form” under the Circular 13, our relevant contractual arrangements may be challenged by the SAPPRFT or other governmental authorities. If we were found to be in violation of the Circular 13 to operate our mobile game platform, the SAPPRFT, in conjunction with relevant regulatory authorities, would have the power to investigate and deal with such violations, including in the most serious cases, suspending and revoking the relevant licenses and registrations.

 

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Regulations on Online Game Virtual Currency

The Interim Administration Measures of Online Games require companies that (i) issue online game virtual currency (including prepaid cards and/or pre-payment or prepaid card points), or (ii) offer online game virtual currency transaction services to apply for the Internet Culture Business Permit from provincial branches of the Ministry of Culture. The regulations prohibit companies that issue online game virtual currency from providing services that would enable the trading of such virtual currency. Any company that fails to submit the requisite application will be subject to sanctions, including but not limited to termination of operation, confiscation of incomes and fines. The regulations also prohibit online game operators from allocating virtual items or virtual currency to players based on random selection through lucky draw, wager or lottery that involves cash or virtual currency directly paid by the players. In addition, companies that issue online game virtual currency must comply with certain specific requirements, for example, online games virtual currency can only be used for products and services related to the issuance company’s own online games. Baidu Netcom and some other entities in our group have obtained the Internet Culture Business Permit for issuing online game virtual currency.

Regulations on Advertisements

The PRC government regulates advertising, including online advertising, principally through the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, although there are no national PRC laws or regulations regulating online advertising business specifically. Under the Rules for Administration of Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprise, promulgated by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Commerce in March 2004 and amended in October 2008, foreign investors are permitted to own equity interests in PRC advertising companies. However, foreign investors in wholly foreign-owned and joint venture advertising companies are required to have at least three years and two years, respectively, of direct operations in the advertising industry outside of China. The Administrative Regulations for Advertising Operation Licenses, taking effect in January 2005, exempt enterprises (other than radio stations, television stations, newspapers and magazines, non-corporate entities and other specified entities) from the previous requirement to obtain an advertising operation license in addition to a business license.

We conduct our online advertising business through our consolidated affiliated entities in China, Baidu Netcom and Beijing Perusal, each of which holds a business license that covers online advertising in its business scope. Our subsidiaries Baidu Times and Baidu China have also expanded their respective business license to cover advertising in their respective business scope.

Advertisers, advertising operators and advertising distributors are required by PRC advertising laws and regulations to ensure that the contents of the advertisements they prepare or distribute are true and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, where a special government review is required for certain categories of advertisements before publishing, the advertisers, advertising operators and advertising distributors are obligated to confirm that such review has been performed and the relevant approval has been obtained. Violation of these regulations may result in penalties, including fines, confiscation of advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the advertisements and orders to publish an advertisement correcting the misleading information. In the case of serious violations, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce or its local branches may force the violator to terminate its advertising operation or even revoke its business license. Furthermore, advertisers, advertising operators or advertising distributors may be subject to civil liability if they infringe on the legal rights and interests of third parties.

Tort Liability Law

In accordance with the PRC Tort Liability Law, which became effective in July 2010, internet users and internet service providers bear tortious liabilities in the event that they infringe upon other persons’ rights and interests through the internet. Where an internet user conducts tortious acts through internet services, the infringed person has the right to request the internet service provider take necessary actions such as deleting contents, screening and de-linking. Failing to take necessary actions after being informed, the internet service

 

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provider will be subject to joint and several liabilities with the internet user with regard to the additional damages incurred. Where an internet service provider knows that an internet user is infringing upon other persons’ rights and interests through its internet service but fails to take necessary actions, it is jointly and severally liable with the internet user.

Regulations on Intellectual Property Rights

China has adopted legislation governing intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and domain names.

Patent. The PRC Patent Law provides for patentable inventions, utility models and designs, which must meet three conditions: novelty, inventiveness and practical applicability. The State Intellectual Property Office under the State Council is responsible for examining and approving patent applications. A patent is valid for a term of twenty years in the case of an invention and a term of ten years in the case of utility models and designs.

Copyright. The PRC Copyright Law and its implementation rules extend copyright protection to products disseminated over the internet and computer software. There is a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright Protection Center. Creators of protected works enjoy personal and property rights, including, among others, the right of disseminating the works through information network.

Pursuant to the relevant PRC regulations, rules and interpretations, ICP operators will be jointly liable with the infringer if they (i) participate in, assist in or abet infringing activities committed by any other person through the internet, (ii) are or should be aware of the infringing activities committed by their website users through the internet, or (iii) fail to remove infringing content or take other action to eliminate infringing consequences after receiving a warning with evidence of such infringing activities from the copyright holder. The court will determine whether an internet service provider should have known of their internet users’ infringing activities based on how obvious the infringing activities are by taking into consideration a number of factors, including (i) the information management capabilities that the provider should have based on the possibility that the services provided by it may trigger infringing acts, (ii) the degree of obviousness of the infringing content, (iii) whether it has taken the initiative to select, edit, modify or recommend the contents involved, (iv) whether it has taken positive and reasonable measures against infringing acts, and (v) whether it has set up convenient programs to receive notices of infringement and made timely and reasonable responses to the notices. Where an internet service provider has directly obtained economic benefits from any contents made available by an internet user, it shall have a higher duty of care with respect to the internet user’s act of infringement of others’ copyrights. Advertisements placed for or other benefits particularly connected with specific contents may be deemed as direct economic benefits from such contents, but general advertising fees or service fees charged by an internet service provider for its internet services will not be included. In addition, where an ICP operator is clearly aware of the infringement of certain content against another’s copyright through the internet, or fails to take measures to remove relevant contents upon receipt of the copyright holder’s notice, and as a result, it damages the public interest, the ICP operator could be ordered to stop the tortious act and be subject to other administrative penalties such as confiscation of illegal income and fines. An ICP operator is also required to retain all infringement notices for a minimum of six months and to record the content, display time and IP addresses or the domain names related to the infringement for a minimum of 60 days.

An internet service provider may be exempted from liabilities for providing links to infringing or illegal content or providing other internet services which are used by its users to infringe others’ copyright, if it does not know and does not have constructive knowledge that such content is infringing upon other parties’ rights or is illegal. However, if the legitimate owner of the content notifies the internet service provider and requests removal of the links to the infringing content, the internet service provider would be deemed to have constructive knowledge upon receipt of such notification, but would be exempted from liabilities if it removes or disconnects the links to the infringing content at the request of the legitimate owner. At the request of the alleged infringer, the internet service provider should immediately restore links to content previously disconnected upon receipt of initial non-infringing evidence.

 

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We have adopted measures to mitigate copyright infringement risks. For example, our policy is to remove links to web pages and materials uploaded by the users if we know these web pages or materials contain materials that infringe upon third-party rights or if we are notified by the legitimate copyright holder of the infringement with proper evidence.

Software Products. The amended Administrative Measures on Software Products, promulgated by the MIIT and becoming effective in April 2009, provide a registration and filing system with respect to software products made in or imported into China. Software products may be registered with the relevant local authorities in charge of software industry administration. Registered software products may enjoy preferential treatment status granted by applicable software industry regulations. Software products can be registered for five years, and the registration is renewable upon expiration.

In addition, the Computer Software Protection Regulations and the Computer Software Copyright Registration Procedures apply to software copyright registration, license agreement registration and transfer agreement registration. Although such registration is not mandatory under PRC law, software copyright owners are encouraged to go through the registration process and registered software may receive better protection.

Trademark. The PRC Trademark Law and its implementation rules protect registered trademarks. The Trademark Office under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce handles trademark registrations and grants a term of ten years to registered trademarks. Trademark license agreements must be filed with the Trademark Office for record. “ LOGO ” is recognized as a well-known trademark in China by the Trademark Office under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. In addition to owning the trademarks LOGO and “ LOGO ” and the related logos, we have applied for registration of the trademark “ LOGO ” and the related logo.

Domain name. Domain names are protected under the Administrative Measures on the Internet Domain Names promulgated by the MIIT in November 2004. The MIIT is the major regulatory body responsible for the administration of the PRC internet domain names, under supervision of which the China Internet Network Information Center, or CNNIC, is responsible for the daily administration of .cn domain names and Chinese domain names. We have registered Baidu.cn, Baidu.com.cn, hao123.com and certain other domain names with CNNIC.

Regulations on Information Security

The National People’s Congress has enacted legislation that prohibits use of the internet that breaches the public security, disseminates socially destabilizing content or leaks state secrets. Breach of public security includes breach of national security and infringement on legal rights and interests of the state, society or citizens. Socially destabilizing content includes any content that incites defiance or violations of PRC laws or regulations or subversion of the PRC government or its political system, spreads socially disruptive rumors or involves cult activities, superstition, obscenities, pornography, gambling or violence. State secrets are defined broadly to include information concerning PRC national defense, state affairs and other matters as determined by the PRC authorities.

Pursuant to applicable regulations, ICP operators must complete mandatory security filing procedures and regularly update information security and censorship systems for their websites with local public security authorities, and must also report any public dissemination of prohibited content.

In addition, the State Secrecy Bureau has issued provisions authorizing the blocking of access to any website it deems to be leaking state secrets or failing to comply with the relevant legislation regarding the protection of state secrets during online information distribution. Specifically, internet companies in China with bulletin boards, chat rooms or similar services must apply for specific approval prior to operating such services.

 

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Furthermore, the Provisions on Technological Measures for Internet Security Protection, promulgated by the Ministry of Public Security, require all ICP operators to keep records of certain information about its users (including user registration information, log-in and log-out time, IP address, content and time of posts by users) for at least 60 days and submit the above information as required by laws and regulations. The Network Information Protection Decision states that ICP operators must request identity information from users when ICP operators provide information publication services to the users. If ICP operators come across prohibited information, they must immediately cease the transmission of such information, delete the information, keep relevant records, and report to relevant government authorities.

Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal, BaiduPay and some other entities in our group are ICP operators, and are therefore subject to the regulations relating to information security. They have taken measures to comply with these regulations. They are registered with the relevant government authority in accordance with the mandatory registration requirement. Baidu Netcom’s policy is to remove links to web pages which to its knowledge contain information that would be in violation of PRC laws or regulations. In addition, we monitor our websites to ensure our compliance with the above-mentioned laws and regulations.

Regulations on Internet Privacy

The PRC Constitution states that PRC law protects the freedom and privacy of communications of citizens and prohibits infringement of these rights. In recent years, PRC government authorities have enacted legislation on internet use to protect personal information from any unauthorized disclosure. The Network Information Protection Decision provides that electronic information that identifies a citizen or involves privacy of any citizen is protected by law and must not be unlawfully collected or provided to others. ICP operators collecting or using personal electronic information of citizens must specify the purposes, manners and scopes of information collection and uses, obtain consent of the relevant citizens, and keep the collected personal information confidential. ICP operators are prohibited from disclosing, tampering with, damaging, selling or illegally providing others with, collected personal information. ICP operators are required to take technical and other measures to prevent the collected personal information from any unauthorized disclosure, damage or loss. The Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services prohibit an ICP operator from insulting or slandering a third party or infringing upon the lawful rights and interests of a third party. Pursuant to the Internet Electronic Messaging Service Administrative Measures, ICP operators that provide electronic messaging services must keep users’ personal information confidential and must not disclose the personal information to any third party without the users’ consent or unless required by law. According to the Provisions on Protection of Personal Information of Telecommunication and Internet Users, telecommunication business operators and ICP operators shall be responsible for the security of the personal information of users they collect or use in the course of their provision of services. Without obtaining the consent from the users, telecommunication business operators and ICP operators may not collect or use the users’ personal information. The personal information collected or used in the course of provision of services by the telecommunication business operators or ICP operators must be kept in strict confidence, and may not be divulged, tampered with or damaged, and may not be sold or illegally provided to others. The ICP operators are required to take certain measures to prevent any divulge, damage, tamper or loss of users’ personal information.

The relevant telecommunications authorities are further authorized to order ICP operators to rectify unauthorized disclosure. ICP operators are subject to legal liability, including warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses or filings, closing of the relevant websites, administrative punishment, criminal liabilities, or civil liabilities, if they violate relevant provisions on internet privacy. The PRC government, however, has the power and authority to order ICP operators to turn over personal information if an internet user posts any prohibited content or engages in illegal activities on the internet.

 

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Regulations on Foreign Exchange

Foreign Currency Exchange

Pursuant to the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, as amended, and various regulations issued by SAFE and other relevant PRC government authorities, RMB is freely convertible to the extent of current account items, such as trade related receipts and payments, interest and dividends. Capital account items, such as direct equity investments, loans and repatriation of investment, unless expressly exempted by laws and regulations, still require prior approval from SAFE or its provincial branch for conversion of RMB into a foreign currency, such as U.S. dollars, and remittance of the foreign currency outside of the PRC.

Payments for transactions that take place within the PRC must be made in RMB. Foreign currency revenues received by PRC companies may be repatriated into China or retained outside of China in accordance with requirements and terms specified by SAFE.

Dividend Distribution

Wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Sino-foreign equity joint ventures in the PRC may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Additionally, these foreign-invested enterprises may not pay dividends unless they set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits after tax each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds, until such time as the accumulative amount of such fund reaches 50% of the enterprise’s registered capital. In addition, these companies also may allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to employee welfare and bonus funds at their discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.

Foreign Exchange Registration of Offshore Investment by PRC Residents

Pursuant to SAFE’s Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents to Engage in Financing and Inbound Investment via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular No. 75, issued in October 2005, and a series of implementation rules and guidance, including the circular relating to operating procedures that came into effect in July 2011, PRC residents, including PRC resident natural persons or PRC companies, must register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment in an overseas special purpose vehicle, or SPV, for the purposes of overseas equity financing activities, and to update such registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to that offshore company. SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular No. 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the SAFE Circular No. 75. SAFE Circular No. 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE No. Circular No. 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” The term “control” under SAFE Circular No. 37 is broadly defined as the operation rights, beneficiary rights or decision-making rights acquired by the PRC residents in the offshore special purpose vehicles or PRC companies by such means as acquisition, trust, proxy, voting rights, repurchase, convertible bonds or other arrangements. SAFE Circular No. 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any changes with respect to the basic information of the special purpose vehicle, such as changes in a PRC resident individual shareholder, name or operation period; or any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. If the shareholders of the offshore holding company who are PRC residents do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, the PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to the offshore company, and the offshore company may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital to its PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with SAFE registration and amendment requirements described above could result

 

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in liability under PRC law for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. We have notified holders of ordinary shares of our company whom we know are PRC residents to register with the local SAFE branch and update their registrations as required under the SAFE regulations described above. On February 28, 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, which will become effective on June 1, 2015. After SAFE Notice 13 becomes effective, entities and individuals will be required to apply for foreign exchange registration of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment, including those required under the SAFE Circular No. 37, with qualified banks, instead of SAFE. The qualified banks, under the supervision of SAFE, will directly examine the applications and conduct the registration. We are aware that Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive officer and principal shareholder, who is a PRC resident, has registered with the relevant local SAFE branch, and is in the process of updating such registration to comply with requirements under the new SAFE Circular No. 37. We, however, cannot provide any assurances that all of our shareholders who are PRC residents will file all applicable registrations or update previously filed registrations as required by these SAFE regulations. The failure or inability of our PRC resident shareholders to comply with the registration procedures may subject the PRC resident shareholders to fines and legal sanctions, restrict our cross-border investment activities, or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to or obtain foreign exchange-dominated loans from our company.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, or the Stock Option Rule, replacing the earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Under the Stock Option Rule, PRC residents who are granted stock options by an overseas publicly listed company are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed company, to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. We and our PRC resident employees who have been granted stock options are subject to these regulations. We have designated our PRC subsidiary Baidu Online to handle the registration and other procedures required by the Stock Option Rule. Failure of the option holders to complete their SAFE registrations may subject these PRC employees to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit the ability of the overseas publicly listed company to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary and limit the PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends.

Regulations on Labor

The Labor Contract Law, which became effective in January 2008, and its implementation rules, impose more restrictions on employers and have been deemed to increase labor costs for employers, compared to the Labor Law, which became effective in January 1995. For example, pursuant to the Labor Contract Law, an employer is obliged to sign labor contract with unlimited term with an employee if the employer continues to hire the employee after the expiration of two consecutive fixed-term labor contracts. The employer has to compensate the employee upon the expiration of a fixed-term labor contract, unless the employee refuses to renew such contract on terms the same as or more favorable to the employee than those contained in the expired contract. The employer also has to indemnify an employee if the employer terminates a labor contract without a cause permitted by law. In addition, under the Regulations on Paid Annual Leave for Employees, which became effective in January 2008, employees who have served more than one year for an employer are entitled to a paid vacation ranging from 5 to 15 days per year, depending on their length of service. Employees who waive such vacation time at the request of employers must be compensated for three times their regular salaries for each waived vacation day.

Regulations on Taxation

For a discussion of applicable PRC tax regulations, see “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation.”

 

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C.

Organizational Structure

The following is a list of our principal subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F:

 

Name

  

Place of Formation

  

Relationship

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Baidu Holdings Limited

  

British Virgin Islands

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Consolidated affiliated entity

Baidu (China) Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Baidu.com Times Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Consolidated affiliated entity

Baidu Japan Inc.

  

Japan

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited

  

Hong Kong

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Consolidated affiliated entity

Qunar Cayman Islands Limited

  

Cayman Islands

  

Majority-owned subsidiary

Qiyi.com, Inc.

  

Cayman Islands

  

Majority-owned subsidiary

B.D. Mobile Telecommunications Limited

  

Cayman Islands

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Baidu Cloud Computing Technology (Shanxi) Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

Baidu Cloud Computing Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

  

China

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

91 Wireless Websoft Limited

  

Cayman Islands

  

Wholly owned subsidiary

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F:

 

 

LOGO

 

*

The diagram above omits the names of subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities that are insignificant individually and in the aggregate. Baidu HR Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a consolidated affiliated entity, has ceased operations and has been liquidated and dissolved.

 

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(1)

Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd. is 99.5% owned by Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, and 0.5% owned by Mr. Zhan Wang, an employee of ours. Please see “Item 6.E. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Share Ownership” for Mr. Robin Yanhong Li’s beneficial ownership in our company. Mr. Zhan Wang’s beneficial ownership of our company is less than 1% of our total outstanding shares.

(2)

Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. is 80% owned by Mr. Jiping Liu and 20% owned by Ms. Yazhu Zhang. Mr. Jiping Liu and Ms. Yazhu Zhang are third-party individuals designated by us, and their respective beneficial ownership in our company is less than 1% of our total outstanding shares.

(3)

Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is 91% owned by Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd. and 9% owned by Mr. Zhixiang Liang, an employee of ours. Mr. Zhixiang Liang’s beneficial ownership in our company is less than 1% of our total outstanding shares.

Contractual Arrangements with Our Consolidated Affiliated Entities and the Nominee Shareholders

PRC laws and regulations restrict and impose conditions on foreign investment in internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses. Accordingly, we operate these businesses in China through our consolidated affiliated entities. We have entered into a series of contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities. These contractual arrangements enable us to:

 

   

receive substantially all of the economic benefits from our consolidated affiliated entities in consideration for the services provided by our subsidiaries;

 

   

exercise effective control over our consolidated affiliated entities; and

 

   

hold an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our consolidated affiliated entities when and to the extent permitted by PRC law.

We do not have any equity interest in our consolidated affiliated entities. However, as a result of contractual arrangements, we have effective control over and are considered the primary beneficiary of these companies, and we have consolidated the financial results of these companies in our consolidated financial statements. If our consolidated affiliated entities or the nominee shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we could be limited in our ability to enforce the contractual arrangements that give us effective control over our consolidated affiliated entities. Further, if we are unable to maintain effective control, we would not be able to continue to consolidate the financial results of our consolidated affiliated entities in our financial statements. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, we derived approximately 29%, 28% and 27% of our total revenues, respectively, from our consolidated affiliated entities through contractual arrangements. For a detailed description of the regulatory environment that necessitates the adoption of our corporate structure, see “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation.” For a detailed description of the risks associated with our corporate structure, see “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.”

Contractual Arrangements relating to Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay

The following is a summary of the material provisions of the agreements among (i) our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, Baidu Online, (ii) each of Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay, our principal consolidated affiliated entities, and (iii) the nominee shareholders of these consolidated affiliated entities.

Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement

Pursuant to the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online has the exclusive right to provide to Baidu Netcom technology consulting and services related to, among other things, the maintenance of servers, software development, design of advertisements, and

 

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e-commerce technical services. Baidu Online owns the intellectual property rights resulting from the performance of this agreement. Baidu Netcom agrees to pay a monthly service fee to Baidu Online based on the formula as provided in the agreement in exchange for the technology consulting and services provided by Baidu Online. Under the agreement, the monthly service fee is equal to the product of the standard monthly fee for page view per thousand times multiplied by the actual times of page view for the month divided by 1,000. Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion without the consent of Baidu Netcom. The agreement shall be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

The exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Baidu Online and each of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom described above. Each of the agreements shall be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

The amount of service fees Baidu Netcom paid to Baidu Online was 88% and 89% of its net income before income taxes and the service fees were charged for 2012 and 2013, respectively. After paying service fees to Baidu Online, net income of Baidu Netcom is insignificant because substantially all of its operating profits have been paid as service fees to Baidu Online. In 2014, Baidu Netcom only paid an insignificant amount of service fees to Baidu Online due to its loss position. The amount of service fees Beijing Perusal paid to Baidu Online was over 100% of its net income before income taxes and the service fees were charged for 2012. In 2013 and 2014, Beijing Perusal did not pay any service fees to Baidu Online due to its loss position. BaiduPay has not paid any service fees to Baidu Online due to its break-even or loss position since its inception.

Operating Agreement

Pursuant to the operating agreement by and among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online provides guidance and instructions on Baidu Netcom’s daily operations and financial affairs. Baidu Online has the right to appoint senior executives of Baidu Netcom. The nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom must appoint candidates recommended by Baidu Online as their representatives on Baidu Netcom’s board of directors. In addition, Baidu Online agrees to guarantee Baidu Netcom’s performance under any agreements or arrangements relating to Baidu Netcom’s business arrangements with any third party. Baidu Netcom agrees that without the prior consent of Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom will not engage in any transactions that could materially affect the assets, liabilities, rights or operations of Baidu Netcom, including, without limitation, incurrence or assumption of any indebtedness, sale or purchase of any assets or rights, incurrence of any encumbrance on any of its assets or intellectual property rights in favor of a third party or transfer of any agreements relating to its business operation to any third party. The agreement shall be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

The operating agreement by and among Baidu Online, each of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay and the respective nominee shareholders contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the agreements shall be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

License Agreements

Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom have entered into a software license agreement and a web layout copyright license agreement. Pursuant to these license agreements, Baidu Online has granted to Baidu Netcom the right to use, including but not limited to, a software license and a web layout copyright license. Baidu Netcom may only use the licenses in its own business operations. Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion. The software license agreement and web layout copyright license agreement have been renewed and are in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

 

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The web layout copyright license agreements that Baidu Online has entered into with each of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contain the same terms as the one between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom described above. Each of the agreements is in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

Baidu Online had also entered into a domain name license agreement and a trademark license agreement with each of Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay previously. After the transfers of the relevant domain names and trademarks (including pending trademark applications) from Baidu Online to Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay, the domain name license agreements and trademark license agreements were terminated. As of December 31, 2014, no domain license agreement and trademark license agreement were outstanding between Baidu Online and each of Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay.

Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement

Pursuant to the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement by and among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom have irrevocably granted Baidu Online an exclusive option to purchase, or require any of the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom to transfer to another person designated by Baidu Online, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of the equity interests in Baidu Netcom for the cost of the initial contributions to the registered capital or the minimum amount of consideration permitted by applicable PRC law. The nominee shareholders shall remit to Baidu Online any amount that is paid by Baidu Online or its designated person in connection with the purchased equity interest. Baidu Online has sole discretion to decide when to exercise the option, whether in part or in full. Any and all dividends and other capital distributions from Baidu Netcom to the nominee shareholders shall be paid to Baidu Online in full. Baidu Online shall provide unlimited financial support to Baidu Netcom, if Baidu Netcom shall become in need of any form of reasonable financial support in the normal operation of business. If Baidu Netcom were to incur any loss and as a result cannot repay any loans from Baidu Online, Baidu Online shall unconditionally forgive any such loans to Baidu Netcom given that Baidu Netcom provides sufficient proof for its loss and incapacity to repay. The agreement shall terminate upon the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom have transferred all their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online or its designated person or upon expiration of the term of business of Baidu Online or Baidu Netcom.

The exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement by and among Baidu Online, each of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay and the respective nominee shareholders contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the agreements shall terminate upon the nominee shareholders of Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay have transferred all their equity interests in Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay, as the case may be, to Baidu Online or its designated person or upon expiration of the term of business of Baidu Online or the relevant consolidated affiliated entity.

Loan Agreements

Pursuant to loan agreements between Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online provided interest-free loans with an aggregate amount of RMB100.0 million (US$16.1 million) to the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom solely for the latter to fund the capitalization of Baidu Netcom. The loans can be repaid only with the proceeds from sale of the nominee shareholders’ equity interest in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online or its designated person. The term of each loan is ten years from the date of the agreement and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before expiration. With some of the loan agreements amended and renewed, the earliest will expire on February 9, 2016.

The loan agreements between Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contain the same terms as those described above, except that the amount of loans extended to the nominee shareholders is RMB1.0 billion (US$164.4 million) and RMB31.5 million (US$5.1 million), respectively. The term of the loans will expire on January 19, 2025 and September 15, 2024, respectively, and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before expiration.

 

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Proxy Agreement/Power of Attorney

Pursuant to the proxy agreement between Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom agree to entrust all the rights to exercise their voting power to the person(s) designated by Baidu Online. Each of the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom has executed an irrevocable power of attorney to appoint the person(s) designated by Baidu Online as his/her attorney-in-fact to vote on his/her behalf on all matters requiring shareholder approval. The proxy agreement shall be in effect for an unlimited term unless terminated in writing by Baidu Online. The power of attorney shall be in effect for as long as the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom hold any equity interests in Baidu Netcom.

Each of the proxy agreements and powers of attorney between Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the proxy agreements shall be in effect for an unlimited term unless terminated in writing by Baidu Online. Each of the powers of attorney shall be in effect for as long as the relevant nominee shareholder of Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay holds any equity interests in Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay, as the case may be.

Equity Pledge Agreement

Pursuant to the equity pledge agreement between Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom have pledged all of their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online to guarantee their obligations under the loan agreement and Baidu Netcom’s performance of its obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and service agreement. If Baidu Netcom or the nominee shareholders breach their respective contractual obligations, Baidu Online, as the pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. The nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom agree not to dispose of the pledged equity interests or take any actions that would prejudice Baidu Online’s interest. The equity pledge agreement will expire two years after expiration of the term of or the fulfillment by Baidu Netcom and the nominee shareholders of their respective obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and service agreement and the loan agreement.

Each of the equity pledge agreements between Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those described above.

The equity pledges of Baidu Netcom and BaiduPay described above have been perfected by registration with the relevant local administration for industry and commerce as required for a property right under the PRC Property Rights Law, while the equity pledge registration of Beijing Perusal is in process.

Through the design of the aforementioned agreements, the nominee shareholders of these affiliated entities effectively assigned their full voting rights to Baidu Online, which gives Baidu Online the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the affiliated entities’ economic performance. Baidu Online obtains the ability to approve decisions made by the affiliated entities and the ability to acquire the equity interests in the affiliated entities when permitted by PRC law. Baidu Online is obligated to absorb a majority of the expected losses from the affiliated entities’ activities through providing unlimited financial support to the affiliated entities and is entitled to receive a majority of residual returns from the affiliated entities through the exclusive technology consulting and service fees. As a result of these contractual arrangements, Baidu Online is determined to be the primary beneficiary of these affiliated entities. Despite the lack of technical majority ownership, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between us and these affiliated entities through these contractual arrangements, and we consolidate these affiliated entities through Baidu Online.

We have also entered into contractual arrangements with several other affiliated entities and their respective nominee shareholders through our subsidiaries other than Baidu Online, which results in these subsidiaries being the primary beneficiary of the relevant affiliated entities. As a result of these contractual arrangements, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between us and the relevant affiliated entities, and we consolidate these affiliated entities through subsidiaries besides Baidu Online.

 

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D.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Baidu Campus, our corporate headquarters, is located in Shangdi, an area designated by the Beijing municipal government as the center of the city’s information technology industry. We also lease some offices in Beijing, Tokyo (Japan), California (USA), Thailand, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia and many other cities in China.

We host our servers in China at the internet data centers of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile in nine selected cities in China, and we also have content delivery network locations in various cities across China. We expect to use two additional data centers in 2015. We also have a data center of our own in Shanxi.

In December 2011, we commenced construction of an office building in Shenzhen, which will serve as our international center in Southern China. We have paid RMB129.5 million (US$20.9 million) for the land use right. Our capital expenditure in connection with the construction of this office building in Shenzhen was RMB159.1 million (US$25.6 million) in 2014. We currently expect to complete the planned construction in 2017.

In August 2012, we commenced construction of another office building, Baidu Science Park, in Beijing. We have paid in advance RMB464.0 million (US$74.8 million) for the land use right. Our capital expenditures in connection with the construction of Baidu Science Park was RMB556.2 million (US$89.6 million) in 2014. We expect to complete the planned construction in 2015.

In September 2012, we commenced construction of Shanxi Cloud Computing Center, which will serve as one of our internet data centers in China. We have paid RMB71.5 million (US$11.5 million) for the land use right. Our capital expenditure in connection with the construction of Shanxi Cloud Computing Center was RMB441.5 million (US$71.2 million) in 2014. We expect to fully complete the planned construction in 2017.

In April 2014, we commenced construction of part of Beijing Cloud Computing Center, which will serve as our internet data center and office building in Beijing. We have paid RMB220.9 million (US$35.6 million) for the right to use three pieces of land in Beijing, where we plan to build our Beijing Cloud Computing Center. Our capital expenditure in connection with the construction of Beijing Cloud Computing Center was RMB37.0 million (US$6.0 million) in 2014. We expect to complete the internet data center in 2018. We are in the process of planning the construction work for the office building, and the completion date is not determinable at this stage.

We currently plan to fund these expenditures with our cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and anticipated cash flow generated from our operating activities.

 

Item 4A.

Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

 

Item 5.

Operating and Financial Review and Prospects

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in this annual report on Form 20-F. This report contains forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Information.” In evaluating our business, you should carefully consider the information provided under the caption “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors” in this annual report on Form 20-F. We caution you that our businesses and financial performance are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties.

 

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A.

Operating Results

Overview

Our operations are primarily based in China, where we derive almost all of our revenues. Total revenues in 2014 were RMB49.1 billion (US$7.9 billion), a 53.6% increase over 2013. Operating profit in 2014 was RMB12.8 billion (US$2.1 billion), a 14.4% increase over 2013. Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. in 2014 was RMB13.2 billion (US$2.1 billion), a 25.4% increase over 2013. Mobile revenues accounted for 36.5% of our total revenues for 2014.

Our total assets as of December 31, 2014 were RMB99.7 billion (US$16.1 billion), of which cash and cash equivalent amounted to RMB13.9 billion (US$2.2 billion). Our total liabilities as of December 31, 2014 were RMB45.2 billion (US$7.3 billion), accounting for 45.3% of total liabilities and equity. As of December 31, 2014, our retained earnings accumulated to RMB47.7 billion (US$7.7 billion).

In November 2012, we obtained the controlling interest in Qiyi.com, Inc., a prior equity method investee, and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements. In May 2013, we acquired the online video business of PPStream Inc. and have merged it with iQiyi and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements.

We are in the process of disposing of all our equity interest in Youa.com, Inc. We own 100% of the ordinary shares in Youa.com, Inc., but do not consolidate its financial results in our financial statements under the U.S. GAAP because of our lack of “control” over the board of directors of Youa.com, Inc. and certain substantive participating rights provided to the preferred shareholders of Youa.com, Inc.

In October 2013, we acquired 100% equity interest of 91 Wireless from NetDragon and the other shareholders of 91 Wireless, and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements.

The major factors affecting our results of operations and financial condition are discussed below.

Revenues

Revenue Generation

We derive almost all of our revenues from online marketing services, which accounted for approximately 99.7%, 99.6% and 98.9% of our total revenues in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. A majority of our revenues from online marketing services were derived from our P4P services. Our P4P platform is an online marketplace that introduces internet search users to customers who pay us a fee based on click-throughs for priority placement of their links in the search results. We recognize P4P revenues when a user clicks on a customer’s link in the search results, based on the amount that the customer has agreed to pay for each click-through.

We also provide to our customers other performance-based online marketing services and time-based online advertising services. For other performance-based online marketing services, our customers pay us based on performance criteria other than click-throughs, such as the number of telephone calls brought to our customers, the successful booking of air tickets or hotel rooms, the number of users registered with our customers, or the number of minimum click-throughs. For time-based online advertising services, our customers pay us based on the duration of the advertisement placed on our Baidu’s properties and Baidu Union members’ properties.

The most significant factors that directly or indirectly affect our online marketing revenues are:

 

   

the number of our users and online marketing customers;

 

   

the number of searches initiated on our websites and our Baidu Union members’ properties;

 

   

the rate at which users click on paid search results;

 

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the competitiveness of bidding for keywords by P4P customers;

 

   

the total online marketing budgets of our customers; and

 

   

the total number of sponsored links and advertisements displayed on our websites and Baidu Union members’ properties and the bidding price for each click-through.

Our P4P services revenues have primarily been driven by the increase in the number of page views, the increase in the number of P4P customers, and our success in optimizing the display of sponsored links. We believe that an increase in the number of active P4P customers generally leads to an increase in the number of sponsored links and a higher average price per click-through for selected keywords. Our P4P customer growth has primarily been driven by the adoption of our P4P services by SMEs and, to a lesser extent, large enterprises.

Our online marketing services have historically been driven by the general increase in our customers’ online marketing budgets. We expect the number of our online marketing customers to grow and our customer mix may change. However, we expect our online marketing customer base to remain diverse for the foreseeable future. Any prolonged economic slowdown in China may cause our customers to decrease or delay their online marketing spending, hamper our efforts to grow our customer base, or result in fewer clicks by our users on sponsored links or advertisements displayed on our or Baidu Union members’ properties. Any of these consequences could negatively affect our online marketing revenues.

Our online marketing customers are increasingly seeking marketing solutions with measurable results in order to maximize their ROI. To meet our customers’ needs, we will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of our various products and services and adjust the mix of our service offerings to optimize our customers’ ROI. We expect that we will continue to earn a substantial majority of our revenues from our online marketing services. As a result, we plan to continue focusing most of our resources on expanding our online marketing services.

Revenue Collection

We collect payments for our P4P services both from our customers directly and through our distributors. We require our P4P customers to pay a deposit before using our P4P services and remind them by an automated notice to replenish the accounts after their account balance falls below a designated amount. We deduct the amount due to us from the deposit paid by a customer when a user clicks on the customer’s link in the search results.

We offer payment terms to some of our customers based on their historical marketing placements and credibility. We also offer longer payment terms to certain qualified distributors, consistent with industry practice.

As of December 31, 2014, we had accounts receivable of RMB3.7 billion (US$590.6 million), net of allowance of RMB93.9 million (US$15.1 million), mainly due from customers of other performance-based online marketing services and time-based online advertising services.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Our operating costs and expenses consist of cost of revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses, and research and development expenses. Share-based compensation expenses are allocated among the above three categories of operating costs and expenses, based on the nature of the work of the employees who have received share-based compensation. Our total operating costs and expenses increased significantly from 2012 to 2014 due to the growth of our business.

 

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Cost of Revenues

The following table sets forth the components of our cost of revenues both in absolute amount and as a percentage of total revenues for the periods indicated.

 

     For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014  
     RMB     %     RMB     %     RMB     US$     %  
     (In thousands, except percentages)  

Total revenues

     22,306,026        100.0        31,943,924        100.0        49,052,318        7,905,799        100.0   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cost of revenues:

Sales tax and surcharges

  (1,572,420   (7.0   (2,329,558   (7.3   (3,597,763   (579,854   (7.3

Traffic acquisition costs

  (1,929,966   (8.7   (3,704,146   (11.6   (6,328,155   (1,019,913   (12.9

Bandwidth costs

  (1,069,306   (4.8   (1,938,520   (6.1   (2,847,770   (458,977   (5.8

Depreciation of servers and other equipment

  (1,062,060   (4.8   (1,469,646   (4.6   (1,958,754   (315,694   (4.0

Operational costs

  (589,555   (2.6   (1,175,624   (3.6   (2,246,491   (362,069   (4.6

Content costs

  (215,133   (1.0   (830,369   (2.6   (1,871,906   (301,696   (3.8

Share-based compensation expenses

  (10,105   (0.0   (23,976   (0.1   (34,611   (5,578   (0.1
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total cost of revenues

  (6,448,545   (28.9   (11,471,839   (35.9   (18,885,450   3,043,781      (38.5
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Traffic Acquisition Costs. Traffic acquisition costs typically represent the portion of our online marketing revenues that we share with our Baidu Union members. We typically pay a Baidu Union member, based on a pre-agreed arrangement, a portion of the online marketing revenues generated from valid click-throughs by users of that member’s properties.

Bandwidth Costs. Bandwidth costs are the fees we pay to telecommunications carriers such as China Telecom and China Unicom for telecommunications services and for hosting our servers at their internet data centers. We expect our bandwidth costs, as variable costs, to increase with the increasing number of racks of servers and the increasing traffic on our websites. Our bandwidth costs could also increase if the telecommunications carriers increase their service charges.

Depreciation of Servers and Other Equipment. We include in our cost of revenues depreciation expenses of servers and other computer hardware that are directly related to our business operations and technical support.

Operational Costs. Operational costs include primarily salary and benefit expenses, intangible assets amortization, payment platform charges, travel and other expenses incurred by our operating and technical support personnel. Salary and benefit expenses include wages, bonuses, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, pension benefits, employee housing fund and other welfare benefits.

Content Costs. Content costs consist primarily of the fees we paid for the licensed content from copyright owners or content distributors, and the amortization of the licensed copyrights for video content.

 

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Operating Expenses

The following table sets forth the components of our operating expenses both in absolute amount and as a percentage of total revenues for the periods indicated.

 

     For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014  
     RMB     %     RMB     %     RMB     US$     %  
     (In thousands, except percentages)  

Total revenues

     22,306,026        100.0        31,943,924        100.0        49,052,318        7,905,799        100.0   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cost of revenues

  (6,448,545   (28.9   (11,471,839   (35.9   (18,885,450   (3,043,781   (38.5

Operating expenses:

Selling, general and administrative

  (2,501,336   (11.3   (5,173,533   (16.2   (10,382,142   (1,673,298   (21.2

Selling and marketing

  (1,841,590   (8.3   (4,012,709   (12.6   (8,298,558   (1,337,485   (16.9

General and administrative

  (659,746   (3.0   (1,160,824   (3.6   (2,083,584   (335,813   (4.3

Research and development

  (2,304,825   (10.3   (4,106,832   (12.9   (6,980,962   (1,125,127   (14.2
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total costs and operating expenses

  (11,254,706   (50.5   (20,752,204   (65.0   (36,248,554   (5,842,206   (73.9
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling and marketing expenses primarily consist of promotional and marketing expenses and compensation for our sales and marketing personnel. We expect to incur higher selling and marketing expenses as a result of efforts on our diversified mobile and PC applications distribution and operation, increased compensation for our sales and marketing personnel and our intensified marketing and brand promotion efforts.

Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and benefits for our general and administrative personnel and fees and expenses for legal, accounting and other professional services.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses primarily consist of salaries and benefits for research and development personnel. We expense research and development costs as they are incurred, except for capitalized software development costs that fulfill the capitalization criteria under Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, subtopic 350-40, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Internal-Use Software.

Share-based Compensation Expenses

Baidu, Inc. grants options and restricted shares to our employees, directors and consultants as share-based compensation awards. As of December 31, 2014, there was RMB273.4 million (US$44.1 million) unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to options of Baidu, Inc., which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.4 years. As of December 31, 2014, there was RMB1.4 billion (US$217.8 million) unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to restricted shares, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 3.0 years. To the extent the actual forfeiture rate is different from our original estimate, actual share-based compensation cost related to these awards may be different from our expectation.

Qunar grants options to its employees, directors and consultants as share-based compensation awards. As of December 31, 2014, there were RMB448.2 million (US$72.3 million) of unrecognized share-based compensation

 

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costs related to Qunar’s equity awards that are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.7 years. Total unrecognized compensation costs may be adjusted for future changes in estimated forfeitures.

Other subsidiaries also have equity incentive plans granting share-based awards. Total share-based compensation expenses recognized and unrecognized were insignificant, both individually and in the aggregate.

The following table sets forth the allocation of our share-based compensation expenses both in absolute amount and as a percentage of total share-based compensation expenses among our employees based on the nature of work which they were assigned to perform.

 

     For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2012      2013      2014  
     RMB      %      RMB      %      RMB      US$      %  
     (In thousands, except percentages)  

Allocation of Share-based Compensation Expenses

                    

Cost of revenues

     10,105         4.8         23,976         4.7         34,611         5,578         3.6   

Selling, general and administrative

     54,512         25.6         164,704         32.0         426,052         68,667         44.3   

Research and development

     147,692         69.6         326,047         63.3         502,077         80,921         52.1   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total share-based compensation expenses

  212,309      100.0      514,727      100.0      962,740      155,166      100.0   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Taxation

Cayman Islands and BVI

We are not subject to income or capital gain tax under the current laws of the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Additionally, none of these jurisdictions impose a withholding tax on dividends.

Hong Kong

Our subsidiaries in Hong Kong are subject to the uniform tax rate of 16.5%. Under Hong Kong tax law, our subsidiaries in Hong Kong are exempted from income tax on their foreign-derived income and there is no withholding tax in Hong Kong on remittance of dividends.

Japan

Our subsidiaries in Japan with paid-in capital in excess of JPY100.00 million (US$0.8 million) are subject to national income tax at the rate of 30%. They are also subject to inhabitant tax and per capita tax. In addition, our subsidiaries in Japan are subject to an enterprise tax on a pro forma basis, based on the taxable profit subject to the corporate tax, the added-value components (such as labor costs, net interest and rental payments, income/loss for current year) and the capital component.

PRC Enterprise Income Tax

Enterprise Income Tax. The current EIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, imposes a uniform EIT rate of 25% on all PRC resident enterprises, including foreign-invested enterprises and domestic enterprises, unless they qualify for certain exceptions. Pursuant to a Caishui (2008) No. 1 Notice promulgated jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation in February 2008, all preferential EIT treatments granted prior to January 1, 2008 are eliminated, except for those specified under the EIT Law and certain other tax regulations.

An enterprise may benefit from a preferential tax rate of 15% under the EIT Law if it qualifies as a “High and New Technology Enterprise strongly supported by the state.” Pursuant to the Administrative Measures on the

 

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Recognition of High and New Technology Enterprises, the provincial counterparts of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation shall jointly determine whether an enterprise is qualified as a “High and New Technology Enterprise” under the EIT Law. In making such determination, these government agencies shall consider, among other factors, ownership of core technology, whether the products or services fall within the scope of high and new technology strongly supported by the state as specified in the measures, the ratios of technical personnel and research and development personnel to total personnel, the ratio of research and development expenditures to annual sales revenues, the ratio of revenues attributed to high and new technology products or services to total revenues, and other measures set forth in relevant guidance. All enterprises that had been granted the “High and New Technology Enterprise” status before the effectiveness of the EIT Law are required to be re-examined in accordance with the measures mentioned above before they can be entitled to the preferential tax rate. A “High and New Technology Enterprise” certificate is effective for a period of three years and could be renewed for another three years. After that, an entity needs to re-apply for the “High and New Technology Enterprise” status in order to be able to enjoy the preferential tax rate of 15%. A number of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, such as Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, obtained the “High and New Technology Enterprise” certificate. The related tax holiday under such “High and New Technology Enterprise” certificates of these entities has expired or will expire on January 1, 2015, 2016 or 2017.

An enterprise may benefit from a preferential tax rate of 10% under the EIT law if it qualifies as a “Key Software Enterprise” designated jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission, the MIIT, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation. A “Key Software Enterprise” certificate is effective for a period of two years. After that, an entity needs to re-apply for the “Key Software Enterprise” status in order to be able to enjoy the preferential tax rate of 10%. Baidu Online obtained the “Key Software Enterprise” certificate and the related tax holiday expired on January 1, 2015. Baidu Online is in preparation of re-applying for the “Key Software Enterprise” status for years 2015 and 2016.

If any entity fails to maintain the “High and New Technology Enterprise” or “Key Software Enterprise” qualification under the EIT Law, their tax rates will increase, which could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and financial position. Historically, all of the above mentioned PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities successfully re-applied for the certificates when the prior ones expired.

If our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities that have enjoyed preferential tax treatment no longer qualify for the treatment, we will consider available options under applicable law that would enable us to qualify for alternative preferential tax treatment. To the extent we are unable to offset the impact of the expiration of existing preferential tax treatment with new tax exemptions, tax incentives or other tax benefits, the expiration of existing preferential tax treatment may cause our effective tax rate to increase. The amount of income tax payable by our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in the future will depend on various factors, including, among other things, the results of operations and taxable income of, and the statutory tax rate applicable to, each of the entities. Our effective tax rate depends partially on the extent of the relative contribution of each of our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to our consolidated taxable income. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, our consolidated effective tax rate was 13.16%, 15.01% and 15.41%, respectively.

Withholding Tax

Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, dividends, interests, rent or royalties payable by a foreign-invested enterprise, such as our PRC subsidiaries, to any of its non-resident enterprise investors, and proceeds from any such non-resident enterprise investor’s disposition of assets (after deducting the net value of such assets) shall be subject to a 10% EIT, namely withholding tax, unless the non-resident enterprise investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty or arrangement with China that provides for a reduced withholding tax rate or an exemption from withholding tax. The Caishui (2008) No. 1 Notice clarifies that undistributed profits earned by foreign-invested enterprises prior to January 1, 2008 will be exempted from any withholding tax.

 

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The British Virgin Islands, where Baidu Holdings Limited, the sole shareholder of certain of our PRC subsidiaries such as Baidu Online, was incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China.

Hong Kong, where Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, our wholly owned subsidiary and the sole shareholder of certain of our PRC subsidiaries such as Baidu Times and Baidu China, was incorporated, has a tax arrangement with China that provides for a lower withholding tax rate of 5% on dividends subject to certain conditions and requirements, such as the requirement that the Hong Kong resident enterprise own at least 25% of the PRC enterprise distributing the dividend at all times within the 12-month period immediately preceding the distribution of dividends and be a “beneficial owner” of the dividends. However, pursuant to a SAT Circular 81 issued by the State Administration of Taxation in February 2009, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from the reduced withholding tax rate on dividends due to a structure or arrangement designed for the primary purpose of obtaining favorable tax treatment, the PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment. Moreover, pursuant to a SAT Circular 601 issued by the State Administration of Taxation in October 2009, a resident of a contracting state will not qualify for the benefits under the tax treaties or arrangements, if it is not the “beneficial owner” with respect to dividend, interest and royalty income. According to SAT Circular 601, a “beneficial owner” shall have ownership and right to dispose of the income or the rights and properties giving rise to the income, and generally engages in substantive business activities. An agent or conduit company will not be regarded as a “beneficial owner” and, therefore, will not qualify for treaty benefits. A conduit company normally refers to a company that is set up primarily for the purpose of evading or reducing taxes or transferring or accumulating profits.

If our PRC subsidiaries declare and distribute profits earned after January 1, 2008 to us in the future, the dividend payments will be subject to withholding tax, which will increase our tax liability and reduce the amount of cash available to our company.

Tax Residence

Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and will be subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. The term “de facto management body” refers to “the establishment that exercises substantial and overall management and control over the production, business, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise.”

Pursuant to SAT Circular 82 issued by the State Administration of Taxation in April 2009, an overseas registered enterprise controlled by a PRC company or a PRC company group will be classified as a “resident enterprise” with its “de facto management body” located within China if the following requirements are satisfied: (i) the senior management and core management departments in charge of its daily operations are mainly located in the PRC; (ii) its financial and human resources decisions are subject to determination or approval by persons or bodies located in the PRC; (iii) its major assets, accounting books, company seals, and minutes and files of its board and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in the PRC; and (iv) no less than half of the enterprise’s directors or senior management with voting rights reside in the PRC. The State Administration of Taxation issued additional rules to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 in July 2011, and issued an amendment to SAT Circular 82 delegating the authority to its provincial branches to determine whether a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated enterprise should be considered a PRC resident enterprise, in January 2014. Although the SAT Circular 82, the additional guidance and its amendment only apply to overseas registered enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises and not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the determining criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the State Administration of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises, individuals or foreigners.

If we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, we may be subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on our global income, except that the dividends we receive from our PRC subsidiaries may be exempt from the EIT to the

 

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extent such dividends are deemed “dividends among qualified resident enterprises.” If we are considered a resident enterprise and earn income other than dividends from our PRC subsidiaries, a 25% EIT on our global income could significantly increase our tax burden and materially and adversely affect our cash flow and profitability.

PRC Business Tax and VAT

In November 2011, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued two circulars setting out the details of the pilot VAT reform program, which change the charge of sales tax from business tax to VAT for certain pilot industries. The pilot VAT reform program initially applied only to the pilot industries in Shanghai, and was expanded to eight additional regions, including, among others, Beijing and Guangdong province, in 2012. In August 2013, the program was further expanded nationwide.

With respect to all of our PRC entities for the period immediately prior to the implementation of the pilot VAT reform program, revenues from our P4P services, online advertising services and other services are subject to a 5% PRC business tax. Revenues from our online advertising services are subject to an additional 3% cultural business construction fee.

Our entities located in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong Province fall within the scope of the pilot program and have been recognized as the VAT general taxpayers since January 1, 2012, September 1, 2012 and November 1, 2012, respectively, the effective time of the pilot program in each of the regions. Our entities located outside of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong Province have been subject to VAT since August 1, 2013. From the applicable effective time onwards, these entities are required to pay VAT instead of business tax for P4P services, online advertising services and other services that are deemed by the relevant tax authorities to be within the pilot industries at a rate of 6%. In addition, cultural business construction fee is imposed at the rate of 3% on revenues derived from our online advertising services.

PRC Urban Maintenance and Construction Tax and Education Surcharge

Any entity, foreign-invested or purely domestic, or individual that is subject to consumption tax, VAT and business tax is also required to pay PRC urban maintenance and construction tax. The rates of urban maintenance and construction tax are 7%, 5% or 1% of the amount of consumption tax, VAT and business tax actually paid depending on where the taxpayer is located. All entities and individuals who pay consumption tax, VAT and business tax are also required to pay education surcharge at a rate of 3%, and local education surcharges at a rate of 2%, of the amount of VAT, business tax and consumption tax actually paid.

 

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated results of operations for the periods indicated. The period-to-period comparisons of results of operations should not be relied upon as indicative of future performance.

 

     For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands)  

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Data

        

Revenues:

        

Online marketing services

     22,245,643        31,802,219        48,495,215        7,816,010   

Others

     60,383        141,705        557,103        89,789   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues

  22,306,026      31,943,924      49,052,318      7,905,799   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating costs and expenses:(1)

Cost of revenues

  (6,448,545   (11,471,839   (18,885,450   (3,043,781

Selling, general and administrative

  (2,501,336   (5,173,533   (10,382,142   (1,673,298

Research and development

  (2,304,825   (4,106,832   (6,980,962   (1,125,127
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating costs and expenses

  (11,254,706   (20,752,204   (36,248,554   (5,842,206
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating profit

  11,051,320      11,191,720      12,803,764      2,063,593   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest income

  866,465      1,308,542      1,992,818      321,184   

Interest expense

  (107,857   (447,084   (628,571   (101,307

Other income, net, including exchange gains or losses

  449,738      137,644      333,484      53,748   

Loss from equity method investments

  (294,229   (5,806   (26,952   (4,344

Taxation

  (1,574,159   (1,828,930   (2,231,172   (359,599
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

  10,391,278      10,356,086      12,243,371      1,973,275   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

  (64,750   (162,880   (943,698   (152,097
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

  10,456,028      10,518,966      13,187,069      2,125,372   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) Share-based compensation expenses:

Cost of revenues

  (10,105   (23,976   (34,611   (5,578

Selling, general and administrative

  (54,512   (164,704   (426,052   (68,667

Research and development

  (147,692   (326,047   (502,077   (80,921
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  (212,309   (514,727   (962,740   (155,166
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2014 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2013

Revenues. Our total revenues increased by 53.6% from RMB31.9 billion in 2013 to RMB49.1 billion (US$7.9 billion) in 2014. This increase was due to a substantial increase in our revenues from online marketing services. Our online marketing revenues increased by 52.5% from RMB31.8 billion in 2013 to RMB48.5 billion (US$7.8 billion) in 2014. This increase was mainly attributable to the increase in the number of our active online marketing customers from approximately 753,000 in 2013 to approximately 813,000 in 2014, and the increase in the average revenue per customer from approximately RMB42,200 in 2013 to approximately RMB59,400 (US$9,574) in 2014. The increase in our active online marketing customers was mainly due to our effective distribution network and our expanded direct sales. The increase in the average revenue per customer was primarily attributable to the increase in the number of paid clicks and the higher price per click as more

 

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customers participated in our P4P auction platform. Consistent with previously reported numbers, the number of active online marketing customers and average revenue per customer exclude those for our group-buying related businesses. The number of paid clicks increased by approximately 40.2% from 2013 to 2014.

Operating Costs and Expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses increased by 74.7% from RMB20.8 billion in 2013 to RMB36.2 billion (US$5.8 billion) in 2014. This increase was primarily due to the expansion of our business, and in particular the expansion of our mobile platform.

 

   

Cost of Revenues. Our cost of revenues increased by 64.6% from RMB11.5 billion in 2013 to RMB18.9 billion (US$3.0 billion) in 2014. This increase was primarily due to the following factors:

 

   

Traffic Acquisition Costs. Our traffic acquisition costs increased by 70.8% from RMB3.7 billion in 2013 to RMB6.3 billion (US$1.0 billion) in 2014. Traffic acquisition costs represent 12.9% of total revenues in 2014, compared to 11.6% in 2013. The increase in our traffic acquisition costs mainly reflected the increased contribution of contextual ads, Baidu Union promotion and Hao123 promotions through our network.

 

   

Bandwidth Costs and Depreciation Expenses. Our bandwidth costs increased by 46.9% from RMB1.9 billion in 2013 to RMB2.8 billion (US$459.0 million) in 2014. Our depreciation expenses of servers and other equipment increased by 33.3% from RMB1.5 billion in 2013 to RMB2.0 billion (US$315.7 million) in 2014. The increases in these costs were mainly due to our investment in increasing our network infrastructure capacity.

 

   

Sales Tax and Surcharges. Our sales tax and surcharges increased by 54.4% from RMB2.3 billion in 2013 to RMB3.6 billion (US$579.9 million) in 2014, in line with the increase in revenues.

 

   

Operational Costs. Our operational costs increased by 91.1% from RMB1.2 billion in 2013 to RMB2.2 billion (US$362.1 million) in 2014, primarily due to the increase of amortization of acquired intangible assets, staff-related costs and payment platform charges.

 

   

Content Costs. Our content costs increased by 125.4% from RMB830.4 million in 2013 to RMB1.9 billion (US$301.7 million) in 2014, primarily due to the increase in video content cost of iQiyi, one of our subsidiaries.

 

   

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Our selling, general and administrative expenses increased by 100.7% from RMB5.2 billion in 2013 to RMB10.4 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2014. This increase was primarily due to the following factors:

 

   

Total salaries and benefits and staff-related expenses increased by 71.7% from RMB1.9 billion in 2013 to RMB3.3 billion (US$524.4 million) in 2014, primarily due to the increased headcount to support our expanded online marketing services;

 

   

Marketing and promotion expenses increased by 133.4% from RMB2.1 billion in 2013 to RMB4.9 billion (US$797.1 million) in 2014, primarily due to the increased marketing and promotion activities relating to our mobile products.

 

   

Total office operating expenses increased by 86.9% from RMB281.9 million in 2013 to RMB527.0 million (US$84.9 million) in 2014, primarily as a result of increase and expansion of our offices;

 

   

Total traveling, communication and business development expenses increased by 63.6% from RMB169.0 million in 2013 to RMB276.5 million (US$44.6 million) in 2014, primarily due to the increased headcount and activities to support our expanded online marketing services;

 

   

Share-based compensation expenses allocated to selling, general and administrative expenses increased by 158.7% from RMB164.7 million in 2013 to RMB426.1 million (US$68.7 million) in 2014.

 

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Research and Development Expenses. Our research and development expenses increased by 70.0% from RMB4.1 billion in 2013 to RMB7.0 billion (US$1.1 billion) in 2014, primarily due to an increase in the number of research and development staff.

Operating Profit. As a result of the foregoing, we generated an operating profit of RMB12.8 billion (US$2.1 billion) in 2014, a 14.4% increase from RMB11.2 billion in 2013.

Other income, net, including exchange gains or losses. Our other income, net, including exchange gains or losses was RMB333.5 million (US$53.7 million) in 2014, compared to RMB137.6 million in 2013. The other income, net, including exchange gains or losses in 2014 was primarily attributable to government subsidies with non-operating nature.

Loss from equity method investments. Our loss from equity method investments increased from RMB5.8 million in 2013 to RMB27.0 million (US$4.3 million) in 2014.

Taxation. Our income tax expenses increased by 22.0% from RMB1.8 billion in 2013 to RMB2.2 billion (US$359.6 million) in 2014, primarily due to the increase in profit before tax in 2014.

Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. As a result of the foregoing, net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. increased from RMB10.5 billion in 2013 to RMB13.2 billion (US$2.1 billion) in 2014.

Year Ended December 31, 2013 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2012

Revenues. Our total revenues increased by 43.2% from RMB22.3 billion in 2012 to RMB31.9 billion in 2013. This increase was due to a substantial increase in our revenues from online marketing services. Our online marketing revenues increased by 43.0% from RMB22.2 billion in 2012 to RMB31.8 billion in 2013. This increase was mainly attributable to the increase in the number of our active online marketing customers from approximately 596,000 in 2012 to 753,000 in 2013, and the increase in the average revenue per customer from approximately RMB37,300 in 2012 to approximately RMB42,200 in 2013. The increase in our active online marketing customers was mainly due to our effective distribution network and our expanded direct sales. The increase in the average revenue per customer was primarily attributable to the increase in the number of paid clicks and the higher price per click as more customers participated in our P4P auction platform. The number of paid clicks increased by approximately 32.7% from 2012 to 2013.

Operating Costs and Expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses increased by 84.4% from RMB11.3 billion in 2012 to RMB20.8 billion in 2013. This increase was primarily due to the expansion of our business.

 

   

Cost of Revenues. Our cost of revenues increased by 77.9% from RMB6.4 billion in 2012 to RMB11.5 billion in 2013. This increase was primarily due to the following factors:

 

   

Traffic Acquisition Costs. Our traffic acquisition costs increased by 91.9% from RMB1.9 billion in 2012 to RMB3.7 billion in 2013. Traffic acquisition costs represent 11.6% of total revenues in 2013, compared to 8.7% in 2012. The increase in our traffic acquisition costs as a percentage of total revenues reflects an increased revenue contribution from our Baidu Union members, primarily the increased contribution of contextual ads and hao123 promotions from our Baidu Union members.

 

   

Bandwidth Costs and Depreciation Expenses. Our bandwidth costs increased by 81.3% from RMB1.1 billion in 2012 to RMB1.9 billion in 2013. Our depreciation expenses of servers and other equipment increased by 38.4% from RMB1.1 billion in 2012 to RMB1.5 billion in 2013. The absolute increases in these costs were mainly due to our investment in increasing our network infrastructure capacity and iQiyi.

 

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Sales Tax and Surcharges. Our sales tax and surcharges increased by 48.2% from RMB1.6 billion in 2012 to RMB2.3 billion in 2013, in line with the increase in revenues.

 

   

Operational Costs. Our operational costs increased by 99.4% from RMB589.6 million in 2012 to RMB1.2 billion in 2013, primarily due to the increase of amortization of acquired intangible assets related to the acquired companies and staff-related costs.

 

   

Content Costs. Our content costs increased by 286.0% from RMB215.1 million in 2012 to RMB830.4 million in 2013, primarily due to the increase in video content cost of iQiyi, which has been consolidated into our financial statements since November 2012.

 

   

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Our selling, general and administrative expenses increased by 106.8% from RMB2.5 billion in 2012 to RMB5.2 billion in 2013. This increase was primarily due to the following factors:

 

   

Total salaries and benefits and staff-related expenses increased by 57.0% from RMB1.2 billion in 2012 to RMB1.9 billion in 2013, primarily due to the increased headcount to support our expanded online marketing services and the increase of sales commission;

 

   

Total office operating expenses increased by 51.2% from RMB186.5 million in 2012 to RMB281.9 million in 2013, primarily as a result of increase and expansion of our offices;

 

   

Total traveling, communication and business development expenses increased by 66.9% from RMB101.3 million in 2012 to RMB169.0 million in 2013, primarily due to the increased headcount and activities to support our expanded online marketing services;

 

   

Marketing and promotion expenses increased by 226.6% from RMB648.7 million in 2012 to RMB2.1 billion in 2013, primarily due to the increased marketing and promotion activities relating to our mobile products.

 

   

Share-based compensation expenses allocated to selling, general and administrative expenses increased by 202.1% from RMB54.5 million in 2012 to RMB164.7 million in 2013.

 

   

Research and Development Expenses. Our research and development expenses increased by 78.2% from RMB2.3 billion in 2012 to RMB4.1 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in the number of research and development staff.

Operating Profit. As a result of the foregoing, we generated an operating profit of RMB11.2 billion in 2013, a 1.3% increase from RMB11.1 billion in 2012.

Other income, net, including exchange gains or losses. Our other income, net, including exchange gains or losses was RMB137.6 million in 2013, compared to RMB449.7 million in 2012. The other income, net, including exchange gains or losses in 2012 was primarily attributable to gains arising from re-measurement of some existing equity method investments immediately before the acquisition of these investees in 2012, whereas we had no such transaction in 2013.

Loss from equity method investments. Our loss from equity method investments decreased from RMB294.2 million in 2012 to RMB5.8 million in 2013. The loss in 2012 primarily related to the recognized accumulated losses of Youa.com Inc. and Qiyi.com, Inc., whereas such loss from in 2013 was not significant as Qiyi.com Inc. has been consolidated into our financial statements since November 2012 and the carrying amount of long-term investment in Youa.com Inc. has been reduced to zero.

Taxation. Our income tax expenses increased by 16.2% from RMB1.6 billion in 2012 to RMB1.8 billion in 2013, primarily due to the increase in profit before tax in 2013.

Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. As a result of the foregoing, net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. increased slightly from RMB10.46 billion in 2012 to RMB10.52 billion in 2013.

 

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Inflation

Inflation in China has not materially impacted our results of operations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the annual average percent changes in the consumer price index in China for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were 2.6%, 2.6% and 2.0%, respectively. The year-over-year percent changes in the consumer price index for January 2013, 2014 and 2015 were increases of 2.0%, 2.5% and 0.8%, respectively. Although we have not been materially affected by inflation in the past, we can provide no assurance that we will not be affected in the future by higher rates of inflation in China. For example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee compensation and office operating expenses may increase as a result of higher inflation. Additionally, because a substantial portion of our assets consists of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, high inflation could significantly reduce the value and purchasing power of these assets. We are not able to hedge our exposure to higher inflation in China.

Foreign Currency

The average exchange rate between U.S. dollar and RMB has declined from RMB8.2264 per U.S. dollar in July 2005 to RMB6.1886 per U.S. dollar in December 2014. As of December 31, 2014, we recorded RMB302.6 million (US$48.8 million) of net foreign currency translation gain in accumulated other comprehensive income as a component of shareholders’ equity. We have not hedged exposures to exchange fluctuations using any hedging instruments. See also “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Fluctuation in the value of the RMB may have a material and adverse effect on your investment.” and “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk—Foreign Exchange Risk.”

Critical Accounting Policies

We prepare financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities and the disclosure of our contingent assets and liabilities at the end of each fiscal period and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during each fiscal period. We continually evaluate these judgments and estimates based on our own historical experience, knowledge and assessment of current business and other conditions, our expectations regarding the future based on available information and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, which together form our basis for making judgments about matters that are not readily apparent from other sources. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, our actual results could differ from those estimates. Some of our accounting policies require a higher degree of judgment than others in their application.

The selection of critical accounting policies, the judgments and other uncertainties affecting application of those policies and the sensitivity of reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions are factors that should be considered when reviewing our financial statements. For further information on our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. We believe the following accounting policies involve the most significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.

Consolidation of Affiliated Entities

In order to comply with PRC laws and regulations limiting foreign ownership of or imposing conditions on internet, online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses, we operate our websites and conduct our online advertising, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses through our affiliated entities in China by means of contractual arrangements. We have entered into certain exclusive agreements with the affiliated entities through our subsidiaries, which obligate them to absorb a majority of the risk of loss and receive a majority of the residual returns from the affiliated entities’ activities. In addition, we have entered into certain agreements with the affiliated entities and the

 

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nominee shareholders of affiliated entities through our subsidiaries, which enable us to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the affiliated entities. Based on these contractual arrangements, we consolidate the affiliated entities as required by SEC Regulation SX-3A-02 and ASC topic 810, Consolidation, because we hold all the variable interests of the affiliated entities through the subsidiaries, which are the primary beneficiaries of the affiliated entities. We will reconsider the initial determination of whether a legal entity is a consolidated affiliated entity upon certain events listed in ASC 810-10-35-4 occurred. We will also continuously reconsider whether we are the primary beneficiaries of our affiliated entities as facts and circumstances change. See “Item 3.D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.”

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenues based on the following principles:

 

(1)

Performance-based online marketing services

Cost-per-click. Our auction-based P4P platform enables a customer to place its website link and related description on our search result list on the website which could be accessed through personal computers or mobile devices. The customers make bids on keywords based on how much they are willing to pay for each click to their listings in the search results listed on our website and the relevance between the keywords and the customer’s businesses. Internet users’ search of the keyword will trigger the display of the listings. The ranking of the customer’s listing depends on both the bidding price and the listing’s relevance to the keyword searched. Customer pays us only when a user clicks on one of its website links. Other than the auction-based P4P platform, we have certain vertical platforms from which we generate revenue through pre-determined prices per click. Revenue is recognized when a user clicks on one of the customer-sponsored website links, as there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement, the fee is fixed or determinable and collection is reasonably assured, as prescribed by ASC topic 605, or ASC 605, Revenue Recognition.

For certain customers engaged through direct sales, we may provide certain value-added consultative support services to help its customers to better utilize its online marketing system. Fees for such services are recognized as revenue on a pro-rata basis over the contracted service period.

Other performance-based online marketing services. To the extent we provide online marketing services based on performance criteria other than cost-per-click, such as the number of successful reservation of hotels or issuance of air tickets, the number of downloads (and user registrations) of mobile applications, the number of incremental end users and the total incremental revenue generated, revenue is recognized when the specified performance criteria are met together with satisfaction of other applicable revenue recognition criteria as prescribed by ASC 605.

 

(2)

Display-based online advertising services

For displayed-based online advertising services such as text links, banners, icons or other forms of graphical advertisements on the websites or mobile applications, we recognize revenue, in accordance with ASC 605, on a pro-rata basis over the contractual term for cost per time advertising arrangements commencing on the date the customer’s advertisement is displayed on a specified webpage or mobile applications, or on the number of times that the advertisement has been displayed for cost per thousand impressions advertising arrangements. For certain display-based contractual agreements, we may also provide certain performance guarantees, in which cases revenue is recognized at the later of the completion of the time commitment or performance guarantee.

 

(3)

Online game services and other revenue sharing services

We operate an online game platform, on which registered users can access games provided by third-party game developers. We also operates mobile platforms on which users can access smartphone related products

 

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such as themes, wallpapers and e-books developed and owned by third-party content providers. The rights and obligations of each party to the arrangement indicate that we are acting as an agent whereas the game developer or the content provider is the principal as a result of being the primary obligor in the arrangement in accordance with ASC subtopic 605-45, or ASC 605-45, Revenue Recognition: Principal Agent Consideration.

We recognize the shared revenue from these online promotional services, on a net basis, based on the ratios pre-determined with the game developers or content providers when all the revenue recognition criteria set forth in ASC 605 are met, which is generally when the user purchases virtual currencies issued by the game developers or purchases contents developed by the content providers.

 

(4)

Group buying services

We generate revenue from group buying services as a marketing agent by offering goods and services provided by third-party merchant partners at a discount through the website or mobile application that connects merchants to consumers. We present revenue on a net basis, representing the amount billed to registered users less the amount paid to merchants, in accordance with ASC 605-45. We act as an agent rather than as the principal in the delivery of the products or services as it does not assume the risks and rewards of ownership of products nor is it responsible for the actual fulfillment of services. Both of these are the responsibilities of the merchants. We recognize revenue when all of the criteria prescribed in ASC 605 are met, which is generally when the merchants provide the services or when the products are delivered to the customers. Since our paying users have the ability to request for full refund before redemption for the products or services offered by the merchants, the underlying sale from which we earn the related commission revenue as an agent is not culminated until our paying users actually redeem.

 

(5)

Online marketing services involving Baidu Union

Baidu Union is the program through which we expand distribution of our customers’ sponsored links or advertisements by leveraging traffic of the Baidu Union members’ internet properties. We make payments to Baidu Union members for acquisition of traffic. We recognize gross revenue for the amount of fees we receive from our customers. Payments made to Baidu Union members are included in cost of revenues as traffic acquisition costs.

 

(6)

Barter transactions

We engage in barter transactions from time to time and in such situations follow the guidance set forth in ASC topic 845, Nonmonetary Transactions. While nonmonetary transactions are generally recorded at fair value, if such value is not determinable within reasonable limits, or the transaction lacks commercial substance, or the transaction is an exchange of product or property held for sale in the ordinary course of business for product or property to be sold in the same line of business to facilitate sales to customers other than the parties to the exchange, the transaction is recognized based on the carrying value of the products or services provided. We also engage in certain advertising barter transactions and follow the guidance set forth in ASC subtopic 605-20, or ASC 605-20, Revenue Recognition: Services. The advertising barter transactions generally are recorded at fair value. If the fair value of the advertising surrendered in the barter transaction is not determinable within required limits, the barter transaction is recorded based on the carrying amount of the advertising surrendered, which is likely to be zero. The amount of revenues recognized for barter transactions was insignificant for each of the periods presented.

 

(7)

Other revenue recognition related policies

In accordance with ASC subtopic 605-25, or ASC 605-25, Revenue Recognition: Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements, for arrangements that include multiple deliverables, primarily for advertisements to be displayed in different spots, placed under different forms and occur at different time, we allocate the total

 

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consideration of the arrangements based on their relative selling price, with the selling price of each deliverable determined using vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price, or VSOE, third-party evidence or TPE of selling price, or management’s best estimate of the selling price, or BESP. We consider all reasonably available information in determining the BESP, including both market and entity-specific factors.

We deliver some of our online marketing services to end customers through engaging third party distributors. In this context, we may provide cash incentives to distributors. The cash incentives are accounted for as reduction of revenue in accordance with ASC subtopic 605-50, or ASC 605-50, Revenue Recognition: Customer Payments and Incentives.

We provide sales incentives to customers to entitle customers to receive reductions in the price of the online marketing services by meeting certain cumulative consumption requirements. We account for these award credits granted to members in conjunction with a current sale of products or services as a multiple-element arrangement by analogizing to ASC 605-25. The consideration allocated to the award credits, as deferred revenue, is based on an assumption that the customer will purchase the minimum amount of future service necessary to obtain the maximum award credits available. The deferred revenue is recognized as revenue proportionately as the future services are delivered to the customer or when the award credits expire.

Cash received in advance from customers is recorded as customer advances and deposits. The unused cash balances remaining in customers’ accounts are included as liabilities of us. Deferred revenue is recorded when services are provided before the other revenue recognition criteria set forth in ASC 605 are fulfilled.

Share-based Compensation

We account for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC topic 718, or ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. We have elected to recognize share-based compensation using the straight-line method for all share-based awards issued with no performance conditions. For awards with performance conditions, compensation cost is recognized on an accelerated basis if it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved.

Forfeitures have been estimated based on historical experience and are periodically reviewed. Cancellation of an award accompanied by the concurrent grant of a replacement award is accounted for as a modification of the terms of the cancelled award, or the modification awards. The compensation costs associated with the modification awards are recognized if either the original vesting condition or the new vesting condition has been achieved. Such compensation costs will not be less than the grant-date fair value of the original award. The incremental compensation cost is measured as the excess of the fair value of the replacement award over the fair value of the cancelled award at the cancellation date. Therefore, in relation to the modification awards, we recognize share-based compensation over the vesting periods of the new options, which comprises, (i) the amortization of the incremental portion of share-based compensation over the remaining vesting term, and (ii) any unrecognized compensation cost of original award, using either the original term or the new term, whichever results in higher expenses for each reporting period.

We account for share awards issued to non-employees in accordance with the provisions of ASC subtopic 505-50, or ASC 505-50, Equity: Equity-based Payments to Non-Employees. We use the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model method to measure the value of options granted to non-employees at each vesting date to determine the appropriate charge to share-based compensation. ASC 718 also requires share-based compensation to be presented in the same manner as cash compensation rather than as a separate line item.

Income Taxes

We recognize income taxes under the liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized for differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities at enacted tax rates in effect for the years in

 

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which the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation allowance against the amount of deferred tax assets that we determine is not more likely than not to be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date. For reconciliation of tax computed by applying the respective statutory income tax rate to pre-tax income, please see “Income taxes” under Note 12 to our audited consolidated financial statements.

We comply with the provisions of ASC topic 740, or ASC 740, Income Taxes, in accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. ASC 740 clarified the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by prescribing the recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements. We have elected to classify interest and penalties related to an uncertain tax position (if and when required) as part of income tax expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the amounts of unrecognized tax benefits as well as interest and penalties associated with uncertainty in income taxes were insignificant.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivable are recognized and carried at original invoiced amount less an allowance for any potential uncollectible amounts. An estimate for doubtful debts is made when collection of the full amount is no longer probable. Bad debts are written off as incurred. We generally do not require collateral from our customers.

We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the failure of customers to make payments on time. We review the accounts receivable on a periodic basis and make general and specific allowances when there is doubt as to the collectability of individual balances. In evaluating the collectability of individual receivable balances, we consider many factors, including the age of the balance, the customer’s payment history, its current credit-worthiness and current economic trends.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Other Than Goodwill

We evaluate long-lived assets, such as fixed assets and purchased or internally developed intangible assets with finite lives, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC topic 360, or ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment. When such events occur, we assess the recoverability of the assets group based on the undiscounted future cash flow the assets group is expected to generate and recognize an impairment loss when estimated undiscounted future cash flow expected to result from the use of the assets group plus net proceeds expected from disposition of the assets group, if any, is less than the carrying value of the assets group. If we identify an impairment, we reduce the carrying amount of the assets group to its estimated fair value based on a discounted cash flow approach or, when available and appropriate, to comparable market values. We use estimates and judgments in our impairment tests and if different estimates or judgments had been utilized, the timing or the amount of any impairment charges could be different. Asset groups to be disposed of would be reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell, and no longer depreciated. The assets and liabilities of a disposal group classified as held for sale would be presented separately in the appropriate asset and liability sections of the balance sheet. The impairment charges of long-lived assets are nil, RMB6.7 million and RMB1.6 million (US$0.3 million) for 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Impairment of Goodwill

We assess goodwill for impairment in accordance with ASC subtopic 350-20, or ASC 350-20, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other: Goodwill, which requires that goodwill be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually and more frequently upon the occurrence of certain events, as defined by ASC 350-20.

Subsequent to the acquisitions in 2011 and thereafter, there were segment managers who regularly review the operating results of certain acquired entities and the rest of our group, which constituted three separate reporting units as of December 31, 2012 and 2013 and 2014.

 

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We have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step test in accordance with ASU No. 2011-08, or ASU 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment. If we believe, as a result of the qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the two-step quantitative impairment test described above is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. In the qualitative assessment, we consider primary factors such as industry and market considerations, overall financial performance of the reporting unit, and other specific information related to the operations. In performing the two-step quantitative impairment test, the first step compares the carrying amount of the reporting unit compared to the fair value of the reporting unit based on either quoted market prices of the ordinary shares or estimated fair value using a combination of the income approach and the market approach. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the reporting unit, goodwill is not impaired and we are not required to perform further testing. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then we must perform the second step of the impairment test in order to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. The fair value of the reporting unit is allocated to its assets and liabilities in a manner similar to a purchase price allocation in order to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill. If the carrying amount of the goodwill is greater than its implied fair value, the excess is recognized as an impairment loss.

In 2014, we performed a qualitative assessment for the reporting unit other than the certain acquired entities. Based on the requirements of ASU 2011-08, we evaluated all relevant factors, weighed all factors in their entirety and concluded that it was not more-likely-than-not the fair value was less than the carrying amount of the thirds reporting unit, and further impairment testing on goodwill was unnecessary as of December 31, 2014. We elected to assess goodwill for impairment test for goodwill at the two reporting units, representing aforementioned acquired entities, using the two-step process. The fair value of these two reporting units exceeded their respective carrying amount, and therefore goodwill related to the two reporting units were not impaired and we were not required to perform further testing.

The impairment charges of goodwill are nil for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Impairment of Long-term Investments

Our long-term investments mainly consist of cost method investments and equity method investments in privately held companies, held-to-maturity investments with original and remaining maturities of greater than 12 months, and available-for-sale investments.

We periodically review our cost method investments and equity method investments for impairment. If we conclude that any of such investments is impaired, we will assess whether such impairment is other-than-temporary. Factors we consider to make such determination include the performance and financial position of the investee as well as other evidence of market value. Such evaluation includes but is not limited to, reviewing the investee’s cash position, recent financing, projected and historical financial performance, cash flow forecasts and financing needs. An impairment loss is recognized in earnings equal to the excess of the investment’s cost over its fair value at the balance sheet date of the reporting period for which the assessment is made. The fair value would then become the new cost basis of investment.

For long-term held-to-maturity investments, we evaluate whether a decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis is other-than-temporary in accordance with our policy and ASC topic 320, or ASC 320, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities. When we intend to sell an impaired debt security or it is more-likely-than-not that it will be required to sell prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, an other-than-temporary impairment is deemed to have occurred. In these instances, the other-than-temporary impairment loss is recognized in earnings equal to the entire excess of the debt security’s amortized cost basis over its fair value at the balance sheet date of the reporting period for which the assessment is made. When we do not intend to sell an impaired debt security and it is more-likely-than-not that it will not be required to sell prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, we must determine whether or not it will recover its amortized cost basis. If we conclude that it will not, an other-

 

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than-temporary impairment exists and that portion of the credit loss is recognized in earnings, while the portion of loss related to all other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income.

As available-for-sale investment is reported at fair value, an impairment loss on the long-term available-for-sale securities would be recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income when the decline in value is determined to be other-than-temporary.

The fair value determination, particularly for investments in privately-held companies, requires significant judgment to determine appropriate estimates and assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could affect the calculation of the fair value of the investments and the determination of whether any identified impairment is other-than-temporary. If impairment is considered other-than-temporary, we will write down the asset to its fair value and take the corresponding charge to the consolidated financial statements. The impairment charges of long-term investments are RMB169.2 million, RMB17.5 million and RMB93.4 million (US$15.1 million) for 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Business Combination

We account for business combinations using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with ASC topic 805, or ASC 805, Business Combinations. The purchase method accounting requires that the consideration transferred to be allocated to the assets, including separately identifiable assets and liabilities we acquired, based on their estimated fair values. The consideration transferred of an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the fair values at the date of exchange of the assets given, liabilities incurred, and equity instruments issued as well as the contingent considerations and all contractual contingencies as of the acquisition date. The costs directly attributable to the acquisition are expensed as incurred. Identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired or assumed are measured separately at their fair value as of the acquisition date, irrespective of the extent of any noncontrolling interests. The excess of (i) the total of cost of acquisition, fair value of the noncontrolling interests and acquisition date fair value of any previously held equity interest in the acquiree over (ii) the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the acquiree, is recorded as goodwill. If the cost of acquisition is less than the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognized directly in earnings.

In a business combination achieved in stages, we remeasured our previously held equity interest in the acquiree immediately before obtaining control at its acquisition-date fair value and the re-measurement gain or loss, if any, was recognized in earnings.

The determination and allocation of fair values to the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests is based on various assumptions and valuation methodologies requiring considerable judgment from management. The most significant variables in these valuations are discount rates, terminal values, the number of years on which to base the cash flow projections, as well as the assumptions and estimates used to determine the cash inflows and outflows. We determine discount rates to be used based on the risk inherent in the related activity’s current business model and industry comparisons. Terminal values are based on the expected life of assets, forecasted life cycle and forecasted cash flows over that period.

 

B.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2014, our principal sources of liquidity was RMB57.7 billion (US$9.3 billion) of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. Our cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and investments in interest bearing demand deposit accounts, time deposits, money market funds and other liquid investments which have original maturities of three months or less. The short-term investments primarily consist of fixed-rate and adjustable-rate debt investments with original maturity of less than one year. We believe that our current cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and anticipated cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs, including our cash needs for working capital and capital

 

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expenditures, for at least the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash due to changing business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our existing cash is insufficient to meet our requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity securities, debt securities or borrow from banks.

Furthermore, cash transfers from our PRC subsidiaries to their parent companies outside of China are subject to PRC government control of currency conversion. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.” As of December 31, 2014, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities held RMB49.4 billion (US$8.0 billion) of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, RMB1.1 billion (US$183.9 million) of which were in the form of foreign currencies.

In September 2012, we entered into a loan agreement with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Hong Kong Branch), whereby we are entitled to borrow an unsecured loan of AU$105.0 million (US$108.0 million) for general working capital purposes. We drew down AU$55.0 million (settled by US$56.8 million) in October 2012 under the loan commitment, with a term of two years and a fixed annual interest rate of 2.75%. The remaining commitment of AU$50.0 million was cancelled by both parties. The loan was fully repaid in October 2014 when it became due.

In July 2013, we entered into a loan agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, whereby we are entitled to borrow an unsecured loan of US$150.0 million for general working capital purposes. We drew down US$150.0 million in July 2013 under the loan commitment, with a term of two years and a fixed annual interest rate of 1.17%. As of December 31, 2014, we had an outstanding balance of US$150.0 million, which will be due in July 2015.

In August 2013, we entered into a loan agreement with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Hong Kong Branch), whereby we are entitled to borrow an unsecured loan of AU$235.0 million (US$200.0 million) for general working capital purposes. We drew down AU$235.0 million (US$200.0 million) in August 2013 under the loan commitment, with a term of two years and a fixed annual interest rate of 1.65%. As of December 31, 2014, we had an outstanding balance of AU$235.0 million (US$200.0 million), which will be due in August 2015.

In May 2014, one of our subsidiaries, 91 Wireless, entered into a banking facility agreement with Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (Hong Kong branch), or HSBC, pursuant to which 91 Wireless is entitled to borrow a US$ denominated loan of US$20.0 million with an interest rate of 0.8% per annum plus 1, 3 or 6 months LIBOR. The banking facility is subject to HSBC’s overriding right of repayment on demand and the loan under this facility is intended for the general working capital of 91 Wireless. In May 2014, 91 Wireless drew down US$7.0 million with a fixed interest rate of 1.12% under the loan commitment, and in September 2014, 91 Wireless drew down another US$8.0 million with a fixed interest rate of 1.13% under the loan commitment, both of which were secured by cash collateral of a subsidiary of 91 Wireless. As of December 31, 2014, 91 Wireless had an outstanding balance of US$15.0 million.

In December 2014, we entered into two loan agreements with Bank of China (Los Angeles Branch), pursuant to which we borrowed a two-year unsecured loan of US$150.0 million and a three-year unsecured loan of US$150.0 million. Both loans are intended for our general working capital and with a floating interest rate. In connection with the loan agreements, we entered into two interest swap agreements, pursuant to which the loans will be settled in a fixed annual interest rate of 2.31% and 2.45%, respectively, during the respective term of the loans.

In November 2012, we issued an aggregate of US$1.5 billion senior unsecured notes in two equal tranches, due in 2017 and 2022, with stated annual interest rates of 2.25% and 3.50%, respectively. The net proceeds from

 

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the sale of the notes were used for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2014, the total carrying value and estimated fair value of these notes were US$1.5 billion and US$1.5 billion. The estimated fair value was based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt as of December 31, 2014. We are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. During 2014, we paid an aggregate of US$43.1 million in interest payments related to these notes.

In August 2013, we issued an aggregate of US$1.0 billion senior unsecured notes due in 2018, with stated annual interest rate of 3.25%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used for general corporate purposes, including merger and acquisition activities. As of December 31, 2014, the total carrying value and estimated fair value of these notes were US$1.0 billion and US$1.0 billion, respectively. The estimated fair value was based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt as of December 31, 2014. We are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. During 2014, we paid an aggregate of US$32.5 million in interest payments related to these notes.

In June 2014, we issued an aggregate of US$1.0 billion senior unsecured notes due in 2019, with stated annual interest rate of 2.75 %. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2014, the total carrying value and estimated fair value of these notes were US$1.0 billion and US$1.0 billion, respectively. The estimated fair value was based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt as of December 31, 2014. We are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. During 2014, we paid an aggregate of US$13.8 million in interest payments related to these notes.

We may use the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of the notes to fund the operations of our PRC subsidiaries by making additional capital contribution to our existing PRC subsidiaries, injecting capital to establish new PRC subsidiaries and/or providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries. Such transfer of funds from Baidu, Inc. or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our PRC subsidiaries is subject to the PRC regulatory restrictions and procedures: (i) capital increase of the existing PRC subsidiaries and establishment of new PRC subsidiaries must be approved by the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart and registered with SAFE or its local counterpart; and (ii) loans to any of our PRC subsidiaries must not exceed the statutory limit, which is the difference between the amount of total investment as approved by the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart and the amount of registered capital of the PRC subsidiary, and must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from making loans to our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities, or making additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.”

As of December 31, 2014, we had RMB25.7 billion (US$4.1 billion) in long-term loans and notes payables (including current portion of RMB2.2 billion (US$349.3 million)) and had RMB93.0 million (US$15.0 million) in short-term loans.

Cash Flows and Working Capital

As of December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, we had RMB32.5 billion, RMB38.4 billion and RMB57.7 billion (US$9.3 billion) in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.

 

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The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the years indicated.

 

     For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands)  

Net cash generated from operating activities

     11,995,994        13,792,971        17,937,175        2,890,949   

Net cash used in investing activities

     (13,749,080     (23,062,940     (22,467,774     (3,621,147

Net cash generated from financing activities

     9,517,865        7,281,682        8,611,960        1,387,994   

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

     (11,629     (200,548     79,567        12,824   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

  7,753,150      (2,188,835   4,160,928      670,620   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

  4,127,482      11,880,632      9,691,797      1,562,034   

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

  11,880,632      9,691,797      13,852,725      2,232,654   

Operating Activities

Net cash generated from operating activities increased to RMB17.9 billion (US$2.9 billion) in 2014 from RMB13.8 billion in 2013. This increase was primarily due to the integrated effect of growth in net income, as adjusted for non-cash items and the effects of changes in working capital and other activities.

Net cash generated from operating activities increased to RMB13.8 billion in 2013 from RMB12.0 billion in 2012. This increase was mainly attributable to the adding-back to net income of increased depreciation and amortization expenses, which increased to RMB2.7 billion in 2013 from RMB1.5 billion in 2012.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities decreased to RMB22.5 billion (US$3.6 billion) in 2014 from RMB23.1 billion in 2013. This decrease was primarily due to fewer acquisitions of businesses accomplished in 2014 compared to 2013, which was offset partially by the increased purchasing of short-term, long-term investments and fixed assets.

Net cash used in investing activities was about RMB13.8 billion and RMB23.1 billion in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The increase is primarily due to more acquisitions of businesses accomplished in 2013.

Financing Activities

Net cash generated from financing activities was RMB8.6 billion (US$1.4 billion) in 2014, compared to net cash of RMB7.3 billion generated from financing activities in 2013. The increase is primarily due to the proceeds from the long-term loans issued in December 2014, partially offset by our settlement with non-controlling shareholders for acquiring the remaining minority equity interest of subsidiaries.

Net cash generated from financing activities was RMB7.3 billion in 2013, compared to net cash of RMB9.5 billion generated from financing activities in 2012. The decrease is primarily due to less long-term notes issued in 2013.

Capital Expenditures

We made capital expenditures of RMB2.3 billion, RMB2.8 billion and RMB4.8 billion (US$778.0 million) in 2012, 2013 and 2014, representing 10.4%, 8.6% and 9.8% of our total revenues, respectively. In 2014, our capital expenditures were primarily attributable to the purchase of servers, network equipment and other computer hardware to increase our network infrastructure capacity. We funded our capital expenditures primarily with net cash flow generated from operating activities.

 

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We commenced construction of Baidu Science Park in Beijing in August 2012, an office building in Shenzhen in December 2011, Shanxi Cloud Computing Center in September 2012, and the internet data center of Beijing Cloud Computing Center in April 2014, and we expect to complete the planned construction of these projects in 2015, 2017, 2017 and 2018, respectively. See “Item 4.D. Property, Plant and Equipment” for more details of our capital expenditures associated with these projects.

Our capital expenditures may increase in the future as our business continues to grow, in connection with the expansion and improvement of our network infrastructure and the construction of additional office buildings and cloud computing based data centers. We currently plan to fund these expenditures with our current cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and anticipated cash flow generated from our operating activities.

Holding Company Structure

Baidu, Inc. is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China. As a result, although other means are available for us to obtain financing at the holding company level, Baidu, Inc.’s ability to pay dividends to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur may depend upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries and license and service fees paid by our PRC consolidated affiliated entities. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to Baidu, Inc. In addition, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserve funds, which are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of a solvent liquidation of the companies.

Our PRC subsidiaries, being foreign-invested enterprises established in China, are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserves, namely, a general reserve fund, an enterprise expansion fund, a staff welfare fund and a bonus fund, all of which are appropriated from net profit as reported in their PRC statutory accounts. Each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to a general reserve fund until such fund has reached 50% of its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus funds are at the discretion of the board of directors of the PRC subsidiaries.

Our consolidated affiliated entities must make appropriations from their after-tax profits as reported in their PRC statutory accounts to non-distributable reserve funds, namely a statutory surplus fund, a statutory public welfare fund and a discretionary surplus fund. Each of our consolidated affiliated entities is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to the statutory surplus fund until such fund has reached 50% of its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the statutory public welfare fund and the discretionary surplus fund are at the discretion of our consolidated affiliated entities.

Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are subject to certain restrictions with respect to paying dividends or otherwise transferring any of their net assets to us. The amounts restricted include the paid up capital and the statutory reserve funds of our PRC subsidiaries and the net assets of our consolidated affiliated entities in which we have no legal ownership, totaling approximately RMB2.8 billion, RMB3.7 billion and RMB7.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) as of December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

 

C.

Research and Development

We have a team of experienced engineers who are mostly based at our headquarters in Beijing. We recruit most of our engineers locally and have established various recruiting and training programs with leading universities in China. We have also recruited experienced engineers from overseas. We compete aggressively for engineering talent to help us address challenges such as Chinese language processing, information retrieval and high performance computing.

 

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In the three years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, our research and development expenditures, including share-based compensation expenses for research and development staff, were RMB2.3 billion, RMB4.1 billion and RMB7.0 billion (US$1.1 billion), representing 10.3%, 12.9% and 14.2% of our total revenues for 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Our research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related costs. We have expensed substantially all of the development costs for the research and development of products and new functionality as incurred, except for certain internal-use software.

 

D.

Trend Information

Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events for the year ended December 31, 2014 that are reasonably likely to have a material and adverse effect on our net revenues, income, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that would cause the disclosed financial information to be not necessarily indicative of future results of operations or financial conditions.

 

E.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not entered into any financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet derivative instruments. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support to us or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with us.

 

F.

Contractual Obligations

The following table sets forth our contractual obligations by specified categories as of December 31, 2014.

 

     Payment Due by Period  
     Total      Less Than
1 Year
     1-3 Years      3-5 Years      More Than
5 Years
 
     (In RMB thousands)  

Long-Term Debt Obligations(1)

     29,077,225         2,880,009         7,862,623         13,192,531         5,142,062   

Capital Lease Obligations (2)

     103,471         57,320         46,151         —           —     

Operating Lease Obligations(3)

     5,381,448         2,418,879         1,908,382         884,179         170,008   

Purchase Obligations(4)

     3,283,717         3,064,765         199,107         17,100         2,745   

Total

     37,845,861         8,420,973         10,016,263         14,093,810         5,314,815   

 

(1)

The long-term debt obligations represent (i) a two-year loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, (ii) a two-year loan from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Hong Kong Branch), (iii) a two-year loan and a three-year loan from Bank of China (Los Angeles Branch), (iv) senior unsecured notes due in 2017 and 2022, (v) senior unsecured notes due in 2018, and (vi) senior unsecured notes due in 2019. The total interest to be paid for these loans is RMB8.1 million (US$1.3 million), RMB15.5 million (US$2.5 million), RMB113.0 million (US$18.2 million), RMB1.6 billion (US$260.6 million), RMB806.6 million (US$130.0 million) and RMB767.8 million (US$123.8 million), respectively. Please see “Loans Payable” under Note 10 and “Notes payable” under Note 11 to our audited consolidated financial statements.

(2)

Capital lease obligations represent our obligations for leasing servers, and the total amount of interest to be paid is RMB6.3 million (US$1.0 million).

(3)

Operating lease obligations represent our obligations for leasing premises and bandwidth.

(4)

Purchase obligations consist primarily of expenditures in connection with the expansion and improvement of network infrastructure, our plan to build or acquire additional office buildings and cloud computing-based data centers, and expenditures for video content.

 

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Other than the contractual obligations set forth above, we do not have any contractual obligations that are long-term debt obligations, capital (finance) lease obligations, purchase obligations or other long-term liabilities reflected on our balance sheet.

 

Item 6.

Directors, Senior Management and Employees

 

A.

Directors and Senior Management

The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers and directors as of the date of this annual report.

 

Directors and

Executive Officers

   Age     

Position/Title

Robin Yanhong Li

     46       Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

     47       Chief Financial Officer

Ya-Qin Zhang

     49       President

Jing Wang

     50       Senior Vice President

Hailong Xiang

     37       Senior Vice President

Mingyuan Li

     31       Vice President

William Decker

     68       Independent Director

James Ding

     49       Independent Director

Nobuyuki Idei

     77       Independent Director

Greg Penner

     45       Independent Director

Dejian Liu

     43       Director

Robin Yanhong Li is co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of our company, and oversees our overall strategy and business operations. Mr. Li has been serving as the chairman of our board of directors since our inception in January 2000 and as our chief executive officer since January 2004. Mr. Li served as our president from February 2000 to December 2003. Prior to founding our company, Mr. Li worked as a staff engineer for Infoseek, a pioneer in the internet search engine industry, from July 1997 to December 1999. Mr. Li was a senior consultant for IDD Information Services from May 1994 to June 1997. Mr. Li currently serves as an independent director and chairman of the compensation committee of New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc., a NYSE-listed company that provides private educational services in China. Mr. Li also acts as the vice chairman of the Internet Society of China (ISC). Mr. Li has also been a vice chairman of All-China Federation of Industry & Commerce since December 2012. Mr. Li received a bachelor’s degree in information science from Peking University in China and a master’s degree in computer science from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Jennifer Xinzhe Li has served as our chief financial officer since March 2008. Ms. Li is in charge of our finance and accounting. Ms. Li has extensive experience in U.S. GAAP reporting and in developing and leading finance and accounting teams before she joined us. Prior to joining our company, Ms. Li served as controller of General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC)’s North American Operations from 2005 to 2008. Prior to that, Ms. Li worked at General Motors China, where she was responsible for overseeing finance functions of General Motors’ wholly owned and joint venture businesses in China from 2001 to 2004, with the last post as its chief financial officer. From 1994 to 2001, she held several other finance positions at General Motors in Canada, the United States and Singapore. Ms. Li has been serving as a director of Philip Morris International, Inc. since May 2010. Ms. Li holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., Canada and a bachelor of arts degree from Tsinghua University in China.

Ya-Qin Zhang joined us in September 2014 as president, and is in charge of new business. Prior to joining us, Dr. Zhang was Microsoft Corporation’s corporate vice president and the chairman of Microsoft Asia-Pacific R&D Group for a decade, leading Microsoft’s overall research and development efforts in the Asia-Pacific region. Before joining Microsoft in 1999, Mr. Zhang was a director for the Multimedia Technology Laboratory at Sarnoff Corp. Dr. Zhang serves as an independent director and chairman of the compensation committee of

 

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Tarena International, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed company, and an independent director of ChinaCache International Holdings Ltd., a NASDAQ-listed company. Dr. Zhang received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from George Washington University.

Jing Wang has served as our senior vice president since December 2013, and is in charge of commercial products and technology. Mr. Wang is also the chairman of our Technical Strategy Committee. From April 2010 to December 2013, Mr. Wang served as our vice president of engineering. Prior to joining us, Mr. Wang served as senior technical director for Alibaba from 2000 to 2001, and later as the chief technology officer of eBay China from 2003 to 2004, general manager of eBay China’s Development Center from 2004 to 2006, and deputy managing director of Google China’s R&D Institute from 2006 to 2010. From 1991 to 2000, Mr. Wang held various managerial and technical positions in silicon valley companies including Oracle, Informix, and E-Loan. Mr. Wang received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology of China and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He later obtained his second master’s degree in computer science from University of Florida.

Hailong Xiang has served as our senior vice president since October 2014, and is in charge of our business products and sales force management. Mr. Xiang joined us in February 2005 following our acquisition of Shanghai Qilang, an internet services firm established by Mr. Xiang in 2000. Since joining us, Mr. Xiang has led the reorganization of our direct sales force, and significantly improved the efficiency of the business process and expedited the monetization of our main services and products. Mr. Xiang received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from East China Normal University.

Mingyuan Li has served as our vice president since July 2013, and is in charge of our mobile products and operations. Mr. Li first joined us in 2004. He was responsible for the early Content Management System for our social content, and built and managed our user product marketing operations system. From August 2010 to November 2011, Mr. Li served as vice president of product at UCWeb. Mr. Li returned to our company in November 2011. Mr. Li received his bachelor’s degree from Communication University of China, and an Executive M.B.A. from the China Europe International Business School.

William Decker has served as our independent director and chairman of the audit committee since October 2005. Mr. Decker is a retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Prior to his retirement in July 2005, Mr. Decker was the partner in charge of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s Global Capital Markets Group. He led a team of more than 300 professionals in 25 countries that provided technical support to non-U.S. companies on SEC regulations, U.S. GAAP reporting and assistance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance work. Mr. Decker received a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

James Ding has served as our independent director since our initial public offering in August 2005. Mr. Ding served as a co-chairman of the board of directors of AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc., a former NASDAQ-listed company, from July 2010 to January 2014. Prior to that, Mr. Ding served as the chairman of the board of AsiaInfo from April 2003 to July 2010, and a member of the board since AsiaInfo’s inception in 1993. Mr. Ding served as the chief executive officer and president of AsiaInfo from 1999 to 2003 and as senior vice president and chief technology officer of AsiaInfo from 1993 to 1999. Mr. Ding is currently a general partner and managing director of GSR Ventures, an early stage venture fund focusing on semiconductor, internet, wireless, new media and green technology investment in China. Mr. Ding also serves as an independent director of Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, a ChiNext Shenzhen-listed company. Mr. Ding received a master’s degree in information science from the University of California, Los Angeles and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Peking University in China.

Nobuyuki Idei has served as our independent director since June 2007. Mr. Idei currently also serves as a director of FreeBit Co, Ltd., a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company, a director of Lenovo Group, a Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed company, and a director of Monex Group, Inc., a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company.

 

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Mr. Idei is also a member of Tsinghua University SEM Advisory Board and chairman of the National Conference on Fostering Beautiful Forests in Japan. Mr. Idei is founder and CEO of Quantum Leaps, an executive advisory company he established in September 2006. Quantum Leaps aims to enhance Japan’s competitiveness by supporting corporate transformation and by creating an open platform to nurture technology-driven venture companies. Mr. Idei is also founder and chairman of the board of Asia Innovators’ Initiative, a private non-profit organization that he established in 2011 to serve as a catalyst for social innovation in Asia by bringing together a diverse range of individuals and promoting knowledge sharing. For more than a decade from 1995, Mr. Idei was a member of top management at Sony, as president and COO, and chairman and CEO. He later served as chairman of the advisory board from 2007 to 2012. Prior to that, Mr. Idei held a range of leadership positions at Sony including general manager of the audio division, and the computer division, and senior general manager of the home video group. Mr. Idei has also served in a number of other advisory positions including as counselor to the Bank of Japan, member of Japan’s national IT Strategy Council, and vice chairman of Nippon Keidanren. Mr. Idei received a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics from Waseda University in Tokyo.

Greg Penner has served as our director since July 2004. Mr. Penner is a general partner at Madrone Capital Partners, an investment management firm based in Menlo Park, California. From 2002 to 2004, Mr. Penner was the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Wal-Mart Japan. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Penner was senior vice president of finance and strategy for Walmart.com. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Penner was a general partner at Peninsula Capital, an early stage venture capital fund. Previously, Mr. Penner worked in strategic planning at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and corporate finance at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Mr. Penner is the vice chairman of the board of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and is also a director of Teach for America. Mr. Penner received an M.B.A. degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Dejian Liu has served as our director since October 2013. Mr. Liu is the founder, chairman and executive director of NetDragon, a China-based developer and operator of online games and mobile internet platforms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Since founding NetDragon in 1999, he has led it to become a leading player in China’s online gaming and mobile internet industries. Mr. Liu is responsible for NetDragon’s overall strategic development and is the chief designer in its game development team. Mr. Liu also served as chairman and non-executive director of 91 Wireless, which was a former subsidiary of NetDragon and acquired by us in October 2013. Mr. Liu was vice president of Beso Biological Research Center, Inc. from 1995 to 2005. He was also vice president of Fuzhou Yangzhenhua 851 Bio-Engineering Research Inc. from 1995 to 2000 before being promoted to president of that organization in 2001. Mr. Liu received a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Kansas.

 

B.

Compensation

In 2014, we paid an aggregate of approximately RMB29.3 million (US$4.7 million) in cash compensation and granted options to purchase an aggregate of 15,603 Class A ordinary shares and 9,647 restricted Class A ordinary shares to our executive officers as a group. We also paid an aggregate of approximately RMB0.5 million (US$79,750) in cash compensation and granted options to purchase an aggregate of 998 restricted Class A ordinary shares to our non-executive directors as a group. Our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are required by law to make contributions equal to certain percentages of each employee’s salary for his or her pension insurance, medical insurance, housing fund, unemployment and other statutory benefits. Other than the above-mentioned statutory contributions mandated by applicable PRC law, we have not set aside or accrued any amount to provide pension, retirement or other similar benefits to our executive officers and directors. No executive officer is entitled to any severance benefits upon termination of his or her employment with our company except as required under applicable PRC law.

Our board of directors and shareholders approved the issuance of up to 5,040,000 ordinary shares upon exercise of awards granted under our 2000 option plan. Our 2000 option plan terminated in January 2010 upon the expiration of its ten-year term. At the annual general meeting held on December 16, 2008, our shareholders

 

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approved a 2008 share incentive plan, which has reserved an additional 3,428,777 Class A ordinary shares for awards to be granted pursuant to its terms. As of December 31, 2014, options to purchase an aggregate of 264,934 Class A ordinary shares and an aggregate of 331,338 restricted Class A ordinary shares had been granted under the 2008 share incentive plan.

The following table summarizes, as of December 31, 2014, the outstanding options and restricted Class A ordinary shares that we granted to our current directors and executive officers and to other individuals as a group under our 2000 option plan and 2008 share incentive plan. Each Class A ordinary share is represented by 10 ADSs.

 

Name

  Ordinary Shares Underlying
Outstanding Options
    Exercise Price
(US$/Share)
    Grant Date   Expiration Date

Robin Yanhong Li

    6,500        133.86      February 11, 2009   February 11, 2019
    4,515        1,418.30      February 16, 2012   February 16, 2022
    4,247        1,058.90      January 25, 2011   January 25, 2021
    10,598        1,083.00      January 31, 2013   January 31, 2023
    2,415        1,725.30      February 24, 2014   February 24, 2024
    886 (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

    *        1,058.90      January 25, 2011   January 25, 2021
    *        1,418.30      February 16, 2012   February 16, 2022
    *        1,083.00      January 31, 2013   January 31, 2023
    *        1,725.30      February 24, 2014   February 24, 2024
    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A

Ya-Qin Zhang

    * (1)      —        October 29, 2014   N/A
    *        2,245.50      October 29, 2014   October 29, 2024

Jing Wang

    *        648.96      April 15, 2010   April 15, 2020
    *        1,418.30      February 16, 2012   February 16, 2022
    *        1,083.00      January 31, 2013   January 31, 2023
    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A
    *        1,725.30      February 24, 2014   February 24, 2024
    * (1)      —        April 23, 2014   N/A

Hailong Xiang

    *        1,501.70      July 21, 2011   July 21, 2021
    *        1,418.30      February 16, 2012   February 16, 2022
    *        1,083.00      January 31, 2013   January 31, 2023
    * (1)      —        July 18, 2013   N/A
    *        1,112.00      July 18, 2013   July 18, 2023
    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A
    *        1,725.30      February 24, 2014   February 24, 2024
    * (1)      —        October 29, 2014   N/A
    *        2,245.50      October 29, 2014   October 29, 2024

Mingyuan Li

    * (1)      —        February 16, 2012   N/A
    *        1,067.00      November 1, 2012   November 1, 2022
    * (1)      —        January 31, 2013   N/A
    * (1)      —        October 23, 2013   N/A
    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A
    * (1)      —        April 23, 2014   N/A
    * (1)      —        July 15, 2014   N/A

William Decker

    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A

James Ding

    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A

Nobuyuki Idei

    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A

Greg Penner

    * (1)      —        February 24, 2014   N/A

Dejian Liu

    * (1)      —        October 23, 2013   N/A

Other individuals as a group

    332,466        —         

 

*

The options and restricted shares in aggregate held by each of these directors and officers represent less than 1% of our total outstanding shares.

(1)

Restricted shares.

 

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The following paragraphs summarize the key terms of our 2008 share incentive plan adopted on December 16, 2008.

2008 Share Incentive Plan

Types of Awards. We may grant the following types of awards under our 2008 share incentive plan:

 

   

options;

 

   

restricted shares;

 

   

restricted share units; and

 

   

any other form of award granted to a participant pursuant to the 2008 plan.

Plan Administration. The compensation committee of our board of directors administers our 2008 share incentive plan, but may delegate to a committee of one or more members of our board of directors the authority to grant or amend awards to participants other than independent directors and executive officers. The compensation committee will determine the provisions and terms and conditions of each award grant, including, but not limited to, the exercise price, the grant price or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, any provisions related to non-competition and recapture of gain on an award, based in each case on such considerations as the committee in its sole discretion determines. The compensation committee has the sole power and discretion to cancel, forfeit or surrender an outstanding award (whether or not in exchange for another award or combination or awards).

Award Agreement. Awards granted under our 2008 share incentive plan are evidenced by an award agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations for each award which may include the term of an award, the provisions applicable in the event the participant’s employment or service ends, and our authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel or rescind an award.

Eligibility. We may grant awards to employees, directors and consultants of our company or any of our related entities, which include our subsidiaries or any entities in which we hold a substantial ownership interest. However, we may grant ISOs only to our employees and employees of our majority-owned subsidiaries.

Acceleration of Awards upon Corporate Transactions. The outstanding awards will accelerate (i) upon occurrence of a change-of-control corporate transaction where any person acquires at least 50% of the total combined voting power of our outstanding securities or the incumbent board members no longer constitute at least 50% of our board, or (ii) upon occurrence of any other change-of-control corporate transaction in which the successor entity does not assume our outstanding awards under our 2008 share incentive plan, provided that the plan participant remains an employee, consultant or member of our board of directors on the effective date of the corporate transaction. In such event, each outstanding award will become fully exercisable and all forfeiture restrictions on such award will lapse immediately prior to the specified effective date of the corporate transaction.

If the successor entity assumes our outstanding awards and later terminates the grantee’s employment or service without cause within 12 months of the corporate transaction, or if the grantee resigns voluntarily with good reason, the outstanding awards automatically will become fully vested and exercisable. The compensation committee may also, in its sole discretion, upon or in anticipation of a corporate transaction, accelerate awards, purchase the awards from the plan participants, replace the awards, or provide for the payment of the awards in cash.

Exercise Price and Term of Awards. The exercise price per share subject to an option may be amended or adjusted in the absolute discretion of the compensation committee, the determination of which shall be final,

 

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binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange rules, a downward adjustment of the exercise prices of options mentioned in the preceding sentence shall be effective without the approval of our shareholders or the approval of the affected grantees. If we grant an ISO to an employee, who, at the time of that grant, owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our share capital, the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value of our ordinary shares on the date of that grant. The compensation committee will determine the time or times at which an option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise prior to vesting. The term may not exceed ten years from the date of the grant, except that five years is the maximum term of an ISO granted to an employee who holds more than 10% of the voting power of our share capital.

Restricted Shares and Restricted Share Unites. The compensation committee is also authorized to make awards of restricted shares and restricted share units. Except as otherwise determined by the compensation committee at the time of the grant of an award or thereafter, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable restriction period, restricted shares that are at the time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited or repurchased in accordance with the respective award agreements.

Vesting Schedule. The compensation committee determines, and the award agreement specifies, the vesting schedule of options and other awards granted. The compensation committee determines the time or times at which an option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise prior to vesting, and also determines any conditions that must be satisfied before all or part of an option may be exercised. At the time of grant for restricted share units, the compensation committee specifies the date on which the restricted share units become fully vested and nonforfeitable, and may specify such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate.

Amendment and Termination. With the approval of our board of directors, the compensation committee may at any time amend, suspend or terminate our 2008 share incentive plan. Amendments to our 2008 share incentive plan are subject to shareholder approval, to the extent required by law, or by stock exchange rules or regulations. Any amendment, suspension or termination of our 2008 share incentive plan must not adversely affect in any material way awards already granted without written consent of the recipient of such awards. Unless terminated earlier, our 2008 share incentive plan shall continue in effect for a term of ten years from the date of adoption.

 

C.

Board Practices

Board of Directors

Our board of directors has six directors. A director is not required to hold any shares in the company by way of qualification. A director may vote with respect to any contract, proposed contract or arrangement in which he is materially interested. A director may exercise all the powers of the company to borrow money, mortgage its undertakings, property and uncalled capital, and issue debentures or other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any obligation of the company or of any third party. The remuneration to be paid to the directors is determined by the board of directors. There is no age limit requirement for directors.

Committees of the Board of Directors

We have three committees under the board of directors: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee. We have adopted a charter for each of the three committees.

Audit Committee

Our audit committee consists of William Decker, James Ding and Greg Penner, all of whom satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Decker is an audit committee financial expert as defined in the instructions to Item 16A of the Form 20-F. The audit committee oversees our accounting and

 

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financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. The audit committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

appointing, retaining and overseeing the work of the independent auditors, including resolving disagreements between the management and the independent auditors relating to financial reporting;

 

   

pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by the independent auditors;

 

   

reviewing annually the independence and quality control procedures of the independent auditors;

 

   

reviewing and approving all proposed related party transactions;

 

   

discussing the annual audited financial statements with the management;

 

   

meeting separately with the independent auditors to discuss critical accounting policies, management letters, recommendations on internal controls, the auditor’s engagement letter and independence letter and other material written communications between the independent auditors and the management; and

 

   

attending to such other matters that are specifically delegated to our audit committee by our board of directors from time to time.

In 2014, our audit committee held meetings or passed resolutions by unanimous written consent six times.

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee consists of James Ding and Greg Penner, both of whom satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. The compensation committee assists the board in reviewing and approving our compensation structure, including all forms of compensation relating to our directors and executive officers. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any committee meeting while his compensation is deliberated. The compensation committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

reviewing and approving, or recommending to the board for its approval, the compensation for our chief executive officer and other executive officers;

 

   

reviewing and recommending to the board for determination with respect to the compensation of our non-employee directors;

 

   

reviewing periodically and approving any incentive compensation or equity plans, programs or similar arrangements; and

 

   

selecting compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser only after taking into consideration all factors relevant to that person’s independence from management.

In 2014, our compensation committee held meetings or passed resolutions by unanimous written consent six times.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Our corporate governance and nominating committee consists of James Ding and Greg Penner, both of whom satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a) (2) of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. The corporate governance and nominating committee assists the board of directors in selecting individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board and its committees. The corporate governance and nominating committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

recommending to the board nominees for election or re-election to the board or for appointments to fill any vacancies;

 

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reviewing annually the performance of each incumbent director in determining whether to recommend such director for an additional term;

 

   

overseeing the board in the board’s annual review of its own performance and the performance of the management; and

 

   

considering, preparing and recommending to the board such policies and procedures with respect to corporate governance matters as may be required or required to be disclosed under the applicable laws or otherwise considered to be material.

In 2014, our corporate governance and nominating committee passed resolutions by unanimous written consent once.

Terms of Directors and Executive Officers

All directors hold office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. None of our directors is subject to a fixed term of office. In addition, the service agreements between us and the directors do not provide benefits upon termination of their services. Director nomination is subject to the approval of our corporate governance and nominating committee. Our shareholders may remove any director by ordinary resolution and may in like manner appoint another person in his stead. A valid ordinary resolution requires a majority of the votes cast at a shareholder meeting that is duly constituted and meets the quorum requirement. Officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the board of directors.

 

D.

Employees

We had 20,877, 31,676 and 46,391 employees as of December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, we had 2,481 employees in management and administration, 19,532 employees in research and development, 3,463 employees in operation and service, and 20,915 employees in sales and marketing. As of December 31, 2014, we had 27,235 employees in Beijing, 18,600 employees outside of Beijing but within China, and 556 employees outside of China. We also hire temporary employees and contractors from time to time. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relations with our employees to be generally good. However, as our operations and employee base further expand, we cannot assure you that we will always be able to maintain good relations with all of our employees. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—We may not be able to manage our expanding operations effectively.”

 

E.

Share Ownership

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our shares as of February 28, 2015 by:

 

   

each of our current directors and executive officers; and

 

   

each person known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of our shares.

 

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See “—B. Compensation” for more details on options and restricted shares granted to our directors and executive officers.

 

     Shares Beneficially Owned  

Directors and Executive Officers:

           Number(1)                       %(2)           

Robin Yanhong Li(3)

     5,570,815         15.9

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

     *         *   

Ya-Qin Zhang

     *         *   

Jing Wang

     *         *   

Hailong Xiang

     *         *   

Mingyuan Li

     *         *   

William Decker(4)

     *         *   

James Ding(5)

     *         *   

Nobuyuki Idei(6)

     *         *   

Greg Penner(7)

     *         *   

Dejian Liu(8)

     —           —     

All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group(9)

     5,838,897         16.6

Principal Shareholders:

     

Handsome Reward Limited(10)

     5,490,000         15.6

Baillie Gifford & Co (Scottish partnership)(11)

     2,256,661         6.4

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.(12)

     1,953,701         5.6

 

*

Less than 1% of our total outstanding Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares.

**

Except for our non-executive directors, the business address of our directors and executive officers is c/o Baidu, Inc., Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, PRC.

(1)

The number of shares beneficially owned by each named director and executive officer includes the shares beneficially owned by such person, the shares underlying all options held by such person that have vested or will vest within 60 days after February 28, 2015, and restricted shares held by such person that will vest within 60 days after February 28, 2015. The options and restricted shares were granted under our 2008 share incentive plan.

(2)

Percentage of beneficial ownership of each named director and executive officer is based on 35,119,651 ordinary shares (consisting of 27,626,730 Class A ordinary shares and 7,492,921 Class B ordinary shares) of our company outstanding as of February 28, 2015, the number of ordinary shares underlying options that have vested or will vest within 60 days after February 28, 2015, and the number of restricted shares that will vest within 60 days after February 28, 2015, each as held by such person as of that date.

(3)

Includes (i) 37,665 Class A Ordinary Shares directly held by Mr. Li on record; (ii) 20,460 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held in the brokerage account of the administrator of the issuer’s employee stock option program; (iii) 2,466 restricted Class A Ordinary Shares that have vested as of February 28, 2015; (iv) 20,224 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of options within 60 days after the date of February 28, 2015; and (v) 5,490,000 Class B Ordinary Shares held by Handsome Reward Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned and controlled by Mr. Li, and excludes 25,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, 1,576,667 Class B Ordinary Shares and 35,000 Class A Ordinary Shares in the form of ADSs in her brokerage account, held by Melissa Ma, Mr. Li’s wife, of which Mr. Li disclaims beneficial ownership.

(4)

The address of Mr. Decker is 24 Nordic Way, Saranac Lake, New York 12983, U.S.A.

(5)

The business address of Mr. Ding is 56/F, China World Tower 3, No. 1 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100004, PRC.

(6)

The business address of Mr. Idei is Parkside 6 #502, 9-5-12 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Japan.

(7)

The business address of Mr. Penner is 3000 Sand Hill Road, Building 1, Suite 150, Menlo Park, California 94025, U.S.A.

(8)

The business address of Mr. Liu is 58 Hot Spring Branch Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, PRC.

 

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(9)

Includes ordinary shares, ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options and restricted shares, held by all of our directors and executive officers as a group.

(10)

Represents 5,490,000 Class B ordinary shares held by Handsome Reward Limited, a British Virgin Island company wholly owned and controlled by Mr. Robin Yanhong Li. The business address of Handsome Reward Limited is c/o Robin Yanhong Li, Baidu, Inc., Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, PRC.

(11)

Represents 2,256,661 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Baillie Gifford & Co (Scottish partnership), as reported on Schedule 13G filed by Baillie Gifford & Co (Scottish partnership) on January 21, 2015. The percentage of beneficial ownership was calculated based on the total number of our ordinary shares outstanding as of February 28, 2015. The address of Baillie Gifford & Co (Scottish partnership) is Calton Square, 1 Greenside Row, Edinburgh EH1 3AN, Scotland, UK.

(12)

Represents 1,953,701 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., as reported on Schedule 13G filed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. on February 13, 2015. The percentage of beneficial ownership was calculated based on the total number of our ordinary shares outstanding as of February 28, 2015. The address of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is 100 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, U.S.A.

Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to ten votes per share. We issued Class A ordinary shares represented by our ADSs in our initial public offering in 2005. Holders of our Class B ordinary shares may choose to convert their Class B ordinary shares into the same number of Class A ordinary shares at any time. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of control of our company. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our ADSs—Our dual-class ordinary share structure with different voting rights could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.”

As of February 28, 2015, 35,119,651 of our ordinary shares were issued and outstanding. To our knowledge, approximately 79.7% of our total outstanding ordinary shares were held by four record shareholders in the United States, including approximately 78.5% held by The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of our ADS program. The number of beneficial owners of our ADSs in the United States is likely to be much larger than the number of record holders of our ordinary shares in the United States.

 

Item 7.

Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions

 

A.

Major Shareholders

Please refer to “Item 6.E. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Share Ownership.”

 

B.

Related Party Transactions

See “Item 4.C. Information on the Company—Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Our Consolidated Affiliated Entities and the Nominee Shareholders.”

Our subsidiaries, consolidated affiliated entities, and the subsidiaries of the consolidated affiliated entities have engaged, during the ordinary course of business, in a number of customary transactions with each other. All of these inter-company balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, we had RMB371.0 million and RMB50.1 thousand (US$8.1 thousand), respectively, due from related parties. The decrease of the balance was primarily due to the borrowings provided by us to one noncontrolling shareholder of an acquired subsidiary, which was settled in 2014. The amount outstanding as of March 27, 2015 was RMB50.1 thousand (US$8.1 thousand).

 

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As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, we had RMB373.6 million and RMB8.4 million (US$1.4 million), respectively, due to related parties. The decrease of the balance was primarily due to the settlement of unsecured and interest free loans provided by a noncontrolling shareholder of an acquired subsidiary, partially offset by the payable to Mr. Robin Yanhong Li for reimbursement of his use of an aircraft beneficially owned by his spouse for our business purposes. The amount outstanding as of March 27, 2015 was RMB1.4 million (US$0.2 million).

In 2014, our board of directors approved Mr. Robin Yanhong Li’s use of an aircraft beneficially owned by his spouse for our business purposes. The board also approved our reimbursements to Mr. Li in connection with his use of the aircraft for business travel based on the following principal terms: (i) a pre-set fixed rate per operating hour for use of the aircraft, as such rate may be adjusted, subject to the board approval, and (ii) the amount of fees and out-of-pocket expenses incurred that are directly related to the flight for business travel. The hourly rate for use of the aircraft was determined based on an analysis of market rates for the charter of comparable aircrafts.

In 2014, we also had certain transactions with one of our executive officers, Hailong Xiang. Pursuant to the agreements between us, certain of our subsidiaries rent an office building owned by the family members of Hailong Xiang. The amount of related rental expenses was RMB8.6 million (US$1.4 million) in 2014. All of related balances had been settled as of December, 31, 2014.

Share Options and Restricted Shares Grants

Please refer to “Item 6.B. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Compensation.”

 

C.

Interests of Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.

Financial Information

 

A.

Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information

We have appended consolidated financial statements filed as part of this annual report.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we have been involved in litigation or other disputes regarding, among other things, copyright and trademark infringement, defamation, unfair competition and labor disputes. Our search results provide links to materials, and our Baidu WenKu, Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Media Player, Baidu Video Search, iQiyi and certain other products or services may contain materials, in which others may allege to own copyrights, trademarks or image rights or which others may claim to be defamatory or objectionable. We have received notice letters from third parties asserting copyright infringement, unfair competition, defamation, breach of contract and labor-related claims against us.

In September 2011, three Chinese writers filed 16 complaints against us before the Haidian District People’s Court in Beijing, alleging that our Baidu WenKu had infringed upon their copyrights to certain literary works. In December 2011, the plaintiffs withdrew their complaints. However, in January 2012, the writers re-filed their complaints for the same claims with the Haidian District People’s Court in Beijing, seeking compensation in an aggregate amount of RMB1.9 million (US$0.3 million). The Haidian District People’s Court in Beijing issued rulings for these cases in September 2012. The court held in seven of these cases that we “should have known” the files uploaded by users to Baidu WenKu infringed upon the plaintiffs’ copyrights and failed to take necessary actions to remove the infringing content immediately despite the plaintiffs’ notification of the infringement and request to remove the infringing content, and ordered us to pay for the plaintiffs’ damages in an aggregate amount of approximately RMB0.2 million (US$28 thousand). The court held in these seven cases that we would

 

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have been exempted from liabilities if we had removed the infringing content immediately upon the receipt of the warning and removal request from the copyright holders. The court dismissed all plaintiffs’ claims in the other cases. None of the parties has filed any appeals.

In 2013, 125 complaints were filed against Baidu Netcom before various courts in China alleging that our Baidu Video Search had infringed various copyrights. The aggregate amount of the damages sought in these 125 complaints totals approximately RMB16.9 million (US$2.7 million). All of these cases are closed, and the aggregate amount of compensation awarded by the courts to the plaintiffs in our lost cases is approximately RMB0.2 million (US$39 thousand).

As of December 31, 2014, we were involved in 330 cases pending in various PRC and U.S. courts. The aggregate amount of damages sought under these cases is approximately RMB1.0 billion (US$163.8 million).

For many of these legal proceedings, we are currently unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible loss as the proceedings are in the early stages, or there is a lack of clear or consistent interpretation of laws specific to the industry-specific complaints among different jurisdictions. As a result, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such proceedings, which includes eventual loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any, and therefore, an estimate for the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible loss cannot be made. With respect to the limited number of proceedings for which we are able to estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible loss, such estimates are immaterial. However, we believe that such proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, when finally resolved, are not reasonably likely to have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Dividend Policy

Baidu, Inc, our holding company in the Cayman Islands, has never declared or paid any dividends on our ordinary shares, nor do we have any present plan to pay any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business.

Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Even if our board of directors decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount of our dividends will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. If we pay any dividends, we will pay our ADS holders to the same extent as holders of our ordinary shares, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.

 

B.

Significant Changes

Except as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we have not experienced any significant changes since the date of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.

 

Item 9.

The Offer and Listing

 

A.

Offering and Listing Details

Our ADSs have been listed on The NASDAQ Global Market since August 5, 2005. Our ADSs currently trade on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “BIDU.” Prior to May 12, 2010, one ADS represented one Class A ordinary share. On May 12, 2010, we effected a change of the ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 1 ADS representing 1 Class A ordinary share to 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share. The ratio change has the same effect as a 10-for-1 ADS split.

 

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The following table provides the high and low trading prices for our ADSs on NASDAQ for (i) the years 2010, 2011, 2012. 2013 and 2014, (ii) each of the four quarters of 2013 and 2014, and (iii) each of the past six full months. For ease of comparison, the ADS prices before May 12, 2010 have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio change that took effect on May 12, 2010.

 

     Trading Price  
     High      Low  

Annual Highs and Lows

     

2010

     115.04         38.47   

2011

     165.96         97.58   

2012

     154.15         85.96   

2013

     181.25         82.98   

2014

     251.99         140.66   

Quarterly Highs and Lows

     

First Quarter 2013

     114.88         83.31   

Second Quarter 2013

     103.61         82.98   

Third Quarter 2013

     155.80         88.89   

Fourth Quarter 2013

     181.25         141.52   

First Quarter 2014

     189.34         144.16   

Second Quarter 2014

     188.66         140.66   

Third Quarter 2014

     231.41         176.69   

Fourth Quarter 2014

     251.99         194.31   

Monthly Highs and Lows

     

September 2014

     231.41         208.35   

October 2014

     242.62         194.31   

November 2014

     251.99         233.00   

December 2014

     242.00         217.50   

January 2015

     234.67         212.82   

February 2015

     220.83         199.70   

March 2015 (through March 26, 2015)

     218.56         202.20   

 

B.

Plan of Distribution

Not applicable.

 

C.

Markets

Our ADSs have been listed on NASDAQ since August 5, 2005 under the symbol “BIDU.”

 

D.

Selling Shareholders 

Not applicable.

 

E.

Dilution

Not applicable.

 

F.

Expenses of the Issue

Not applicable.

 

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Item 10.

Additional Information

 

A.

Share Capital

Not applicable.

 

B.

Memorandum and Articles of Association

The following are summaries of material provisions of our third amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as well as the Companies Law (2013 Revision) insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares.

Registered Office and Objects

The Registered Office of our company is at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands or at such other place as our board of directors may from time to time decide. The objects for which our company is established are unrestricted and we have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Law (2013 Revision), as amended from time to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands.

Board of Directors

See “Item 6.C. Board Practices—Board of Directors.”

Ordinary Shares

General. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. All of our outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Certificates representing the ordinary shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are nonresidents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.

Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors subject to the Companies Law.

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 any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder (as defined in our articles of incorporation), such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the equal number of Class A ordinary shares. In addition, if at any time our chairman and chief executive officer, Robin Yanhong Li, and his affiliates collectively own less than 5% of the total number of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares, each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share shall be automatically and immediately converted into one share of Class A ordinary share, and we shall not issue any Class B ordinary shares thereafter.

Voting Rights. All of our shareholders have the right to receive notice of shareholders’ meetings and to attend, speak and vote at such meetings. 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 10 votes. A shareholder may participate at a shareholders’ meeting in person, by proxy or by telephone conference or other communications equipment by means of which all the shareholders participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. At any shareholders’ meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll conducted by the chairman of the meeting.

 

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A quorum for a shareholders’ meeting consists of one or more shareholders holding at least one third of the paid up voting share capital present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative. We shall, if required by the Companies Law, hold a general meeting of shareholders as our annual general meeting and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Our board of directors may call extraordinary general meetings, and they must on shareholders’ requisition convene an extraordinary general meeting. A shareholder requisition is a requisition of shareholders holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than a majority of the voting power represented by the issued shares of our company as at that date carries the right of voting at general meetings of our company. Advance notice of at least five days is required for the convening of our annual general meeting and other shareholders’ meetings.

An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast in a general meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes cast attaching to the ordinary shares cast in a general meeting. A special resolution is required for matters such as a change of name. Holders of the ordinary shares may effect certain changes by ordinary resolution, including consolidating and dividing all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing share capital and canceling any shares.

Transfer of Shares. Subject to the restrictions of our memorandum and articles of association, as applicable, any of our shareholders may transfer any or all 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.

Our board of directors may, in their absolute discretion (except with respect to a transfer from a shareholder to its affiliate(s)), decline to register any transfer of shares without assigning any reason thereof. If our board of directors refuses to register a transfer they shall notify the transferee within two months of such refusal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a transfer complies with the holder’s transfer obligations and restrictions set forth under applicable law (including but not limited to U.S. securities law provisions related to insider trading) and our articles of association, our board of directors shall promptly register such transfer. Further, any director is authorized to confirm in writing addressed to the registered office to authorize a share transfer and to instruct that the register of members be updated accordingly, provided that the transfer complies with the holder’s transfer obligations and restrictions set forth under applicable law and our articles of association and such holder is not the director who authorizes the transfer or an entity affiliated with such director. Any director is authorized to execute a share certificate in respect of such shares for and on behalf of our company.

The registration of transfers may be suspended at such time and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended for more than 45 days in any year.

Liquidation. On a return of capital on winding up or otherwise (other than on conversion, redemption or purchase of shares), assets available for distribution among the holders of ordinary shares may be distributed among the holders of the ordinary shares as determined by the liquidator, subject to sanction of a special resolution of our company. 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 proportionately to the capital paid up, or which ought to have been paid up, at the commencement of the winding up on the shares held by such shareholders respectively.

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 in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid on the specified time are subject to forfeiture.

Redemption of Shares. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Law and our articles of association, we may issue shares on terms that are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders, on such terms and in such manner as our board of directors may determine.

 

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Repurchase of Shares. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Law and our articles of association, our board of directors may authorize repurchase of our shares in accordance with the manner of purchase specified in our articles of association without seeking shareholder approval.

Variations of Rights of Shares. All or any of the special rights attached to any class of shares may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Law, be varied either 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.

Inspection of Books and Records. No holders of our ordinary shares who is not a director shall have any right of inspecting any of our accounts, books or documents except as conferred by the Companies Law or authorized by the directors or by us in general meeting. However, we will make this annual report, which contains our audited financial statements, available to shareholders and ADS holders. See “Item 10.H. Additional Information—Documents on Display.”

Preferred Shares

Our board of directors has the authority, without shareholder approval, to issue up to a total of 10,000,000 shares of preferred shares in one or more series. Our board of directors may establish the number of shares to be included in each such series and may set the designations, preferences, powers and other rights of the shares of a series of preferred shares. While the issuance of preferred shares provides us with flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions or other corporate purposes, it could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control transaction and could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. We have no current plan to issue any preferred shares.

 

C.

Material Contracts

We have not entered into any material contracts other than in the ordinary course of business and other than those described in “Item 4. Information on the Company” or elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F.

 

D.

Exchange Controls

See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Foreign Exchange.”

 

E.

Taxation

The following summary of the material Cayman Islands, People’s Republic of China and United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in our ADSs or ordinary shares is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this annual report, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ADSs or ordinary shares, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.

Cayman Islands Taxation

According to Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands counsel, the Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or brought within, the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties that are applicable to any payments made to or by our company. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.

 

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People’s Republic of China Taxation

If we are considered a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, our shareholders and ADS holders who are deemed non-resident enterprises may be subject to the 10% EIT on the dividends payable by us or any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, if such income is deemed derived from China, provided that (i) such foreign enterprise investor has no establishment or premises in China, or (ii) it has establishment or premises in China but its income derived from China has no real connection with such establishment or premises. Furthermore, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise and relevant PRC tax authorities consider the dividends we pay with respect to our shares or ADSs and the gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs to be income derived from sources within the PRC, it is also possible that such dividends and gains earned by non-resident individuals may be subject to the 20% PRC individual income tax. It is uncertain whether, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise, holders of our shares or ADSs would be able to claim the benefit of tax treaties or arrangements entered into between China and other jurisdictions.

If we are required under the PRC tax law to withhold PRC income tax on our dividends payable to our non-PRC resident shareholders and ADS holders, or if any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs by our non-PRC resident shareholders and ADS holders are subject to the EIT or the individual income tax, your investment in our shares or ADSs could be materially and adversely affected.

United States Federal Income Taxation

The following discussion describes certain U.S. federal income tax considerations under present law of the ownership and disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares. This summary applies only to investors that are U.S. Holders (as defined below) and that hold the ADSs or ordinary shares as capital assets. This discussion is based on the tax laws of the United States as in effect on the date of this annual report on Form 20-F and on U.S. Treasury regulations in effect or, in some cases, proposed, as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, as well as judicial and administrative interpretations thereof available on or before such date. All of the foregoing authorities are subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could affect the tax considerations described below.

The following discussion does not deal with the tax consequences to any particular investor or to persons in special tax situations such as:

 

   

banks;

 

   

financial institutions;

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

broker dealers;

 

   

persons that elect to mark their securities to market;

 

   

tax-exempt entities;

 

   

persons liable for the alternative minimum tax;

 

   

regulated investment companies;

 

   

certain expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;

 

   

governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;

 

   

persons holding an ADS or ordinary share as part of a straddle, hedging, conversion or integrated transaction;

 

   

persons that actually or constructively own 10% or more of our voting shares;

 

   

persons whose functional currency is other than the U.S. dollar; or

 

   

persons who acquired ADSs or ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of any employee share option or otherwise as consideration.

 

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U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors about the application of the U.S. federal tax rules to their particular circumstances as well as the state, local and foreign tax consequences to them of the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares.

The discussion below of the U.S. federal income tax consequences will apply if you are a “U.S. Holder.” You are a “U.S. Holder” if you are the beneficial owner of ADSs or ordinary shares and you are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes,

 

   

a citizen or individual resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation (or other entity subject to tax as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any State or the District of Columbia;

 

   

an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust that (i) is subject to the supervision of a court within the United States and the control of one or more United States persons or (ii) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities that hold the ADSs or ordinary shares, or of persons who hold the ADSs or ordinary shares through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of the ADSs or ordinary shares, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership.

The discussion below assumes that the representations contained in the deposit agreement are true and that the obligations in the deposit agreement and any related agreement will be complied with in accordance with their terms. If you hold ADSs, you will be treated as the holder of the underlying ordinary shares represented by those ADSs for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

This discussion does not address any aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift or estate tax laws, or state, local or non-U.S. tax laws. We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), or an opinion as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court.

Taxation of Dividends and Other Distributions on the ADSs or Ordinary Shares

Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, the gross amount of all our distributions to you with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares will be included in your gross income as dividend income on the date of receipt by the depositary, in the case of ADSs, or by you, in the case of ordinary shares, but only to the extent that the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (computed under U.S. federal income tax principles). Because we do not intend to determine our earnings and profits on the basis of U.S. federal income tax principles, any distribution paid will generally be treated as a “dividend” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends paid by us will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations in respect of dividends received from U.S. corporations.

With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders (including individual U.S. Holders), dividends may be taxed at the lower applicable capital gains rate provided that (i) the ADSs or ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or we are eligible for the benefit of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC, (ii) we are not a passive foreign investment company (as discussed below) for either our taxable year in which the dividend was paid or for the preceding taxable year, (iii) certain holding period requirements are met, and (iv) such non-corporate U.S. Holders are not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. For this purpose, ADSs listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market will generally be considered to be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the availability of the lower rate for dividends paid with respect to our ADSs or ordinary shares.

 

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For U.S. foreign tax credit purposes, dividends paid on the ADSs or ordinary shares generally will be treated as income from foreign sources and generally will constitute passive category income. If PRC withholding taxes apply to dividends paid to you with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares, you may be able to obtain a reduced rate of PRC withholding taxes under the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC if certain requirements are met. In addition, subject to certain conditions and limitations, PRC withholding taxes on dividends may be treated as foreign taxes eligible for credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability. If you do not elect to claim a foreign tax credit, you may instead claim a deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes in respect of such withholding, but only for a year in which you elect to do so for all creditable foreign income taxes. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the creditability of any PRC tax.

Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares

Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, you will recognize gain or loss on any sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of an ADS or ordinary share equal to the difference between the amount realized for the ADS or ordinary share and your tax basis in the ADS or ordinary share. The gain or loss will generally be capital gain or loss. If you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, including an individual U.S. Holder, who has held the ADS or ordinary share for more than one year, you will generally be eligible for reduced tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any such gain or loss that you recognize will generally be treated as U.S. source income or loss for foreign tax credit limitation purposes, which will generally limit the availability of foreign tax credits. However, in the event we are deemed to be a PRC “resident enterprise” under PRC tax law, we may be eligible for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC. In such event, if PRC tax were to be imposed on any gain from the disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares, a U.S. Holder that is eligible for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC may elect to treat such gain as PRC source income. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the creditability of any PRC tax.

Passive Foreign Investment Company

Based on the market price of our ADSs and ordinary shares, the value of our assets, and the composition of our assets and income, we believe that we were not a “passive foreign investment company,” or “PFIC,” for our taxable year ended December 31, 2014 and we do not expect to be a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2015 or for the foreseeable future. However, our PFIC status for the current taxable year ending December 31, 2015 will not be determinable until the close of the taxable year, and, accordingly, there is no guarantee that we will not be a PFIC for the current taxable year (or any future taxable year). A non-U.S. corporation is considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either:

 

   

at least 75% of its gross income is passive income (the “income test”), or

 

   

at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets during a taxable year) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”).

We will be treated as owning our proportionate share of the assets and earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, more than 25% (by value) of the shares.

We must make a separate determination each year as to whether we are a PFIC. As a result, our PFIC status may change. In particular, because the total value of our assets for purposes of the asset test will generally be calculated using the market price of the ADSs and ordinary shares, our PFIC status will depend in large part on the market price of the ADSs and ordinary shares, which may fluctuate considerably. Accordingly, fluctuations in the market price of the ADSs and ordinary shares may result in our being a PFIC for any year. If we are a PFIC for any year during which you hold the ADS or ordinary shares, we will generally continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which you hold such ADS or ordinary shares. However, if we cease to be a PFIC, provided that you have not made a mark-to-market election, as described below, you may avoid some of

 

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the adverse effects of the PFIC regime by making a deemed sale election with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares, as applicable.

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold ADSs or ordinary shares, you will be subject to special tax rules with respect to any “excess distribution” that you receive and any gain you realize from a sale or other disposition (including a pledge) of the ADSs or ordinary shares, unless you make a “mark-to-market” election as discussed below. Distributions you receive in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions you received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares will be treated as an excess distribution. Under these special tax rules:

 

   

the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over your holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares,

 

   

the amount allocated to the current taxable year, and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we became a PFIC, will be treated as ordinary income, and

 

   

the amount allocated to each of the other taxable years would be subject to tax at the highest rate of tax in effect for you for such year and would be increased by an additional tax equal to interest on the resulting tax deemed deferred with respect to each such other taxable year.

The tax liability for amounts allocated to years prior to the year of disposition or “excess distribution” cannot be offset by any net operating losses for such years, and gains (but not losses) realized on the sale of the ADSs or ordinary shares cannot be treated as capital, even if you hold the ADSs or ordinary shares as capital assets.

Alternatively, a U.S. Holder of “marketable stock” (as defined below) in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election for such stock of a PFIC to elect out of the tax treatment discussed in the two preceding paragraphs. If you make a valid mark-to-market election for the ADSs or ordinary shares, you will include in income each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the ADSs or ordinary shares as of the close of your taxable year over your adjusted basis in such ADSs or ordinary shares. You are allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the ADSs or ordinary shares over their fair market value as of the close of the taxable year. Such deductions, however, are allowable only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains on the ADSs or ordinary shares included in your income for prior taxable years. Amounts included in your income under a mark-to-market election, as well as gain on the actual sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares, are treated as ordinary income. Ordinary loss treatment also applies to the deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss on the ADSs or ordinary shares, as well as to any loss realized on the actual sale or disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares, to the extent that the amount of such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included for such ADSs or ordinary shares. Your basis in the ADSs or ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts. If you make such a mark-to-market election, tax rules that apply to distributions by corporations which are not PFICs would apply to distributions by us (except that the lower applicable capital gains rate would not apply).

The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” which is stock that is traded in other than de minimis quantities on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter, or “regularly traded,” on a qualified exchange or other market, as defined in applicable Treasury regulations. We expect that the ADSs will continue to be listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, which is a qualified exchange for these purposes, and, consequently, assuming that the ADSs are regularly traded, if you are a holder of ADSs, it is expected that the mark-to-market election would be available to you were we to become a PFIC.

Because, as a technical matter, a mark-to-market election cannot be made for any lower-tier PFICs that we may own, a U.S. Holder may continue to be subject to the general PFIC rules described above with respect to such U.S. Holder’s indirect interest in any investments held by us that are treated as an equity interest in a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes.

 

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Alternatively, a U.S. Holder may avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to its ADSs and ordinary shares by making a timely “qualified electing fund,” or QEF, election. To comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive certain information from us. Because we do not intend to provide such information, however, such election will not be available to you with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares.

If you hold ADSs or ordinary shares in any year in which we are a PFIC, you will be required to file an annual information report containing such information as the U.S. Treasury may require.

You are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the application of the PFIC rules to your investment in ADSs or ordinary shares.

Medicare Tax

An additional 3.8% tax is imposed on a portion or all of the net investment income of certain individuals with a modified adjusted gross income of over $200,000 (or $250,000 in the case of joint filers or $125,000 in the case of married individuals filing separately) and on the undistributed net investment income of certain estates and trusts. For these purposes, “net investment income” generally includes interest, dividends (including dividends paid with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares), annuities, royalties, rents, net gain attributable to the disposition of property not held in a trade or business (including net gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of an ADS or ordinary share) and certain other income, reduced by any deductions properly allocable to such income or net gain. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of this tax to their income and gains in respect of an investment in the ADSs or ordinary shares.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Dividend payments with respect to ADSs or ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of ADSs or ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply to you, however, if you furnish a correct taxpayer identification number and make any other required certification or that are otherwise exempt from backup withholding. U.S. Holders that are required to establish their exempt status generally must provide such certification on IRS Form W-9. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the application of the U.S. information reporting and backup withholding rules.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding can be credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, and you may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information in a timely manner.

Individual U.S. Holders and certain entities may be required to submit to the IRS certain information with respect to his or her beneficial ownership of the ADSs or ordinary shares, if such ADSs or ordinary shares are not held on his or her behalf by a financial institution. This law also imposes penalties if an individual U.S. Holder is required to submit such information to the IRS and fails to do so.

 

F.

Dividends and Paying Agents

Not applicable.

 

G.

Statement by Experts

Not applicable.

 

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H.

Documents on Display

We previously filed with the SEC our registration statement on Form F-1, as amended and prospectus under the Securities Act of 1933, with respect to our ordinary shares. We have also previously filed with the SEC our registration statement on Form F-3 with respect to the sale of debt securities by our company on a continuous basis, a prospectus under the Securities Act with respect to our issuance of US$1.5 billion senior unsecured notes in two equal tranches, due in 2017 and 2022 with stated interest rates of 2.25% and 3.50%, respectively, a prospectus under the Securities Act with respect to our issuance of US$1.0 billion senior unsecured notes due in 2018 with stated interest rate of 3.25% and a prospectus under the Securities Act with respect to our issuance of US$1.0 billion senior unsecured notes due in 2019 with stated interest rate of 2.75%.

We are subject to the periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act. Under the Exchange Act, we are required to file reports and other information with the SEC. Specifically, we are required to file annually a Form 20-F within four months after the end of each fiscal year, which is December 31. Copies of reports and other information, when so filed, may be inspected without charge and may be obtained at prescribed rates at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information regarding the Washington, D.C. Public Reference Room by calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding registrants that make electronic filings with the SEC using its EDGAR system. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of quarterly reports and proxy statements, and officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

We will furnish The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of our ADSs, with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations and annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, and all notices of shareholders’ meetings and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports and communications available to holders of ADSs and, upon our request, will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’ meeting received by the depositary from us.

In accordance with NASDAQ Stock Market Rule 5250(d), we will post this annual report on Form 20-F on our website at http://ir.baidu.com. In addition, we will provide hardcopies of our annual report free of charge to shareholders and ADS holders upon request.

 

I.

Subsidiary Information

Not applicable.

 

Item 11.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to interest rate risk primarily relates to excess cash invested in short-term instruments with original maturities of less than a year and long-term held-to-maturity securities with maturities of greater than a year. Investments in both fixed rate and floating rate interest earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. Fixed rate securities may have their fair market value adversely impacted due to a rise in interest rates, while floating rate securities may produce less income than expected if interest rates fall. Due in part to these factors, our future investment income may fall short of expectations due to changes in interest rates, or we may suffer losses in principal if we have to sell securities which have declined in market value due to changes in interest rates. We have not been, and do not expect to be, exposed to material interest rate risks, and therefore have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest risk exposure.

 

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We had RMB545.9 million (US$88.0 million) in long-term held-to-maturity investments as of December 31, 2014, with a weighted average duration of approximately 1.43 years. A hypothetical one percentage point (100 basis-point) increase in interest rates would have resulted in a decrease of approximately RMB7.5 million (US$1.2 million) in the fair value of these long-term held-to-maturity investments as of December 31, 2014.

Foreign Exchange Risk

Most of our revenues and costs are denominated in RMB, while a portion of our cash and cash equivalents, short-term financial assets, long-term loans payable and notes payable are denominated in U.S. dollars. Our exposure to foreign exchange risk primarily relates to those financial assets and financial liabilities denominated in U.S. dollars. Any significant revaluation of RMB against the U.S. dollar may materially affect our earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADS in U.S. dollars. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Fluctuation in the value of the RMB may have a material and adverse effect on your investment.” In addition, we commenced operation in Japan in late 2007. To the extent we need to make capital injections into our Japan operation by converting U.S. dollars into Japanese Yen, we will be exposed to the fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese Yen. We have not hedged exposures denominated in foreign currencies using any derivative financial instruments.

The RMB depreciated by 2.43% against the U.S. dollar in 2014. A hypothetical 10% increase in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have resulted in an increase of RMB2.6 billion (US$413.8 million) in the value of our U.S. dollar-denominated long-term loans payable and notes payable at December 31, 2014.

 

Item 12.

Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities

 

A.

Debt Securities

Not applicable.

 

B.

Warrants and Rights

Not applicable.

 

C.

Other Securities

Not applicable.

 

D.

American Depositary Shares

Fees and Charges Our ADS holders May Have to Pay

The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of our ADS program, collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deductions from cash distributions or by directly billing investors or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-attracting services until its fees for those services are paid. The depositary’s corporate trust office at which the ADSs will be administered is located at 101 Barclay Street,

 

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New York, New York 10286. The depositary’s principal executive office is located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286.

 

Persons depositing or withdrawing shares must pay:

  

For:

US$5.00 (or less) per 1,000 ADSs (or portion of 1,000 ADSs)

  

•    Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from a distribution of shares or rights or other property

  

•    Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if the deposit agreement terminates

US$0.02 (or less) per ADS

  

•    Any cash distribution to registered ADS holders

A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed had been shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance of ADSs

  

•    Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited securities which are distributed by the depositary to registered ADS holders

US$0.02 (or less) per ADS per calendar year (if the depositary has not collected any cash distribution fee during that year)

  

•    Depositary services

Expenses of the depositary

  

•    Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided in the deposit agreement)

  

•    Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars

Registration or transfer fees

  

•    Transfer and registration of shares on our share register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or withdraw shares

Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian have to pay on any ADS or share underlying an ADS, for example, stock transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes

  

•    As necessary

Any charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the deposited securities

  

•    As necessary

Fees and Other Payments Made by the Depositary to Us

The depositary has agreed to reimburse us annually for our expenses incurred in connection with investor relationship programs and any other program related to our ADS facility and the travel expense of our key personnel in connection with such programs. The depositary has also agreed to provide additional payments to us based on the applicable performance indicators relating to our ADS facility. 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 necessarily tied to the amount of fees the depositary collects from investors. In 2015, we received approximately US$4.0 million (after tax) reimbursement from the depositary for our expenses incurred in connection with investor relationship programs related to the ADS facility and the travel expense of our key personnel in connection with such programs.

 

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PART II

 

Item 13.

Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies

None.

 

Item 14.

Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds

None.

 

Item 15.

Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report, as required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act.

Based upon that evaluation, our management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2014, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in ensuring that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file and furnish under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Rule 13a-15(c) of the Exchange Act, based on criteria established in the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies and procedures may deteriorate.

Our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, has audited the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, as stated in its report, which appears on page F-3 of this annual report on Form 20-F.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this annual report on Form 20-F that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 16A.

Audit Committee Financial Expert

Our board of directors has determined that Mr. William Decker, an independent director (under the standards set forth in NASDAQ Stock Market Rule 5605(a)(2) and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act) and member of our audit committee, is an audit committee financial expert.

 

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Item 16B.

Code of Ethics

Our board of directors adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers, employees and advisors in July 2005. We have posted a copy of our code of business conduct and ethics on our website at http://ir.baidu.com.

 

Item 16C.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees by categories specified below in connection with certain professional services rendered by Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, our principal external auditors, for the periods indicated.

 

     2013      2014  

Audit fees(1)

   US$ 3,444,858       US$ 3,720,586   

Tax fees(2)

   US$ 46,146       US$ 112,187   

All other fees(3)

   US$ 2,153       US$ 2,128   

 

(1)

“Audit fees” means the aggregate fees billed in each of the fiscal years listed for professional services rendered by our principal auditors for the audit of our annual financial statements and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC. In 2013 and 2014, the audit refers to financial audit and audit pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

(2)

“Tax fees” means the aggregate fees billed in each of the fiscal years listed for professional services rendered by our principal auditors for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning. In 2013 and 2014, the tax fees refer to fees paid to our principal auditors for reviewing the compliance of our tax documentation and providing tax advices.

(3)

“All other fees” means the aggregate fees billed in 2013 and 2014 for our subscription of certain U.S. GAAP reading materials from our principal auditors.

All audit and non-audit services provided by our independent auditors must be pre-approved by our audit committee. Our audit committee has adopted a combination of two approaches in pre-approving proposed services: general pre-approval and specific pre-approval. With general approval, proposed services are pre-approved without consideration of specific case-by-case services; with specific approval, proposed services require the specific pre-approval of the audit committee. Unless a type of service has received general pre-approval, it will require specific pre-approval by our audit committee. Any proposed services exceeding pre-approved cost levels or budgeted amounts will also require specific pre-approval by our audit committee.

All requests or applications for services to be provided by our independent auditors that do not require specific approval by our audit committee will be submitted to our chief financial officer and must include a detailed description of the services to be rendered. The chief financial officer will determine whether such services are included within the list of services that have received the general pre-approval of the audit committee. The audit committee will be informed on a timely basis of any such services. Requests or applications to provide services that require specific approval by our audit committee will be submitted to the audit committee by both our independent auditors and our chief financial officer and must include a joint statement as to whether, in their view, the request or application is consistent with the SEC’s rules on auditor independence.

 

Item 16D.

Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees

Not applicable.

 

Item 16E.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None.

 

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Item 16F.

Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant

Not applicable.

 

Item 16G.

Corporate Governance

NASDAQ Stock Market Rule 5620 requires each issuer to hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of the issuer’s fiscal year-end. However, NASDAQ Stock Market Rule 5615(a)(3) permits foreign private issuers like us to follow “home country practice” in certain corporate governance matters. Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands counsel, has provided a letter to the NASDAQ Stock Market certifying that under Cayman Islands law, we are not required to hold annual shareholder meetings every year. We follow home country practice with respect to annual meetings and did not hold an annual meeting of shareholders in 2014. We may, however, hold annual shareholder meetings in the future if there are significant issues that require shareholders’ approvals.

Other than the annual meeting practice described above, there are no significant differences between our corporate governance practices and those followed by U.S. domestic companies under NASDAQ Stock Market Rules.

 

Item 16H.

Mine Safety Disclosure

Not applicable.

PART III

 

Item 17.

Financial Statements

We have elected to provide financial statements pursuant to Item 18.

 

Item 18.

Financial Statements

The consolidated financial statements of Baidu, Inc., its subsidiaries and its consolidated affiliated entities are included at the end of this annual report.

 

Item 19.

Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    1.1   

Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 17, 2008)

    2.1   

Registrant’s Specimen American Depositary Receipt (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 of the prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 5, 2009 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act)

    2.2   

Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Class A Ordinary Shares (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of Amendment No. 5 to our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 2, 2005)

    2.3   

Form of Deposit Agreement among the Registrant, the depositary and holder of the American Depositary Receipts (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

 

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Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    2.4   

Indenture, dated November 28, 2012 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 28, 2012)

    2.5   

First Supplemental Indenture dated November 28, 2012 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 28, 2012)

    2.6   

Form of 2.250% Notes due 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 28, 2012)

    2.7   

Form of 3.500% Notes due 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 28, 2012)

    2.8   

Second Supplemental Indenture dated August 6, 2013 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2013)

    2.9   

Form of 3.250% Notes due 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2013)

    2.10   

Third Supplemental Indenture dated June 9, 2014 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2014)

    2.11   

Form of 2.750% Notes due 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2014)

    4.1   

2000 Option Plan (amended and restated effective December 16, 2008) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 17, 2008)

    4.2   

2008 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 17, 2008)

    4.3   

Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and the Registrant’s directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.4   

Form of Employment Agreement between the Registrant and an Executive Officer of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.5   

Translation of Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom and the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.6   

Translation of Operating Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.7   

Translation of Software License Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

 

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Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    4.8   

Translation of Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated March 1, 2004 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom and the supplementary agreement dated August 9, 2004 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.8 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.9   

Translation of Proxy Agreement dated August 9, 2004 among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li and Eric Yong Xu (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.9 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.10   

Translation of Equity Pledge Agreement dated March 22, 2005 among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li and Eric Yong Xu (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.10 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.11   

Translation of Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement dated March 22, 2005 among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li and Eric Yong Xu (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.11 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.12   

Translation of Loan Agreement dated as of March 22, 2005 among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li and Eric Yong Xu (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.12 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005) and the Supplementary Agreement among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li, Eric Yong Xu and Haoyu Shen dated January 11, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.16 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.13   

Translation of Form of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney issued by the shareholders of Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.13 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

    4.14   

Translation of the form of Technology Consulting and Services Agreement between Baidu Online and a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.19 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

    4.15   

Translation of the form of Operating Agreement between Baidu Online and a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.20 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

    4.16   

Translation of the form of Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.21 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

    4.17   

Translation of the form of Proxy Agreement among Baidu Online, a consolidated affiliated PRC entity and the shareholders of the consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.22 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

    4.18   

Translation of the form of Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and the shareholder of a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.23 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

 

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Table of Contents

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    4.19   

Translation of the form of Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement between Baidu Online and the shareholder of a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.24 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

    4.20   

Translation of the form of Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and the shareholder of a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.25 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2008)

    4.21   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement dated June 23, 2006 between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal, dated as of April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.25 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.22   

Translation of the Operating Agreement dated June 23, 2006 between Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Jiping Liu and Yazhu Zhang and the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.26 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.23   

Translation of the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated June 23, 2006 between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.27 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.24   

Translation of the Proxy Agreement dated June 23, 2006 among Jiping Liu, Yazhu Zhang and Baidu Online (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.28 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.25*   

Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreements between Baidu Online and Yazhu Zhang, and between Baidu Online and Jiping Liu, both dated January 20, 2015

    4.26*   

Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreements between Baidu Online, Jiping Liu and Beijing Perusal, and between Baidu Online, Yazhu Zhang and Beijing Perusal, both dated January 20, 2015

    4.27   

Translation of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney issued by Jiping Liu and Yazhu Zhang, the shareholders of Beijing Perusal, both dated June 23, 2006 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.31 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.28*   

Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreements between Baidu Online and Jiping Liu and between Baidu Online and Yazhu Zhang, both dated January 20, 2015

    4.29   

Translation of the Technology Consulting and Services Agreement dated February 28, 2008 between Baidu Online and BaiduPay and the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.33 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.30   

Translation of the Operating Agreement dated February 28, 2008 between Baidu Online, BaiduPay, Jun Yu and Baidu Netcom and the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.34 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.31   

Translation of the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated February 28, 2008 between Baidu Online and BaiduPay (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.35 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

 

129


Table of Contents

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    4.32   

Translation of the Proxy Agreement between Zhixiang Liang and Baidu Online, dated April 23, 2012 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.33 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.33*   

Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Zhixiang Liang, dated September 16, 2014

    4.34*   

Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement between Baidu Online, Zhixiang Liang and BaiduPay, dated September 16, 2014

    4.35   

Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Zhixiang Liang, the individual shareholder of BaiduPay, dated April 23, 2012 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.36 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.36*   

Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Zhixiang Liang, dated September 16, 2014

    4.37   

Translation of the supplementary agreements, dated March 11, 2010 and April 22, 2010 to the Software License Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.48 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.38   

Translation of the supplementary agreement dated March 1, 2010 to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated March 1, 2004 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom and the supplementary agreement dated August 9, 2004 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.50 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.39   

Translation of the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 to the Operating Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.51 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.40   

Translations of the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 to the Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement dated March 22, 2005 among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li and Eric Yong Xu (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.53 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)

    4.41   

Translation of the supplementary agreement by and among Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Jiping Liu and Yazhu Zhang dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.55 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.42   

Translation of Loan Agreement dated February 10, 2006 between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.63 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.43   

Translation of Loan Agreement dated March 6, 2008 between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.64 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.44   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Loan Agreement by and among Robin Yanhong Li, Baidu Netcom and Baidu Online dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.65 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

 

130


Table of Contents

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    4.45   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Software License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated January 30, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.68 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.46   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated January 30, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.69 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.47   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement by and among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li, Haoyu Shen and Zhan Wang dated August 26, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.72 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.48   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement by and among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li, Haoyu Shen and Zhan Wang dated August 26, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.73 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.49   

Translation of the Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated December 1, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.74 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.50   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement by and among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li and Zhan Wang dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.75 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.51   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to the Amended and Restated Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement and its Supplementary Agreement among Baidu Online, Robin Yanhong Li, Haoyu Shen, Baidu Netcom and Zhan Wang dated August 26, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.76 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.52   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to the Operating Agreement and its Supplementary Agreement among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li, Haoyu Shen and Zhan Wang dated August 26, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.77 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.53   

Translation of the Proxy Agreement among Robin Yanhong Li, Zhan Wang and Baidu Online dated August 26, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.78 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.54   

Translation of Supplementary Agreement among Baidu Online, BaiduPay, Baidu Netcom and Hu Cai dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.79 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.55   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement between Baidu Online and BaiduPay dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.80 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)

    4.56   

Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and BaiduPay dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.74 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

 

131


Table of Contents

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    4.57   

Translation of Domain Name License Termination Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated December 31, 2012 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.78 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.58   

Translation of Domain Name License Termination Confirmation between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal dated December 31, 2012 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.79 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.59   

Translation of Trademark License Termination Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated February 1, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.80 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.60   

Translation of Trademark License Termination Agreement between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal dated February 1, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.81 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.61   

Translation of Trademark License Termination Agreement between Baidu Online and BaiduPay dated February 1, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.82 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.62   

Translation of Domain Name License Termination Agreement between Baidu Online and BaiduPay dated December 31, 2012 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.83 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2013)

    4.63   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.64 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.64   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Software License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.65 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.65   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal dated August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.66 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.66   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and BaiduPay dated August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.67 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.67   

Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li and Zhan Wang dated March 1, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.68 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.68   

Transaction Framework Agreement, dated May 7, 2013, by and among PPStream Inc., Qiyi.com, Inc. and other parties thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.69 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.69   

Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 14, 2013, between Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, Baidu (Hong Kong) Sub Limited and 91 Wireless Websoft Limited (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.70 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

 

132


Table of Contents

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

    4.70   

Term Loan Facility Agreement between Baidu, Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation dated July 24, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.71 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.71   

Term Loan Facility Agreement between Baidu, Inc. and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Hong Kong Branch) dated August 13, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.72 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)

    4.72*   

Loan Agreement between Baidu, Inc. and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch dated December 9, 2014

    4.73*   

Loan Agreement between Baidu, Inc. and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch dated December 9, 2014

    8.1*   

List of Principal Subsidiaries and Consolidated Affiliated Entities

  11.1   

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.14 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)

  12.1*   

Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

  12.2*   

Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

  13.1**   

Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

  13.2**   

Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

  15.1*   

Consent of Maples and Calder

  15.2*   

Consent of Han Kun Law Offices

  15.3*   

Consent of Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP

101.INS*   

XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH*   

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL*   

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF*   

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB*   

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE*   

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

*

Filed herewith

**

Furnished herewith

 

133


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing its annual report on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.

 

Baidu, Inc.

By:

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Name: Robin Yanhong Li

Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Date: March 27, 2015

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

     Page(s)  

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2 – F-3   

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013 and 2014

     F-4   

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

     F-5   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

     F-6 – F-7   

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

     F-8   

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-9 – F-58   

 

F-1


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Baidu, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Baidu, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Baidu, Inc. at December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Baidu, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated March 27, 2015 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP

Beijing, The People’s Republic of China

March 27, 2015

 

F-2


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Baidu, Inc.

We have audited Baidu, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). Baidu, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, Baidu, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Baidu, Inc. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 of Baidu, Inc., and our report dated March 27, 2015 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP

Beijing, The People’s Republic of China

March 27, 2015

 

F-3


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in thousands of U.S. Dollars (“US$”), except for number of shares and per share data)

 

      December 31,  
  Notes   2013   2014   2014  
      RMB   RMB   US$  

ASSETS

       

Current assets:

       

Cash and cash equivalents

      9,691,797        13,852,725        2,232,654   

Restricted cash

      259,533        413,010        66,565   

Short-term investments

    4        28,734,761        43,818,037        7,062,186   

Accounts receivable, net of allowance of RMB43,814 and RMB93,877 (US$15,130) for 2013 and 2014, respectively

    5        2,220,846        3,664,447        590,602   

Deferred tax assets, net

    12        286,844        684,952        110,394   

Amounts due from related parties

    19        104        50        8   

Other current assets, net

    6        1,835,265        3,407,427        549,177   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

      43,029,150        65,840,648        10,611,586   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-current assets:

       

Fixed assets, net

    7        5,370,268        8,705,364        1,403,050   

Intangible assets, net

    8        3,630,315        3,574,359        576,082   

Goodwill

    8        16,864,350        17,418,895        2,807,416   

Long-term investments, net

    4        634,777        2,878,922        463,998   

Deferred tax assets, net

    12        97,940        259,127        41,764   

Amounts due from related parties

    19        370,916        —          —     

Other non-current assets

      988,072        984,193        158,622   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-current assets

      27,956,638        33,820,860        5,450,932   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

      70,985,788        99,661,508        16,062,518   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

       

Current liabilities (including amounts of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to the primary beneficiaries of RMB4,031,176 and RMB9,813,366 (US$1,581,628) as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively):

    1         

Short-term loans

    10        —          93,000        14,989   

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

    9        7,362,138        12,964,893        2,089,562   

Customer advances and deposits

      2,977,872        4,296,440        692,460   

Deferred revenue

      226,599        164,809        26,562   

Deferred income

      77,287        518,543        83,574   

Long-term loans, current portion

    10        343,625        2,167,405        349,322   

Amounts due to related parties

    19        398        8,385        1,351   

Capital lease obligation

      44,907        57,346        9,242   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

      11,032,826        20,270,821        3,267,062   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities (including amounts of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to the primary beneficiaries of RMB975,793 and RMB781,835 (US$126,009) as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively):

    1         

Deferred income

      376,491        39,626        6,387   

Long-term loans

    10        2,112,359        1,860,000        299,778   

Notes payable

    11        15,116,990        21,647,023        3,488,867   

Deferred tax liabilities

    12        1,200,270        1,143,821        184,350   

Amounts due to related parties

    19        373,227        8        1   

Capital lease obligation

      40,999        50,079        8,071   

Other non-current liabilities

      67,376        144,542        23,296   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-current liabilities

      19,287,712        24,885,099        4,010,750   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

      30,320,538        45,155,920        7,277,812   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingencies

    14         

Redeemable noncontrolling interests

    15        —          1,894,502        305,338   

Equity

       

Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.00005 per share, 825,000,000 shares authorized, and 27,492,452 shares and 27,613,315 shares issued and outstanding as at December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively

    16        12        12        2   

Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.00005 per share, 35,400,000 shares authorized, and 7,537,921 shares and 7,492,921 shares issued and outstanding as at December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively

    16        3        3        —     

Additional paid-in capital

      3,056,418        3,633,919        585,682   

Retained earnings

    16        34,525,386        47,659,772        7,681,361   

Accumulated other comprehensive income

    16        843,096        231,923        37,379   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Baidu, Inc. shareholders’ equity

      38,424,915        51,525,629        8,304,424   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Noncontrolling interests

      2,240,335        1,085,457        174,944   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity

      40,665,250        52,611,086        8,479,368   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity

      70,985,788        99,661,508        16,062,518   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-4


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in thousands of U.S. Dollars (“US$”), except for number of shares and per share (or ADS) data)

 

            For the Years Ended December 31,  
     Notes      2012     2013     2014     2014  
            RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  

Revenues:

           

Online marketing services

        22,245,643        31,802,219        48,495,215        7,816,010   

Others

        60,383        141,705        557,103        89,789   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues

  22,306,026      31,943,924      49,052,318      7,905,799   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating costs and expenses:

Cost of revenues

  (6,448,545   (11,471,839   (18,885,450   (3,043,781

Selling, general and administrative

  (2,501,336   (5,173,533   (10,382,142   (1,673,298

Research and development

  (2,304,825   (4,106,832   (6,980,962   (1,125,127
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating costs and expenses

  (11,254,706   (20,752,204   (36,248,554   (5,842,206
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating profit

  11,051,320      11,191,720      12,803,764      2,063,593   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other income:

Interest income

  866,465      1,308,542      1,992,818      321,184   

Interest expense

  (107,857   (447,084   (628,571   (101,307

Foreign exchange (loss) income, net

  (4,533   (48,379   75,780      12,214   

Loss from equity method investments

  (294,229   (5,806   (26,952   (4,344

Others, net

  454,271      186,023      257,704      41,534   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other income, net

  914,117      993,296      1,670,779      269,281   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

  11,965,437      12,185,016      14,474,543      2,332,874   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income taxes

  12      (1,574,159   (1,828,930   (2,231,172   (359,599
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

  10,391,278      10,356,086      12,243,371      1,973,275   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

  64,750      162,880      943,698      152,097   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

  10,456,028      10,518,966      13,187,069      2,125,372   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share for Class A and Class B ordinary shares:

  17   

Basic

  298.62      299.75      374.60      60.37   

Diluted

  298.29      299.32      373.15      60.14   

Earnings per ADS (1 Class A ordinary share equals 10 ADSs):

  17   

Basic

  29.86      29.98      37.46      6.04   

Diluted

  29.83      29.93      37.32      6.01   

Weighted average number of Class A and Class B ordinary shares outstanding

Basic

  34,939,838      34,986,228      35,062,466      35,062,466   

Diluted

  34,979,459      35,036,346      35,198,474      35,198,474   

Other comprehensive income (loss):

  16   

Foreign currency translation adjustment

  (6,100   190,322      (445,710   (71,835

Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale investments, net of reclassification

  11,391      668,372      (145,310   (23,420
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax

  5,291      858,694      (591,020   (95,255
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Comprehensive income

  10,396,569      11,214,780      11,652,351      1,878,020   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

  65,584      225,560      923,545      148,848   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Comprehensive income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

  10,462,153      11,440,340      12,575,896      2,026,868   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-5


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in thousands of U.S. Dollars (“US$”))

 

     For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  

Cash flows from operating activities:

        

Net income

     10,391,278        10,356,086        12,243,371        1,973,275   

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash generated from operating activities:

        

Depreciation of fixed assets and computer parts

     1,281,336        1,702,140        2,223,907        358,429   

Gain on disposal of fixed assets

     (2,783     (16,051     (24,395     (3,932

Amortization of intangible assets and licensed copyrights

     234,001        949,850        1,748,387        281,789   

Deferred income tax, net

     (59,030     330,636        (693,448     (111,764

Share-based compensation

     212,309        514,727        962,740        155,166   

(Reversal of) provision for doubtful accounts

     (847     39,137        77,472        12,486   

Investment income

     (745,526     (1,100,054     (1,929,192     (310,930

Net gain from step-acquisition and settlement of pre-existing relationship

     (486,339     —          (75,229     (12,125

Assets impairment

     169,180        24,197        95,049        15,319   

Loss from equity method investments

     294,229        5,806        26,952        4,344   

Gain on disposal of a subsidiary

     (15,238     —          —          —     

Other noncash (income) expense

     (57,544     19,186        32,435        5,228   

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:

        

Restricted cash

     85,429        (151,435     (51,077     (8,232

Accounts receivable

     (338,602     (773,787     (1,462,086     (235,645

Other assets

     (10,664     (1,303,334     (1,628,737     (262,505

Amounts due from related parties

     (794,508     (54     370,970        59,790   

Customer advances and deposits

     489,769        866,620        1,313,806        211,747   

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

     778,003        2,005,559        5,028,890        810,509   

Deferred revenue

     31,416        122,347        (61,790     (9,959

Deferred income

     199,785        199,272        104,391        16,825   

Amounts due to related parties

     340,340        2,123        (365,241     (58,866
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash generated from operating activities

  11,995,994      13,792,971      17,937,175      2,890,949   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

Acquisition of fixed assets

  (2,310,860   (2,756,629   (4,827,163   (777,997

Acquisition of computer parts

  (28,901   (12,194   (4,302   (693

Proceeds from disposal of fixed assets

  6,785      18,476      20,422      3,291   

Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (Note 3)

  (820,526   (13,201,126   (328,891   (53,008

Acquisition of intangible assets

  (190,303   (909,717   (1,563,746   (252,030

Capitalization of software costs

  (36,315   (2,448   —        —     

Purchases of held-to-maturity investments

  (26,368,017   (30,441,279   (55,356,781   (8,921,893

Sales and maturities of held-to-maturity investments

  19,351,949      29,562,045      37,449,747      6,035,804   

Purchases of available-for-sale investments

  (6,774,500   (53,921,661   (78,033,523   (12,576,721

Sales and maturities of available-for-sale investments

  3,477,463      48,947,811      81,931,252      13,204,921   

Purchases of other long-term investments

  (58,666   (350,361   (1,777,331   (286,454

Sales of long-term investments

  —        —        22,362      3,604   

Cash distribution of long-term investments

  2,811      4,143      180      29   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

  (13,749,080   (23,062,940   (22,467,774   (3,621,147
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-6


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)

(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in thousands of U.S. Dollars (“US$”))

 

    For the Years Ended December 31,  
    2012     2013     2014     2014  
    RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  

Cash flows from financing activities:

       

Restricted cash

    —          —          (102,400     (16,504

Proceeds from issuance of subsidiaries’ shares

    100,460        1,397,283        1,846,819        297,653   

Payments to acquire subsidiaries’ shares from noncontrolling interests

    (1,020     (259,879     (622,961     (100,403

Proceeds from short-term loans

    —          —          92,432        14,897   

Repayment of short-term loans

    (124,602     (47,200     —          —     

Proceeds from long-term loans

    355,499        2,144,450        1,807,646        291,339   

Repayment of long-term loans

    (140,000     (2,144,450     (347,659     (56,033

Payment of dividends by a subsidiary

    —          —          (337,964     (54,470

Proceeds from issuance of notes payable

    9,334,777        6,111,200        6,188,232        997,362   

Payment of capital lease obligation

    (27,124     (36,629     (72,817     (11,736

Payment of debt issuance costs

    (37,099     (39,400     (32,216     (5,192

Proceeds from exercise of share options

    56,974        156,307        192,848        31,081   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash generated from financing activities

  9,517,865      7,281,682      8,611,960      1,387,994   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

  (11,629   (200,548   79,567      12,824   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

  7,753,150      (2,188,835   4,160,928      670,620   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year

  4,127,482      11,880,632      9,691,797      1,562,034   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year

  11,880,632      9,691,797      13,852,725      2,232,654   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosures:

Interests paid

  38,027      302,055      592,759      95,535   

Income taxes paid

  1,641,853      1,656,513      2,798,040      450,962   

Non-cash investing and financing activities:

Capital lease obligation

  56,220      45,554      94,336      15,204   

Acquisition of fixed assets included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities

  332,473      787,154      1,131,870      182,424   

Acquisition of other non-current assets included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities

  39,165      40,303      39,437      6,356   

Non-cash acquisitions of investments

  705,281      —        75,229      12,125   

Non-cash acquisitions of subsidiaries

  338,447      —        —        —     

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-7


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in thousands of U.S. Dollars (“US$”), except for number of shares)

 

    Attributable to Baidu, Inc.     Noncontrolling
interests
    Total
shareholders’
equity
 
    Ordinary shares     Additional paid-in
capital
    Retained
earnings
    Accumulated other
comprehensive
income (loss)
     
    Number of shares     Amount            
          RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB  

Balances at December 31, 2011

    34,914,117        15        1,771,770        13,604,334        (84,403     97,819        15,389,535   

Net income

    —          —          —          10,456,028        —          (8,946     10,447,082   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

    —          —          —          —          6,125        (144     5,981   

Business combination

    —          —          —          —          —          32,507        32,507   

Change of a subsidiary’s noncontrolling interests

    —          —          —          —          —          (1,259     (1,259

Acquisition of a subsidiary’s shares from noncontrolling shareholders

    —          —          (1,499     —          —          478        (1,021

Disposal of a subsidiary

    —          —          —          —          —          5,253        5,253   

Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests

    —          —          —          (22,143     —          —          (22,143

Exercise of share-based awards

    51,593        —          54,171        —          —          —          54,171   

Share-based compensation

    —          —          196,360        —          —          905        197,265   

Issuance of subsidiary shares

    —          —          74,471        —          —          —          74,471   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balances at December 31, 2012

    34,965,710        15        2,095,273        24,038,219        (78,278     126,613        26,181,842   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

    —          —          —          10,518,966          (101,023     10,417,943   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

    —          —          —          —          921,374        (7,260     914,114   

Business combination

    —          —          —          —          —          427,813        427,813   

Acquisition of subsidiaries’ redeemable shares from noncontrolling shareholders

    —          —          (138,439     —          —          —          (138,439

Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests

    —          —          —          (31,799     —          —          (31,799

Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests

    —          —          —          —          —          888,934        888,934   

Exercise of share-based awards

    64,663        —          165,403        —          —          850        166,253   

Share-based compensation

    —          —          485,185        —          —          20,468        505,653   

Issuance of subsidiary shares

    —          —          448,996        —          —          883,940        1,332,936   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balances at December 31, 2013

    35,030,373        15        3,056,418        34,525,386        843,096        2,240,335        40,665,250   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

    —          —          —          13,187,069        —          (943,698     12,243,371   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

    —          —          —          —          (611,173     20,153        (591,020

Business combination

    —          —          —          —          —          150,000        150,000   

Acquisition of subsidiaries’ shares from noncontrolling shareholders

    —          —          (406,285     —          —          (216,676     (622,961

Dividends distribution by a subsidiary

    —          —          —          —          —          (337,964     (337,964

Exercise of share-based awards

    75,863        —          184,815        —          —          8,033        192,848   

Share-based compensation

    —          —          798,971        —          —          160,274        959,245   

Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests

    —          —          —          (52,683     —          —          (52,683

Issuance of subsidiary shares

    —          —          —          —          —          5,000        5,000   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balances at December 31, 2014

    35,106,236        15        3,633,919        47,659,772        231,923        1,085,457        52,611,086   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balances at December 31, 2014, in US$

      2        585,682        7,681,361        37,379        174,944        8,479,368   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-8


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

1.    ORGANIZATION, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Baidu, Inc. (“Baidu” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands on January 18, 2000.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company has subsidiaries incorporated in countries and jurisdictions including the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), Hong Kong, Japan, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (“BVI”). As of December 31, 2014, the Company also effectively controls a number of variable interest entities (“VIE”) through the Primary Beneficiaries, as defined below. The VIEs include:

 

 

Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd. (“Baidu Netcom”), controlled through Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“Baidu Online”), one of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries;

 

 

Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Perusal”), controlled through Baidu Online; and

 

 

Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (“BaiduPay”), controlled through Baidu Online; and

 

 

Other VIEs controlled through Primary Beneficiaries other than Baidu Online.

The Company, its subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Group”. The Group offers internet search solutions and online marketing solutions, operates an online payment platform which enables users to make payments online, develops and markets scalable web/mobile application software and provides related services, conducts online advertising business in connection with online video contents broadcasting, provides mobile application distribution services, offers online game services and provides group buying services. The Group’s principal geographic market is in the PRC. The Company does not conduct any substantive operations of its own, but conducts its primary business operations through its subsidiaries and VIEs in the PRC.

PRC laws and regulations prohibit or restrict foreign ownership of internet content, advertising, and audio and video services. To comply with these foreign ownership restrictions, the Group operates its websites and primarily provides services subject to such restriction in the PRC through the VIEs, the PRC legal entities that were established or whose equity shares were held by the individuals authorized by the Group. The paid-in capital of the VIEs was mainly funded by the Group through loans extended to the authorized individuals who were the shareholders of the VIEs. The Group has entered into proxy agreements or power of attorney and exclusive equity purchase option agreement with the VIEs and nominee shareholders of the VIEs through the Group’s subsidiaries (“Primary Beneficiaries”), which give the Primary Beneficiaries the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the VIEs and to acquire the equity interests in the VIEs when permitted by the PRC laws, respectively. Certain exclusive agreements have been entered into with the VIEs through the Primary Beneficiaries or their wholly-owned subsidiaries in the PRC, which obligate the Primary Beneficiaries to absorb a majority of the risk of loss from the VIEs’ activities and entitle the Primary Beneficiaries to receive a majority of their residual returns. In addition, the Group has entered into certain agreements with the shareholders of the VIEs through the Primary Beneficiaries or their wholly-owned subsidiaries in the PRC, including loan agreements for the paid-in capital of the VIEs and share pledge agreements for the equity interests in the VIEs held by the shareholders of the VIEs.

Despite the lack of technical majority ownership, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between the Primary Beneficiaries and the VIEs through the aforementioned agreements with the shareholders of the VIEs. The shareholders of the VIEs effectively assigned all of their voting rights underlying their equity interest in the VIEs to the Primary Beneficiaries. In addition, through the other exclusive agreements, which consist of

 

F-9


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

operating agreements, technology consulting and services agreements and license agreements, the Primary Beneficiaries, by themselves or their wholly-owned subsidiaries in the PRC, demonstrate their ability and intention to continue to exercise the ability to absorb substantially all of the profits and all of the expected losses of the VIEs. The VIEs are subject to operating risks, which determine the variability of the Company’s interest in those entities. Based on these contractual arrangements, the Company consolidates the VIEs as required by SEC Regulation S-X Rule 3A-02 and Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) topic 810 (“ASC 810”), Consolidation, because the Company holds all the variable interests of the VIEs through the Primary Beneficiaries.

The principal terms of the agreements entered into amongst the VIEs, their respective shareholders and the Primary Beneficiaries are further described below.

Loan Agreements

Pursuant to loan agreements amongst the shareholders of Baidu Netcom and Baidu Online, Baidu Online provided interest-free loans with an aggregate amount of RMB100.0 million to the shareholders of Baidu Netcom solely for the latter to fund the capitalization of Baidu Netcom. The loans can be repaid only with the proceeds from sale of the shareholders’ equity interest in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online or its designated person. The terms of the loan agreements will expire on February 9, 2016 at the earliest and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before its expiration.

Each of the loan agreements amongst Baidu Online and the respective shareholders of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those described above, except that the amount of the loans extended to the respective shareholders is RMB20.0 million and RMB31.5 million, respectively. The term of the loan agreements will expire on July 31, 2024 and September 15, 2024, respectively, and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before its expiration.

Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement

Pursuant to the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement amongst the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Netcom and Baidu Online, the shareholders of Baidu Netcom irrevocably granted Baidu Online or its designated person(s) an exclusive option to purchase, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of the equity interests in Baidu Netcom for the cost of the initial contributions to the registered capital or the minimum amount of consideration permitted by applicable PRC law. The shareholders should remit to Baidu Online any amount that is paid by Baidu Online or its designated person(s) in connection with the purchased equity interest. Baidu Online or its designated person(s) have sole discretion to decide when to exercise the option, whether in part or in full. Any and all dividends and other capital distributions from Baidu Netcom to its shareholders should be paid to Baidu Online in full amount. Baidu Online would provide unlimited financial support to Baidu Netcom if, in the normal operation of business, Baidu Netcom would become in need of any form of reasonable financial support. If Baidu Netcom were to incur any loss and as a result cannot repay any loans from Baidu Online, Baidu Online should unconditionally forgive any such loans to Baidu Netcom given that Baidu Netcom provides sufficient proof for its loss and incapacity to repay. The agreement will terminate when the shareholders of Baidu Netcom have transferred all their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online or its designated person(s) or upon expiration of the term of business of Baidu Online or Baidu Netcom.

Each of the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreements amongst Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal, BaiduPay and their respective shareholders contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the agreements will terminate upon the shareholders of Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay have transferred all their equity interests in Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay, as the case may be, to Baidu Online or its designated person(s) or upon expiration of the term of business of Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Proxy Agreement/Power of Attorney

Pursuant to the proxy agreement between Baidu Online and the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the shareholders of Baidu Netcom agreed to entrust all the rights to exercise their voting power to the person(s) designated by Baidu Online. The shareholders of Baidu Netcom have each executed an irrevocable power of attorney to appoint the person(s) designated by Baidu Online as their attorney-in-fact to vote on their behalf on all matters requiring shareholder approval. The proxy agreement would be in effect for an unlimited term unless terminated in writing by Baidu Online earlier. The power of attorney would be in effect for as long as the shareholders of Baidu Netcom hold any equity interests in Baidu Netcom.

Each of the proxy agreements amongst Baidu Online and the shareholders of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the proxy agreements will be in effect for an unlimited term unless terminated in writing by Baidu Online. Each of the powers of attorney will be in effect for as long as the shareholder of Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay holds any equity interests in Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay, as the case may be.

Operating Agreement

Pursuant to the operating agreement amongst Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom and the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online provides guidance and instructions on Baidu Netcom’s daily operations and financial affairs. Baidu Online has the power to appoint senior executives of Baidu Netcom. The shareholders of Baidu Netcom must appoint the candidates recommended by Baidu Online as their representatives on Baidu Netcom’s board of directors. In addition, Baidu Online agrees to guarantee Baidu Netcom’s performance under any agreements or arrangements relating to Baidu Netcom’s business arrangements with any third party. In return, Baidu Netcom agrees that without the prior consent of Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom will not engage in any transactions that could materially affect the assets, liabilities, rights or operations of Baidu Netcom, including, without limitation, incurrence or assumption of any indebtedness, sale or purchase of any assets or rights, incurrence of any encumbrance on any of its assets or intellectual property rights in favor of a third party or transfer of any agreements relating to its business operation to any third party. The agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of Baidu Online or Baidu Netcom expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

Each of the operating agreements amongst Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal, BaiduPay and their respective shareholders contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the agreements will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal or BaiduPay expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement

Pursuant to the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online has the exclusive right to provide to Baidu Netcom technology consulting and services related to, among other things, the maintenance of servers, software development, design of advertisements, and e-commerce technical services. Baidu Online owns the intellectual property rights resulting from the performance of this agreement. Baidu Netcom pays a monthly service fee to Baidu Online based upon a pre-agreed formula as defined in the agreement. Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion without the consent of Baidu Netcom. The agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

Each of the exclusive technology consulting and services agreements between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal and between Baidu Online and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those described above, except for the

 

F-11


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

formula calculating the service fees. Baidu Netcom and Beijing Perusal should pay Baidu Online a monthly service fee equal to the product of the standard monthly fee for page view per thousand times multiplied by the actual times of page view for the month divided by 1,000; and the agreement between Baidu Online and BaiduPay does not provide a formula to calculate the quarterly fee, as BaiduPay has yet to achieve profitability. Each of the agreements will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.

License Agreements

Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom entered into a software license agreement, a trademark license agreement, a domain name license agreement and a web layout copyright license agreement (collectively, the “License Agreements”). Pursuant to the License Agreements between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online has granted to Baidu Netcom the right to use (including but not limited to) a software license, a web layout copyright license, a trademark license and a domain name. Baidu Netcom may only use the licenses in its own business operations. Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion. The software license agreement and web layout copyright license agreement were renewed since their original expiration and would be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities. The domain name license agreement was terminated in 2012 as Baidu Online transferred the relevant domain names to Baidu Netcom. The trademark license agreement was terminated in February 2013 after Baidu Online transferred its trademarks (including pending trademark applications) to Baidu Netcom.

Baidu Online entered into a trademark license agreement, a domain name license agreement and a web layout copyright license agreement with both Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay. Each of the license agreements between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal and between Baidu Online and BaiduPay contains the same terms as those described above. Each of the web layout copyright license agreements was renewed since original expiration and would be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities. Each of the domain name license agreement was terminated in 2012 as Baidu Online transferred the relevant domain names to Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay. Each of the trademark license agreement was terminated in February 2013 after Baidu Online transferred its trademarks (including pending trademark applications) to Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay.

Equity Pledge Agreement

Pursuant to the equity pledge agreement between Baidu Online and the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the shareholders of Baidu Netcom pledged all of their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online to guarantee their obligations under the loan agreement and Baidu Netcom’s performance of its obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement. If Baidu Netcom or its shareholders breach their respective contractual obligations, Baidu Online, as the pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. The shareholders of Baidu Netcom agreed not to dispose of the pledged equity interests or take any actions that would prejudice Baidu Online’s interest. The equity pledge agreement will expire two years after expiration of the term or the fulfillment by Baidu Netcom and its shareholders of their respective obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement and the loan agreement.

Each of the equity pledge agreements amongst Baidu Online and the respective shareholders of Beijing Perusal and BaiduPay contains the same terms, including term period, as those described above.

Each equity pledge is perfected by registration with relevant local administration for industry and commerce which is required for a property right under the PRC Property Rights Law.

 

F-12


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Through the design of the aforementioned agreements, the shareholders of the VIEs effectively assigned their full voting rights to Baidu Online, which gives Baidu Online the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance. Baidu Online obtains the ability to approve decisions made by the VIEs and the ability to acquire the equity interests in the VIEs when permitted by PRC law. Baidu Online is obligated to absorb a majority of the expected losses from the VIEs’ activities through providing unlimited financial support to the VIEs and is entitled to receive a majority of residual returns from the VIEs through the exclusive technology consulting and service fees. As a result of these contractual agreements, Baidu Online is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIEs. Despite the lack of technical majority ownership, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between the Company and the VIEs through these contractual agreements, and the Company consolidates the VIEs through Baidu Online.

There are similar agreements entered into by Primary Beneficiaries besides Baidu Online with their VIEs and the respective shareholders, which resulted in a parent-subsidiary relationship between the Company and these VIEs.

In the opinion of the Company’s legal counsel, (i) the ownership structure of the Company and its VIEs is in compliance with existing PRC laws and regulations; (ii) the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their shareholders are valid, binding and enforceable, and will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect; and (iii) the Group’s business operations are in compliance with existing PRC laws and regulations in all material respects.

However, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could cause the Company’s current ownership structure to be found in violation of any existing and/or future PRC laws or regulations and could limit the Company’s ability, through the Primary Beneficiaries, to enforce its rights under these contractual arrangements. Furthermore, shareholders of the VIEs may have interests that are different with those of the Company, which could potentially increase the risk that they would seek to act in contrary to the terms of the aforementioned agreements.

In addition, if the current structure or any of the contractual arrangements were found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC law, the Company may be subject to penalties, which may include but not be limited to, the cancellation or revocation of the Company’s business and operating licenses, being required to restructure the Company’s operations or discontinue the Company’s operating activities. The imposition of any of these or other penalties may result in a material and adverse effect on the Company’s ability to conduct its operations. In such case, the Company may not be able to operate or control the VIEs, which may result in deconsolidation of the VIEs.

 

F-13


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The following tables set forth the assets, liabilities and results of operations of the VIEs and their subsidiaries included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and statements of comprehensive income:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Assets

        

Current

        

Cash and cash equivalents

     1,510,320         2,250,298         362,682   

Accounts receivable, net

     1,373,443         2,744,793         442,380   

Others

     1,607,462         3,665,314         590,741   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  4,491,225      8,660,405      1,395,803   

Non-current

Fixed assets, net

  1,350,852      1,796,162      289,489   

Others

  1,301,383      2,157,922      347,794   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  2,652,235      3,954,084      637,283   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

  7,143,460      12,614,489      2,033,086   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Third-party liabilities

Current

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

  2,944,821      6,073,083      978,803   

Customer advances and deposits

  801,626      802,362      129,317   

Others

  284,729      2,937,921      473,508   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  4,031,176      9,813,366      1,581,628   

Non-current

  975,793      781,835      126,009   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

  5,006,969      10,595,201      1,707,637   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Inter-company liabilities

Inter-company payable to subsidiaries for technology consulting and service fees

  1,578,759      1,479,423      238,440   

Others

  510,821      889,530      143,366   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

  2,089,580      2,368,953      381,806   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands)  

Total revenues

     6,429,099        9,040,058        13,166,712        2,122,089   

Net income (loss)

     143,626        (248,664     (352,125     (56,752

Net cash provided by operating activities

     1,399,892        1,354,802        1,392,039        224,356   

Net cash used in investing activities

     (1,033,164     (1,303,612     (2,430,505     (391,726

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

     (88,971     595,132        1,778,444        286,633   

As of December 31, 2014, there was no pledge or collateralization of the VIEs’ assets. The amount of the net liabilities of the VIEs was RMB349.67 million (US$56.36 million) as of December 31, 2014. The creditors of the VIEs’ third-party liabilities did not have recourse to the general credit of the Primary Beneficiaries in normal

 

F-14


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

course of business. The Company did not provide or intend to provide financial or other supports not previously contractually required to the VIEs during the years presented.

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company, its subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs. All inter-company transactions and balances between the Company, its subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs are eliminated upon consolidation. The Company has included the results of operations of acquired businesses from the respective dates of acquisition.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Management evaluates estimates, including those related to the accounts receivable allowances, fair values of options to purchase the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ ordinary shares, fair values of certain debt and equity investments, amortization of certain licensed copyright, impairment of long-lived assets, long-term investments and goodwill, the purchase price allocation and fair value of noncontrolling interests with respect to business combinations, and deferred tax valuation allowance, among others. Management bases the estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Comparative Information

Certain items in the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation to facilitate comparison.

Currency Translation for Financial Statements Presentation

Translations of amounts from RMB into US$ for the convenience of the reader have been calculated at the exchange rate of RMB6.2046 per US$1.00 on December 31, 2014, the last business day in fiscal year 2014, as published on the website of the United States Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars at such rate.

2.    SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Foreign Currency

The Company’s functional currency is the US$. The Company’s subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs determine their functional currencies based on the criteria of ASC topic 830 (“ASC 830”), Foreign Currency Matters. The Company uses the RMB as its reporting currency. The Company uses the average exchange rate for

 

F-15


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

the year and the exchange rate at the balance sheet date to translate its operating results and financial position, respectively. Any translation gains (losses) are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing on the transaction dates. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date. Exchange gains and losses are included in earnings as a component of other income.

Segment Reporting

In accordance with ASC topic 280 (“ASC 280”), Segment Reporting, the Company’s chief operating decision makers rely upon consolidated results of operations when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Company; hence, the Company has only one single operating segment. The Company does not distinguish between markets or segments for the purpose of internal reporting.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for its business combinations using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with ASC topic 805 (“ASC 805”), Business Combinations. The purchase method of accounting requires that the consideration transferred to be allocated to the assets, including separately identifiable assets and liabilities the Company acquired, based on their estimated fair values. The consideration transferred in an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the fair values at the date of exchange of the assets given, liabilities incurred, and equity instruments issued as well as the contingent considerations and all contractual contingencies as of the acquisition date. The costs directly attributable to the acquisition are expensed as incurred. Identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired or assumed are measured separately at their fair value as of the acquisition date, irrespective of the extent of any noncontrolling interests. The excess of (i) the total of cost of acquisition, fair value of the noncontrolling interests and acquisition date fair value of any previously held equity interest in the acquiree over (ii) the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the acquiree, is recorded as goodwill. If the cost of acquisition is less than the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognized directly in earnings.

In a business combination achieved in stages, the Company remeasures its previously held equity interest in the acquiree immediately before obtaining control at its acquisition-date fair value and the re-measurement gain or loss, if any, is recognized in earnings.

The determination and allocation of fair values to the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests is based on various assumptions and valuation methodologies requiring considerable judgment from management. The most significant variables in these valuations are discount rates, terminal values, the number of years on which to base the cash flow projections, as well as the assumptions and estimates used to determine the cash inflows and outflows. The Company determines discount rates to be used based on the risk inherent in the related activity’s current business model and industry comparisons. Terminal values are based on the expected life of assets, forecasted life cycle and forecasted cash flows over that period.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value, and primarily consist of cash and investments in interest bearing demand deposit accounts, time deposits, highly liquid investments and money market funds. All time deposits, money market funds and other highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase are classified as cash equivalents.

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Restricted cash

Restricted cash mainly consists of the cash reserved in escrow accounts for the remaining payments in relation to compensation for postcombination services, cash collateral for repayment of short-term loans (Note 10), as well as the cash balances deposited by users or customers of the Group that were held for designated purposes.

The cash balances deposited by users or customers of the Group for certain businesses are considered restricted because they cannot be used for the operations of the Group or any other purposes not designated by the users or customers. The deposited balance is included in the Group’s bank accounts until being used for the designated purposes or withdrawn by the users or customers.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recognized and carried at original invoiced amount less an allowance for any potential uncollectible amounts. An estimate for doubtful debts is made when collection of the full amount is no longer probable. Bad debts are written off as incurred. The Company generally does not require collateral from its customers.

The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the failure of customers to make payments on time. The Company reviews the accounts receivable on a periodic basis and makes general and specific allowances when there is doubt as to the collectability of individual balances. In evaluating the collectability of individual receivable balances, the Company considers many factors, including the age of the balance, the customer’s payment history, its current credit-worthiness and current economic trends.

Receivables from Online Payment Agencies

Receivables from online payment agencies are cash due from the third-party online payment service providers for clearing transactions. The cash was paid or deposited by customers or users through these online payment agencies for services provided by the Company. The Company carefully considers and monitors the credit worthiness of the third-party payment service providers used. An allowance for doubtful accounts is recorded in the period in which a loss is determined to be probable. Receivable balances are written off after all collection efforts have been exhausted. As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, no allowance for doubtful accounts was provided for the receivables from online payment agencies.

Investments

Short-term investments

All highly liquid investments with original maturities of greater than three months, but less than 12 months, are classified as short-term investments. Investments that are expected to be realized in cash during the next 12 months are also included in short-term investments. The Company accounts for short-term investments in accordance with ASC topic 320 (“ASC 320”), Investments – Debt and Equity Securities. The Company classifies the short-term investments in debt and equity securities as “held-to-maturity”, “trading” or “available-for-sale”, whose classification determines the respective accounting methods stipulated by ASC 320. Dividend and interest income, including amortization of the premium and discount arising at acquisition, for all categories of investments in securities are included in earnings. Any realized gains or losses on the sale of the short-term investments are determined on a specific identification method, and such gains and losses are reflected in earnings during the period in which gains or losses are realized.

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The securities that the Company has positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity securities and stated at amortized cost. For individual securities classified as held-to-maturity securities, the Company evaluates whether a decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis is other-than-temporary in accordance with the Company’s policy and ASC 320. When the Company intends to sell an impaired debt security or it is more-likely-than-not that it will be required to sell prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, an other-than-temporary impairment is deemed to have occurred. In these instances, the other-than-temporary impairment loss is recognized in earnings equal to the entire excess of the debt security’s amortized cost basis over its fair value at the balance sheet date of the reporting period for which the assessment is made. When the Company does not intend to sell an impaired debt security and it is more-likely-than-not that it will not be required to sell prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, the Company must determine whether or not it will recover its amortized cost basis. If the Company concludes that it will not, an other-than-temporary impairment exists and that portion of the credit loss is recognized in earnings, while the portion of loss related to all other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income.

The securities that are bought and held principally for the purpose of selling them in the near term are classified as trading securities. Unrealized holding gains and losses for trading securities are included in earnings.

Investments not classified as trading or as held-to-maturity are classified as available-for-sale securities. Available-for-sale investment is reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Realized gains or losses are included in earnings during the period in which the gain or loss is realized. An impairment loss on the available-for-sale securities would be recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income when the decline in value is determined to be other-than-temporary.

Long-term investments

The Company’s long-term investments consist of cost method investments, equity method investments, held-to-maturity investments with original and remaining maturities of greater than 12 months, and available-for-sale investments.

In accordance with ASC subtopic 325-20 (“ASC 325-20”), Investments-Other: Cost Method Investments, for investments in an investee over which the Company does not have significant influence and which do not have readily determinable fair value, the Company carries the investment at cost and only adjusts for other-than-temporary declines in fair value and distributions of earnings that exceed the Company’s share of earnings since its investment. Management regularly evaluates the impairment of the cost method investments based on performance and financial position of the investee as well as other evidence of market value. Such evaluation includes, but is not limited to, reviewing the investee’s cash position, recent financing, projected and historical financial performance, cash flow forecasts and financing needs. An impairment loss is recognized in earnings equal to the excess of the investment’s cost over its fair value at the balance sheet date of the reporting period for which the assessment is made. The fair value would then become the new cost basis of investment.

Investments in entities in which the Company can exercise significant influence but does not own a majority equity interest or control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting in accordance with ASC topic 323 (“ASC 323”), Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures. Under the equity method, the Company initially records its investment at cost and the difference between the cost of the equity investee and the fair value of the underlying equity in the net assets of the equity investee is recognized as equity method goodwill, which is included in the equity method investment on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company subsequently adjusts the carrying amount of the investment to recognize the Company’s proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss into earnings after the date of investment. The Company will discontinue applying the equity

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

method if an investment (and additional financial supports to the investee, if any) has been reduced to zero. Under the conditions that the Company is not required to advance additional funds to an investee and the equity-method investment in ordinary shares is reduced to zero, if further investments are made that have a higher liquidation preference than ordinary shares, the Company would recognize the loss based on its percentage of the investment with the same liquidation preference, and the loss would be applied to those investments of a lower liquidation preference first before being further applied to the investments of a higher liquidation preference. The Company evaluates the equity method investments for impairment under ASC 323. An impairment loss on the equity method investments is recognized in earnings when the decline in value is determined to be other-than-temporary.

Long-term held-to-maturity investments and available-for-sale investments are measured in the same manner as short-term held-to-maturity investments.

Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments are in the form of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments, accounts receivable, amounts due from and due to related parties, other receivables, long-term investments, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, customer advances and deposits, derivative instruments, capital lease obligation, notes payable and long-term loans. The carrying amounts of these financial instruments, except for long-term cost method investments, long-term equity method investments, long-term available-for-sale investments, long-term held-to-maturity investments, derivative instruments, notes payable and long-term loans, approximate their fair values because of their generally short maturities. Available-for-sale investments and derivative instruments were adjusted to fair value at each reporting date. The carrying amounts of long-term held-to-maturity investments and long-term loans approximate their fair values due to the fact that the related interest rates approximate the rates currently offered by financial institutions for similar debt instruments of comparable maturities. Based on the quoted market price as of December 31, 2014, the fair value of the notes payable was RMB21.81 billion (US$3.52 billion) (Note 21).

Research, Development and Computer Software

Capitalization of software developed for internal use

The Company has capitalized certain internal use software development costs in accordance with ASC subtopic 350-40 (“ASC 350-40”), Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Internal-Use Software, amounting to RMB38.13 million, RMB2.68 million and nil for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. The Company capitalizes certain costs relating to software acquired, developed, or modified solely to meet the Company’s internal requirements and for which there are no substantive plans to market the software. These costs mainly include payroll and payroll-related costs for employees who are directly associated with and who devote time to the internal-use software projects during the application development stage. Capitalized internal-use software costs are included in “intangible assets, net”. The amortization expense for capitalized software costs amounted to RMB19.72 million, RMB31.65 million and RMB28.24 million (US$4.55 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. The unamortized amount of capitalized internal use software development costs was RMB41.48 million and RMB13.24 million (US$2.13 million) as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Research and development expenses

Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related costs. The Company has expensed substantially all development costs incurred in the research and development of new products and new functionality added to the existing products except for certain internal use software development costs.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the term of the related lease, as follows:

 

Office building

– 45 years

Office building related facility, machinery and equipment

– 15 years

Computer equipment

– 3 or 5 years

Office equipment

– 3 or 5 years

Vehicles

– 5 years

Leasehold improvements

– over the shorter of lease terms or estimated useful lives of the assets

Fixed assets have no estimated residual value except for the office building and its related facility, machinery and equipment, which have an estimated residual value of 4% of the cost.

Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred, whereas the cost of renewals and betterments that extend the useful life of fixed assets are capitalized as additions to the related assets. Retirements, sales and disposals of assets are recorded by removing the cost and accumulated depreciation from the asset and accumulated depreciation accounts with any resulting gain or loss reflected in earnings.

All direct and indirect costs that are related to the construction of fixed assets and incurred before the assets are ready for their intended use are capitalized as construction in progress. Construction in progress is transferred to specific fixed assets items and depreciation of these assets commences when they are ready for their intended use.

Interest costs are capitalized if they are incurred during the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset and such costs could have been avoided if expenditures for the assets have not been made. Capitalization of interest costs commences when the activities to prepare the asset are in progress and expenditures and borrowing costs are being incurred. Interest costs are capitalized until the assets are ready for their intended use. Interest costs capitalized for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were insignificant.

Licensed copyrights of video content

The current and non-current portions of licensed copyrights of video content are recorded in “Other current assets, net” or “Intangible assets, net”, respectively, at the lower of amortized cost or net realizable value. In accordance with ASC topic 920 (“ASC 920”), Entertainment-Broadcasters, costs incurred in purchased copyrights of video content are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the license period or projected useful life of the video content. Any licensed copyrights that do not meet the criteria to be recorded are included in the commitments disclosure. The Company amortizes the licensed copyrights in “Cost of revenues” on an accelerated or on a straight line basis, as appropriate. If expectations of the usefulness of a video content are revised downward, the unamortized cost is written down to the estimated net realizable value. A write-down from unamortized cost to a lower estimated net realizable value establishes a new cost basis.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill

The Company assesses goodwill for impairment in accordance with ASC subtopic 350-20 (“ASC 350-20”), Intangibles – Goodwill and Other: Goodwill, which requires that goodwill to be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually and more frequently upon the occurrence of certain events, as defined by ASC 350-20.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Subsequent to the acquisitions in 2011 and thereafter, there were segment managers who regularly review operating results of certain acquired entities and the rest of the Group, which constitute three separate reporting units as of December 31, 2013 and 2014.

The Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step test in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-08 (“ASU 2011-08”), Testing Goodwill for Impairment. If the Company believes, as a result of the qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the two-step quantitative impairment test described above is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. In the qualitative assessment, the Company considers primary factors such as industry and market considerations, overall financial performance of the reporting unit, and other specific information related to the operations. In performing the two-step quantitative impairment test, the first step compares the carrying amount of the reporting unit to the fair value of the reporting unit based on either quoted market prices of the ordinary shares or estimated fair value using a combination of the income approach and the market approach. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the reporting unit, goodwill is not impaired and the Company is not required to perform further testing. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then the Company must perform the second step of the impairment test in order to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. The fair value of the reporting unit is allocated to its assets and liabilities in a manner similar to a purchase price allocation in order to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill. If the carrying amount of the goodwill is greater than its implied fair value, the excess is recognized as an impairment loss.

In 2014, the Company performed a qualitative assessment for the reporting unit other than the certain acquired entities. Based on the requirements of ASU 2011-08, the Company evaluated all relevant factors, weighed all factors in their entirety and concluded that it was not more-likely-than-not the fair value was less than the carrying amount of the this reporting unit, and further impairment testing on goodwill was unnecessary as of December 31, 2014. The Company elected to assess goodwill for impairment using the two-step process at two reporting units, representing the aforementioned acquired entities. The fair value of the two reporting units exceeded their respective carrying amount, and therefore goodwill related to these two reporting units were not impaired and the Company was not required to perform further testing.

Intangible assets

Intangible assets with finite lives are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Land use rights are amortized using a straight-line method over the shorter of their estimated economic lives or the terms of related land use right contracts. All other intangible assets with finite lives are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated economic lives.

Intangible assets have weighted average economic lives from the date of purchase as follows:

 

Land use rights

– 50 years

Customer relationships

– 5.5 years

Software

– 4.2 years

Trademarks

– 9.8 years

User list

– 3.4 years

Licensed copyrights of video contents

– 3.4 years

Others

– 5.9 years

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are not amortized and are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that they might be impaired in accordance with ASC subtopic 350-30 (“ASC 350-30”), Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: General Intangibles Other than Goodwill.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Other Than Goodwill

The Company evaluates long-lived assets, such as fixed assets and purchased or internally developed intangible assets with finite lives, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC topic 360 (“ASC 360”), Property, Plant and Equipment. When such events occur, the Company assesses the recoverability of the assets group based on the undiscounted future cash flow the assets group is expected to generate and recognizes an impairment loss when estimated undiscounted future cash flow expected to result from the use of the assets group plus net proceeds expected from disposition of the assets group, if any, is less than the carrying value of the assets group. If the Company identifies an impairment, the Company reduces the carrying amount of the assets group to its estimated fair value based on a discounted cash flow approach or, when available and appropriate, to comparable market values. The Company uses estimates and judgments in its impairment tests and if different estimates or judgments had been utilized, the timing or the amount of any impairment charges could be different. Asset groups to be disposed of would be reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell, and no longer depreciated. The assets and liabilities of a disposal group classified as held for sale would be presented separately in the appropriate asset and liability sections of the consolidated balance sheets.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue based on the following principles:

Performance-based online marketing services

Cost-per-click

The Company’s auction-based pay-for-performance (“P4P”) platform enables a customer to place its website link and related description on the Company’s search result list on the website which could be accessed through personal computer or mobile devices. Customers make bids on keywords based on how much they are willing to pay for each click to their listings in the search results listed on the Company’s website and the relevance between the keywords and the customer’s businesses. Internet users’ search of the keyword will trigger the display of the listings. The ranking of the customer’s listing depends on both the bidding price and the listing’s relevance to the keyword searched. Customer pays the Company only when a user clicks on one of its website links. Other than the auction-based P4P platform, the Company has certain vertical platforms from which it generates revenue through pre-determined prices per click. Revenue is recognized when a user clicks on one of the customer-sponsored website links, as there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement, the fee is fixed or determinable and collection is reasonably assured, as prescribed by ASC topic 605 (“ASC 605”), Revenue Recognition.

For certain customers engaged through direct sales, the Company may provide certain value-added consultative support services to help its customers to better utilize its online marketing system. Fees for such services are recognized as revenue on a pro-rata basis over the contracted service period.

Other performance-based online marketing services

To the extent the Company provides online marketing services based on performance criteria other than cost-per-lick, such as the number of successful reservation of hotels or issuance of air tickets, the number of downloads

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

(and user registration) of mobile applications, the number of incremental end users and the total incremental revenue generated, revenue is recognized when the specified performance criteria are met together with satisfaction of other applicable revenue recognition criteria as prescribed by ASC 605.

Display-based online advertising services

For display-based online advertising services such as text links, banners, icons or other forms of graphical advertisements in the websites or mobile applications, the Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 605, on a pro-rata basis over the contractual term for cost per time advertising arrangements commencing on the date the customer’s advertisement is displayed on a specified webpage or mobile applications, or on the number of times that the advertisement has been displayed for cost per thousand impressions advertising arrangements. For certain display-based contractual agreements, the Company may also provide certain performance guarantees, in which cases revenue is recognized at the later of the completion of the time commitment or performance guarantee.

Online game services and other revenue sharing services

The Company operates online game platforms on which registered users can access games provided by third-party game developers. The Company also operates mobile platforms on which users can access smartphone related products such as themes, wallpapers and e-books developed and owned by third-party content providers. The rights and obligations of each party to the arrangement indicate that the Company is acting as an agent whereas the game developer or the content provider is the principal as a result of being the primary obligor in the arrangement in accordance with ASC subtopic 605-45 (“ASC 605-45”), Revenue Recognition: Principal Agent Consideration. The Company recognizes the shared revenue from these online promotional services, on a net basis, based on the ratios pre-determined with the online game developers or content providers when all the revenue recognition criteria set forth in ASC 605 are met, which is generally when the user purchases virtual currencies issued by the game developers or purchases contents developed by the content providers.

Group buying services

The Company generates revenue from group buying services as a marketing agent by offering goods and services provided by third-party merchant partners at a discount through the website or mobile application that connects merchants to consumers. The Company presents revenue on a net basis, representing the amount billed to registered users less the amount paid to merchants, in accordance with ASC 605-45. The Company acts as an agent rather than as the principal in the delivery of the products or services as it does not assume the risks and rewards of ownership of products nor is it responsible for the actual fulfillment of services. Both of these are the responsibilities of the merchants. The Company recognizes revenue when all of the criteria prescribed in ASC 605 are met, which is generally when the merchants provide the services or when the products are delivered to the customers. Since the Company’s paying users have the ability to request for full refund before redemption for the products or services offered by the merchants, the underlying sale from which the Company earns the related commission revenue as an agent is not culminated until its paying users actually redeem.

Online marketing services involving Baidu Union

Baidu Union is the program through which the Company expands distribution of its customers’ sponsored links or advertisements by leveraging traffic of the Baidu Union members’ internet properties. The Company makes payments to Baidu Union members for acquisition of traffic. The Company recognizes gross revenue for the amount of fees it receives from its customers. Payments made to Baidu Union members are included in cost of revenues as traffic acquisition costs.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Barter transactions

The Company engages in barter transactions from time to time and in such situations follows the guidance set forth in ASC topic 845 (“ASC 845”), Nonmonetary Transactions. While nonmonetary transactions are generally recorded at fair value, if such value is not determinable within reasonable limits, or the transaction lacks commercial substance, or the transaction is an exchange of a product or property held for sale in the ordinary course of business for a product or property to be sold in the same line of business to facilitate sales to customers other than the parties to the exchange, the transaction is recognized based on the carrying value of the product or services provided. The Company also engages in certain advertising barter transactions and follows the guidance set forth in ASC subtopic 605-20 (“ASC 605-20”), Revenue Recognition: Services. The advertising barter transactions generally are recorded at fair value. If the fair value of the advertising surrendered in the barter transaction is not determinable within required limits, the barter transaction is recorded based on the carrying amount of the advertising surrendered, which likely to be zero. The amount of revenues recognized for barter transactions was insignificant for each of the years presented.

Other revenue recognition related policies

In accordance with ASC subtopic 605-25 (“ASC 605-25”), Revenue Recognition: Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements, for arrangements that include multiple deliverables, primarily for advertisements to be displayed in different spots, placed under different forms and occur at different time, the Company allocates the total consideration of the arrangements based on their relative selling price, with the selling price of each deliverable determined using vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) of selling price, third-party evidence (“TPE”) of selling price, or management’s best estimate of the selling price (“BESP”). The Company considers all reasonably available information in determining the BESP, including both market and entity-specific factors.

The Company delivers some of its online marketing services to end customers through engaging third-party distributors. In this context, the Company may provide cash incentives to distributors. The cash incentives are accounted for as reduction of revenue in accordance with ASC subtopic 605-50 (“ASC 605-50”), Revenue Recognition: Customer Payments and Incentives.

The Company provides sales incentives to customers to entitle customers to receive reductions in the price of the online marketing services by meeting certain cumulative consumption requirements. The Company accounts for these award credits granted to members in conjunction with a current sale of products or services as a multiple-element arrangement by analogy to ASC 605-25. The consideration allocated to the award credits, as deferred revenue, is based on an assumption that the customer will purchase the minimum amount of future service necessary to obtain the maximum award credits available. The deferred revenue is recognized as revenue proportionately as the future services are delivered to the customer or when the award credits expire.

Cash received in advance from customers is recorded as customer advances and deposits. The unused cash balances remaining in the customers’ accounts are included as liabilities of the Company. Deferred revenue is recorded when services are provided before the other revenue recognition criteria set forth in ASC 605 are fulfilled.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues consists primarily of sales taxes (including business tax and output value-added tax) and surcharges, traffic acquisition costs, bandwidth costs, depreciation, content costs, payroll and related costs of operations.

The Company incurs sales taxes and surcharges in connection with the provision of online marketing services, technical and consultative service fees charged by its subsidiaries to VIEs and other taxable services in the PRC.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

In accordance with ASC 605-45, the Company includes the sales tax and surcharges incurred on its online marketing revenues in cost of revenues. The sales tax and surcharges in cost of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were RMB1.57 billion, RMB2.33 billion and RMB3.60 billion (US$579.85 million), respectively. Traffic acquisition costs represent the amounts paid or payable to Baidu Union members who direct search queries to the Company’s websites or distribute the Company’s customers’ paid links through their properties. These payments are primarily based on revenue sharing arrangements under which the Company pays its Baidu Union members and other business partners a percentage of the fees it earns from its online marketing customers.

Advertising Expenses

Advertising expenses, primarily advertisements through various forms of media, are included in “Selling, general and administrative expense” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income and are expensed when incurred. Advertising expenses for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were RMB326.83 million, RMB191.61 million and RMB385.06 million (US$62.06 million), respectively.

Government Subsidies

Government subsidies primarily consist of financial subsidies received from provincial and local governments for operating a business in their jurisdictions and compliance with specific policies promoted by the local governments. There are no defined rules and regulations to govern the criteria necessary for companies to receive such benefits, and the amount of financial subsidy is determined at the discretion of the relevant government authorities. For the government subsidies with non-operating nature and with no further conditions to be met, the amounts are recorded as non-operating income in “Other income, net” when received; whereas for the government subsidies with certain operating conditions, the amounts are recorded as liabilities when received and will be recorded as operating income when the conditions are met.

Leases

Leases have been classified as either capital or operating leases. Leases that transfer substantially all the benefits and risks incidental to the ownership of assets are accounted for as capital leases as if there was an acquisition of an asset and incurrence of an obligation at the inception of the lease. All other leases are accounted for as operating leases wherein rental payments are expensed as incurred.

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes income taxes under the liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized for differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities at enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records a valuation allowance against the amount of deferred tax assets that it determines is not more-likely-than-not to be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company applies the provisions of ASC topic 740 (“ASC 740”), Income Taxes, in accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. ASC 740 clarified the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by prescribing the recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements. The Company has elected to classify interest and penalties related to an uncertain tax position (if and when required) as part of income tax expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the amounts of unrecognized tax benefits as well as interest and penalties associated with uncertainty in income taxes were insignificant.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Share-based Compensation

The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC topic 718 (“ASC 718”), Compensation-Stock Compensation. The Company has elected to recognize share-based compensation using the straight-line method for all share-based awards issued with no performance conditions. For awards with performance conditions, compensation cost is recognized on an accelerated basis if it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved.

Forfeitures have been estimated based on historical experience and are periodically reviewed. Cancellation of an award accompanied by the concurrent grant of a replacement award is accounted for as a modification of the terms of the cancelled award (“modification awards”). The compensation costs associated with the modification awards are recognized if either the original vesting condition or the new vesting condition has been achieved. Such compensation costs will not be less than the grant-date fair value of the original award. The incremental compensation cost is measured as the excess of the fair value of the replacement award over the fair value of the cancelled award at the cancellation date. Therefore, in relation to the modification awards, the Company recognizes share-based compensation over the vesting periods of the new options, which comprises, (i) the amortization of the incremental portion of share-based compensation over the remaining vesting term and (ii) any unrecognized compensation cost of original award, using either the original term or the new term, whichever results in higher expenses for each reporting period.

The Company accounts for share awards issued to non-employees in accordance with the provisions of ASC subtopic 505-50 (“ASC 505-50”), Equity: Equity-based payments to Non-Employees. The Company uses the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model method to measure the value of options granted to non-employees at each vesting date to determine the appropriate charge to share-based compensation. ASC 718 requires share-based compensation to be presented in the same manner as cash compensation rather than as a separate line item.

Earnings Per Share (“EPS”)

The Company computes earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary shares in accordance with ASC topic 260 (“ASC 260”), Earnings Per Share, using the two-class method. Under the provisions of ASC 260, basic net income per share is computed using the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period except that it does not include unvested ordinary shares subject to repurchase or cancellation. The Company accounts for the accretion of the redeemable noncontrolling interests in the calculation of income available to ordinary shareholders of the Company used in the earnings per share calculation.

Diluted net income per share is computed using the weighted average number of ordinary shares and, if dilutive, potential ordinary shares outstanding during the period. Potentially dilutive securities have been excluded from the computation of diluted net income per share if their inclusion is anti-dilutive. Potential ordinary shares consist of the incremental ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options, restricted shares subject to forfeiture, and contracts that may be settled in the Company’s stock or cash. The dilutive effect of outstanding stock options and restricted shares is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the treasury stock method. The computation of the diluted net income per share of Class A ordinary shares assumes the conversion of Class B ordinary shares, while the diluted net income per share of Class B ordinary shares does not assume the conversion of such shares.

The liquidation and dividend rights of the holders of the Company’s Class A and Class B ordinary shares are identical, except with respect to voting rights. As a result, and in accordance with ASC 260, the undistributed earnings for each year are allocated based on the contractual participation rights of the Class A and Class B

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

ordinary shares as if the earnings for the year had been distributed. As the liquidation and dividend rights are identical, the undistributed earnings are allocated on a proportionate basis. Further, as the conversion of Class B ordinary shares is assumed in the computation of the diluted net income per share of Class A ordinary shares, the undistributed earnings are equal to net income for that computation.

For the purposes of calculating the Company’s basic and diluted earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary shares, the ordinary shares relating to the options that were exercised are assumed to have been outstanding from the date of exercise of such options.

Contingencies

The Company records accruals for certain of its outstanding legal proceedings or claims when it is probable that a liability will be incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company evaluates, on a quarterly basis, developments in legal proceedings or claims that could affect the amount of any accrual, as well as any developments that would make a loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable. The Company discloses the amount of the accrual if it is material.

When a loss contingency is not both probable and estimable, the Company does not record an accrued liability but discloses the nature and the amount of the claim, if material. However, if the loss (or an additional loss in excess of the accrual) is at least reasonably possible, then the Company discloses an estimate of the loss or range of loss, if such estimate can be made and material, or states that such estimate is immaterial if it can be estimated but immaterial, or discloses that an estimate cannot be made. The assessments of whether a loss is probable or reasonably possible, and whether the loss or a range of loss is estimable, often involve complex judgments about future events. Management is often unable to estimate the loss or a range of loss, particularly where (i) the damages sought are indeterminate, (ii) the proceedings are in the early stages, or (iii) there is a lack of clear or consistent interpretation of laws specific to the industry-specific complaints among different jurisdictions. In such cases, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such matters, including eventual loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any.

Concentration of Risks

Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments, accounts receivable, amounts due from related parties and long-term held-to-maturity investments. As of December 31, 2014, the Company has RMB58.63 billion (US$9.45 billion) in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and long-term held-to-maturity investments, 86.37% and 13.63% of which are held by financial institutions in the PRC and international financial institutions outside of the PRC, respectively. The Company’s total cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and long-term held-to-maturity investments held at China Merchants Bank and Bank of China exceeded 10%, representing 31.26% and 17.54% of the Company’s total cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and long-term held-to-maturity investments as of December 31, 2014, respectively.

PRC state-owned banks, such as Bank of China, are subject to a series of risk control regulatory standards, and PRC bank regulatory authorities are empowered to take over the operation and management when any of those faces a material credit crisis. The Company does not foresee substantial credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments held at the PRC state-owned banks. Meanwhile, China

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

does not have an official deposit insurance program, nor does it have an agency similar to what was the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the U.S. In the event of bankruptcy of one of the financial institutions in which the Company has deposits or investments, it may be unlikely to claim its deposits or investments back in full. The Company selected reputable international financial institutions with high rating rates to place its foreign currencies. The Company regularly monitors the rating of the international financial institutions to avoid any potential defaults. There has been no recent history of default in relation to these financial institutions.

Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and derived from revenue earned from customers and agents in China, which are exposed to credit risk. The risk is mitigated by credit evaluations the Company performs on its customers and its ongoing monitoring process of outstanding balances. The Company maintains reserves for estimated credit losses and these losses have generally been within its expectations.

Amounts due from related parties are typically unsecured, interest-free and repayable on demand. In evaluating the collectability of the amounts due from related parties balance, the Company considers many factors, including the related parties’ repayment history and their credit-worthiness. An allowance for doubtful accounts is made when collection of the full amount is no longer probable.

Business and economic risks

The Company participates in a dynamic high technology industry and believes that changes in any of the following areas could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s future financial position, results of operations or cash flows: changes in the overall demand for services and products; changes in business offerings; competitive pressures due to new entrants; advances and new trends in new technologies and industry standards; changes in bandwidth suppliers; changes in certain strategic relationships or customer relationships; regulatory considerations; copyright regulations; and risks associated with the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees necessary to support its growth.

No customer or any Baidu Union member generated greater than 10% of total revenues in any of the years presented.

The Company’s operations could be adversely affected by significant political, economic and social uncertainties in the PRC.

Currency convertibility risk

Substantially all of the Company’s businesses are transacted in RMB, which is not freely convertible into foreign currencies. All foreign exchange transactions take place either through the Bank of China or other banks authorized to buy and sell foreign currencies at the exchange rates quoted by the People’s Bank of China. Approval of foreign currency payments by the People’s Bank of China or other regulatory institutions requires submitting a payment application form together with suppliers’ invoices, shipping documents and signed contracts.

Foreign currency exchange rate risk

The functional currency and the reporting currency of the Company are the US$ and RMB, respectively. The Company’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk primarily relates to cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and notes payable denominated in the US$. On June 19, 2010, the People’s Bank of China

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

announced the end of the RMB’s de facto peg to the US$, a policy which was instituted in late 2008 in the face of the global financial crisis, to further reform the RMB exchange rate regime and to enhance the RMB’s exchange rate flexibility. On March 15, 2014, the People’s Bank of China announced the widening of the daily trading band for RMB against US$. The appreciation of the US$ against RMB was approximately 2.49% in 2014. Most of revenues and costs of the Company are denominated in RMB, while a portion of cash and cash equivalents and short-term financial assets are denominated in U.S. dollars. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially and adversely affect the Company’s cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, the ADS in US$.

Derivative Instruments

ASC topic 815 (“ASC 815”), Derivatives and Hedging, requires all contracts which meet the definition of a derivative to be recognized on the balance sheet as either assets or liabilities and recorded at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments are either recognized periodically in earnings or in other comprehensive income depending on the use of the derivative and whether it qualifies for hedge accounting. Changes in fair values of derivatives not qualified as hedges are reported in earnings. The estimated fair values of derivative instruments are determined at discrete points in time based on the relevant market information. These estimates are calculated with reference to the market rates using industry standard valuation techniques. The fair value of the derivative instruments held by the Company was insignificant for all years presented.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”), Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, and requires entities to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the consolidated financial statements.

3.    BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

Business Combinations in 2014:

During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company completed several business combinations, which the Company expects to complement its existing businesses and achieve significant synergies. The acquired entities were considered insignificant, both individually and in aggregate. The results of the acquired entities’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since their respective dates of acquisition.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The Company has completed the valuations necessary to assess the fair values of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the fair value of noncontrolling interests, resulting from which the amount of goodwill was determined and recognized as of the respective acquisition dates. The following table summarizes the estimated aggregate fair values of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed and the noncontrolling interests as of the respective dates of acquisition:

 

     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands)  

Purchase consideration

     398,410        64,212   

Net assets acquired, excluding intangible assets and the related deferred tax liabilities

     (95,961     (15,466

Intangible assets, net

     249,452        40,204   

Deferred tax liabilities, noncurrent

     (67,945     (10,951

Pre-existing equity interests

     (91,677     (14,776

Noncontrolling interests

     (150,000     (24,175

Goodwill

     554,541        89,376   

Goodwill, which is not tax deductible, is primarily attributable to the synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisitions.

Neither the results of operations since the acquisition dates nor the pro forma results of operations of the acquirees were presented because the effects of these business combinations, individually and in the aggregate, were not significant to the Company’s consolidated results of operations.

The valuations used in the purchase price allocation described above were determined by the Company with the assistance of independent third party valuation firms. The valuation reports considered generally accepted valuation methodologies such as the income, market and cost approaches. As the acquirees are all private companies, the fair value estimates of pre-existing equity method investments or noncontrolling interests are based on significant inputs that market participants would consider, which mainly include (a) discount rates, (b) a projected terminal values based on EBITDA, (c) financial multiples of companies in the same industries and (d) adjustments for lack of control or lack of marketability.

Business Combinations in 2013:

Acquisition of 91 Wireless

On October 1, 2013, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding ordinary shares of 91 Wireless Websoft Limited (“91 Wireless”), a leading Chinese mobile application marketplaces and mobile games operator, with which the Company expects to enhance its ability and market share in mobile online marketing business. The results of 91 Wireless’s operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since October 1, 2013.

Among the total purchase consideration, US$1.83 billion was paid upon the consummation of the acquisition and US$10.00 million was deposited in an escrow account in case of any breach of the representations and warranties made upon the acquisition or indemnifiable loss incurred, if any, such as claims, damages or penalties. The escrowed amount will be released and transferred to the original shareholders after a period of 18 months from the acquisition date. The remaining of the consideration represents the settlement of the pre-existing relationships between the Company and 91 Wireless, which was insignificant.

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The Company has completed the valuations necessary to assess the fair values of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, resulting from which the amount of goodwill was determined and recognized as of the acquisition date. The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of October 1, 2013, the date of acquisition:

 

     RMB  
     (In thousands)  

Purchase consideration

     11,196,235   

Net assets acquired, excluding intangible assets and the related deferred tax liabilities

     483,341   

Intangible assets, net

     1,146,300   

Deferred tax liabilities, noncurrent

     (278,346

Goodwill

     9,844,940   

Goodwill, which is not tax deductible, is primarily attributable to synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisition. The synergies are mainly attributable to the enhancement of the Company’s leading position on the rapidly emerging mobile area, especially the distribution of applications for mobile devices, which could better promote the Company’s products, reduce costs and expenses by sharing the infrastructure, distribution channel and common research and development results, and further foster an ecosystem with better user experience for mobile products, stronger user loyalty, and greater value for both customers and developers that enhance the Company’s monetization ability on the emerging mobile markets.

Other acquisitions

The Company also completed other business combinations during 2013, which the Company expects to complement its existing businesses and achieve significant synergies. The results of the acquired entities’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since their respective dates of acquisition.

The Company has completed the valuations necessary to assess the fair values of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the fair value of noncontrolling interests, resulting from which the amount of goodwill was determined and recognized as of the respective acquisition dates. The following table summarizes the estimated aggregate fair values of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed and the noncontrolling interests as of the respective dates of acquisition:

 

     RMB  
     (In thousands)  

Purchase consideration

     3,865,378   

Net assets acquired, excluding intangible assets and the related deferred tax liabilities

     467,159   

Intangible assets, net

     796,415   

Deferred tax liabilities, noncurrent

     (112,233

Noncontrolling interests

     (427,813

Goodwill

     3,141,850   

Goodwill, which is not tax deductible, is primarily attributable to the synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisitions.

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Business Combinations in 2012:

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company completed several business combinations, which the Company expects to complement its existing businesses and achieve significant synergies. The acquired entities were considered insignificant, both individually and in aggregate. The results of the acquired entities’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since their respective dates of acquisition.

The Company has completed the valuations necessary to assess the fair values of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the fair value of noncontrolling interests, resulting from which the amount of goodwill was determined and recognized as of the respective acquisition dates. The following table summarizes the estimated aggregate fair values of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed and the noncontrolling interests as of the respective date of acquisition:

 

     RMB  
     (In thousands)  

Purchase consideration

     1,190,717   

Net assets acquired, excluding intangible assets and the related deferred tax liabilities

     91,095   

Intangible assets, net

     664,380   

Deferred tax liabilities, noncurrent

     (72,222

Noncontrolling interests

     (32,507

Redeemable noncontrolling interests

     (100,101

Pre-existing equity method investments

     (817,951

Goodwill

     1,458,023   

The aggregate purchase price allocation included the acquisitions of Qiyi.com, Inc (“Qiyi”) and certain other acquirees. Qiyi and one of the other acquirees were equity method investees of the Company prior to their respective acquisitions. The Company applied the equity method of accounting by recognizing its share of the profit or loss in these equity method investees up to their respective dates of acquisition.

Goodwill, which is not tax deductible, is primarily attributable to the synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisitions.

4.    INVESTMENTS

Short-term Investments

As of December 31, 2014, all of the held-to-maturity investments were time deposits in commercial banks with a maturity of less than one year. The available-for-sale investments are debt securities with a maturity of less than one year purchased from commercial banks and other financial institutions as well as equity securities in listed entities.

During the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Company recorded interest income from its short-term investments of RMB726.40 million, RMB1.07 billion and RMB1.81 billion (US$291.59 million) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, respectively.

Long-term Investments

The Company’s long-term investments consist of cost method investments, equity method investments, held-to-maturity investments with original and remaining maturities of greater than 12 months and available-for-sale investments.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Cost method investments

The carrying amount of cost method investments was RMB415.20 million and RMB1.72 billion (US$277.95 million) as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively. The increase is primarily due to additional investments in 2014.

Equity method investments

As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, the Company holds several equity investments through its subsidiaries or VIEs, all of which were accounted for under the equity method since the Company can exercise significant influence but does not own a majority equity interest in or control them. These investments were not significant either individually or in aggregate. The carrying amount of equity method investments was RMB219.58 million and RMB219.84 million (US$35.43 million) as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Long-term held-to-maturity investments were time deposits in commercial banks with original and remaining maturities of greater than one year. The held-to-maturity investments are stated at amortized cost. Long-term available-for-sale equity investment represents investment in the equity securities of a publicly listed company. As the Company does not have significant influence over the investee, the investment was classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair value. Long-term available-for-sale debt investment represents investment in the redeemable preferred shares of a private company. As the preferred shares are redeemable at the option of the Company, the investment was classified as available-for-sale and measured at fair value.

The methodology used in the determination of fair values for held-to-maturity investments and available-for-sale investments were summarized in Note 21.

The total impairment charges on long-term investments were RMB169.18 million, RMB17.52 million and RMB93.42 million (US$15.06 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The short-term held-to-maturity debt investments as well as the short-term available-for-sale debt investments will mature within one year; whereas the long-term held-to-maturity debt investments as well as the long-term available-for-sale debt investments will mature after one year through five years.

 

     As of December 31, 2013  
     Amortized
cost
     Gross
unrecognized
holding

gains
     Gross
unrecognized
holding
losses
    Gross
unrealized
gains
     Fair
value
 
             
     RMB      RMB      RMB     RMB      RMB  
     (In thousands)  

Short-term investments

             

Held-to-maturity investments

             

Fixed-rate investments

     19,339,250         51,897         (21,080        19,370,067   

Available-for-sale investments

             

Fixed-rate debt investments

     7,603,087              24,871         7,627,958   

Adjustable-rate debt investments

     514,433              —           514,433   

Equity investments

     604,878              648,242         1,253,120   

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

    As of December 31, 2014  
    Amortized
cost
    Gross
unrecognized
holding

gains
    Gross
unrecognized
holding
losses
    Gross
unrealized
gains(losses)
    Fair
value
    Fair
value
 
           
    RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
    (In thousands)  

Short-term investments

           

Held-to-maturity investments

           

Fixed-rate investments

    38,159,394        104,718        (15,389       38,248,723        6,164,575   

Adjustable-rate investments

    60,290        —          (771       59,519        9,593   

Available-for-sale investments

           

Fixed-rate debt investments

    2,854,682            10,414        2,865,096        461,770   

Adjustable-rate debt investments

    1,568,812            (269     1,568,543        252,803   

Equity investments

    630,919            533,795        1,164,714        187,718   

Long-term investments:

           

Held-to-maturity investments

           

Fixed-rate investments

    545,930        —          (14,612       531,318        85,633   

Available-for-sale investments

           

Debt investment

    272,680            —          272,680        43,948   

Equity investment

    124,000            (8,079     115,921        18,683   

5.    ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Accounts receivable

     2,264,660         3,758,324         605,732   

Allowance for doubtful accounts

     (43,814      (93,877      (15,130
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  2,220,846      3,664,447      590,602   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The movements in the allowance for doubtful accounts were as follows:

 

     2012      2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Balance as of January 1

     5,806         5,768         43,814         7,062   

Amounts (credited against) charged to expenses

     (38      38,046         50,063         8,068   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance as of December 31

  5,768      43,814      93,877      15,130   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

6.    OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Prepaid expenses

     217,918         420,227         67,728   

Advances to suppliers

     539,608         1,225,972         197,591   

Tax prepayments

     266,630         323,618         52,158   

Receivable from online payment agencies

     501,813         689,025         111,051   

Others

     309,296         748,585         120,649   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  1,835,265      3,407,427      549,177   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

7.    FIXED ASSETS

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Computer equipment

     6,562,127         9,764,297         1,573,719   

Office building

     911,482         1,776,651         286,344   

Office building related facility, machinery and equipment

     158,174         577,178         93,024   

Vehicles

     14,996         29,363         4,732   

Office equipment

     242,065         342,452         55,193   

Leasehold improvements

     234,180         311,076         50,136   

Construction in progress

     1,199,086         1,783,641         287,471   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  9,322,110      14,584,658      2,350,619   

Accumulated depreciation

  (3,951,842   (5,879,294   (947,569
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  5,370,268      8,705,364      1,403,050   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Company obtained certain computer servers and equipment by entering into capital leases. The gross amount and the accumulated depreciation of these servers and equipment are RMB149.67 million and RMB59.46 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2013 and RMB224.03 million (US$36.11 million) and RMB122.43 million (US$19.73 million), respectively, as of December 31, 2014. Future minimum lease payments of RMB103.48 million are payable in the amounts of RMB57.32 million, RMB39.39 million, RMB6.77million, nil and nil in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Depreciation expense of the fixed assets, including assets under capital leases, was RMB1.20 billion, RMB1.64 billion and RMB2.19 billion (US$353.77 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. The Company recognized impairment loss on fixed assets of nil, RMB2.06 million and nil for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

8.    GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill were as follows:

 

     2012      2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Balance as of January 1

     2,419,542         3,877,564         16,864,350         2,718,040   

Goodwill acquired

     1,458,023         12,986,790         554,541         89,376   

Foreign currency translation adjustment

     (1      (4      4         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance as of December 31

  3,877,564      16,864,350      17,418,895      2,807,416   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Intangible Assets

Finite-lived intangible assets

 

     As of December 31, 2013  
     Gross carrying
value
     Accumulated
amortization
     Net carrying
value
 
     RMB      RMB      RMB  
     (In thousands)  

Land use right

     519,474         (26,968      492,506   

Customer relationships

     682,715         (144,451      538,264   

Software

     478,909         (152,711      326,198   

Trademarks

     821,338         (97,122      724,216   

User list

     789,975         (219,377      570,598   

Licensed copyrights of video contents

     1,012,534         (469,787      542,747   

Others

     496,439         (71,063      425,376   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  4,801,384      (1,181,479   3,619,905   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     As of December 31, 2014  
     Gross carrying
value
     Accumulated
amortization
     Net carrying
value
     Net
carrying
value
 
     RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Land use right

     519,474         (37,357      482,117         77,703   

Customer relationships

     693,712         (304,208      389,504         62,777   

Software

     519,239         (274,818      244,421         39,394   

Trademarks

     916,735         (189,588      727,147         117,195   

User list

     854,467         (452,730      401,737         64,748   

Licensed copyrights of video contents

     1,768,141         (935,238      832,903         134,239   

Others

     695,562         (213,929      481,633         77,625   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  5,967,330      (2,407,868   3,559,462      573,681   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Company recognized impairment loss on intangible assets of nil, RMB4.62 million and RMB1.63 million (US$0.26 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Amortization expense of intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was RMB234.00 million, RMB949.85

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

million and RMB1.59 billion (US$255.48 million), respectively. Estimated amortization expense relating to the existing intangible assets with finite lives for each of the next five years is as follows:

 

     RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

For the years ending December 31,

     

2015

     1,234,976         199,042   

2016

     798,198         128,646   

2017

     340,619         54,898   

2018

     233,781         37,679   

2019

     159,471         25,702   

Indefinite-lived intangible assets

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Domain names

     9,360         9,360         1,509   

Trademarks

     1,050         5,537         892   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  10,410      14,897      2,401   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

9.    ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Accrued payroll and welfare

     759,952         1,703,029         274,478   

Accrued operating expenses

     2,279,812         3,694,869         595,505   

Tax payable

     428,801         624,781         100,696   

Interest payable

     108,554         121,907         19,648   

Distributors’ deposits

     76,925         171,791         27,688   

Purchase of fixed assets and spare parts

     966,585         1,314,841         211,914   

Traffic acquisition costs

     640,643         1,159,362         186,855   

Bandwidth costs

     433,647         748,072         120,567   

Content acquisition costs

     481,461         718,072         115,732   

Fund collected on behalf of service providers

     438,211         1,563,564         252,001   

Payable to group-buying merchants

     229,693         359,190         57,891   

Others

     517,854         785,415         126,587   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  7,362,138      12,964,893      2,089,562   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

10.    LOANS PAYABLE

Short-term Loans

On May 13, 2014, 91 Wireless entered into a banking facility agreement with Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (Hong Kong branch) (“HSBC”), pursuant to which 91 Wireless is entitled to borrow a US$ denominated loan of RMB124.09 million (US$20.00 million) with an interest rate of 0.8% per annum over 1, 3

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

or 6 months LIBOR. The banking facility is subject to HSBC’s overriding right of repayment on demand and the loan under this facility is intended for the general working capital of 91 Wireless. On May 23, 2014, 91 Wireless drew down RMB43.40 million (US$7.00 million) with a fixed interest rate of 1.12% under the loan commitment, and on September 25, 2014, 91 Wireless drew down another RMB49.60 million (US$8.00 million) with a fixed interest rate of 1.13% under the loan commitment, both of which were secured by cash collateral of a subsidiary of 91 Wireless.

Long-term Loans

On September 18, 2012, the Company entered into a loan agreement with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Hong Kong Branch), pursuant to which the Company is entitled to borrow an unsecured Australian Dollars (“AU$”) denominated loan with a floating interest rate. The loan commitment amounting to RMB532.46 million (AU$105.00 million) is intended for the general working capital of the Company. On October 17, 2012, the Company drew down RMB278.91 million (AU$55.00 million) with a term of two years under the loan commitment and the remaining commitment of AU$50.00 million was cancelled by both parties. In connection with the drawn down of the loan commitment, the Company entered into a currency swap agreement, pursuant to which the loan will be settled in a fixed US$ amount of US$56.76 million with a fixed annual interest rate of 2.75% during the term of the loan. The loan was fully repaid on October 16, 2014 when it became due.

On July 24, 2013, the Company entered into a loan agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, pursuant to which the Company is entitled to borrow an unsecured US$ denominated loan of RMB930.69 million (US$150.00 million) with a floating interest rate. The loan is intended for the general working capital of the Company. On July 29, 2013, the Company drew down RMB930.69 million (US$150.00 million) with a term of two years under the facility commitment. In connection with the loan agreement, the Company entered into an interest swap agreement, pursuant to which the loan will be settled with a fixed annual interest rate of 1.17% during the term of the loan.

On August 13, 2013, the Company entered into a loan agreement with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Hong Kong Branch), pursuant to which the Company is entitled to borrow an unsecured AU$ denominated loan of RMB1.19 billion (AU$235.00 million) with a floating interest rate. The loan is intended for the general working capital of the Company. On August 19, 2013, the Company drew down RMB1.19 billion (AU$235.00 million) with a term of two years under the facility commitment. In connection with the loan agreement, the Company entered into a currency swap agreement, pursuant to which the loan will be settled in a fixed US$ amount of US$200.00 million with a fixed annual interest rate of 1.65% during the term of the loan.

On December 9, 2014, the Company entered into two loan agreements with Bank of China (Los Angeles Branch), pursuant to which the Company borrowed two unsecured US denominated loans of RMB930.69 million (US$150.00 million) with a term of two years and RMB930.69 million (US$150.00 million) with a term of three years. Both loans are intended for the general working capital of the Company and have a floating interest rate. In connection with the loan agreements, the Company entered into two interest swap agreements, pursuant to which the loans will be settled with a fixed annual interest rate of 2.31% and 2.45%, respectively, during the respective term of the loans.

The interest swap agreement and currency swap agreements met the definition of a derivative in accordance with ASC 815. The fair value of the derivatives related to the interest swap agreement and currency swap agreements was insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

11.    NOTES PAYABLE

On November 28, 2012, the Company issued and sold publicly two tranches of unsecured senior notes: (i) an aggregate principal amount of US$750.00 million which will mature on November 28, 2017 (the “2017 Notes”), and (ii) an aggregate principal amount of US$750.00 million which will mature on November 28, 2022 (the “2022 Notes”). On August 6, 2013, the Company issued and sold publicly another tranche of unsecured senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of US$1.00 billion which will mature on August 6, 2018 (the “2018 Notes”). On June 9, 2014, the Company issued and sold publicly the fourth tranche of unsecured senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of US$1.00 billion which will mature on June 9, 2019 (the “2019 Notes”). The 2017 Notes, 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes and 2022 Notes are collectively referred to as the “Notes”.

The 2017 Notes bear interest at the rate of 2.25% per annum and the 2022 Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.50% per annum. Interests are payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on May 28, 2013. The 2018 Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.25% per annum. Interests are payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on February 6, 2014. The 2019 Notes bear interest at the rate of 2.75% per annum. Interests are payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on December 9, 2014. At maturity, the Notes are payable at their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon.

The net proceeds from the Notes, which will be used for general corporate purposes, were RMB9.33 billion, RMB6.11 billion and RMB6.19 billion (US$0.99 billion) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The Notes do not contain any financial covenants or other significant restrictions. In addition, the Notes are unsecured and rank lower than any secured obligation of the Group and have the same liquidation priority as any other unsecured liabilities of the Group, but senior to those expressly subordinated obligations, if any. The Company may, at its discretion, redeem all or any portion of the Notes at any time, at the principal amount plus any unpaid interest. As of December 31, 2014, the Company does not intend to redeem any portion of the Notes prior to the stated maturity dates. The Company has the obligation to redeem the Notes if a change in control occurs as defined in the indenture of the Notes.

The Notes were issued at a discount amounting to RMB62.84 million (US$10.13 million). The issuance costs of RMB109.63 million (US$17.67 million) were capitalized in other non-current assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Both the discount and the issuance costs are amortized as interest expense using the effective interest rate method through the maturity dates of the Notes. The effective interest rate was 2.36%, 3.39%, 3.00% and 3.59% for the 2017 Notes, the 2018 Notes, the 2019 Notes and the 2022 Notes, respectively.

The following table summarizes the aggregate required repayments of the principal amounts of the Company’s long-term debts, including the notes payable and loans payable (Note 10), in the succeeding five years and thereafter:

 

     RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

For the years ending December 31,

  

2015

     2,171,610         350,000   

2016

     930,690         150,000   

2017

     5,584,140         900,000   

2018

     6,204,600         1,000,000   

2019

     6,204,600         1,000,000   

Thereafter

     4,653,450         750,000   

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

12.    INCOME TAXES

Cayman Islands and BVI

Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands and BVI, the Company is not subject to tax on income or capital gains. Additionally, upon payments of dividends by the Company to its shareholders, neither Cayman Islands nor BVI withholding tax will be imposed.

Hong Kong

Under the Hong Kong tax laws, subsidiaries in Hong Kong are exempted from income tax on their foreign-derived income and there are no withholding taxes in Hong Kong on remittance of dividends.

Japan

Under the Japan tax laws, a company with paid-in capital in excess of JPY100.00 million is subject to national income tax of 30%. Japan subsidiaries of the Company are also subject to inhabitant tax, assessed by both prefectures and municipalities. Inhabitant tax is computed as a percentage of national income tax. The per capita tax is based on the Company’s capitalization and the number of employees. In addition, the Japan subsidiaries are subject to a corporate enterprise tax on a pro forma basis based on the amount of taxable profit subject to the corporate tax, added-value components, (e.g., labor costs, net interest and rental payments, income/loss for current year) and a capital component.

China

Under the Enterprise Income Tax (“EIT”) Law, which has been effective since January 1, 2008, domestic enterprises and Foreign Investment Enterprises (the “FIE”) are subject to a unified 25% enterprise income tax rate, except for certain entities that are entitled to tax holidays. Tax holidays mainly include preferential EIT rate for the PRC subsidiaries and VIEs which were recognized as a qualified “High and New Technology Enterprise” (“HNTE”) or “Key Software Enterprise” (“KSE”).

The HNTE certificate is effective for a period of 3 years, during which the entity is entitled to a preferential tax rate of 15%. The KSE certificate is effective for a period of 2 years, during which the entity is entitled to a preferential tax rate of 10%. Baidu Online obtained the KSE certificate and the related tax holiday will expire on January 1, 2015; certain other PRC subsidiaries and VIEs, including Baidu Netcom, obtained the HNTE certificate which will expire on January 1, 2015, 2016 and 2017. An entity could re-apply for the HNTE or KSE certificate when the prior certificate expires. Historically, all of the Company’s subsidiaries and VIEs successfully re-applied for the certificates when the prior ones expired.

A certificate for the current year might be obtained in the following year as a result of the stringent inspection and approval process by the governmental authorities. The Company would record an income tax reversal in the year when the certificate is obtained for the over-paid or over-accrued provisional tax in connection with the grant of a more favorable tax rate for the prior year.

Under the current EIT Law, dividends paid by an FIE to any of its foreign non-resident enterprise investors are subject to a 10% withholding tax. Thus, the dividends, if and when payable by the Company’s PRC subsidiaries to their offshore parent entities, would be subject to 10% withholding tax. A lower tax rate will be applied if such foreign non-resident enterprise investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has signed a tax treaty or arrangement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income with China.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

There is such a tax arrangement between PRC and Hong Kong. Thus, the dividends, if and when payable by the Company’s PRC subsidiaries to the offshore parent entities located in Hong Kong, would be subject to 5% withholding tax rather than statutory rate of 10% provided that the offshore entities located in Hong Kong meet the requirements stipulated by relevant PRC tax regulations. Furthermore, pursuant to the applicable circular and interpretations of the current EIT Law, dividends from earnings created prior to 2008 but distributed after 2008 are not subject to withholding income tax.

Moreover, the current EIT Law treats enterprises established outside of China with “effective management and control” located in China as PRC resident enterprises for tax purposes. The term “effective management and control” is generally defined as exercising overall management and control over the business, personnel, accounting, properties, etc. of an enterprise. The Company, if considered a PRC resident enterprise for tax purposes, would be subject to the PRC Enterprise Income Tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income for the period after January 1, 2008. As of December 31, 2014, the Company has not accrued for PRC tax on such basis. The Company will continue to monitor its tax status.

The Company had minimal operations in jurisdictions other than the PRC. Income (loss) before income taxes consists of:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012      2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

PRC

     12,537,331         13,815,469         17,783,174         2,866,128   

Non-PRC

     (571,894      (1,630,453      (3,308,631      (533,254
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  11,965,437      12,185,016      14,474,543      2,332,874   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The pre-tax losses from non-PRC operations consist primarily of operating costs, administration expenses, interest expenses and share-based compensation expenses.

Income taxes consist of:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands)  

Current income tax

     1,888,378        2,006,980        2,942,173        474,192   

Income tax refund due to reduced tax rate

     (255,189     (508,686     (17,553     (2,829

Adjustments of deferred tax assets due to reduced tax rates

     —          21,573        28,146        4,536   

Deferred income tax (benefit) expense

     (59,030     309,063        (721,594     (116,300
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  1,574,159      1,828,930      2,231,172      359,599   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The reconciliation of the effective income tax provision to the amount of tax computed by applying the aforementioned statutory income tax rate to pre-tax income is as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands, except for per share data)  

Expected taxation at PRC EIT statutory rate

     2,991,359        3,046,254        3,587,693        578,231   

Effect of differing tax rates in different jurisdictions

     138,931        312,938        676,663        109,058   

Permanent differences – non-taxable income

     (58,157     (69,673     (12,504     (2,015

Permanent differences – non-deductible expenses

     58,201        168,735        123,245        19,864   

Tax incentives relating to research and development expenditures

     (154,977     (318,652     (538,305     (86,759

Effect of preferential tax rates inside the PRC

     (1,489,331     (2,152,806     (1,897,184     (305,771

Effect of tax rate changes on deferred taxes

     —          21,573        28,146        4,536   

Over-accrued EIT for previous years

     (15,084     (32,982     (153,121     (24,679

Withholding tax on PRC subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings

     —          560,243        —          —     

Addition to valuation allowance

     103,217        293,300        416,539        67,134   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Taxation for the year

  1,574,159      1,828,930      2,231,172      359,599   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effective tax rate

  13.16   15.01   15.41   15.41

Effect of preferential tax rates inside the PRC on basic earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary share

  42.63      61.53      53.61      8.64   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Company’s effective tax rate increased slightly in year 2014 as compared with year 2013 which was primarily due to more taxable earnings in subsidiaries without preferential tax rates.

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to the deferred tax balances at December 31, 2013 and 2014 are as follows:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Deferred tax assets, current:

        

Provision for doubtful receivables

     10,670         23,179         3,736   

Net operating loss carry-forward

     —           24,666         3,975   

Accrued expenses, payroll and others

     316,092         777,478         125,307   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Less: valuation allowance

  (39,918   (140,371   (22,624
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Current deferred tax assets, net

  286,844      684,952      110,394   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets, non-current:

Fixed assets depreciation

  28,755      38,157      6,150   

Net operating loss carry-forward

  580,963      905,790      145,987   

Advertising expenses and others

  163,591      306,635      49,420   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Less: valuation allowance

  (675,369   (991,455   (159,793
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current deferred tax assets, net

  97,940      259,127      41,764   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Long-lived assets arising from acquisitions

     619,550         549,485         88,561   

Withholding tax on PRC subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings

     580,720         594,336         95,789   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities

  1,200,270      1,143,821      184,350   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had net operating losses of approximately RMB5.22 billion (US$842.09 million) deriving from entities in the PRC, Hong Kong and Japan, which can be carried forward after certain reconciliation per tax regulation to offset future net profit for income tax purposes. The Japan net operating loss will expire beginning January 1, 2015; the PRC net operating loss will expire beginning January 1, 2017; and the Hong Kong net operating loss can be carried forward without an expiration date.

For those entities that were in an accumulated loss position, the Company does not believe there exists sufficient objective positive evidence that the recoverability of their net deferred tax assets is more-likely-than-not to be realized. Consequently, the Company has provided full valuation allowances on the related net deferred tax assets.

The Company has evaluated its income tax uncertainty under ASC 740. ASC 740 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by prescribing the recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements. The Company has elected to classify interest and penalties related to an uncertain tax position, if and when required, as part of income tax expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, there was no significant tax uncertainty impact on the Company’s financial position and result of operations.

The Company accrued withholding tax of RMB580.72 million for the potential remittance of earnings from the PRC subsidiaries to their offshore parent companies in the form of dividend distribution as of December 31, 2013, because the Company believes that the underlying dividends will be distributed in the future considering future merger and acquisition activities. The Company did not provide for additional deferred income taxes and foreign withholding taxes on the undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries in 2014 on the basis of its intent to permanently reinvest foreign subsidiaries’ earnings. If these foreign earnings were to be repatriated in the future, the related tax liability may be reduced by any foreign income taxes previously paid on these earnings. As of December 31 2014, the total amount of undistributed earnings from the PRC subsidiaries for which no withholding tax has been accrued was RMB49.44 billion (US$7.97 billion). Determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to these earnings is not practicable. In the case of its VIEs, undistributed earnings were insignificant as of each of the balance sheet dates.

In general, the PRC and Japanese tax authorities have up to five and seven years, respectively, to conduct examinations of the Company’s tax filings. Accordingly, the PRC subsidiaries’ tax years 2010 through 2014 and the Japanese subsidiary’s tax years 2008 through 2014 remain open to examination by the respective taxing jurisdictions.

13.    EMPLOYEE DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN

Full time employees of the Group in the PRC participate in a government mandated multi-employer defined contribution plan pursuant to which certain pension benefits, medical care, unemployment insurance, employee housing fund and other welfare benefits are provided to employees. Chinese labor regulations require that the

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Group make contributions to the government for these benefits based on certain percentages of the employees’ salaries. The Company has no legal obligation for the benefits beyond the contributions. The total amounts for such employee benefits, which were expensed as incurred, were RMB631.25 million, RMB1.05 billion and RMB1.64 billion (US$263.86 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

14.    COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Capital Commitments

The Company’s capital commitments primarily relate to commitments in connection with the expansion and improvement of its network infrastructure and its plan to build additional office buildings and cloud computing based data centers. Total capital commitments contracted but not yet reflected in the financial statements amounted to RMB1.13 billion (US$182.12 million) as of December 31, 2014. All of the commitments relating to the network infrastructure are to be fulfilled in 2015 and the commitments relating to the office building and cloud computing based data centers will be settled in installments as various stages of the construction plan are completed in the next four to six years.

Operating Lease Commitments

The Company leases facilities in the PRC under non-cancelable operating leases expiring on different dates. Payments under operating leases are expensed on a straight-line basis over the periods of the respective leases. Total rental expense for offices was RMB196.59 million, RMB284.58 million and RMB525.31 million (US$84.66 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Total operating lease expense for Internet Data Centre (“IDC”) facilities was RMB1.07 billion, RMB1.94 billion and RMB2.85 billion (US$459.34 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Future minimum payments under non-cancelable operating leases with initial terms of one-year or more consist of the following as of December 31, 2014:

 

     RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

2015

     2,418,879         389,853   

2016

     1,160,152         186,983   

2017

     748,230         120,593   

2018

     593,102         95,591   

2019

     291,077         46,913   

Thereafter

     170,008         27,400   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
  5,381,448      867,333   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Group’s lease arrangements have no renewal options, rent escalation clauses, restriction or contingent rents and are all conducted with third parties.

Commitments for Licensed Copyrights

The Company enters into non-cancelable licensing agreements with third-party vendors to acquire licensed copyrights of video contents for its online video platform. Payments for licensed copyrights of video contents are recorded in “Other current assets, net/Intangible assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheets.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Future minimum payments under non-cancelable licensing agreements consist of the following as of December 31, 2014:

 

     RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

2015

     2,154,666         347,269   

2016 and thereafter

     —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
  2,154,666      347,269   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Guarantees

The Company accounts for guarantees in accordance with ASC topic 460 (“ASC 460”), Guarantees. Accordingly, the Company evaluates its guarantees if any to determine whether (a) the guarantee is specifically excluded from the scope of ASC 460, (b) the guarantee is subject to ASC 460 disclosure requirements only, but not subject to the initial recognition and measurement provisions, or (c) the guarantee is required to be recorded in the financial statements at fair value.

The corporate by-laws require that the Company indemnify its officers and directors, as well as those who act as directors and officers of other entities at the Company’s request, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any proceedings arising out of their services to the Company. In addition, the Company has entered into separate indemnification agreements with each director and each executive officer of the Company that provide for indemnification of these directors and officers under similar circumstances and under additional circumstances. The indemnification obligations are more fully described in the by-laws and the indemnification agreements. The Company purchases standard directors and officers insurance to cover claims or a portion of the claims made against its directors and officers. Since a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated in the Company’s by-laws or in the indemnification agreements and will depend on the facts and circumstances that arise out of any future claims, the overall maximum amount of the obligations cannot be reasonably estimated.

Historically, the Company was not required to make payments related to these obligations, and the fair value for these obligations is nil on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2013 and 2014.

Litigation

The Group was involved in certain cases pending in various PRC and U.S. courts and arbitration as of December 31, 2014. These cases include copyright infringement cases, unfair competition cases, and defamation cases, among others. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of damages and may also result in, or even compel, a change in the Company’s business practices, which could result in a loss of revenue or otherwise harm the business of the Company.

For many proceedings, the Company is currently unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible losses as the proceedings are in the early stages, and/or there is a lack of clear or consistent interpretation of laws specific to the industry-specific complaints among different jurisdictions. As a result, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such matters, which includes eventual loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any, and therefore, an estimate for the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible losses cannot be made. However, the Company believes that such matters, individually and in the aggregate, when finally resolved, are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. With respect to the limited number of proceedings for which the Company was able to estimate the reasonably possible losses or the range of reasonably possible losses, such estimated loss amounts were insignificant.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

15.    REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

 

     2012     2013     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Balance as of January 1

     935,978        1,033,283        —           —     

Business combination

     100,101        —          —           —     

Net losses

     (55,804     (61,857     —           —     

Other comprehensive losses

     (690     (55,420     —           —     

Exercise of share-based awards

     —          464        —           —     

Share-based compensation

     5,566        11,259        —           —     

Issuance of subsidiary shares (1)

     25,989        51,368        1,841,819         296,845   

Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests (1)

     22,143        31,799        52,683         8,493   

Acquisition of subsidiaries’ redeemable shares from noncontrolling shareholders

     —          (121,962     —           —     

Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests

     —          (888,934     —           —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance as of December 31

  1,033,283      —        1,894,502      305,338   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

On November 14, 2014, Qiyi completed a round of preferred shares financing. The new preferred shareholders acquired 13.42% of the then outstanding equity interest of Qiyi for a total consideration of US$300 million. The newly issued preferred shares could be redeemed by such shareholders upon the occurrence of certain events that are not solely within the control of Qiyi and are accounted for as redeemable noncontrolling interests. The Company accounts for the accrete changes in the redemption value in accordance with ASC topic 480 (“ASC 480”), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity. The Company elects to use the effective interest method for the changes of redemption value over the period from the date of issuance to the earliest redemption date of the noncontrolling interest.

16.    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Ordinary Shares

The authorized share capital consisted of 870,400,000 ordinary shares at a par value of US$0.00005 per share, of which 825,000,000 shares were designated as Class A ordinary shares, 35,400,000 as Class B ordinary shares, and 10,000,000 shares designated as preferred shares. The rights of the holders of Class A and Class B ordinary shares are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion rights. Each share of Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and is not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Each share of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share and is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by the holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares would be automatically converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares. There were 40,000, 225,079 and 45,000 Class B ordinary shares transferred to Class A ordinary shares in the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

As of December 31, 2014, there were 27,613,315 and 7,492,921 Class A and Class B ordinary shares outstanding, respectively. As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, there were no preferred shares issued and outstanding.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Retained Earnings

In accordance with the Regulations on Enterprises with Foreign Investment of China and their articles of association, the Company’s PRC subsidiaries, being foreign invested enterprises established in China, are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserves, namely a general reserve fund, an enterprise expansion fund, a staff welfare fund and a bonus fund, all of which are appropriated from net profit as reported in their PRC statutory accounts. Each of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to a general reserve fund until such fund has reached 50% of its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus funds are at the discretion of the Company’s subsidiaries.

In accordance with the China Company Laws, the Company’s VIEs must make appropriations from their after-tax profits as reported in their PRC statutory accounts to non-distributable reserve funds, namely a statutory surplus fund, a statutory public welfare fund and a discretionary surplus fund. Each of the Company’s VIEs is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to the statutory surplus fund until such fund has reached 50% of its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the statutory public welfare fund and the discretionary surplus fund are made at the discretion of the Company’s VIEs.

General reserve and statutory surplus funds are restricted to set-off against losses, expansion of production and operation and increasing registered capital of the respective company. Staff welfare and bonus fund and statutory public welfare funds are restricted to capital expenditures for the collective welfare of employees. The reserves are not allowed to be transferred to the Company in terms of cash dividends, loans or advances, nor are they allowed for distribution except under liquidation.

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

PRC statutory reserve funds

     321,206         375,193         60,470   

Unreserved retained earnings

     34,204,180         47,284,579         7,620,891   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total retained earnings

  34,525,386      47,659,772      7,681,361   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Under PRC laws and regulations, there are restrictions on the Company’s PRC subsidiaries and VIEs with respect to transferring certain of their net assets to the Company either in the form of dividends, loans, or advances. Amounts of net assets restricted include paid in capital and statutory reserve funds of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries and the net assets of the VIEs in which the Company has no legal ownership, totaling RMB3.72 billion and RMB7.54 billion (US$1.22 billion) as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Furthermore, cash transfers from the Company’s PRC subsidiaries to their parent companies outside of China are subject to PRC government control of currency conversion. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of the PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to the Company, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component, net of tax, were as follows:

 

     Foreign
currency
translation
adjustment
    Unrealized
gains on
available-for-
sale
investments
    Total  
     RMB     RMB     RMB  
     (In thousands)  

Balance at December 31, 2012

     (89,714     11,436        (78,278
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income before reclassification

  190,322      730,504      920,826   

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income

  —        (62,132   (62,132
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net current-period other comprehensive income

  190,322      668,372      858,694   

Other comprehensive income attribute to noncontrolling interests

  62,680      —        62,680   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

  163,288      679,808      843,096   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive loss before reclassification

  (445,710   (100,285   (545,995

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income

  —        (45,025   (45,025
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net current-period other comprehensive loss

  (445,710   (145,310   (591,020

Other comprehensive income attribute to noncontrolling interests

  (20,153   —        (20,153
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

  (302,575   534,498      231,923   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014, in US$

  (48,766   86,145      37,379   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income represent realized gains on the available-for-sale investments upon their sales, which were then recorded in “Other income, net” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

The following table sets forth the tax effect allocated to each component of other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014:

 

     Tax effect  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Unrealized gains on available-for-sale investments

        

Unrealized holding gains during the year

     (1,157      1,680         271   

Reclassified for gains realized

     —           —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net unrealized gains

  (1,157   1,680      271   

Foreign currency translation adjustment

  —        —        —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

  (1,157   1,680      271   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

17.    EARNINGS PER SHARE (“EPS”)

A reconciliation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income to the numerator for the computation of basic and diluted per share for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 is as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012     2013     2014     2014  
     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
     (In thousands)  

Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

     10,456,028        10,518,966        13,187,069        2,125,372   

Accretion of the redeemable noncontrolling interests

     (22,143     (31,799     (52,683     (8,493
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Numerator for EPS computation

  10,433,885      10,487,167      13,134,386      2,116,879   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. per share for Class A and Class B ordinary shares.

 

    For the years ended December 31,  
    2012     2013     2014  
    Class A     Class B     Class A     Class B     Class A     Class A     Class B     Class B  
    RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$     RMB     US$  
    (In thousands, except for number of shares, per share and per ADS data)  

Earnings per share – basic:

               

Numerator

               

Allocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

    8,106,219        2,327,666        8,175,647        2,311,520        10,320,767        1,663,406        2,813,619        453,473   

Denominator

               

Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding

    27,145,208        7,794,630        27,274,769        7,711,459        27,551,463        27,551,463        7,511,003        7,511,003   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Denominator used for earnings per share

    27,145,208        7,794,630        27,274,769        7,711,459        27,551,463        27,551,463        7,511,003        7,511,003   

Earnings per share – basic

    298.62        298.62        299.75        299.75        374.60        60.37        374.60        60.37   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share – diluted:

               

Numerator

               

Allocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. for diluted computation

    8,108,856        2,325,029        8,178,954        2,308,213        10,331,639        1,665,158        2,802,747        451,721   

Reallocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. as a result of conversion of Class B to Class A shares

    2,325,029        —          2,308,213        —          2,802,747        451,721        —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Allocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.

    10,433,885        2,325,029        10,487,167        2,308,213        13,134,386        2,116,879        2,802,747        451,721   

Denominator

               

Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding

    27,145,208        7,794,630        27,274,769        7,711,459        27,551,463        27,551,463        7,511,003        7,511,003   

Conversion of Class B to Class A ordinary shares

    7,794,630        —          7,711,459        —          7,511,003        7,511,003        —          —     

Share-based awards

    39,621        —          50,118        —          136,008        136,008        —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Denominator used for earnings per share

    34,979,459        7,794,630        35,036,346        7,711,459        35,198,474        35,198,474        7,511,003        7,511,003   

Earnings per share – diluted

    298.29        298.29        299.32        299.32        373.15        60.14        373.15        60.14   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per ADS:

               

Denominator used for earnings per ADS – basic

    271,452,080          272,747,690          275,514,630        275,514,630       

Denominator used for earnings per ADS – diluted

    349,794,590          350,363,460          351,984,740        351,984,740       

Earnings per ADS – basic

    29.86          29.98          37.46        6.04       
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

Earnings per ADS – diluted

    29.83          29.93          37.32        6.01       
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The Company did not include certain stock options and restricted shares in the computation of diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 because those stock options and restricted shares were anti-dilutive for earnings per share for the respective years.

18.    SHARE-BASED AWARDS PLAN

Baidu, Inc.

Incentive compensation plans

In December 2008, the Company adopted a share incentive plan (the “2008 Plan”), which provides for the granting of share incentives, including incentive share option (“ISO”), restricted shares and any other form of award pursuant to the 2008 Plan, to members of the board, employees and consultants of the Company. However, the Company may grant ISOs only to its employees. The Company has reserved 3,428,777 ordinary shares for issuance under the 2008 Plan, which will expire in the year 2018. The vesting schedule, time and condition to exercise options will be determined by the compensation committee. The term of the options may not exceed ten years from the date of the grant, except that five years is the maximum term of an ISO granted to an employee who holds more than 10% of the voting power of the Company’s share capital.

Under the 2008 Plan, share options are subject to vesting schedules varying from two years to four years, the exercise price of an option may be amended or adjusted at the discretion of the compensation committee, the determination of which would be final, binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange rules, a downward adjustment of the exercise prices would be effective without the approval of the Company’s shareholders or the approval of the affected grantees. If the Company grants an ISO to an employee who, at the time of that grant, owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of the Company’s share capital, the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value of the Company’s ordinary shares on the date of that grant.

Starting from February 15, 2006, the Company granted restricted Class A ordinary shares of the Company (“Restricted Shares”). Terms for the Restricted Shares are the same as share options except that Restricted Shares do not require exercise and have a two to four years vesting term.

Share options

The following table summarizes the option activity for the year ended December 31, 2014:

 

     Number
of shares
     Weighted
average

exercise
price
(US$)
     Weighted
average
remaining
contractual
life (Years)
     Aggregate
intrinsic
value (US$ in
thousands)
 

Share options

           

Outstanding, December 31, 2013

     232,572         1,042.90         8.62         171,156   

Granted

     19,477         1,916.10         

Exercised

     (30,819      942.10         

Forfeited/Cancelled

     (22,838      1,071.40         

Outstanding, December 31, 2014

     198,392         1,141.00         7.83         225,915   

Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2014

     171,597         1,139.30         7.80         195,684   

Exercisable at December 31, 2014

     66,993         1,003.30         7.14         85,509   

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day in 2014 and the exercise price.

Total intrinsic value of options exercised for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was RMB200.91 million, RMB114.21 million and RMB224.80 million (US$36.23 million), respectively. The total fair value of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was RMB53.56 million, RMB123.44 million and RMB149.22 million (US$24.05 million), respectively.

As of December 31, 2014, there was RMB273.44 million (US$44.07 million) unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to share options. That deferred cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.35 years. To the extent the actual forfeiture rate is different from the original estimate, actual share-based compensation costs related to these awards may be different from expectation.

The fair value of each option award was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. The volatility assumption was estimated based on implied volatility and historical volatility of the Company’s share price applying the guidance provided by ASC 718. The Company begins to estimate the volatility assumption solely based on its historical information since year 2009. Assumptions of the expected term were based on the vesting and contractual terms and employee demographics. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.

The following table presents the assumptions used to estimate the fair values of the share options granted in the years presented:

 

    2012     2013     2014  

Risk-free interest rate

    0.35%~0.43%        0.40%~1.35%        1.52%~1.77%   

Dividend yield

    —          —          —     

Expected volatility range

    43.60%~44.72%        42.33%~44.17%        40.96%~41.59%   

Weighted average expected volatility

    43.75%        43.33%        41.36%   

Expected life (in years)

    2.67~3.08        3.08~4.57        4.57   

In addition, the Company recognizes share-based compensation expense net of an estimated forfeiture rate and therefore only recognizes compensation cost for those shares expected to vest over the service period of the award. The estimation of the forfeiture rate is primarily based on historical experience of employee turnover. To the extent the Company revises this estimate in the future, the share-based payments could be materially impacted in the year of revision, as well as in the following years.

The exercise price of options granted during the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 equaled the market price of the ordinary shares on the grant date. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted during the years 2012, 2013, and 2014 was US$323.00, US$419.80, and US$755.00, respectively.

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Restricted shares

Restricted shares activity for the year ended December 31, 2014 was as follows:

 

     Number of
shares
     Weighted
average grant
date fair
value (US$)
 

Restricted shares

     

Unvested, December 31, 2013

     146,510         1,151.40   

Granted

     152,852         1,815.60   

Vested

     (45,161      1,157.70   

Forfeited

     (34,797      1,346.10   

Unvested, December 31, 2014

     219,404         1,582.60   

The total fair value of the restricted shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was RMB128.70 million, RMB247.24 million, RMB324.41 million (US$52.28 million), respectively. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the restricted shares granted during the years 2012, 2013, and 2014 was US$1,152.10, US$1,137.00, and US$1,815.60, respectively.

As of December 31, 2014, there was RMB1.35 billion (US$217.84 million) unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to restricted shares. That deferred cost will be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 3.02 years. To the extent the actual forfeiture rate is different from the original estimate, actual share-based compensation costs related to these awards may be different from expectation.

Subsidiaries – Qunar Cayman Islands Limited

In November 2007, shareholders of Qunar Cayman Islands Limited (“Qunar”) approved the 2007 Share Incentive Plan (the “2007 Plan”), which is administered by Qunar’s Board of Directors (“Qunar’s BOD”) or any of its committees. Under the 2007 Plan, Qunar’s BOD may grant options to its employees, directors and consultants to purchase Qunar’s ordinary shares. The aggregate number of shares under the 2007 Plan was increased to 26,060,000 shares on December 29, 2011 with Qunar BOD’s approval. On August 10, 2012, Qunar BOD’s approved that starting from January 1, 2013, the number of shares available for issuance under the 2007 Plan would increase annually by 1.5% of the total outstanding ordinary and redeemable ordinary shares as of January 1 of that respective calendar year. On September 22, 2013, Qunar’s BOD approved an increase in the number of shares available for issuance under the 2007 Plan by 6,066,896 shares. These options granted have a contractual term of ten years and generally vest over a four year period, with 25% of the awards vesting one year after the date of grant and 1/16 of the remaining grants vesting on a quarterly basis thereafter.

Under the 2007 Plan, Qunar granted 4,765,068, 10,988,106 and 9,993,411 share options to its employees during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Included in the grants, nil, 1,671,867 and 7,929,555 shares options granted during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, have performance condition on their exercisability.

On January 13, 2013, Qunar’s BOD approved a business unit incentive plan (the “BU incentive plan”), which is governed under the aforementioned 2007 Plan. Under the BU incentive plan, Qunar’s BOD may grant options to its employees of specific business units to purchase an aggregate of no more than 10,800,000 Class B ordinary shares of Qunar. On November 25, 2014, Qunar’s BOD approved an extension of the BU incentive plan to cover employees of additional business units. The total number of Class B ordinary shares of Qunar to be issued under

 

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BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

the BU incentive plan was increased to 18,000,000. The options will be granted at an exercise price of US$0.01 if the business units meet their respective certain long-term performance conditions. Upon grant, the options have a vesting term of three months. There have been no grants under the BU incentive plan up to December 31, 2014. Qunar also concluded that there was no service inception preceding the grant date as there has been no authorization from Qunar’s BOD based on its accounting policies up to December 31, 2014.

The following table summarizes Qunar’s option activity for the year ended December 31, 2014:

 

    Number of
shares
    Weighted
average

exercise
price
(US$)
    Weighted
average
remaining
contractual
life (Years)
    Aggregate
intrinsic
value (US$
in
thousands)
 

Qunar’s share options

       

Outstanding, December 31, 2013

    25,192,696        1.40        7.39        184,355   

Granted

    9,993,411        0.01       

Exercised

    (8,907,408     0.27       

Forfeited/Cancelled

    (1,115,256     0.02       

Outstanding, December 31, 2014

    25,163,443        1.30        7.89        201,417   

Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2014

    21,880,749        1.43        7.75        176,072   

Exercisable at December 31, 2014

    9,685,685        1.72        6.62        75,118   

The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the difference between the fair value of Qunar’s ordinary share as at the balance sheet date and the exercise price. Total intrinsic value of options exercised for the three years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was RMB31.11 million, RMB88.92 million and RMB508.52 million (US$82.02 million), respectively. The total fair value of the options vested during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were RMB23.78 million, RMB88.87 million and RMB220.80 million (US$35.61 million), respectively.

As of December 31, 2014, there were RMB448.16 million (US$72.28 million) of unrecognized share-based compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures, related to equity awards that are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.71 years. Total unrecognized compensation costs may be adjusted for future changes in estimated forfeitures.

The fair value of each option award was estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model, with the assistance from an independent third-party appraiser. Qunar is ultimately responsible for the determination of all amounts related to share-based compensation recorded in the financial statements. The risk-free interest rate for periods within the contractual life of the share option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for a term consistent with the expected term of the awards. The expected term of stock options granted is developed giving consideration to the vesting period and contractual term. Qunar did not expect to declare any dividends on its ordinary shares on the respective grant dates. Expected volatility is estimated based on the historical volatility ordinary shares of several comparable companies in the same industry.

 

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Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The following table presents the assumptions used to estimate the fair values of the share options granted in the years presented:

 

     2012      2013      2014  

Risk-free interest rate

     1.70%~2.28%         1.91%~2.71%         1.91%~2.07%   

Dividend yield

     —           —           —     

Expected volatility range

     48.03%~49.84%         46.68%~47.66%         45.78%~46.58%   

Expected life (in years)

     10         10         6.11   

The total weighted average grant-date fair value of the equity awards granted during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were RMB12.54, RMB16.59 and RMB58.59 (US$9.45) per option, respectively.

The total compensation cost recognized by Qunar was RMB27.21 million, RMB63.71 million and RMB266.37 million (US$42.93 million) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Subsidiaries – Others

Other subsidiaries apart from Qunar also have equity incentive plans granting share-based awards. Total share-based compensation expenses recognized and unrecognized were insignificant, both individually and in aggregate, for all years presented.

The following table summarizes the total compensation cost recognized by the Group:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012      2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Expensed as cost of revenues

     10,105         23,976         34,611         5,578   

Expensed as selling, general and administrative

     54,512         164,704         426,052         68,667   

Expensed as research and development

     147,692         326,047         502,077         80,921   

Capitalized as part of internal-used software

     1,944         229         —           —     

19.    RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The current portion of amounts due from related parties mainly represents amounts in connection with services provided by the Group to its equity method investees, which arose in the ordinary course of business.

The current portion of amounts due to related parties mainly represents amounts of the reimbursements to Mr. Robin Yanhong Li’s use of an aircraft beneficially owned by his spouse for the Company’s business purposes.

The balances of non-current portion of amounts due from/to related parties as of December 31, 2013 were settled during the year ended December 31, 2014.

20.    SEGMENT REPORTING

The Company has only one single operating segment. Substantially all of the Company’s revenue and long-lived assets are derived from and located in the PRC. The Company has only minimal operations in Japan and other countries.

 

F-54


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The following table sets forth revenues by geographic area:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2012      2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Revenues:

           

PRC

     22,198,685         31,875,202         48,793,898         7,864,149   

Non-PRC

     107,341         68,722         258,420         41,650   

The following table sets forth long-lived assets by geographic area:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2013      2014      2014  
     RMB      RMB      US$  
     (In thousands)  

Long-lived assets:

        

PRC

     5,355,157         9,466,458         1,525,716   

Non-PRC

     56,143         84,949         13,691   

21.    FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT

ASC topic 820 (“ASC 820”), Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1 – Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets

Level 2 – Include other inputs that are directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs which are supported by little or no market activity

ASC 820 describes three main approaches to measuring the fair value of assets and liabilities: (1) market approach; (2) income approach and (3) cost approach. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated from market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts to a single present value amount. The measurement is based on the value indicated by current market expectations about those future amounts. The cost approach is based on the amount that would currently be required to replace an asset.

Assets and Liabilities Measured or Disclosed at Fair Value

In accordance with ASC 820, the Company measures available-for-sale investments at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair values of the Company’s held-to-maturity investments as disclosed are determined based on the discounted cash flow model using the discount curve of market interest rates. The fair value of the Company’s long-term available-for-sale debt investment is measured using the market approach. The fair values of the Company’s available-for-sale equity investments in the equity securities of publicly listed companies are measured using quoted market prices.

The Company measures certain financial assets, including equity method investments and cost method investments, at fair value on a nonrecurring basis only if an impairment charge were to be recognized. The Company’s non-financial assets, such as intangible assets, goodwill and fixed assets, would be measured at fair value only if they were determined to be impaired on an other-than-temporary basis.

The fair value of the long-term notes payable is disclosed using quoted market price.

 

F-55


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

Assets and liabilities measured or disclosed at fair value are summarized below:

 

     Total fair
value at

December 31,
2013
     Fair value measurement or disclosure
at December 31, 2013 using
        
        Quoted prices
in active
markets for
identical
assets
(Level 1)
     Significant other
observable

inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
     Total losses  
   RMB      RMB      RMB      RMB      RMB  
   (In thousands)  

Fair value disclosure (Notes 2 and 4)

  

           

Cash equivalents

              

Time deposits

     2,955,924            2,955,924         

Money market fund

     689,254         689,254            

Short-term investments Held-to-maturity investments

              

Fixed-rate investments

     19,370,067            19,370,067         

Long-term notes payable

     14,797,937         14,797,937            

Fair value measurement

              

Recurring

              

Short-term investments Available-for-sale investments

              

Fixed-rate debt investments

     7,627,958            7,627,958         

Adjustable-rate debt investments

     514,433            514,433         

Equity investment

     1,253,120         1,253,120            

Non-recurring

              

Long-term investments

     —                 —           (17,521

Fixed assets

     —                 —           (2,057

Intangible assets

     —                 —           (4,619
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets measured at fair value

  9,395,511      1,253,120      8,142,391      —        (24,197
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Company has no assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the year ended December 31, 2013.

As of December 31, 2013, certain fixed assets (Note 7), intangible assets (Note 8), cost method investments (Note 4) and equity method investments (Note 4) were measured using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) and written down from their respective carrying value to fair value of nil, with impairment charges incurred and recorded in earnings for the year then ended.

 

F-56


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

    Total fair value at
December 31, 2014
    Fair value measurement or disclosure
at December 31, 2014 using
             
      Quoted prices in
active markets
for identical
assets (Level 1)
    Significant other
observable

inputs
(Level 2)
    Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
    Total losses  
  RMB     US$     RMB     RMB     RMB     RMB     US$  
  (In thousands)  

Fair value disclosure (Notes 2 and 4)

             

Cash equivalents

             

Time deposits

    1,746,888        281,547          1,746,888         

Money market fund

    755,095        121,699        755,095           

Short-term investments Held-to-maturity investments

             

Fixed-rate investments

    38,248,723        6,164,575          38,248,723         

Adjustable-rate investments

    59,519        9,593          59,519         

Long-term investments Held-to-maturity investments

             

Fixed-rate investments

    531,318        85,633          531,318         

Long-term notes payable

    21,811,666        3,515,403        21,811,666           

Fair value measurement

             

Recurring

             

Short-term investments Available-for-sale investments

             

Fixed-rate debt investments

    2,865,096        461,770          2,865,096         

Adjustable-rate debt investments

    1,568,543        252,803          1,568,543         

Equity investments

    1,164,714        187,718        1,164,714           

Long-term investments Available-for-sale investments

             

Debt investment

    272,680        43,948            272,680       

Equity investment

    115,921        18,683        115,921           

Non-recurring

             

Long-term investments

    —          —              —          (93,424     (15,057

Intangible assets

    —          —              —          (1,625     (262
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets measured at fair value

  5,986,954      964,922      1,280,635      4,433,639      272,680      (95,049   (15,319
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2014, long-term available-for-sale debt investment was measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3).

As of December 31, 2014, certain intangible assets (Note 8) and equity method investments (Note 4) were measured using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) and written down from their respective carrying value to fair value of nil, with impairment charges incurred and recorded in earnings for the year then ended.

 

F-57


Table of Contents

BAIDU, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014

 

The following table presents a reconciliation of long-term available-for-sale debt investment at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3).

 

    Long-term available-for-
sale debt investment
 
        RMB             US$      
    (In thousands)  

Balance as of January 1, 2014

    —          —     

Recognized during the period

    272,680        43,948   

Realized or unrealized gain (loss)

    —          —     

Settlement

    —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of December 31, 2014

  272,680      43,948   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-58

EX-4.25

Exhibit 4.25

(English Translation)

Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement 3

This Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated January 20, 2015 is made in Beijing by and between:

Pledgee:

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Pledgor:

Party B: Yazhu Zhang

Address:

WHEREAS:

 

1.

Party A is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise registered in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”).

 

2.

Party B is a citizen of the PRC and owns 20% of the equity interest in Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd., a limited liability company registered in Beijing, PRC (“Beijing Perusal”).

 

3.

Party A and Party B entered into the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement on January 20, 2015, pursuant to which Party A made a loan in an amount of RMB204,000,000 (the “Loan”) to Party B (the “Loan Arrangement”). The amount of Party B’s debt obligation is RMB204,000,000.

 

4.

Party A and Beijing Perusal entered into the Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement (the “Service Agreement”) on June 23, 2006. The term of the Service Agreement is 10 years. Pursuant to the Service Agreement, Beijing Perusal shall pay Party A consulting and service fees (the “Fees”) for the technology consulting and services provided by Party A.

 

5.

In order to ensure that Party B will perform the obligations under the Loan Agreement and Party A can collect the Fees from Beijing Perusal which is held by Party B, Party B agrees to pledge all the equity interest in Beijing Perusal as security for the Loan and the Fees. Therefore, Party A (the “Pledgee”) and Party B (the “Pledgor”) intend to enter into this Agreement to specify their rights and obligations.

NOW THEREFORE, through friendly negotiation, the Pledgee and the Pledgor agree as follows:

 

1.

Definitions:

Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

  1.1

“Pledge” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2 of this Agreement.

 

1


  1.2

“Equity Interest”: refers to all of the equity interest in Beijing Perusal legally held by the Pledgor.

 

  1.3

“Rate of Pledge”: refers to the ratio between the value of the Pledge under this Agreement and the total amount of the Loan and the Fees.

 

  1.4

“Term of Pledge”: refers to the period specified in Section 3.2 of this Agreement.

 

  1.5

“Principal Agreements”: refers to the Service Agreement and the agreements under the Loan Arrangement.

 

  1.6

“Event of Default”: refers to any event listed in Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

 

  1.7

“Notice of Default”: refers to the notice of default issued by the Pledgee in accordance with this Agreement.

 

2.

Pledge

The Pledgor agrees to pledge the Equity Interest in Beijing Perusal to the Pledgee as security for (i) the obligations under the Loan Arrangement; and (ii) the obligations of Beijing Perusal under the Service Agreement. “Pledge” refers to the right of the Pledgee to be entitled to priority in receiving payment in the form of the Equity Interest based on the conversion value thereof, or from the proceeds from the auction or sale of the Equity Interest pledged by the Pledgor to the Pledgee.

 

3.

Rate of Pledge and Term of Pledge

 

  3.1

Rate of Pledge

The rate of the Pledge shall be approximately 100%.

 

  3.2

Term of Pledge

 

  3.2.1

The Pledge shall take effect as of the date when the pledge of the Equity Interest is recorded in the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal and registered with the competent industrial and commercial authorities, and shall remain in effect until two (2) years after the obligations under the Principal Agreements have been fulfilled.

 

  3.2.2

During the Term of Pledge, the Pledgee shall be entitled to dispose of the pledged assets in accordance with this Agreement in the event that Pledgor do not perform the obligation under the Loan Arrangement or Beijing Perusal fails to pay the Fees under the Service Agreement.

 

2


4.

Physical Possession Of Pledge Documents

 

  4.1

During the Term of Pledge under this Agreement, the Pledgor shall deliver the physical possession of the certificate of capital contribution and the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal to the Pledgee within one (1) week after the date of this Agreement.

 

  4.2

The Pledgee shall be entitled to collect the dividends for the Equity Interest.

 

  4.3

The Pledge under this Agreement will be recorded in the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal (see Appendix I).

 

5.

Representation and Warranty of the Pledgor

 

  5.1

The Pledgor is the legal owner of the Equity Interest pledged. The Pledge has been duly approved by the shareholders’ resolutions (see Appendix II).

 

  5.2

The Pledgor did not pledge the Equity Interest and the Equity Interest is not encumbered to any other person except for the Pledgee.

 

6.

Undertaking of the Pledgor

 

  6.1

During the effective term of this Agreement, the Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee for its benefit that the Pledgor shall:

 

  6.1.1

Not transfer the Equity Interest, create or permit to create any pledges which may have an adverse effect on the rights or benefits of the Pledgee without prior written consent from the Pledgee;

 

  6.1.2

Comply with and implement laws and regulations with respect to the pledge of rights; present to the Pledgee the notices, orders or suggestions with respect to the Pledge issued or made by the competent authority within five (5) days upon receiving such notices, orders or suggestions; and comply with such notices, orders or suggestions; or object to the foregoing matters at the reasonable request of the Pledgee or with consent from the Pledgee;

 

  6.1.3

Timely notify the Pledgee of any events or any received notices which may affect the Pledgor’s Equity Interest or any part of the Pledgor’s right, and any events or any received notices which may change the Pledgor’s any warranty and obligation under this Agreement or affect the Pledgor’s performance of the obligations under this Agreement.

 

  6.2

The Pledgor agrees that the Pledgee’s right to the Pledge under this Agreement shall not be suspended or inhibited by any legal procedure launched by the Pledgor or any successors of the Pledgor or any person authorized by the Pledgor or any such other person.

 

  6.3

The Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee that in order to protect or perfect the security for the payment of the Loan and the Fees, the Pledgor shall execute in good faith and cause other parties who have interests in the Pledge to execute all the title certificates, contracts, and perform actions and cause other parties who have interests to take action, as required by the Pledgee, and facilitate the Pledgee to exercise its rights under this Agreement.

 

3


  6.4

The Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee to execute all amendment documents (if applicable and necessary) in connection to the certificate of the Equity Interest with the Pledgee or its designated person (natural person or a legal entity), and provide the notice, order and decision to the Pledgee within reasonable time if the Pledgee considers necessary.

 

  6.5

The Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee to comply with and perform all the guarantees, covenants, warranties, representations and conditions for the benefits of the Pledgee. The Pledgor shall compensate all the losses suffered by the Pledgee for the reasons that the Pledgor does not perform or fully perform such guarantees, covenants, warranties, representations and conditions.

 

  6.6

During the term of this agreement, in order to preserve and increase the value of the pledged Equity Interest, the Pledgor shall refrain from any act or omission that may negatively affect the value of the pledged Equity Interest. If any events that may negatively affect the value of the pledged Equity Interest or the Pledgor’s obligation under this Agreement occurs, the Pledgor shall notify the Pledgee immediately, and the Pledgor shall provide financial guarantee for the amount of decrease in the value of the pledged Equity Interest in a form satisfactory to the Pledgee, if so requested by the Pledgee.

 

  6.7

Under the applicable law, the Pledgor shall undertake, or actively cooperate with the Pledgee to assist the Pledgee, to complete the relevant registration, filing or any other procedures required by the law and regulations in respect of the pledged Equity Interest.

 

7.

Event Of Default

 

  7.1

The following events shall be regarded as events of default:

 

  7.1.1

The Pledgor fails to perform the obligations under the Loan Arrangement and its supplementary agreements;

 

  7.1.2

Beijing Perusal fails to make full payment of the Fees as scheduled under the Service Agreement;

 

  7.1.3

The Pledgor makes any material misleading or mistaken representations or warranties under Section 5, and/or the Pledgor breaches any warranties under Section 5;

 

  7.1.4

The Pledgor breaches the covenants under Section 6;

 

  7.1.5

The Pledgor breaches other terms or conditions herein;

 

  7.1.6

The Pledgor waives the pledged Equity Interest or transfers or assigns the pledged Equity Interest without prior written consent of the Pledgee;

 

  7.1.7

The Pledgor’s any external loan, security, compensation, covenants or any other compensation liabilities (1) are required to be repaid or performed prior to the scheduled date due to breach; or (2) are due but can not be repaid or performed as scheduled and thereby cause the Pledgee to believe that the Pledgor’s capacity to perform the obligations herein is affected;

 

  7.1.8

Beijing Perusal is incapable of repaying the general debt or other debt;

 

  7.1.9

This Agreement is illegal or the Pledgor is not capable of continuing to perform the obligations herein due to any reason except force majeure;

 

4


  7.1.10

The property of the Pledgor is adversely changed causing the Pledgee to believe that the capability of the Pledgor to perform the obligations herein is affected;

 

  7.1.11

The successors or agents of Beijing Perusal are only able to perform a portion of or refuse to perform the payment obligation under the Service Agreement;

 

  7.1.12

The breach of the other terms by action or omission under this Agreement by the Pledgor.

 

  7.2

The Pledgor shall immediately give a written notice to the Pledgee if the Pledgor is aware of or realize any event under Section 7.1 or any event that may result in the foregoing events.

 

  7.3

Unless the event of default under Section 7.1 has been solved to the Pledgee’s satisfaction, the Pledgee, at any time when the event of default happens or thereafter, may give a written Notice of Default to the Pledgor and require the Pledgor to immediately make full payment of the Loan and the outstanding Fees under the Service Agreement and other payables or exercise the Pledge right in accordance with Section 8.

 

8.

Exercise of the Pledge

 

  8.1

The Pledgor shall not transfer the Equity Interest without prior written consent of the Pledgee prior to the full repayment of the Loan or the Fees under the Service Agreement (whichever date last occurs).

 

  8.2

The Pledgee shall give a Notice of Default to the Pledgor when the Pledgee exercises the right of pledge.

 

  8.3

Subject to Section 7.3, the Pledgee may exercise the right of pledge at any time when the Pledgee gives a Notice of Default in accordance with Section 7.3 or thereafter.

 

  8.4

The Pledgee is entitled to a priority in receiving payment by the evaluation or proceeds from the auction or sale of whole or part of the Equity Interest pledged herein in accordance with legal procedure until the unpaid Fees under the Service Agreement, the outstanding debt and all other payables of Pledgor under Loan Arrangement are repaid.

 

  8.5

The Pledgor shall not hinder the Pledgee from exercising the right of pledge in accordance with this Agreement and shall give necessary assistance so that the Pledgee can realize the Pledge.

 

9.

Assignment

 

  9.1

The Pledgor shall not donate or transfer there rights and obligations herein without prior consent of the Pledgee.

 

5


  9.2

This Agreement shall be binding upon the Pledgor and the successors of the Pledgor, and be binding on the Pledgee and its each successor and assignee.

 

  9.3

The Pledgee may transfer or assign its all or any rights and obligations under the Service Agreement, the Loan Arrangement and its supplementary agreements to any individual it specifies (natural person or legal entity) at any time. In this case, the assignee shall enjoy and undertake the same rights and obligations herein of the Pledgee as if the assignee is a party hereto. When the Pledgee transfers or assigns the rights and obligations under the Service Agreement, the Loan Arrangement and its supplementary agreements, and such transfer shall only be subject to a written notice serviced to the Pledgor, and at the request of the Pledgee, the Pledgor shall execute the relevant agreements and/or documents with respect to such transfer or assignment.

 

  9.4

After the Pledgee’s change resulting from the transfer or assignment, the new parties to the pledge shall execute a new pledge contract.

 

10.

Effectiveness and Term

The agreement is executed as of the date first set forth above and effective from the date when the pledge is recorded on the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal.

 

11.

Termination

This Agreement shall not be terminated until the Loan under the Loan Arrangement and the Fees under the Service Agreement are paid off and the Pledgor does not undertake any obligations under the Loan Arrangement and Beijing Perusal does not undertake any obligations under the Service Agreement any more, and the Pledgee shall cancel or terminate this Agreement within reasonable time as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

12.

Formalities Fees And Other Charges

 

  12.1

[The Pledgor] shall be responsible for all the fees and actual expenses in relation to this Agreement including but not limited to legal fees, cost of production, stamp tax and any other taxes and charges. If the Pledgee pays the relevant taxes in accordance with the laws, [the Pledgor shall fully indemnify the Pledgee such taxes paid by the Pledgee.]

 

  12.2

[The Pledgor shall be responsible for all the fees (including but not limited to any taxes, formalities fees, management fees, litigation fees, attorney’s fees, and various insurance premiums in connection with disposition of Pledge) incurred by the Pledgor for the reason that the Pledgor fails to pay any payable taxes, fees or charges for other reasons which cause the Pledgee to recourse by any means or ways.]

 

13.

Force Majeure

 

  13.1

Force Majeure, which includes but not limited to acts of governments, acts of nature, fire, explosion, typhoon, flood, earthquake, tide, lightning, war, refers to any unforeseen events beyond the party’s reasonable control and cannot be prevented with reasonable care. However, any shortage of credit, capital or finance shall not be regarded as an event beyond a Party’s reasonable control. The affected party by Force Majeure shall notify the other party of such event resulting in exemption promptly.

 

6


  13.2

In the event that the affected party is delayed in or prevented from performing its obligations under this Agreement by Force Majeure, only within the scope of such delay or prevention, the affected party will not be responsible for any damage by reason of such a failure or delay of performance. The affected party shall take appropriate means to minimize or remove the effects of Force Majeure and attempt to resume performance of the obligations delayed or prevented by the event of Force Majeure. After the event of Force Majeure is removed, both parties agree to resume the performance of this Agreement with their best efforts.

 

14.

Confidentiality

The parties of this agreement acknowledge and make sure that all the oral and written materials exchanged relating to this contract are confidential. All the parties have to keep them confidential and can not disclose them to any other third party without other parties’ prior written approval, unless: (a) the public know and will know the materials (not because of the disclosure by any contractual party); (b) the disclosed materials are required by laws or stock exchange rules; or (c) materials relating to this transaction are disclosed to parties’ legal consultants or financial advisors, however, who have to keep them confidential as well. Disclosure of the confidential by Employees or hired institutions of the parties is deemed as the act by the parties, therefore, subjecting them to liability.

 

15.

Dispute Resolution

 

  15.1

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the PRC law.

 

  15.2

The parties shall strive to settle any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance, or in connection with this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached through consultation, each party can submit such matter to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) for arbitration. The arbitration shall follow the current rules of CIETAC, and the arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in Chinese and shall take place in Beijing. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

 

16.

Notice

Any notice which is given by the parties hereto for the purpose of performing the rights and obligations hereunder shall be in writing. Where such notice is delivered in person, the time of notice is the time when such notice actually reaches the addressee; where such notice is transmitted by telex or facsimile, the notice time is the time when such notice is transmitted. If such notice does not reach the addressee on a business date or reaches the addressee after the business time, the next business day following such day is the date of notice. The delivery place is the address first written above of the parties hereto or the address advised in writing including facsimile and telex from time to time.

 

7


Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Telephone: 010-59928888

Party B: Yazhu Zhang

Address:

Telephone:

 

17.

Entire Agreement

Notwithstanding Section 10, all parties agree that this Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters therein upon its effectiveness and supersedes and replaces all prior oral and/or written agreements and understandings relating to this Agreement.

 

18.

Severability

Any provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable because of inconsistency with the relevant laws shall, as to that jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability, without affecting in any way the remaining provisions hereof.

 

19.

Appendices

The appendices to this Agreement are integral parts of this Agreement.

 

20.

Amendment or Supplement

 

  20.1

The parties may amend and supply this Agreement with a written agreement. The amendment and supplement duly executed and signed by both parties shall be part of this Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

  20.2

This Agreement and any amendments, modification, supplements, additions or changes hereto shall be in writing and come into effect upon being executed and sealed by the parties hereto.

 

21.

Copies of the Agreement

This Agreement is executed in Chinese in two originals, each party holding an original. All the originals shall have the same legal effect.

[No text below]

 

8


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its legal representative or authorized representative on its behalf as of the date first set forth above.

 

 

Pledgee:

   Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
 

Legal representative/authorized representative: /s/ Zhan Wang

 

Company seal: (with the company seal of Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.)

 

Pledgor:

   Yazhu Zhang
 

Signature: /s/ Yazhu Zhang

 

9


Appendix:

 

1.

Register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal.

 

2.

Resolutions of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of Beijing Perusal.

 

10


Appendix I

Register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal

Name of the shareholder: Jiping Liu

Residential address:

Capital contribution: RMB816,000,000

Percentage of capital contribution: 80%

No. of the certificate of capital contribution:

Name of the shareholder: Yazhu Zhang

Residential address:

Capital contribution: RMB204,000,000

Percentage of capital contribution: 20%

No. of the certificate of capital contribution:

Jiping Liu holds 80% of the shares of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. which have been pledged to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Yazhu Zhang holds 20% of the shares of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. which have been pledged to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is the pledgee of 100% of the shares in Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

Signature:

Name:

Title: Legal representative (with the company seal of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.)

Date:

 

11


Appendix II

Resolutions of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of Beijing Perusal

As for the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement executed on January 20, 2015 between the shareholders of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) and Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the general shareholders’ meeting of the Company made a resolution unanimously as follows:

Approve the shareholders of the Company to pledge all their equity interest of the company to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

The resolution was executed and submitted on January 20, 2015 by the following shareholders:

Shareholder: Jiping Liu

Signature: /s/ Jiping Liu

Shareholder: Yazhu Zhang

Signature: /s/ Yazhu Zhang

 

12


Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement 3

This Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated January 20, 2015 is made in Beijing by and between:

Pledgee:

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Pledgor:

Party B: Jiping Liu

Address:

WHEREAS:

 

1.

Party A is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise registered in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”).

 

2.

Party B is a citizen of the PRC and owns 80% of the equity interest in Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd., a limited liability company registered in Beijing, PRC (“Beijing Perusal”).

 

3.

Party A and Party B entered into the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement on January 20, 2015, pursuant to which Party A made a loan in an amount of RMB816,000,000 (the “Loan”) to Party B (the “Loan Arrangement”). The amount of Party B’s debt obligation is RMB816,000,000.

 

4.

Party A and Beijing Perusal entered into the Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement (the “Service Agreement”) on June 23, 2006. The term of the Service Agreement is 10 years. Pursuant to the Service Agreement, Beijing Perusal shall pay Party A consulting and service fees (the “Fees”) for the technology consulting and services provided by Party A.

 

5.

In order to ensure that Party B will perform the obligations under the Loan Agreement and Party A can collect the Fees from Beijing Perusal which is held by Party B, Party B agrees to pledge all the equity interest in Beijing Perusal as security for the Loan and the Fees. Therefore, Party A (the “Pledgee”) and Party B (the “Pledgor”) intend to enter into this Agreement to specify their rights and obligations.

NOW THEREFORE, through friendly negotiation, the Pledgee and the Pledgor agree as follows:

 

1.

Definitions:

Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

  1.1

“Pledge” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2 of this Agreement.

 

13


  1.2

“Equity Interest”: refers to all of the equity interest in Beijing Perusal legally held by the Pledgor.

 

  1.3

“Rate of Pledge”: refers to the ratio between the value of the Pledge under this Agreement and the total amount of the Loan and the Fees.

 

  1.4

“Term of Pledge”: refers to the period specified in Section 3.2 of this Agreement.

 

  1.5

“Principal Agreements”: refers to the Service Agreement and the agreements under the Loan Arrangement.

 

  1.6

“Event of Default”: refers to any event listed in Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

 

  1.7

“Notice of Default”: refers to the notice of default issued by the Pledgee in accordance with this Agreement.

 

2.

Pledge

The Pledgor agrees to pledge the Equity Interest in Beijing Perusal to the Pledgee as security for (i) the obligations under the Loan Arrangement; and (ii) the obligations of Beijing Perusal under the Service Agreement. “Pledge” refers to the right of the Pledgee to be entitled to priority in receiving payment in the form of the Equity Interest based on the conversion value thereof, or from the proceeds from the auction or sale of the Equity Interest pledged by the Pledgor to the Pledgee.

 

3.

Rate of Pledge and Term of Pledge

 

  3.1

Rate of Pledge

The rate of the Pledge shall be approximately 100%.

 

  3.2

Term of Pledge

 

  3.2.1

The Pledge shall take effect as of the date when the pledge of the Equity Interest is recorded in the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal and registered with the competent industrial and commercial authorities, and shall remain in effect until two (2) years after the obligations under the Principal Agreements have been fulfilled.

 

  3.2.2

During the Term of Pledge, the Pledgee shall be entitled to dispose of the pledged assets in accordance with this Agreement in the event that Pledgor do not perform the obligation under the Loan Arrangement or Beijing Perusal fails to pay the Fees under the Service Agreement.

 

14


4.

Physical Possession Of Pledge Documents

 

  4.1

During the Term of Pledge under this Agreement, the Pledgor shall deliver the physical possession of the certificate of capital contribution and the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal to the Pledgee within one (1) week after the date of this Agreement.

 

  4.2

The Pledgee shall be entitled to collect the dividends for the Equity Interest.

 

  4.3

The Pledge under this Agreement will be recorded in the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal (see Appendix I).

 

5.

Representation and Warranty of the Pledgor

 

  5.1

The Pledgor is the legal owner of the Equity Interest pledged. The Pledge has been duly approved by the shareholders’ resolutions (see Appendix II).

 

  5.2

The Pledgor did not pledge the Equity Interest and the Equity Interest is not encumbered to any other person except for the Pledgee.

 

6.

Undertaking of the Pledgor

 

  6.1

During the effective term of this Agreement, the Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee for its benefit that the Pledgor shall:

 

  6.1.1

Not transfer the Equity Interest, create or permit to create any pledges which may have an adverse effect on the rights or benefits of the Pledgee without prior written consent from the Pledgee;

 

  6.1.2

Comply with and implement laws and regulations with respect to the pledge of rights; present to the Pledgee the notices, orders or suggestions with respect to the Pledge issued or made by the competent authority within five (5) days upon receiving such notices, orders or suggestions; and comply with such notices, orders or suggestions; or object to the foregoing matters at the reasonable request of the Pledgee or with consent from the Pledgee;

 

  6.1.3

Timely notify the Pledgee of any events or any received notices which may affect the Pledgor’s Equity Interest or any part of the Pledgor’s right, and any events or any received notices which may change the Pledgor’s any warranty and obligation under this Agreement or affect the Pledgor’s performance of the obligations under this Agreement.

 

  6.2

The Pledgor agrees that the Pledgee’s right to the Pledge under this Agreement shall not be suspended or inhibited by any legal procedure launched by the Pledgor or any successors of the Pledgor or any person authorized by the Pledgor or any such other person.

 

  6.3

The Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee that in order to protect or perfect the security for the payment of the Loan and the Fees, the Pledgor shall execute in good faith and cause other parties who have interests in the Pledge to execute all the title certificates, contracts, and perform actions and cause other parties who have interests to take action, as required by the Pledgee, and facilitate the Pledgee to exercise its rights under this Agreement.

 

15


  6.4

The Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee to execute all amendment documents (if applicable and necessary) in connection to the certificate of the Equity Interest with the Pledgee or its designated person (natural person or a legal entity), and provide the notice, order and decision to the Pledgee within reasonable time if the Pledgee considers necessary.

 

  6.5

The Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee to comply with and perform all the guarantees, covenants, warranties, representations and conditions for the benefits of the Pledgee. The Pledgor shall compensate all the losses suffered by the Pledgee for the reasons that the Pledgor does not perform or fully perform such guarantees, covenants, warranties, representations and conditions.

 

  6.6

During the term of this agreement, in order to preserve and increase the value of the pledged Equity Interest, the Pledgor shall refrain from any act or omission that may negatively affect the value of the pledged Equity Interest. If any events that may negatively affect the value of the pledged Equity Interest or the Pledgor’s obligation under this Agreement occurs, the Pledgor shall notify the Pledgee immediately, and the Pledgor shall provide financial guarantee for the amount of decrease in the value of the pledged Equity Interest in a form satisfactory to the Pledgee, if so requested by the Pledgee.

 

  6.7

Under the applicable law, the Pledgor shall undertake, or actively cooperate with the Pledgee to assist the Pledgee, to complete the relevant registration, filing or any other procedures required by the law and regulations in respect of the pledged Equity Interest.

 

7.

Event Of Default

 

  7.1

The following events shall be regarded as events of default:

 

  7.1.1

The Pledgor fails to perform the obligations under the Loan Arrangement and its supplementary agreements;

 

  7.1.2

Beijing Perusal fails to make full payment of the Fees as scheduled under the Service Agreement;

 

  7.1.3

The Pledgor makes any material misleading or mistaken representations or warranties under Section 5, and/or the Pledgor breaches any warranties under Section 5;

 

  7.1.4

The Pledgor breaches the covenants under Section 6;

 

  7.1.5

The Pledgor breaches other terms or conditions herein;

 

  7.1.6

The Pledgor waives the pledged Equity Interest or transfers or assigns the pledged Equity Interest without prior written consent of the Pledgee;

 

  7.1.7

The Pledgor’s any external loan, security, compensation, covenants or any other compensation liabilities (1) are required to be repaid or performed prior to the scheduled date due to breach; or (2) are due but can not be repaid or performed as scheduled and thereby cause the Pledgee to believe that the Pledgor’s capacity to perform the obligations herein is affected;

 

  7.1.8

Beijing Perusal is incapable of repaying the general debt or other debt;

 

  7.1.9

This Agreement is illegal or the Pledgor is not capable of continuing to perform the obligations herein due to any reason except force majeure;

 

16


  7.1.10

The property of the Pledgor is adversely changed causing the Pledgee to believe that the capability of the Pledgor to perform the obligations herein is affected;

 

  7.1.11

The successors or agents of Beijing Perusal are only able to perform a portion of or refuse to perform the payment obligation under the Service Agreement;

 

  7.1.12

The breach of the other terms by action or omission under this Agreement by the Pledgor.

 

  7.2

The Pledgor shall immediately give a written notice to the Pledgee if the Pledgor is aware of or realize any event under Section 7.1 or any event that may result in the foregoing events.

 

  7.3

Unless the event of default under Section 7.1 has been solved to the Pledgee’s satisfaction, the Pledgee, at any time when the event of default happens or thereafter, may give a written Notice of Default to the Pledgor and require the Pledgor to immediately make full payment of the Loan and the outstanding Fees under the Service Agreement and other payables or exercise the Pledge right in accordance with Section 8.

 

8.

Exercise of the Pledge

 

  8.1

The Pledgor shall not transfer the Equity Interest without prior written consent of the Pledgee prior to the full repayment of the Loan or the Fees under the Service Agreement (whichever date last occurs).

 

  8.2

The Pledgee shall give a Notice of Default to the Pledgor when the Pledgee exercises the right of pledge.

 

  8.3

Subject to Section 7.3, the Pledgee may exercise the right of pledge at any time when the Pledgee gives a Notice of Default in accordance with Section 7.3 or thereafter.

 

  8.4

The Pledgee is entitled to a priority in receiving payment by the evaluation or proceeds from the auction or sale of whole or part of the Equity Interest pledged herein in accordance with legal procedure until the unpaid Fees under the Service Agreement, the outstanding debt and all other payables of Pledgor under Loan Arrangement are repaid.

 

  8.5

The Pledgor shall not hinder the Pledgee from exercising the right of pledge in accordance with this Agreement and shall give necessary assistance so that the Pledgee can realize the Pledge.

 

9.

Assignment

 

  9.1

The Pledgor shall not donate or transfer there rights and obligations herein without prior consent of the Pledgee.

 

17


  9.2

This Agreement shall be binding upon the Pledgor and the successors of the Pledgor, and be binding on the Pledgee and its each successor and assignee.

 

  9.3

The Pledgee may transfer or assign its all or any rights and obligations under the Service Agreement, the Loan Arrangement and its supplementary agreements to any individual it specifies (natural person or legal entity) at any time. In this case, the assignee shall enjoy and undertake the same rights and obligations herein of the Pledgee as if the assignee is a party hereto. When the Pledgee transfers or assigns the rights and obligations under the Service Agreement, the Loan Arrangement and its supplementary agreements, and such transfer shall only be subject to a written notice serviced to the Pledgor, and at the request of the Pledgee, the Pledgor shall execute the relevant agreements and/or documents with respect to such transfer or assignment.

 

  9.4

After the Pledgee’s change resulting from the transfer or assignment, the new parties to the pledge shall execute a new pledge contract.

 

10.

Effectiveness and Term

The agreement is executed as of the date first set forth above and effective from the date when the pledge is recorded on the register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal.

 

11.

Termination

This Agreement shall not be terminated until the Loan under the Loan Arrangement and the Fees under the Service Agreement are paid off and the Pledgor does not undertake any obligations under the Loan Arrangement and Beijing Perusal does not undertake any obligations under the Service Agreement any more, and the Pledgee shall cancel or terminate this Agreement within reasonable time as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

12.

Formalities Fees And Other Charges

 

  12.1

[The Pledgor] shall be responsible for all the fees and actual expenses in relation to this Agreement including but not limited to legal fees, cost of production, stamp tax and any other taxes and charges. If the Pledgee pays the relevant taxes in accordance with the laws, [the Pledgor shall fully indemnify the Pledgee such taxes paid by the Pledgee.]

 

  12.2

[The Pledgor shall be responsible for all the fees (including but not limited to any taxes, formalities fees, management fees, litigation fees, attorney’s fees, and various insurance premiums in connection with disposition of Pledge) incurred by the Pledgor for the reason that the Pledgor fails to pay any payable taxes, fees or charges for other reasons which cause the Pledgee to recourse by any means or ways.]

 

13.

Force Majeure

 

  13.1

Force Majeure, which includes but not limited to acts of governments, acts of nature, fire, explosion, typhoon, flood, earthquake, tide, lightning, war, refers to any unforeseen events beyond the party’s reasonable control and cannot be prevented with reasonable care. However, any shortage of credit, capital or finance shall not be regarded as an event beyond a Party’s reasonable control. The affected party by Force Majeure shall notify the other party of such event resulting in exemption promptly.

 

18


  13.2

In the event that the affected party is delayed in or prevented from performing its obligations under this Agreement by Force Majeure, only within the scope of such delay or prevention, the affected party will not be responsible for any damage by reason of such a failure or delay of performance. The affected party shall take appropriate means to minimize or remove the effects of Force Majeure and attempt to resume performance of the obligations delayed or prevented by the event of Force Majeure. After the event of Force Majeure is removed, both parties agree to resume the performance of this Agreement with their best efforts.

 

14.

Confidentiality

The parties of this agreement acknowledge and make sure that all the oral and written materials exchanged relating to this contract are confidential. All the parties have to keep them confidential and can not disclose them to any other third party without other parties’ prior written approval, unless: (a) the public know and will know the materials (not because of the disclosure by any contractual party); (b) the disclosed materials are required by laws or stock exchange rules; or (c) materials relating to this transaction are disclosed to parties’ legal consultants or financial advisors, however, who have to keep them confidential as well. Disclosure of the confidential by Employees or hired institutions of the parties is deemed as the act by the parties, therefore, subjecting them to liability.

 

15.

Dispute Resolution

 

  15.1

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the PRC law.

 

  15.2

The parties shall strive to settle any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance, or in connection with this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached through consultation, each party can submit such matter to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) for arbitration. The arbitration shall follow the current rules of CIETAC, and the arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in Chinese and shall take place in Beijing. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

 

16.

Notice

Any notice which is given by the parties hereto for the purpose of performing the rights and obligations hereunder shall be in writing. Where such notice is delivered in person, the time of notice is the time when such notice actually reaches the addressee; where such notice is transmitted by telex or facsimile, the notice time is the time when such notice is transmitted. If such notice does not reach the addressee on a business date or reaches the addressee after the business time, the next business day following such day is the date of notice. The delivery place is the address first written above of the parties hereto or the address advised in writing including facsimile and telex from time to time.

 

19


Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Telephone: 010-59928888

Party B: Jiping Liu

Address:

Telephone:

 

17.

Entire Agreement

Notwithstanding Section 10, all parties agree that this Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters therein upon its effectiveness and supersedes and replaces all prior oral and/or written agreements and understandings relating to this Agreement.

 

18.

Severability

Any provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable because of inconsistency with the relevant laws shall, as to that jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability, without affecting in any way the remaining provisions hereof.

 

19.

Appendices

The appendices to this Agreement are integral parts of this Agreement.

 

20.

Amendment or Supplement

 

  20.1

The parties may amend and supply this Agreement with a written agreement. The amendment and supplement duly executed and signed by both parties shall be part of this Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

  20.2

This Agreement and any amendments, modification, supplements, additions or changes hereto shall be in writing and come into effect upon being executed and sealed by the parties hereto.

 

21.

Copies of the Agreement

This Agreement is executed in Chinese in two originals, each party holding an original. All the originals shall have the same legal effect.

[No text below]

 

20


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its legal representative or authorized representative on its behalf as of the date first set forth above.

 

 

Pledgee:

   Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
 

Legal representative/authorized representative: /s/ Zhan Wang

 

Company seal: (with the company seal of Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.)

 

Pledgor:

   Jiping Liu
 

Signature: /s/ Jiping Liu

 

21


Appendix:

 

1.

Register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal.

 

2.

Resolutions of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of Beijing Perusal.

 

22


Appendix I

Register of shareholders of Beijing Perusal

Name of the shareholder: Jiping Liu

Residential address:

Capital contribution: RMB816,000,000

Percentage of capital contribution: 80%

No. of the certificate of capital contribution:

Name of the shareholder: Yazhu Zhang

Residential address:

Capital contribution: RMB204,000,000

Percentage of capital contribution: 20%

No. of the certificate of capital contribution:

Jiping Liu holds 80% of the shares of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. which have been pledged to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Yazhu Zhang holds 20% of the shares of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. which have been pledged to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is the pledgee of 100% of the shares in Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

Signature:

Name:

Title: Legal representative (with the company seal of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.)

Date:

 

23


Appendix II

Resolutions of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of Beijing Perusal

As for the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement executed on January 20, 2015 between the shareholders of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) and Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the general shareholders’ meeting of the Company made a resolution unanimously as follows:

Approve the shareholders of the Company to pledge all their equity interest of the Company to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

The resolution was executed and submitted on January 20, 2015 by the following shareholders:

Shareholder: Jiping Liu

Signature: /s/ Jiping Liu

Shareholder: Yazhu Zhang

Signature: /s/ Yazhu Zhang

 

24

EX-4.26

Exhibit 4.26

(English Translation)

Amended and Restated Equity Purchase Option Agreement 3

This Amended and Restated Equity Purchase Option Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into by and among the following parties as of January 20, 2015 in Beijing:

 

 

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Party B: Jiping Liu

 

Party C: Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

 

Address:

 

Room A2, 2/F, No.17 Building, Zhongguancun Software Park, No.8

Northeast Wangxi Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Parties A, B and C are referred to as a “Party” individually and “Parties” collectively hereinafter.

WHEREAS:

 

1.

Party A, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), which has technology expertise and practical experience in computer software development and design, and also has rich experience and professionals in information technology and service;

 

2.

Party C is a limited liability company incorporated in the PRC and engages in value-added telecommunication services, including internet information services.

 

3.

Party B is a shareholder of Party C, holding 80% of the shares in Party C.

 

4.

Parties A and B entereed into the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement on January 20, 2015, pursuant to which Party B obtained an interest-free loan of RMB816,000,000 from Party A (the “Loan Arrangement”) for Party B to invest in Party C.

 

5.

Parties A and C entered into a series of agreements, including Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement (the “Service Agreement”), on June 23, 2006.

 

6.

Parties A and B entered into the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement (the “Equity Pledge Agreement) on January 20, 2015.

NOWTHEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

Purchase and Sale of Equity Interest

 

1.1

Grant of Rights

Party B (the “Transferor”) hereby irrevocably grants to Party A an option to purchase or cause any designated person(s) (“Designated Persons”) to purchase, to the extent permitted under PRC Law, according to the steps determined by Party A, at the price specified in Section 1.3 of this Agreement, at any time from the Transferor a portion or all of the equity interests held by Transferor in Party C (the “Option”). No Option shall be granted to any third party other than Party A and/or the Designated Persons. Party C hereby agrees to the granting of the Option by Party B to Party A and/or the Designated Persons. The “person” set forth in this clause and this Agreement means an individual person, corporation, joint venture, partnership, enterprise, trust or a non-corporation organization.

 

1


1.2

Exercise Steps

Subject to the stipulations of PRC laws and regulation, Party A and/or the Designated Persons may exercise Option by issuing a written notice (the “Notice”) to the Transferor and specifying the equity interest purchased from Transferor (the “Purchased Equity Interest”) and the manner of purchase.

 

1.3

Purchase Price

 

  1.3.1

For Party A to exercise the Option, the purchase price of the Purchased Equity Interest (“Purchase Price”) shall be equal to the actual paid-in price of the Purchased Equity Interest by the Transferor, unless the applicable PRC laws and regulations require appraisal of the equity interests or stipulate other restrictions on the purchase price of equity interests.

 

  1.3.2

If the applicable PRC laws require appraisal of the equity interests or stipulates other restrictions on the purchase price of Equity Interest at the time that Party A exercise the Option, the Parties agree that the Purchase Price shall be set at the lowest price permissible under the applicable laws.

 

1.4

Transfer of the Purchased Equity Interest

Upon the exercise of the Option:

 

  1.4.1

The Transferor shall, upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Notice related to the Purchased Equity Interest, enter into Equity Interest Transfer Agreement with Party A and/or the Designated Persons (as applicable) in form satisfactory to Party A;

 

  1.4.2

The Transferor shall execute all other requisite contracts, agreements or documents, obtain all requisite approval and consent of the government, conduct all necessary actions, without any security interest or other conditions, transfer the valid ownership of the Purchased Equity Interest to Party A and/or the Designated Persons, and cause Party A and/or the Designated Persons to be the registered owner of the Purchased Equity Interest. In this Clause and this Agreement, “Security Interest” includes but is not limited to the ensure, mortgage, pledge, the right or interest of the third party, any purchase right of equity interest, right of acquisition, right of first refusal, right of set-off, ownership detainment or other security arrangements. But it does not include any security interest subject to the Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

2


1.5

Payment

The payment of the Purchase Price shall be determined by the consultation of Party A and/or the Designated Persons with the Transferor according to the applicable laws at the performance of Option. The Parties hereby agree that, subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Transferor shall repay any amount that is paid by Party A and/or the Designated Persons to Transferor in connection with the Purchased Equity Interest to Party A (provided however that the Transferor may deduct from such repayment the amount of taxes and fees, if any, that were incurred as a result of the transaction contemplated by the Equity Interest Transfer Agreement).

 

2.

Undertakings related to the Equity Interest

 

2.1

Undertakings related to Party C

Party B and Party C hereby undertake that in relation to Party C:

 

  2.1.1

Without prior written consent by Party A, not, in any form, to supplement, amend or modify the Articles of Association of Party C, to increase or decrease registered capital of the corporation, or to change the structure of the registered capital in any other forms;

 

  2.1.2

According to fair finance and business standard and tradition, to maintain the existence of the corporation, prudently and effectively operate business and deal with works;

 

  2.1.3

Without prior written consent by Party A, not, upon the execution of this Agreement, to sale, transfer, mortgage or dispose, in any other form, any asset, legitimate or beneficial interest of business or income of Party C, or to approve any other security interest set on it;

 

  2.1.4

Without prior written notice by Party A, not cause, inherit, guarantee or allow the existence of any debt, other than (i) the debt arising from normal or daily business but not from borrowing; and (ii) the debt disclosed to Party A and obtained the written consent from Party A;

 

  2.1.5

To normally operate all business to maintain the asset value of Party C, without make any action or nonfeasance that sufficiently affects its operation and asset value;

 

  2.1.6

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to enter into any material agreement, other than the agreements in the process of normal business (as in this paragraph, the amount in the Agreement that exceeds five hundred thousand Yuan (RMB 500,000) shall be deemed as a material agreement);

 

  2.1.7

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to provide loan or credit loan to any others;

 

  2.1.8

Upon the request of Party A, to provide all materials of operation and finance of Party C;

 

  2.1.9

Purchases and holds the insurance from the insurance company accepted by Party A. The insurance amount and category shall be the same with those held by the companies in the same area, operating the similar business and owning the similar properties and assets with Party C;

 

3


  2.1.10

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to merger or associate with any person, or acquire or invest in any person;

 

  2.1.11

To notify Party A of the occurrence or the potential occurrence of the litigation, arbitration or administrative procedure related to the assets, business and income of Party C;

 

  2.1.12

In order to keep the ownership of Party C to all its assets, to execute all requisite or appropriate documents, do all requisite or appropriate action, and advance all requisite or appropriate accusation, or make requisite or appropriate plea for all claims;

 

  2.1.13

Without prior written notice by Party A, not to assign dividends in any form to shareholders in any form, but to assign all or part of its assignable profits to their own shareholders upon the request by Party A;

 

  2.1.14

According to the request of Party A, to appoint any person designated by Party A to be the directors of Party C.

 

2.2

Undertakings related to the Transferor

Party B hereby undertakes:

 

  2.2.1

Without prior written consent by Party A, not, upon the execution of this Agreement, to sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose in any other form any legitimate or beneficial interest of equity interest, or to approve any other security interest set on it, with the exception of the pledge set on the equity interest of the Transferor subject to the Equity Pledge Agreement;

 

  2.2.2

Without the prior written notice by Party A, not to decide or support or execute any shareholders resolution on the Party C’s shareholders’ meeting that approves any sale, transfer, mortgage or dispose of any legitimate or beneficial interest of equity interest, or allows any other security interest set on it, other than the pledge on the equity interests of Transferor pursuant to Equity Pledge Agreement;

 

  2.2.3

With no prior written notice by Party A, not to agree or support or execute any shareholders resolution on the Party C’s shareholders’ meeting that approves Party C to merger or associate with any person, acquire any person or invest in any person;

 

  2.2.4

To notify Party A the occurrence or the potential occurrence of the litigation, arbitration or administrative procedure related to the equity interest owned by Party B;

 

  2.2.5

In order to keep its ownership of the equity interest, to execute all requisite or appropriate documents, conduct all requisite or appropriate actions, and make all requisite or appropriate claims, or make requisite or appropriate defense against claims of compensation;

 

4


  2.2.6

Upon the request of Party A, to appoint any person designated by Party A to be the directors of Party C;

 

  2.2.7

Upon the request of Party A at any time, to transfer its equity interest immediately to the representative designated by Party A unconditionally at any time and abandon its prior right of first refusal of such equity interest transferring to another current shareholder;

 

  2.2.8

To prudently comply with the provisions of this Agreement and other agreements entered into collectively or respectively by the Transferor, Party C and Party A and perform all obligations under these agreements, without taking any action or any nonfeasance that sufficiently affects the validity and enforceability of these agreements;

 

  2.2.9

To transfer all the dividends and profits in any other forms distributed by Party C to Party A.

 

2.3

Undertakings related to Party A

Party A undertakes:

 

  2.3.1

Party A shall provide unlimited financial support to Party C unconditionally within an acceptable and reasonable scope when Party C needs any loan or financial support in any other form during its course of business;

 

  2.3.2

Party A agrees to waive its right to Party C’s repayment to the loans provided by Party A when Party C incurs losses during its operation and is unable to repay. Such inability of repayment shall be supported by sufficient evidence.

 

3.

Representations and Warranties

As of the execution date of this Agreement and every transferring date, the Transferor and Party C hereby represent and warrant collectively and respectively to Party A as follows:

 

3.1

It has the power and ability to enter into and deliver this Agreement, and any equity interest transferring Agreement (a “Transferring Agreement”, respectively) to which it is a party, for every single transfer of the Purchased Equity Interest according to this Agreement, and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and any Transferring Agreement. Upon execution, this Agreement and the Transferring Agreements to which it is a party constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of it enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;

 

3.2

The execution, delivery of this Agreement and any Transferring Agreement and performance of the obligations under this Agreement and any Transferring Agreement does not: (i) cause to violate any relevant laws and regulations of PRC; (ii) constitute a conflict with its Articles of Association or other organizational documents; (iii) cause to breach any agreement or instruments to which it is a party or having binding obligation on it, or constitute the breach under any agreement or instruments to which it is a party or having binding obligation on it; (iv) cause to violate relevant authorization of any consent or approval to it and/or any continuing valid condition; or (v) cause any consent or approval authorized to it to be suspended, removed, or into which other requests be added;

 

5


3.3

Party C bears the kind and sellable ownership of all assets. Party C does not set any security interest on the said assets;

 

3.4

Party C does not have any unpaid debt, other than (i) debt arising from its normal business; and (ii) debt disclosed to Party A and obtained by the written consent from Party A;

 

3.5

No litigation, arbitration or administrative procedure relevant to the equity interest and assets of Party C or the corporation is in the process, to be settled or potentially take place;

 

3.6

The Transferor bears the fair and salable ownership of its equity interest without setting any security interest on the aforesaid assets, other than the security interest pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

4.

Assignment of Agreement

 

4.1

Party B and Party C shall not transfer their rights and obligations under this Agreement to any third party without the prior written consent of the Party A.

 

4.2

Party B and Party C hereby agree that Party A shall be able to transfer all of its rights and obligation under this Agreement to any third party with its needs, and such transfer shall only be subject to a written notice sent to Party B and Party C by Party A, and no any further consent from Party B and Party C will be required.

 

5.

Effective Date and Term

 

5.1

This Agreement shall be effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

5.2

This Agreement shall be terminated upon the legal transfer of all the shares held by Party B to Party A and/or its Designated Person pursuant to this Agreement.

 

5.3

If Party A or Party C is terminated by the expiration of its operating period (including any extended period) or other causes in the term set forth in Section 5.2, this Agreement shall be terminated simultaneously, except Party A has transferred its rights and obligations in accordance with Section 4.2 of this Agreement.

 

6.

Applicable Law and Dispute Resolution

 

6.1

Applicable Law

The execution, validity, construing and performance of this Agreement and the disputes resolution under this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of PRC.

 

6


6.2

Dispute Resolution

The parties shall strive to settle any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance in connection with this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached through consultation within thirty (30) days after such dispute is raised, each party can submit such matter to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) in accordance with its rules. The arbitration shall take place in Beijing and the proceedings shall be conducted in Chinese. The arbitration award shall be final conclusive and binding upon both parties.

 

7.

Taxes and Expenses

Every Party shall, according to the PRC laws, bear any and all registering taxes, costs and expenses for equity transfer arising from the preparation and execution of this Agreement and all Transferring Agreements, and the completion of the transactions under this Agreement and all Transferring Agreements.

 

8.

Notices

Notices or other communications required to be given by any party pursuant to this Agreement shall be written in English and Chinese and delivered personally or sent by registered mail or postage prepaid mail or by a recognized courier service or by facsimile transmission to the address of relevant each party or both parties set forth below or other address of the party or of the other addressees specified by such party from time to time. The date when the notice is deemed to be duly served shall be determined as the follows: (a) a notice delivered personally is deemed duly served upon the delivery; (b) a notice sent by mail is deemed duly served the tenth (10th) day after the date when the air registered mail with postage prepaid has been sent out (as is shown on the postmark), or the fourth (4th) day after the delivery date to the internationally recognized courier service agency; and (c) a notice sent by facsimile transmission is deemed duly served upon the receipt time as is shown on the transmission confirmation of relevant documents.

 

 

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Telephone: 010-59928888

 

Fax: 010-59928888

 

Party B: Jiping Liu

 

Address:

 

Telephone:

 

Fax:

 

Party C: Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

 

Address:

 

Room A2, 2/F, No.17 Building, Zhongguancun Software Park, No.8

Northeast Wangxi Road, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Fax:

 

Telephone:

 

7


9.

Confidentiality

The Parties acknowledge and confirm any oral or written materials exchanged by the Parties in connection with this Agreement are confidential. The Parties shall maintain the secrecy and confidentiality of all such materials. Without the written approval by the other Parties, any Party shall not disclose to any third party any relevant materials, but the following circumstances shall be excluded:

 

  a.

The materials that is known or may be known by the public (but not include the materials disclosed by each party receiving the materials);

 

  b.

The materials required to be disclosed subject to the applicable laws or the rules or provisions of stock exchange; or

 

  c.

The materials disclosed by each Party to its legal or financial consultant relating the transaction of this Agreement, and this legal or financial consultant shall comply with the confidentiality set forth in this Section. The disclosure of the confidential materials by staff or employed institution of any Party shall be deemed as the disclosure of such materials by such Party, and such Party shall bear the liabilities for breaching the contract. This Clause shall survive whatever this Agreement is invalid, amended, revoked, terminated or unable to implement by any reason.

The disclosure of information by the staff of consultants of any party shall be deemed as the disclosure by the party itself. This Section 9 shall survive any invalidity, termination, expiration or unenforceability of this Agreement.

 

10.

Further Warranties

The Parties agree to promptly execute documents reasonably required to perform the provisions and the aim of this Agreement or documents beneficial to it, and to take actions reasonably required to perform the provisions and the aim of this Agreement or actions beneficial to it.

 

11.

Miscellaneous

 

11.1

Amendment, Modification and Supplement

Any amendment and supplement of this Agreement shall be made by the Parties in writing. The amendment and supplement duly executed by each Party shall be deemed as a part of this Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

11.2

Entire Agreement

Notwithstanding Section 5 of this Agreement, the Parties acknowledge that this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters therein and supercede and replace all prior or contemporaneous agreements and understandings orally or/and in writing.

 

8


11.3

Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is judged as invalid or non-enforceable according to relevant Laws, the provision shall be deemed invalid only within the applicable area of the PRC Laws, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the other provisions hereof shall not be affected or impaired in any way. The Parties shall, through fairly consultation, replace those invalid, illegal or non-enforceable provisions with valid provisions that may bring the similar economic effects with the effects caused by those invalid, illegal or non-enforceable provisions.

 

11.4

Headings

The headings contained in this Agreement are for the convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation, explanation or in any other way the meaning of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

11.5

Language and Copies

This Agreement is executed in Chinese in three (3) copies; each Party holds one and each original copy has the same legal effect.

 

11.6

Successor

This Agreement shall bind and benefit the successor of each Party and the transferee allowed by each Party.

 

11.7

Survival

Any obligation taking place or at term hereof prior to the end or termination ahead of the end of this Agreement shall continue in force and effect notwithstanding the occurrence of the end or termination ahead of the end of the Agreement. Sections 6, 8, 9 and 11.7 hereof shall continue in force and effect after the termination of this Agreement.

 

11.8

Waiver

Any Party may waive the terms and conditions of this Agreement in writing with the signature of the Parties. Any waiver by a Party to the breach by other Parties within certain situation shall not be construed as a waiver to any similar breach by other Parties within other situations.

[No text below]

 

9


IN WITNESS THEREFORE, the parties hereof have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.

 

  Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.  
  Legal representative/Authorized representative:  

/s/ Zhan Wang

 
 

Company seal: (with the company seal of Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.)

 

Party B: Jiping Liu

   
 

Signature: /s/ Jiping Liu

   
 

Company seal:

   
  Party C: Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.  
  Legal representative/Authorized representative:  

/s/ Zhan Wang

 
 

Company seal: (with the company seal of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.)

 

10


Amended and Restated Equity Purchase Option Agreement 3

This Amended and Restated Equity Purchase Option Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into by and among the following parties as of January 20, 2015 in Beijing:

 

 

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Party B: Yazhu Zhang

 

Party C: Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

 

Address:

  

Room A2, 2/F, No.17 Building, Zhongguancun Software Park, No.8

Northeast Wangxi Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Parties A, B and C are referred to as a “Party” individually and “Parties” collectively hereinafter.

WHEREAS:

 

1.

Party A, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), which has technology expertise and practical experience in computer software development and design, and also has rich experience and professionals in information technology and service;

 

2.

Party C is a limited liability company incorporated in the PRC and engages in value-added telecommunication services, including internet information services.

 

3.

Party B is a shareholder of Party C, holding 20% of the shares in Party C.

 

4.

Parties A and B entereed into the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement on January 20, 2015, pursuant to which Party B obtained an interest-free loan of RMB204,000,000 from Party A (the “Loan Arrangement”) for Party B to invest in Party C.

 

5.

Parties A and C entered into a series of agreements, including Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement (the “Service Agreement”), on June 23, 2006.

 

6.

Parties A and B entered into the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement (the “Equity Pledge Agreement) on January 20, 2015.

NOWTHEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

Purchase and Sale of Equity Interest

 

1.1

Grant of Rights

Party B (the “Transferor”) hereby irrevocably grants to Party A an option to purchase or cause any designated person(s) (“Designated Persons”) to purchase, to the extent permitted under PRC Law, according to the steps determined by Party A, at the price specified in Section 1.3 of this Agreement, at any time from the Transferor a portion or all of the equity interests held by Transferor in Party C (the “Option”). No Option shall be granted to any third party other than Party A and/or the Designated Persons. Party C hereby agrees to the granting of the Option by Party B to Party A and/or the Designated Persons. The “person” set forth in this clause and this Agreement means an individual person, corporation, joint venture, partnership, enterprise, trust or a non-corporation organization.

 

11


1.2

Exercise Steps

Subject to the stipulations of PRC laws and regulation, Party A and/or the Designated Persons may exercise Option by issuing a written notice (the “Notice”) to the Transferor and specifying the equity interest purchased from Transferor (the “Purchased Equity Interest”) and the manner of purchase.

 

1.3

Purchase Price

 

  1.3.1

For Party A to exercise the Option, the purchase price of the Purchased Equity Interest (“Purchase Price”) shall be equal to the actual paid-in price of the Purchased Equity Interest by the Transferor, unless the applicable PRC laws and regulations require appraisal of the equity interests or stipulate other restrictions on the purchase price of equity interests.

 

  1.3.2

If the applicable PRC laws require appraisal of the equity interests or stipulates other restrictions on the purchase price of Equity Interest at the time that Party A exercise the Option, the Parties agree that the Purchase Price shall be set at the lowest price permissible under the applicable laws.

 

1.4

Transfer of the Purchased Equity Interest

Upon the exercise of the Option:

 

  1.4.1

The Transferor shall, upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Notice related to the Purchased Equity Interest, enter into Equity Interest Transfer Agreement with Party A and/or the Designated Persons (as applicable) in form satisfactory to Party A;

 

  1.4.2

The Transferor shall execute all other requisite contracts, agreements or documents, obtain all requisite approval and consent of the government, conduct all necessary actions, without any security interest or other conditions, transfer the valid ownership of the Purchased Equity Interest to Party A and/or the Designated Persons, and cause Party A and/or the Designated Persons to be the registered owner of the Purchased Equity Interest. In this Clause and this Agreement, “Security Interest” includes but is not limited to the ensure, mortgage, pledge, the right or interest of the third party, any purchase right of equity interest, right of acquisition, right of first refusal, right of set-off, ownership detainment or other security arrangements. But it does not include any security interest subject to the Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

12


1.5

Payment

The payment of the Purchase Price shall be determined by the consultation of Party A and/or the Designated Persons with the Transferor according to the applicable laws at the performance of Option. The Parties hereby agree that, subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Transferor shall repay any amount that is paid by Party A and/or the Designated Persons to Transferor in connection with the Purchased Equity Interest to Party A (provided however that the Transferor may deduct from such repayment the amount of taxes and fees, if any, that were incurred as a result of the transaction contemplated by the Equity Interest Transfer Agreement).

 

2.

Undertakings related to the Equity Interest

 

2.1

Undertakings related to Party C

Party B and Party C hereby undertake that in relation to Party C:

 

  2.1.1

Without prior written consent by Party A, not, in any form, to supplement, amend or modify the Articles of Association of Party C, to increase or decrease registered capital of the corporation, or to change the structure of the registered capital in any other forms;

 

  2.1.2

According to fair finance and business standard and tradition, to maintain the existence of the corporation, prudently and effectively operate business and deal with works;

 

  2.1.3

Without prior written consent by Party A, not, upon the execution of this Agreement, to sale, transfer, mortgage or dispose, in any other form, any asset, legitimate or beneficial interest of business or income of Party C, or to approve any other security interest set on it;

 

  2.1.4

Without prior written notice by Party A, not cause, inherit, guarantee or allow the existence of any debt, other than (i) the debt arising from normal or daily business but not from borrowing; and (ii) the debt disclosed to Party A and obtained the written consent from Party A;

 

  2.1.5

To normally operate all business to maintain the asset value of Party C, without make any action or nonfeasance that sufficiently affects its operation and asset value;

 

  2.1.6

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to enter into any material agreement, other than the agreements in the process of normal business (as in this paragraph, the amount in the Agreement that exceeds five hundred thousand Yuan (RMB 500,000) shall be deemed as a material agreement);

 

  2.1.7

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to provide loan or credit loan to any others;

 

  2.1.8

Upon the request of Party A, to provide all materials of operation and finance of Party C;

 

  2.1.9

Purchases and holds the insurance from the insurance company accepted by Party A. The insurance amount and category shall be the same with those held by the companies in the same area, operating the similar business and owning the similar properties and assets with Party C;

 

13


  2.1.10

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to merger or associate with any person, or acquire or invest in any person;

 

  2.1.11

To notify Party A of the occurrence or the potential occurrence of the litigation, arbitration or administrative procedure related to the assets, business and income of Party C;

 

  2.1.12

In order to keep the ownership of Party C to all its assets, to execute all requisite or appropriate documents, do all requisite or appropriate action, and advance all requisite or appropriate accusation, or make requisite or appropriate plea for all claims;

 

  2.1.13

Without prior written notice by Party A, not to assign dividends in any form to shareholders in any form, but to assign all or part of its assignable profits to their own shareholders upon the request by Party A;

 

  2.1.14

According to the request of Party A, to appoint any person designated by Party A to be the directors of Party C.

 

2.2

Undertakings related to the Transferor

Party B hereby undertakes:

 

  2.2.1

Without prior written consent by Party A, not, upon the execution of this Agreement, to sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose in any other form any legitimate or beneficial interest of equity interest, or to approve any other security interest set on it, with the exception of the pledge set on the equity interest of the Transferor subject to the Equity Pledge Agreement;

 

  2.2.2

Without the prior written notice by Party A, not to decide or support or execute any shareholders resolution on the Party C’s shareholders’ meeting that approves any sale, transfer, mortgage or dispose of any legitimate or beneficial interest of equity interest, or allows any other security interest set on it, other than the pledge on the equity interests of Transferor pursuant to Equity Pledge Agreement;

 

  2.2.3

With no prior written notice by Party A, not to agree or support or execute any shareholders resolution on the Party C’s shareholders’ meeting that approves Party C to merger or associate with any person, acquire any person or invest in any person;

 

  2.2.4

To notify Party A the occurrence or the potential occurrence of the litigation, arbitration or administrative procedure related to the equity interest owned by Party B;

 

  2.2.5

In order to keep its ownership of the equity interest, to execute all requisite or appropriate documents, conduct all requisite or appropriate actions, and make all requisite or appropriate claims, or make requisite or appropriate defense against claims of compensation;

 

14


  2.2.6

Upon the request of Party A, to appoint any person designated by Party A to be the directors of Party C;

 

  2.2.7

Upon the request of Party A at any time, to transfer its equity interest immediately to the representative designated by Party A unconditionally at any time and abandon its prior right of first refusal of such equity interest transferring to another current shareholder;

 

  2.2.8

To prudently comply with the provisions of this Agreement and other agreements entered into collectively or respectively by the Transferor, Party C and Party A and perform all obligations under these agreements, without taking any action or any nonfeasance that sufficiently affects the validity and enforceability of these agreements;

 

  2.2.9

To transfer all the dividends and profits in any other forms distributed by Party C to Party A.

 

2.3

Undertakings related to Party A

Party A undertakes:

 

  2.3.1

Party A shall provide unlimited financial support to Party C unconditionally within an acceptable and reasonable scope when Party C needs any loan or financial support in any other form during its course of business;

 

  2.3.2

Party A agrees to waive its right to Party C’s repayment to the loans provided by Party A when Party C incurs losses during its operation and is unable to repay. Such inability of repayment shall be supported by sufficient evidence.

 

3.

Representations and Warranties

As of the execution date of this Agreement and every transferring date, the Transferor and Party C hereby represent and warrant collectively and respectively to Party A as follows:

 

3.1

It has the power and ability to enter into and deliver this Agreement, and any equity interest transferring Agreement (a “Transferring Agreement”, respectively) to which it is a party, for every single transfer of the Purchased Equity Interest according to this Agreement, and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and any Transferring Agreement. Upon execution, this Agreement and the Transferring Agreements to which it is a party constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of it enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;

 

3.2

The execution, delivery of this Agreement and any Transferring Agreement and performance of the obligations under this Agreement and any Transferring Agreement does not: (i) cause to violate any relevant laws and regulations of PRC; (ii) constitute a conflict with its Articles of Association or other organizational documents; (iii) cause to breach any agreement or instruments to which it is a party or having binding obligation on it, or constitute the breach under any agreement or instruments to which it is a party or having binding obligation on it; (iv) cause to violate relevant authorization of any consent or approval to it and/or any continuing valid condition; or (v) cause any consent or approval authorized to it to be suspended, removed, or into which other requests be added;

 

15


3.3

Party C bears the kind and sellable ownership of all assets. Party C does not set any security interest on the said assets;

 

3.4

Party C does not have any unpaid debt, other than (i) debt arising from its normal business; and (ii) debt disclosed to Party A and obtained by the written consent from Party A;

 

3.5

No litigation, arbitration or administrative procedure relevant to the equity interest and assets of Party C or the corporation is in the process, to be settled or potentially take place;

 

3.6

The Transferor bears the fair and salable ownership of its equity interest without setting any security interest on the aforesaid assets, other than the security interest pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

4.

Assignment of Agreement

 

4.1

Party B and Party C shall not transfer their rights and obligations under this Agreement to any third party without the prior written consent of the Party A.

 

4.2

Party B and Party C hereby agree that Party A shall be able to transfer all of its rights and obligation under this Agreement to any third party with its needs, and such transfer shall only be subject to a written notice sent to Party B and Party C by Party A, and no any further consent from Party B and Party C will be required.

 

5.

Effective Date and Term

 

5.1

This Agreement shall be effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

5.2

This Agreement shall be terminated upon the legal transfer of all the shares held by Party B to Party A and/or its Designated Person pursuant to this Agreement.

 

5.3

If Party A or Party C is terminated by the expiration of its operating period (including any extended period) or other causes in the term set forth in Section 5.2, this Agreement shall be terminated simultaneously, except Party A has transferred its rights and obligations in accordance with Section 4.2 of this Agreement.

 

6.

Applicable Law and Dispute Resolution

 

6.1

Applicable Law

The execution, validity, construing and performance of this Agreement and the disputes resolution under this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of PRC.

 

16


6.2

Dispute Resolution

The parties shall strive to settle any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance in connection with this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached through consultation within thirty (30) days after such dispute is raised, each party can submit such matter to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) in accordance with its rules. The arbitration shall take place in Beijing and the proceedings shall be conducted in Chinese. The arbitration award shall be final conclusive and binding upon both parties.

 

7.

Taxes and Expenses

Every Party shall, according to the PRC laws, bear any and all registering taxes, costs and expenses for equity transfer arising from the preparation and execution of this Agreement and all Transferring Agreements, and the completion of the transactions under this Agreement and all Transferring Agreements.

 

8.

Notices

Notices or other communications required to be given by any party pursuant to this Agreement shall be written in English and Chinese and delivered personally or sent by registered mail or postage prepaid mail or by a recognized courier service or by facsimile transmission to the address of relevant each party or both parties set forth below or other address of the party or of the other addressees specified by such party from time to time. The date when the notice is deemed to be duly served shall be determined as the follows: (a) a notice delivered personally is deemed duly served upon the delivery; (b) a notice sent by mail is deemed duly served the tenth (10th) day after the date when the air registered mail with postage prepaid has been sent out (as is shown on the postmark), or the fourth (4th) day after the delivery date to the internationally recognized courier service agency; and (c) a notice sent by facsimile transmission is deemed duly served upon the receipt time as is shown on the transmission confirmation of relevant documents.

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Address: Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Telephone: 010-59928888

Fax: 010-59928888

Party B: Yazhu Zhang

Address:

Telephone:

Fax:

 

  Party C:   Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.
 

Address:

 

Room A2, 2/F, No.17 Building, Zhongguancun Software Park, No.8

Northeast Wangxi Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Fax:

Telephone:

 

17


9.

Confidentiality

The Parties acknowledge and confirm any oral or written materials exchanged by the Parties in connection with this Agreement are confidential. The Parties shall maintain the secrecy and confidentiality of all such materials. Without the written approval by the other Parties, any Party shall not disclose to any third party any relevant materials, but the following circumstances shall be excluded:

 

  a.

The materials that is known or may be known by the public (but not include the materials disclosed by each party receiving the materials);

 

  b.

The materials required to be disclosed subject to the applicable laws or the rules or provisions of stock exchange; or

 

  c.

The materials disclosed by each Party to its legal or financial consultant relating the transaction of this Agreement, and this legal or financial consultant shall comply with the confidentiality set forth in this Section. The disclosure of the confidential materials by staff or employed institution of any Party shall be deemed as the disclosure of such materials by such Party, and such Party shall bear the liabilities for breaching the contract. This Clause shall survive whatever this Agreement is invalid, amended, revoked, terminated or unable to implement by any reason.

The disclosure of information by the staff of consultants of any party shall be deemed as the disclosure by the party itself. This Section 9 shall survive any invalidity, termination, expiration or unenforceability of this Agreement.

 

10.

Further Warranties

The Parties agree to promptly execute documents reasonably required to perform the provisions and the aim of this Agreement or documents beneficial to it, and to take actions reasonably required to perform the provisions and the aim of this Agreement or actions beneficial to it.

 

11.

Miscellaneous

 

11.1

Amendment, Modification and Supplement

Any amendment and supplement of this Agreement shall be made by the Parties in writing. The amendment and supplement duly executed by each Party shall be deemed as a part of this Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

11.2

Entire Agreement

Notwithstanding Section 5 of this Agreement, the Parties acknowledge that this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters therein and supercede and replace all prior or contemporaneous agreements and understandings orally or/and in writing.

 

18


11.3

Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is judged as invalid or non-enforceable according to relevant Laws, the provision shall be deemed invalid only within the applicable area of the PRC Laws, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the other provisions hereof shall not be affected or impaired in any way. The Parties shall, through fairly consultation, replace those invalid, illegal or non-enforceable provisions with valid provisions that may bring the similar economic effects with the effects caused by those invalid, illegal or non-enforceable provisions.

 

11.4

Headings

The headings contained in this Agreement are for the convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation, explanation or in any other way the meaning of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

11.5

Language and Copies

This Agreement is executed in Chinese in three (3) copies; each Party holds one and each original copy has the same legal effect.

 

11.6

Successor

This Agreement shall bind and benefit the successor of each Party and the transferee allowed by each Party.

 

11.7

Survival

Any obligation taking place or at term hereof prior to the end or termination ahead of the end of this Agreement shall continue in force and effect notwithstanding the occurrence of the end or termination ahead of the end of the Agreement. Sections 6, 8, 9 and 11.7 hereof shall continue in force and effect after the termination of this Agreement.

 

11.8

Waiver

Any Party may waive the terms and conditions of this Agreement in writing with the signature of the Parties. Any waiver by a Party to the breach by other Parties within certain situation shall not be construed as a waiver to any similar breach by other Parties within other situations.

[No text below]

 

19


IN WITNESS THEREFORE, the parties hereof have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.

 

 

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 
 

Legal representative/Authorized representative:

 

/s/ Zhan Wang

 
 

Company seal: (with the company seal of Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.)

 

Party B: Yazhu Zhang

   
 

Signature: /s/ Yazhu Zhang

   
 

Company seal:

   
 

Party C: Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.

 
 

Legal representative/Authorized representative:

 

/s/ Zhan Wang

 
 

Company seal: (with the company seal of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.)

 

20

EX-4.28

Exhibit 4.28

(English Translation)

Amended and Restated Loan Agreement 3

This Amended and Restated Loan Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into in Beijing as of January 20, 2015 by the following parties:

 

Party A:

  

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Registration Address:

  

3/F, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085,

The People’s Republic of China

Party B:

  

Jiping Liu

WHEREAS,

 

1.

Party A is a wholly-owned foreign enterprise incorporated in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”);

 

2.

Party B is a citizen of the PRC and a 80% shareholder of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Perusal”).

 

3.

Party A provided to Party B an interest-free loan of RMB16,000,000 on August 4, 2014 for Party B to invest in Beijing Perusal. Party A and Party B entered into the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement 2 on August 4, 2014 in connection with the loan (the “Original Loan Agreement”).

 

4.

The parties intend to amend and restate the Original Loan Agreement.

NOW THEREFORE, through friendly negotiation, Party A and Party B agree as follows:

 

1.

Party A agrees to provide an interest-free loan to Party B with the principal as RMB 816,000,000 in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Party B agrees to accept the loan above.

 

2.

Party B confirms that he has obtained the total amount of the loan and has invested it into Beijing Perusal as capital contribution.

 

3.

The Term of such loan starts from the date that Party B received the loan until ten (10) years after signing this Agreement and could be extended upon the written agreement of the parties. During the term or extended term of such a loan, Party A may accelerate the loan repayment, if any of the following events occurs:

 

  (1)

Party B quits or is dismissed by Party A or its affiliates;

 

  (2)

Party B dies or becomes a person without capacity or with limited capacity for civil acts;

 

  (3)

Party B commits a crime or is involved in a crime;

 

  (4)

Any other third party claims more than RMB100,000 against Party B; or

 

1


  (5)

According to the PRC laws, Party A or its designated person may be qualified to invest in the business of value-added telecommunication, such as internet information service and other services, which Beijing Perusal runs, and also Party A will have given a written notice to Beijing Perusal and exercised its right of purchase in accordance with the terms under the exclusive equity purchase option agreement speculated in Section 4 of this Agreement.

 

4.

The parties herein agree and confirm that, according to the PRC laws, Party A or its designated person (including natural person, legal entity or any other entity) has the right, but the obligation, to purchase all or part of the equity interest held by Party B in Beijing Perusal (the “Option Right”) at anytime, however, Party A shall notify Party B of such purchase of equity interests with a written notice. Once the written notice for exercising the Option Right is issued by Party A, Party B shall sell their equity interests of Beijing Perusal with the original invest price (the “Original Investment Price”) or other price allowed by laws according to the consent of Party A to Party A or its designated person. All parties agree and confirm that when Party A exercises the Option Right, if the price that allowed by the applicable law at the time is higher than the Original Investment Price, Party A or its designated person shall purchase the equity interests at the lowest price in accordance with the applicable law. The parties agree to execute an exclusive equity purchase option agreement in connection with above matters.

 

5.

The parties herein agree and confirm that Party B may repay the loan only by the following methods: the borrower (or his successors or assignees) shall transfer the equity interest in Beijing Perusal to Party A or its designated person and use the proceeds to repay the loan when the loan is due and Party A gives a written notice, or through another method as mutually agreed by the parties herein.

 

6.

The parties agree and confirm that this loan is an interest-free loan unless there are different provisions in this Agreement. But if the loan is due and Party B has to transfer his equity interests in Beijing Perusal to Party A or its designated person and the proceeds exceed the loan principal due to the legal requirement or other reasons, the extra amount over the principal of proceeds will be considered as the interests or capital use cost, which shall be repaid to Party A.

 

7.

The parties agree and confirm that Party B shall be deemed the completion of performing his obligations under this Agreement only if the following requirements are met:

 

  (a)

Party B has transferred all his equity interests of Beijing Perusal to Party A and/its designated person; and

 

  (b)

Party B has repaid the total amount caused from the equity interest transferring or the maximum amount (including principal and the highest loan interest) allowed by the applicable law concerning loans to Party A.

 

8.

To secure the performance of the debt under this Agreement, Party B agrees to pledge all his own equity interest of Beijing Perusal to Party A (the “Equity Pledge”). The parties agree to execute an equity pledge agreement for the above matters.

 

2


9.

Party A hereby represents and warrants to Party B that, as of the execution date of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Party A is a wholly-owned foreign enterprise incorporated and validly existing under the laws of PRC;

 

  (b)

Party A has the right to execute and perform this Agreement. The execution and performance by Party A of this Agreement comply with its business scope, Articles or other institutional documents, and Party A has taken necessary actions to get all necessary and appropriate approvals and authorizations;

 

  (c)

The principal of loan to Party B is legally owned by the Party A;

 

  (d)

The execution and the performance of this Agreement by Party A does not violate any laws, regulations, approvals, authorizations, notices, other governmental documents, any agreement Party A signed with a third party or any promise Party A issued to a third party; and

 

  (e)

This Agreement shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Party A upon its execution.

 

10.

Party B hereby represents and warrants to Party A that, from the execution date of this Agreement until this Agreement terminates:

 

  (a)

Beijing Perusal is a limited liability company incorporated and validly existing under the laws of PRC and Party B is the legal holder of the equity interest of Beijing Perusal;

 

  (b)

Party B has the right to execute and perform this Agreement. The execution and performance by Party B of this Agreement comply with its business scope, Articles or other institutional documents, and Party B has taken necessary actions to get all necessary and appropriate approvals and authorizations;

 

  (c)

The execution and the performance of this Agreement by Party B does not violate any laws, regulations, approvals, authorizations, notices, other governmental documents, any agreement Party B signed with a third party or any promise Party B issued to a third party;

 

  (d)

This Agreement shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Party B upon its execution;

 

  (e)

Party B has paid contribution in full for the equity interests he holds in Beijing Perusal in accordance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

  (f)

Except the provisions stipulated in the equity pledge agreement and exclusive equity purchase option agreement, Party B did not create any pledge or other security over his equity interest in Beijing Perusal, make third party any offer to transfer his equity, make acceptance for the offer of any third party to purchase his equity, or execute any agreement with a third party to transfer his equity;

 

3


  (g)

There are no pending or potential disputes, litigation, arbitration, administrative proceedings or other legal proceedings in connection with the equity interests of Beijing Perusal held by Party B;

 

  (h)

Beijing Perusal has completed all governmental approval, license, registration and filing necessary.

 

11.

Party B covenants that he shall, during the term of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Not sell, transfer, pledge, dispose in any other manners of his equity interests of Beijing Perusal or other interests, or not allow to create other security interests on them without Party A’s prior written consent, except pledges or other rights created in the interest of Party A;

 

  (b)

Not cause shareholder’s meetings to make resolutions to sell, transfer, pledge, dispose of in any other manners, or not allow to create other security interest on, any of his legal and beneficiary equity interest without Party A’s prior written consent, except transferring his equity interest to Party A;

 

  (c)

Not vote for any merger or combination with, or acquire or invest in, any person at shareholder’s meetings of Beijing Perusal without Party A’s prior consent;

 

  (d)

Promptly inform Party A of the pending or threatened litigation, arbitration or regulatory procedure concerning the equity interests of Beijing Perusal;

 

  (e)

Execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions and bring all necessary or appropriate lawsuits or make all necessary and appropriate defending against all claims in order to maintain the equity interest of the Beijing Perusal held by Party B;

 

  (f)

Refrain from any act or omission that may materially affect the assets, business and liabilities of Beijing Perusal without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (g)

Appoint any person to be the director of Beijing Perusal subject to Party A’s request;

 

  (h)

Transfer promptly and unconditionally, at any time, all the equity interest in the Beijing Perusal held by Party B to Party A or the representative designated by Party A subject to the request of Party A, provided that such transfer is permitted under the laws of PRC;

 

  (i)

Not request Beijing Perusal to distribute dividends or profits;

 

  (j)

Once Party B transfers the equity interest of Beijing Perusal he holds to Party A or its designated person, he shall repay the consideration he receives as the principal and the interests or capital use cost to Party A if such repayment is permitted under the laws of PRC;

 

4


  (k)

Strictly comply with the terms of this Agreement, perform the obligations under this Agreement and refrain from any act or omission that affects the validity and enforceability of this Agreement.

 

12.

Party B, as the shareholder of Beijing Perusal, covenants that he shall cause Beijing Perusal, during the term of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Not to supplement, amend or modify its articles of association, or to increase or decrease its registered capital, or to change its capital structure in any form without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (b)

To operate its business and deal with matters prudently and effectively according to good financial and business rules and practices;

 

  (c)

Not to sell, transfer, mortgage, dispose of in any other manner, or to create other security interests on, any of its assets, business or legal or beneficial rights to its income without Party A’s prior written consent since the date of this Agreement;

 

  (d)

Not to create, succeed to, guarantee or permit any liability, without the Party A’s prior written consent, except (i) the liability arising from the course of the ordinary or daily business operation, but not arising from the loan; and (ii) the liability reported to Party A or approved by Party A in writing;

 

  (e)

To operate persistently all the business and to maintain the value of its assets;

 

  (f)

Not to execute any material contracts (for the purpose of this Section 12, a contract will be deemed material if its value exceeds RMB 100,000), without Party A’s prior written consent, other than those executed during the ordinary course of business;

 

  (g)

To provide information concerning all of its operation and financial affairs per Party A’s request;

 

  (h)

Not to merger or combine with, acquire or invest in, any other person without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (i)

Not to distribute dividends to its shareholder in any form without Party A’s prior written consent. However, Beijing Perusal shall promptly distribute all its distributable profits to its shareholder upon the Party A’s request;

 

  (j)

To promptly inform Party A of any pending or threatened suit, arbitration or administrative procedure concerning the assets, business or income of the Beijing Perusal;

 

  (k)

To execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions, bring all necessary or appropriate lawsuits and make all necessary and appropriate defendings against all claims in order to maintain the ownership of all the assets of Beijing Perusal;

 

5


  (l)

To strictly comply with the terms of Service Agreement and other agreements with Party A, perform its obligations under the aforesaid agreements, and not to conduct any action or nonfeasance that affects the validity and enforceability of such agreements.

 

13.

This agreement shall be binding to, and only in the interest of, all the parties hereto and their respective successors and assignees. Without prior written consent of Party A, Party B shall not transfer, pledge or assign any right, benefit or obligation hereunder.

 

14.

Party B agrees that Party A can assign its rights and obligations hereunder to a third party with a written notice to Party B when it considers necessary. No further consent of Party B is required upon such a transfer.

 

15.

The execution, validity, interpretation, performance, amendment, termination and the dispute resolution of this Agreement are governed by the laws of PRC.

 

16.

Arbitration.

 

  (a)

Both Parties shall strive to settle any dispute, conflicts, or compensation claims arising from the interpretation or performance (including any issue relating to the existence, validity and termination) of this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached within thirty (30) day after one party ask for the settlement, each party can submit such matter to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) in accordance with its rules. The arbitration award shall be final and conclusive and binding upon the Parties.

 

  (b)

The arbitration should take place in Beijing.

 

  (c)

The arbitration language is Chinese.

 

17.

This Agreement shall be concluded on the date of execution. Both Parties agree that the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be effective as of the date on which Party B receives the loan and expire when both Parties complete their obligations hereunder.

 

18.

Party B may not terminate or revoke this Agreement unless (a) Party A commits a material defect, fraud or other material illegal action; (b) upon Party A’s bankruptcy.

 

19.

This Agreement shall not be amended or modified without the written consent of the Parties hereto. The Parties may amend and modify this Agreement with a written agreement. The amendments, modifications, supplements and attachments shall be integral parts of this Agreement.

 

20.

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters herein and supersedes and replaces all prior or contemporaneous verbal and written agreements and understandings.

 

6


21.

This Agreement is severable. The invalidity or enforceability of any clause shall not affect the validity or enforceability of other parts hereof.

 

22.

Each Party shall protect the confidentiality of the information concerning the other Party’s business, operation, financial situation or other confidential information obtained under this Agreement or during the performance of this Agreement.

 

23.

Any obligation that is due before the expiration or early termination this Agreement shall survive such expiration or early termination. Sections 15, 16 and 22 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

24.

This Agreement shall be executed in two originals, each Party holding one original. All the originals shall have the same legal effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its legal representative on its behalf as of the date first set forth above.

[No text below]

 

7


[No text on this page]

 

Party A:

  

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Legal representative/authorized representative: /s/ Zhan Wang

Company seal:

  

(with the company seal of Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.)

Party B:

  

Jiping Liu

Signature:

  

/s/ Jiping Liu

 

8


Amended and Restated Loan Agreement 3

This Amended and Restated Loan Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into in Beijing as of January 20, 2015 by the following parties:

 

Party A:

  

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Registration Address:

  

3/F, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085,

The People’s Republic of China

Party B:

  

Yazhu Zhang

WHEREAS,

 

1.

Party A is a wholly-owned foreign enterprise incorporated in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”);

 

2.

Party B is a citizen of the PRC and a 20% shareholder of Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Perusal”).

 

3.

Party A provided to Party B an interest-free loan of RMB4,000,000 on August 4, 2014 for Party B to invest in Beijing Perusal. Party A and Party B entered into the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement 2 on August 4, 2014 in connection with the loan (the “Original Loan Agreement”).

 

4.

The parties intend to amend and restate the Original Loan Agreement.

NOW THEREFORE, through friendly negotiation, Party A and Party B agree as follows:

 

1.

Party A agrees to provide an interest-free loan to Party B with the principal as RMB 204,000,000 in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Party B agrees to accept the loan above.

 

2.

Party B confirms that he has obtained the total amount of the loan and has invested it into Beijing Perusal as capital contribution.

 

3.

The Term of such loan starts from the date that Party B received the loan until ten (10) years after signing this Agreement and could be extended upon the written agreement of the parties. During the term or extended term of such a loan, Party A may accelerate the loan repayment, if any of the following events occurs:

 

  (1)

Party B quits or is dismissed by Party A or its affiliates;

 

  (2)

Party B dies or becomes a person without capacity or with limited capacity for civil acts;

 

  (3)

Party B commits a crime or is involved in a crime;

 

  (4)

Any other third party claims more than RMB100,000 against Party B; or

 

9


  (5)

According to the PRC laws, Party A or its designated person may be qualified to invest in the business of value-added telecommunication, such as internet information service and other services, which Beijing Perusal runs, and also Party A will have given a written notice to Beijing Perusal and exercised its right of purchase in accordance with the terms under the exclusive equity purchase option agreement speculated in Section 4 of this Agreement.

 

4.

The parties herein agree and confirm that, according to the PRC laws, Party A or its designated person (including natural person, legal entity or any other entity) has the right, but the obligation, to purchase all or part of the equity interest held by Party B in Beijing Perusal (the “Option Right”) at anytime, however, Party A shall notify Party B of such purchase of equity interests with a written notice. Once the written notice for exercising the Option Right is issued by Party A, Party B shall sell their equity interests of Beijing Perusal with the original invest price (the “Original Investment Price”) or other price allowed by laws according to the consent of Party A to Party A or its designated person. All parties agree and confirm that when Party A exercises the Option Right, if the price that allowed by the applicable law at the time is higher than the Original Investment Price, Party A or its designated person shall purchase the equity interests at the lowest price in accordance with the applicable law. The parties agree to execute an exclusive equity purchase option agreement in connection with above matters.

 

5.

The parties herein agree and confirm that Party B may repay the loan only by the following methods: the borrower (or his successors or assignees) shall transfer the equity interest in Beijing Perusal to Party A or its designated person and use the proceeds to repay the loan when the loan is due and Party A gives a written notice, or through another method as mutually agreed by the parties herein.

 

6.

The parties agree and confirm that this loan is an interest-free loan unless there are different provisions in this Agreement. But if the loan is due and Party B has to transfer his equity interests in Beijing Perusal to Party A or its designated person and the proceeds exceed the loan principal due to the legal requirement or other reasons, the extra amount over the principal of proceeds will be considered as the interests or capital use cost, which shall be repaid to Party A.

 

7.

The parties agree and confirm that Party B shall be deemed the completion of performing his obligations under this Agreement only if the following requirements are met:

 

  (a)

Party B has transferred all his equity interests of Beijing Perusal to Party A and/its designated person; and

 

  (b)

Party B has repaid the total amount caused from the equity interest transferring or the maximum amount (including principal and the highest loan interest) allowed by the applicable law concerning loans to Party A.

 

8.

To secure the performance of the debt under this Agreement, Party B agrees to pledge all his own equity interest of Beijing Perusal to Party A (the “Equity Pledge”). The parties agree to execute an equity pledge agreement for the above matters.

 

10


9.

Party A hereby represents and warrants to Party B that, as of the execution date of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Party A is a wholly-owned foreign enterprise incorporated and validly existing under the laws of PRC;

 

  (b)

Party A has the right to execute and perform this Agreement. The execution and performance by Party A of this Agreement comply with its business scope, Articles or other institutional documents, and Party A has taken necessary actions to get all necessary and appropriate approvals and authorizations;

 

  (c)

The principal of loan to Party B is legally owned by the Party A;

 

  (d)

The execution and the performance of this Agreement by Party A does not violate any laws, regulations, approvals, authorizations, notices, other governmental documents, any agreement Party A signed with a third party or any promise Party A issued to a third party; and

 

  (e)

This Agreement shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Party A upon its execution.

 

10.

Party B hereby represents and warrants to Party A that, from the execution date of this Agreement until this Agreement terminates:

 

  (a)

Beijing Perusal is a limited liability company incorporated and validly existing under the laws of PRC and Party B is the legal holder of the equity interest of Beijing Perusal;

 

  (b)

Party B has the right to execute and perform this Agreement. The execution and performance by Party B of this Agreement comply with its business scope, Articles or other institutional documents, and Party B has taken necessary actions to get all necessary and appropriate approvals and authorizations;

 

  (c)

The execution and the performance of this Agreement by Party B does not violate any laws, regulations, approvals, authorizations, notices, other governmental documents, any agreement Party B signed with a third party or any promise Party B issued to a third party;

 

  (d)

This Agreement shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Party B upon its execution;

 

  (e)

Party B has paid contribution in full for the equity interests he holds in Beijing Perusal in accordance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

  (f)

Except the provisions stipulated in the equity pledge agreement and exclusive equity purchase option agreement, Party B did not create any pledge or other security over his equity interest in Beijing Perusal, make third party any offer to transfer his equity, make acceptance for the offer of any third party to purchase his equity, or execute any agreement with a third party to transfer his equity;

 

11


  (g)

There are no pending or potential disputes, litigation, arbitration, administrative proceedings or other legal proceedings in connection with the equity interests of Beijing Perusal held by Party B;

 

  (h)

Beijing Perusal has completed all governmental approval, license, registration and filing necessary.

 

11.

Party B covenants that he shall, during the term of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Not sell, transfer, pledge, dispose in any other manners of his equity interests of Beijing Perusal or other interests, or not allow to create other security interests on them without Party A’s prior written consent, except pledges or other rights created in the interest of Party A;

 

  (b)

Not cause shareholder’s meetings to make resolutions to sell, transfer, pledge, dispose of in any other manners, or not allow to create other security interest on, any of his legal and beneficiary equity interest without Party A’s prior written consent, except transferring his equity interest to Party A;

 

  (c)

Not vote for any merger or combination with, or acquire or invest in, any person at shareholder’s meetings of Beijing Perusal without Party A’s prior consent;

 

  (d)

Promptly inform Party A of the pending or threatened litigation, arbitration or regulatory procedure concerning the equity interests of Beijing Perusal;

 

  (e)

Execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions and bring all necessary or appropriate lawsuits or make all necessary and appropriate defending against all claims in order to maintain the equity interest of the Beijing Perusal held by Party B;

 

  (f)

Refrain from any act or omission that may materially affect the assets, business and liabilities of Beijing Perusal without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (g)

Appoint any person to be the director of Beijing Perusal subject to Party A’s request;

 

  (h)

Transfer promptly and unconditionally, at any time, all the equity interest in the Beijing Perusal held by Party B to Party A or the representative designated by Party A subject to the request of Party A, provided that such transfer is permitted under the laws of PRC;

 

  (i)

Not request Beijing Perusal to distribute dividends or profits;

 

  (j)

Once Party B transfers the equity interest of Beijing Perusal he holds to Party A or its designated person, he shall repay the consideration he receives as the principal and the interests or capital use cost to Party A if such repayment is permitted under the laws of PRC;

 

12


  (k)

Strictly comply with the terms of this Agreement, perform the obligations under this Agreement and refrain from any act or omission that affects the validity and enforceability of this Agreement.

 

12.

Party B, as the shareholder of Beijing Perusal, covenants that he shall cause Beijing Perusal, during the term of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Not to supplement, amend or modify its articles of association, or to increase or decrease its registered capital, or to change its capital structure in any form without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (b)

To operate its business and deal with matters prudently and effectively according to good financial and business rules and practices;

 

  (c)

Not to sell, transfer, mortgage, dispose of in any other manner, or to create other security interests on, any of its assets, business or legal or beneficial rights to its income without Party A’s prior written consent since the date of this Agreement;

 

  (d)

Not to create, succeed to, guarantee or permit any liability, without the Party A’s prior written consent, except (i) the liability arising from the course of the ordinary or daily business operation, but not arising from the loan; and (ii) the liability reported to Party A or approved by Party A in writing;

 

  (e)

To operate persistently all the business and to maintain the value of its assets;

 

  (f)

Not to execute any material contracts (for the purpose of this Section 12, a contract will be deemed material if its value exceeds RMB 100,000), without Party A’s prior written consent, other than those executed during the ordinary course of business;

 

  (g)

To provide information concerning all of its operation and financial affairs per Party A’s request;

 

  (h)

Not to merger or combine with, acquire or invest in, any other person without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (i)

Not to distribute dividends to its shareholder in any form without Party A’s prior written consent. However, Beijing Perusal shall promptly distribute all its distributable profits to its shareholder upon the Party A’s request;

 

  (j)

To promptly inform Party A of any pending or threatened suit, arbitration or administrative procedure concerning the assets, business or income of the Beijing Perusal;

 

  (k)

To execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions, bring all necessary or appropriate lawsuits and make all necessary and appropriate defendings against all claims in order to maintain the ownership of all the assets of Beijing Perusal;

 

13


  (l)

To strictly comply with the terms of Service Agreement and other agreements with Party A, perform its obligations under the aforesaid agreements, and not to conduct any action or nonfeasance that affects the validity and enforceability of such agreements.

 

13.

This agreement shall be binding to, and only in the interest of, all the parties hereto and their respective successors and assignees. Without prior written consent of Party A, Party B shall not transfer, pledge or assign any right, benefit or obligation hereunder.

 

14.

Party B agrees that Party A can assign its rights and obligations hereunder to a third party with a written notice to Party B when it considers necessary. No further consent of Party B is required upon such a transfer.

 

15.

The execution, validity, interpretation, performance, amendment, termination and the dispute resolution of this Agreement are governed by the laws of PRC.

 

16.

Arbitration.

 

  (a)

Both Parties shall strive to settle any dispute, conflicts, or compensation claims arising from the interpretation or performance (including any issue relating to the existence, validity and termination) of this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached within thirty (30) day after one party ask for the settlement, each party can submit such matter to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) in accordance with its rules. The arbitration award shall be final and conclusive and binding upon the Parties.

 

  (b)

The arbitration should take place in Beijing.

 

  (c)

The arbitration language is Chinese.

 

17.

This Agreement shall be concluded on the date of execution. Both Parties agree that the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be effective as of the date on which Party B receives the loan and expire when both Parties complete their obligations hereunder.

 

18.

Party B may not terminate or revoke this Agreement unless (a) Party A commits a material defect, fraud or other material illegal action; (b) upon Party A’s bankruptcy.

 

19.

This Agreement shall not be amended or modified without the written consent of the Parties hereto. The Parties may amend and modify this Agreement with a written agreement. The amendments, modifications, supplements and attachments shall be integral parts of this Agreement.

 

20.

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters herein and supersedes and replaces all prior or contemporaneous verbal and written agreements and understandings.

 

14


21.

This Agreement is severable. The invalidity or enforceability of any clause shall not affect the validity or enforceability of other parts hereof.

 

22.

Each Party shall protect the confidentiality of the information concerning the other Party’s business, operation, financial situation or other confidential information obtained under this Agreement or during the performance of this Agreement.

 

23.

Any obligation that is due before the expiration or early termination this Agreement shall survive such expiration or early termination. Sections 15, 16 and 22 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

24.

This Agreement shall be executed in two originals, each Party holding one original. All the originals shall have the same legal effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its legal representative on its behalf as of the date first set forth above.

[No text below]

 

15


[No text on this page]

 

Party A:

  Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Legal representative/authorized representative:         /s/ Zhan Wang

Company seal:

 

(with the company seal of Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.)

Party B:

 

Yazhu Zhang

Signature:

 

/s/ Yazhu Zhang

 

16

EX-4.33

Exhibit 4.33

AMENDED AND RESTATED EQUITY PLEDGE AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into in Beijing, PRC by the following parties on September 16, 2014:

Pledgee:

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Legal Address: 3/F., Baidu Building, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Pledgor:

Party B: Zhixiang Liang

WHEREAS,

 

1.

Party A (the “Pledgee”), a wholly foreign-owned enterprise registered in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), and

 

2.

Party B (the “Pledgor”), is a citizen of the PRC. The Pledgor owns 9% of the equity interest in Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.(the “Company”), a limited liability company registered in Beijing, PRC (the “Company”).

 

3.

Party A made a loan in an amount of RMB 31,500,000 (hereinafter the “Loan”) to Party B and the parties executed an amended and restated loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) on September 16, 2014.

 

4.

Party A and the Company entered into an Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement (the “Services Agreement”) on February 28, 2008, the term of which will continue indefinitely. According to the Services Agreement, the Company shall pay fees relating to the technology consulting and services (the “Service Fees”) provided by Party A.

 

5.

In order to ensure that Party B will perform its obligations under the Loan Agreement and Party A will be able to collect Service Fees from the Company, the Pledgor agrees to pledge all his equity interest in the Company as security for the performance of his obligations under the Loan Agreement and for the Service Fees.

NOW THEREFORE, the Pledgee and the Pledgor through friendly negotiations hereby enter into this Agreement based upon the following terms:

 

1.

Definitions and Interpretation

Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

  1.1

“Pledge”: refers to the full content of Article 2 hereunder.

 

1


  1.2

“Equity Interest”: refers to all of the equity interest in the Company legally held by the Pledgor.

 

  1.3

“Rate of Pledge”: refers to the ratio between the value of the Pledge under this Agreement and the total amount of the Service Fees and the Loan.

 

  1.4

“Term of Pledge”: refers to the period provided for under Article 3.2 hereunder.

 

  1.5

“Principal Agreement”: refers to the Services Agreement and the Loan Agreement.

 

  1.6

“Event of Default”: refers to any event listed in Article 7.1 hereunder.

 

  1.7

“Notice of Default”: refers to the notice of default issued by the Pledgee in accordance with this Agreement.

 

2.

Pledge

The Pledgor agrees to pledge his Equity Interest in the Company to the Pledgee as security for (i) his obligations under the Loan Agreement and (ii) the Company’s obligations under the Services Agreement. The term “Pledge” under this Agreement refers to the right of the Pledgee to be entitled to priority in receiving payment in the form of the Equity Interest based on the conversion value thereof, or from the proceeds from the auction or sale of the Equity Interest pledged by the Pledgor to the Pledgee.

 

3.

Rate of Pledge and Term of Pledge

 

  3.1

The rate of the Pledge

The rate of the Pledge shall be approximately 100%.

 

  3.2

The term of the Pledge

 

  3.2.1

The Pledge shall take effect as of the date when the pledge of the Equity Interest is recorded in the Register of Shareholders of the Company and when the pledge is registered with the Administration for Industry and Commerce and shall remain in effect until two (2) years after the obligations under the Principal Agreement will have been fulfilled.

 

  3.2.2

During the term of the Pledge, the Pledgee shall be entitled to dispose of the pledged assets in accordance with this Agreement in the event that the Pledgor does not perform his obligations under the Loan Agreement or the Company does not perform his obligations under the Services Agreement.

 

4.

Physical Possession of Documents

 

  4.1

During the term of the Pledge under this Agreement, the Pledgor shall deliver the physical possession of his Certificate of Capital Contribution and the Register of Shareholders of the Company to the Pledgee within one (1) week from the execution date of this Agreement.

 

2


  4.2

The Pledgee shall be entitled to collect the dividends for the Equity Interest.

 

  4.3

The Pledge under this Agreement will be recorded in the Register of Shareholders of the Company (See Appendix I)

 

5.

Representation and Warranty of the Pledgor

 

  5.1

The Pledgor is the legal owner of the Equity Interest pledged and the Pledge is officially passed on the Shareholders’ Resolutions (See Appendix II).

 

  5.2

Except for the benefit of the Pledgee, the Pledgor has not pledged the Equity Interest or created other encumbrance on the Equity Interest.

 

6.

Covenants of the Pledgor

 

  6.1

During the effective term of this Agreement, the Pledgor covenants to the Pledgee for its benefit that the Pledgor shall:

 

  6.1.1

Not transfer or assign the Equity Interest, create or permit the existence of any other pledges which may have an adverse effect on the rights or benefits of the Pledgee without prior written consent of the Pledgee;

 

  6.1.2

Comply with laws and regulations with respect to the pledge of rights; present to the Pledgee the notices, orders or suggestions with respect to the Pledge issued or made by relevant government authorities within five (5) days upon receiving such notices, orders or suggestions; comply with such notices, orders or suggestions or, alternatively, at the reasonable request of the Pledgee or with consent from the Pledgee, raise objection to such notices, orders or suggestions;

 

  6.1.3

Timely notify the Pledgee of any events or any notices received which may affect the Pledgor’s right to all or any part of the Equity Interest, and any events or any received notices which may change the Pledgor’s warranties and obligations under this Agreement or affect the Pledgor’s performance of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

  6.2

The Pledgor agrees that the Pledgee’s right to the Pledge obtained from this Agreement shall not be suspended or inhibited by any legal procedure initiated by the Pledgor or any successors of the Pledgor or any person authorized by the Pledgor or any other person.

 

  6.3

The Pledgor promises to the Pledgee that in order to protect or perfect the security for the payment of the Loan and the Services Fees, the Pledgor shall execute in good faith and cause other parties who have interests in the Pledge to execute, all title certificates and contracts or to perform any other actions (and cause other parties who have interests to take action) as required by the Pledgee and make access to exercise the rights and authorization vested in the Pledgee under this Agreement.

 

3


  6.4

The Pledgor promises to the Pledgee that he/she will execute all amendment documents (if applicable and necessary) in connection with the certificate of the Equity Interest with the Pledgee or its designated person (being a natural person or a legal entity) and, within a reasonable period, provide to the Pledgee all notices, orders and decisions about the Pledge as the Pledgee deems necessary.

 

  6.5

The Pledgor promises to the Pledgee that he/she will comply with and perform all the guarantees, covenants, warranties, representations and conditions for the benefit of the Pledgee. The Pledgor shall compensate the Pledgee for all losses suffered by the Pledgee because of the Pledgor’s failure to perform in whole or in part its guarantees, covenants, warranties, representations and conditions.

 

  6.6

During the term of this Agreement, the Pledgor will not perform any action/non-action which may affect the value of the Equity Interest to maintain or increase the value. The Pledgor shall timely notify the Pledgee of any events which may affect the value decrease of the Equity Interest or the obligations under this Agreement, and shall provide security satisfactory to the Pledgee of the decreased value of the Equity Interest upon the Pledgee’s request.

 

  6.7

Under the permission of the applied laws or regulations, the Pledgor shall use his/her best efforts to cooperate with all the registration, record or other procedures relating to the Pledge.

 

7.

Event of Default

 

  7.1

The following events shall be regarded as events of default:

 

  7.1.1

Pledgor fails to perform his obligations under the Loan Agreement;

 

  7.1.2

The Company fails to pay the Services Fees in due course in full amount or perform other obligations under the Services Agreement;

 

  7.1.3

Any representation or warranty made by the Pledgor in Article 5 hereof contains material misleading statements or errors and/or the Pledgor breaches any warranty in Article 5 hereof;

 

  7.1.4

The Pledgor breaches the covenants under Article 6 hereof;

 

  7.1.5

The Pledgor breaches any other provision of this Agreement;

 

  7.1.6

The Pledgor waives the pledged Equity Interest or transfers or assigns the pledged Equity Interest without prior written consent from the Pledgee;

 

4


  7.1.7

Any of the Pledgor’s external loans, guaranties, compensations, undertakings or other obligations (1) is required to be repaid or performed prior to the scheduled due date because of a default; or (2) is due but cannot be repaid or performed as scheduled, causing the Pledgee to believe that the Pledgor’s ability to perform the obligations hereunder has been affected;

 

  7.1.8

The Company is incapable of repaying its general debts or other debts;

 

  7.1.9

This Agreement becomes illegal or the Pledgor is not capable of continuing to perform the obligations hereunder due to any reason other than force majeure;

 

  7.1.10

There have been adverse changes to the properties owned by the Pledgor, causing the Pledgee to believe that the capability of the Pledgor to perform the obligations hereunder has been affected;

 

  7.1.11

The successor or custodian of the Company only partially performs or refuses to perform the payment obligation under the Services Agreement.

 

  7.1.12

The breach of the other provisions of this Agreement by the Pledgor due to his act or omission.

 

  7.2

The Pledgor shall immediately give a written notice to the Pledgee if the Pledgor knows or discovers that any event specified under Article 7.1 hereof or any event that may result in the foregoing events has occurred.

 

  7.3

Unless an event of default under Article 7.1 hereof has been solved to the Pledgee’s satisfaction, the Pledgee, at any time when the event of default occurs or at anytime thereafter, may give a written notice of default to the Pledgor, requiring the Pledgor to immediately make full payment of the outstanding amount under the Loan Agreement or under the Services Agreement or requesting to exercise the Pledge in accordance with Article 8 hereof.

 

8.

Exercise of the Pledge

 

  8.1

The Pledgor shall not transfer or assign the Equity Interest without prior written approval from the Pledgee prior to the full performance of his obligations under the Loan Agreement and full payment of all Service Fees under the Services Agreement, whichever is later.

 

  8.2

The Pledgee shall give a notice of default to the Pledgor when the Pledgee exercises the Pledge.

 

  8.3

Subject to Article 7.3, the Pledgee may exercise the Pledge when the Pledgee gives a notice of default in accordance with Article 7.3 or at anytime thereafter.

 

  8.4

The Pledgee is entitled to priority in receiving payment in the form of all or part of the Equity Interest based on the conversion value thereof, or from the proceeds from the auction or sale of all or part of the Equity Interest in accordance with legal procedure, until the outstanding debt and all other payables of the Pledgor under Loan Agreement and Services Agreement are repaid.

 

5


  8.5

The Pledgor shall not hinder the Pledgee from exercising the Pledge in accordance with this Agreement and shall give necessary assistance so that the Pledgee could fully exercise its Pledge.

 

9.

Assignment

 

  9.1

The Pledgor shall not assign or transfer its rights and obligations hereunder without prior consent from the Pledgee.

 

  9.2

This Agreement shall be binding upon the Pledgor and his successors and be binding on the Pledgee and each of its successors and permitted assigns.

 

  9.3

To the extent permitted by law, the Pledgee may transfer or assign any or all of its rights and obligations under the Loan Agreement to any person (natural person or legal entity) designated by it at any time. In that case, the assignee shall have the same rights and obligations as those of the Pledgee as if the assignee was an original party hereto. When the Pledgee transfers or assigns the rights and obligations under the Loan Agreement, it is only required to provide a written notice to the Pledgor, and at the request of the Pledgee, the Pledgor shall execute the relevant agreements and/or documents with respect to such transfer or assignment.

 

  9.4

After the Pledgee has been changed as a result of a transfer or an assignment, the new parties to the Pledge shall execute a new pledge contract.

 

10.

Effectiveness and Term

This Agreement is effective as of the date first set forth above and from the date when the pledge is recorded on the Company’s Register of Shareholders.

 

11.

Termination

This Agreement shall terminate when the loan under the Loan Agreement and the Services Fees under the Services Agreement have been fully repaid and the Pledgor no longer has any outstanding obligations under the Loan Agreement and the Company no longer has any outstanding obligations under the Services Agreement. Thereafter, the Pledgee shall cancel or terminate this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

12.

Fees and Other Charges

 

  12.1

[The Pledgor] shall be responsible for all of the fees and actual expenses in relation to this Agreement including, but not limited to, legal fees, production costs, stamp tax and any other taxes and charges. If the Pledgee pays the relevant taxes in accordance with the laws, [the Pledgor shall fully indemnify the Pledgee for such taxes paid by the Pledgee].

 

  12.2

[In the event that the Pledgee has to make a claim against the Pledgor by any means as a result of the Pledgor’s failure to pay any tax or expense payable by the Pledgor under this Agreement, the Pledgor shall be responsible for all the expenses arising from such claim (including but not limited to any taxes, handling fees, management fees, litigation fees, attorney’s fees, and various insurance premiums in connection with the disposition of the Pledge)].

 

6


13.

Force Majeure

 

  13.1

Force Majeure, which includes but is not limited to acts of governments, acts of nature, fires, explosions, typhoons, floods, earthquake, tides, lightning or war, refers to any unforeseen event that is beyond a party’s reasonable control and cannot be prevented with reasonable care. However, any insufficiency of creditworthiness, capital or financing shall not be regarded as an event beyond a party’s reasonable control. The affected party by Force Majeure shall promptly notify the other party of such event resulting in exemption.

 

  13.2

In the event that the affected party is delayed or prevented from performing its obligations under this Agreement by Force Majeure, and only to the extent of such delay and prevention, the affected party shall not be liable for obligations under this Agreement. The affected party shall take appropriate measures to minimize or remove the effects of Force Majeure and attempt to resume performance of the obligations that were delayed or prevented by the event of Force Majeure. After the event of Force Majeure is removed, both parties agree to resume the performance of this Agreement using their best efforts.

 

14.

Confidentiality

The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and confirm that all the oral and written materials exchanged relating to this Agreement are confidential. Each party must keep such materials confidential and can not disclose such materials to any other third party without the other party’s prior written approval, unless: (a) the public knows or will know the materials (not due of the disclosure by the receiving party); (b) the disclosed materials are required by law or stock exchange rules to be disclosed; or (c) materials relating to the transactions under this Agreement are disclosed to the parties’ legal or financial advisors, who must keep them confidential as well. Disclosure of the confidential information by employees or institutions hired by the parties is deemed as an act by the parties, therefore, subjecting them to liability.

 

15.

Dispute Resolution

 

  15.1

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with PRC law.

 

  15.2

The parties shall strive to settle any dispute arising from the interpretation or performance of this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached through consultation, each party can submit such matter to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) for arbitration. The arbitration shall follow the current rules of CIETAC, the arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in Chinese and shall take place in Beijing, PRC. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

 

7


16.

Notice

Any notice which is given by the parties hereto for the purpose of performing the rights and obligations hereunder shall be in writing. Where such notice is delivered personally, the time of notice is the time when such notice actually reaches the addressee; where such notice is transmitted by telex or facsimile, the notice time is the time when such notice is transmitted. If such notice does not reach the addressee on a business day or reaches the addressee after business hours, the next business day following such day is the date of notice. The delivery place is the address first written above for each of the parties hereto or the address advised by such party in writing, including facsimile and telex, from time to time.

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Address: 3/F., Baidu Building, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Facsimile: 5992-8888

Telephone: 5992-8888

Party B: Liang Zhixiang

Address: No.2206, F/21, Western Luoyuan Fourth Region, Fengtai District, Beijing

Facsimile: 5992-7435

Telephone: 5992-4207

 

17.

Entire Contract

Notwithstanding Article 10, the parties agree that this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matters herein upon its effectiveness and supersedes and replaces all prior oral and/or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matters of this Agreement.

 

18.

Severability

Should any provision of this Agreement be held invalid or unenforceable because of inconsistency with applicable laws, such provision shall be invalid or unenforceable only to the extent of such applicable laws without affecting the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement.

 

19.

Appendices

The appendices to this Agreement shall constitute an integral part of this Agreement.

 

20.

Amendment or Supplement

 

  20.1

The parties may amend or supplement this Agreement by written agreement. The amendments or supplements to this Agreement duly executed by both parties shall form an integral part of this Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

8


  20.2

This Agreement and any amendments, modifications, supplements, additions or changes hereto shall be in writing and shall be effective upon being executed and sealed by the parties hereto.

 

21.

Counterparts

This Agreement is executed in Chinese in duplicate, with each party hereto holding one copy. Both originals have the same legal effect.

 

9


[Signature Page]

Pledgee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Legal Representative/Authorized Representative:         /s/ Zhan Wang

Seal: /s/ Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Pledgor: Liang Zhixiang

Signature: /s/ Zhixiang Liang            

 

10


Appendix I

Register of shareholders of Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

Name of the Shareholder: Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.

Residential Address: 2/F, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 10085.

Capital contribution: RMB 318,500,000

Percentage of capital contribution: 91%

No. of the certificate of capital contribution:

Name of shareholder: Zhixiang Liang

Capital contribution: RMB 31,500,000

Percentage of capital contribution: 9%

No. of the certificate of capital contribution:

Liang Zhixiang holds 9% of the shares of Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd., which have been pledged to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is the pledgee of 9% of the shares in Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.

Signature: /s/ Zhixiang Liang

Name: Zhixiang Liang

Title: Legal representative (with the company seal of Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.)

Date: September 16, 2014


Appendix II

Resolutions of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

In respect of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement executed on September 16, 2014 between the shareholders of Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the general shareholders’ meeting of the Company made a resolution unanimously as follows:

Approve Zhixiang Liang, a shareholder of the Company, to pledge all of his equity interest in BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd. to Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

The resolution was executed and submitted on September 16, 2014.

Shareholder: Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.

Seal: /s/ Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.

Shareholder: Zhixiang Liang

Signature: /s/ Zhixiang Liang

Date: September 16, 2014

EX-4.34

Exhibit 4.34

AMENDED AND RESTATED EXCLUSIVE EQUITY PURCHASE OPTION AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase Option Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into among the following parties in Beijing, PRC on September 16, 2014:

 

  Party A:           Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
 

Legal Address: 3/F., Baidu Building, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Party B:            Liang Zhixiang

  ID Number:
 

Party C:           Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

 

Legal Address:

 

5/F., Baidu Building B, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

In this Agreement, Party A, Party B and Party C are called collectively as the “Parties” and each of them is a “Party.”

WHEREAS:

 

1.

Party A, is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), which has technology expertise and practical experience in computer software development and design, and also has rich experience and expertise in information technology and service;

 

2.

Party C, a liability limited company incorporated in the PRC, is licensed by is licensed by Beijing Communications Administration to carry out the business of value-added telecommunication services such as Internet information services;

 

3.

Party B is the shareholder of Party C. Party B has ownership of 9 % of the equity interest in Party C (the “Equity Interest”);

 

4.

Party A and Party B entered into an amended and restated loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) on September 16, 2014;

 

5.

Party A and Party C entered into an exclusive technology consulting and services agreement (the “Services Agreement”) on February 28, 2008 and a series of agreements; and

 

6.

Party A and Party B entered into an amended and restated equity pledge agreement (the “Equity Pledge Agreement”) on September 16, 2014.

 

1


NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties upon negotiation hereby agree as follows:

 

1.

Purchase and Sale of Equity Interest

 

1.1

Granting of Rights

Party B (hereafter, the “Transferor”) hereby irrevocably grants to Party A an option to purchase or cause any one or more designated persons (“Designated Persons”) to purchase, to the extent permitted under PRC law, according to the steps determined by Party A, at the price specified in Article 1.3 of this Agreement, and at any time from the Transferor, a portion of, or all of, the equity interests held by the Transferor in Party C (the “Option”).

No Option shall be granted to any third party other than Party A and/or the Designated Persons. Party C hereby agrees to the granting of the Option by Party B to Party A and/or the Designated Persons. The “person” set forth in this article and this Agreement means an individual person, corporation, joint venture, partnership, enterprise, trust or a non-corporation organization.

 

1.2

Exercise Steps

Subject to PRC law and regulations, Party A and/or the Designated Persons may exercise the Option by issuing a written notice (the “Notice”) to the Transferor, specifying the equity interest to be purchased from the Transferor (the “Purchased Equity Interest”) and the manner of such purchase.

 

1.3

Purchase Price

 

  1.3.1

If Party A exercises the Option, the purchase price of the Purchased Equity Interest (“Purchase Price”) shall be equal to the actual paid-in capital paid by the Transferor for the Purchased Equity Interest, unless then applicable PRC laws and regulations require appraisal of the Purchased Equity Interest or stipulate other restrictions on the Purchase price.

 

  1.3.2

If the applicable PRC laws require appraisal of the Purchased Equity Interest or stipulate other restrictions on the Purchase Price at the time that Party A exercises the Option, the Parties agree that the Purchase Price shall be set at the lowest price permissible under applicable law.

 

1.4

Transfer of the Purchased Equity Interest

At each exercise of the Option:

 

  1.4.1

The Transferor shall, in accordance the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Notice in connection with the Purchased Equity Interest, enter into an equity transfer agreement with Party A and/or the Designated Persons (as applicable) for each transfer in form satisfactory to Party A;

 

2


  1.4.2

The related parties shall execute all other requisite contracts, agreements or documents, obtain all requisite government approvals and consents, and take all necessary actions to transfer the valid ownership of the Purchased Equity Interest to Party A and/or the Designated Persons free of any security interest, and cause Party A and/or the Designated Persons to be the registered owner(s) of the Purchased Equity Interest. In this article and this Agreement, “Security Interest” means guaranty, mortgage, pledge, third-party right or interest, any share option, right of acquisition, right of first refusal, right of set-off, ownership, detainment or other security arrangements. However, it does not include any security interest arising under the Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

1.5

Payment

The manner of payment of the Purchase Price shall be determined through negotiations between Party A and/or the Designated Persons and the Transferor according to the applicable laws at the time of the exercise of the Option. The Parties hereby agree that, subject to applicable laws, Transferor shall repay to Party A any amount that is paid by Party A and/or the Designated Persons to the Transferor in connection with the Purchased Equity Interest (excluding the tax fees and other fees incurred by the proposed transaction according to transfer agreements paid by the Transferor).

 

2.

Covenants Relating to the Equity Interest

 

2.1

Covenants Relating to Party C

Party B and Party C hereby covenant, in relation to Party C:

 

  2.1.1

Not to supplement, amend or modify Party C’s articles of association in any way, or to increase or decrease its registered capital, or to change its registered capital structure in any way without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  2.1.2

To maintain the corporate existence of Party C and operate its business and deal with matters prudently and effectively according to good financial and business rules and practices;

 

  2.1.3

Not to sell, transfer, mortgage or otherwise dispose of, or permit any other security interest to be created on, any of Party C’s assets, business or legal or beneficial interests in its revenue at any time after the signing of this Agreement without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  2.1.4

Not to create, succeed to, guarantee or permit any liability, without Party A’s prior written consent, except (i) liabilities arising from the normal course of business, but not arising from loans; and (ii) liabilities disclosed to Party A and approved by Party A in writing;

 

3


  2.1.5

To operate persistently all the business in the normal course of business to maintain the value of Party C’s assets, and not to commit any act or omission that would affect its operations and asset value;

 

  2.1.6

Without prior written consent by Party A, not to enter into any material agreement, other than agreements entered into in Party C’s normal course of business (for purpose of this paragraph, an agreement will be deemed material if its value exceeds RMB500,000);

 

  2.1.7

Not to provide loans or credit to any person without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  2.1.8

To provide all information relating to Party C’s operations and financial conditions upon the request of Party A;

 

  2.1.9

To purchase and maintain insurance from insurance companies accepted by Party A. The amount and category of the insurance shall the same as those of the insurance normally procured by companies engaged in similar businesses and possessing similar properties or assets in the area where Party C is located;

 

  2.1.10

Not to merge or consolidate with, or acquire or invest in, any person without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  2.1.11

To promptly notify Party A of any pending or threatened suit, arbitration or administrative proceedings concerning Party C’s assets, business or revenue;

 

  2.1.12

To execute all necessary or appropriate documents, to take all necessary or appropriate actions and to bring all necessary or appropriate claims or to make all necessary and appropriate defenses against all claims in order for Party C to maintain the ownership over all its assets;

 

  2.1.13

Not to distribute dividends to Party C’s shareholders in any way without Party A’s prior written consent. However, Party C shall promptly distribute all or part of its distributable profits to its shareholders upon Party A’s request;

 

  2.1.14

At the request of Party A, to appoint persons nominated by Party A to be the directors of Party C;

 

4


2.2

Covenants Relating to the Transferor

Party B hereby covenants:

 

  2.2.1

Not to sell, transfer, mortgage or otherwise dispose of, or allow any other security interest to be created on, the legal or beneficial interest in the Equity Interest at any time after the signing of this Agreement without Party A’s prior written consent, other than the pledge created on Party B’s Equity Interest in accordance with the Equity Pledge Agreement;

 

  2.2.2

Without Party A’s prior written consent, not to vote for or sign any shareholders’ resolution at Party C’s shareholders’ meetings to approve the sale, transfer, mortgage or disposition in any other manner of, or the creation of any other security interest on, any legal or beneficial interest in the Equity Interest, except to or for the benefit of Party A or its designated persons;

 

  2.2.3

Without Party A’s prior written consent, not to vote for or sign any shareholders’ resolution at Party C’s shareholders’ meetings to approve Party C’s merger or consolidation with, acquisition of or investment in, any person;

 

  2.2.4

To promptly notify Party A of any pending or threatened suit, arbitration or administrative proceedings concerning the Equity Interest owned by it;

 

  2.2.5

To execute all necessary or appropriate documents, to take all necessary or appropriate actions and to bring all necessary or appropriate claims or to make all necessary and appropriate defenses against all claims in order to maintain his ownership over the Equity Interest;

 

  2.2.6

At the request of Party A, to appoint persons nominated by Party A to be the directors of Party C;

 

  2.2.7

At any time, upon the request of Party A, to transfer its Equity Interest immediately and unconditionally to the representative designated by Party A, and waive its preemptive right with respect to the transfer of equity interest by the other shareholder of Party C;

 

  2.2.8

To fully comply with the provisions of this Agreement and the other agreements entered into jointly or respectively by and among the Transferor, Party C and Party A, perform all obligations under these agreements and not commit any act or omission that would affect the validity and enforceability of these agreements; and

 

  2.2.9

To transfer all dividends and any other form of profit allocated by Party C to Party A.

 

5


2.3

Covenants Relating to Party A

Party A hereby convenant:

 

  2.3.1

If Party C needs any loan or other capital support in its business, under acceptable and reasonable scope, Party A shall provide capital support;

 

  2.3.2

If Party C cannot repay the loan from Party A as loss incurred and has sufficient evidence to prove, Party A agrees that it shall give up the rights of requiring Party C to repay the loan.

 

3.

Representations and Warranties

As of the execution date of this Agreement and every transfer date, each of the Transferor and Party C hereby represents and warrants to Party A as follows:

 

3.1

It has the power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, and any equity transfer agreement (“Transfer Agreement”) to which it is party for each transfer of the Purchased Equity under this Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and any Transfer Agreement. Once executed, this Agreement and any Transfer Agreement to which it is party will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of it enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;

 

3.2

The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or any Transfer Agreement by it will not: (i) violate any relevant PRC laws and regulations; (ii) conflict with its articles of association or other organizational documents; (iii) violate or constitute a default under any contract or instrument to which it is party or that binds upon it; (iv) violate any condition for the grant and/or continued effectiveness of any permit or approval granted to it; or (v) cause any permit or approval granted to it to be suspended, cancelled or attached with additional conditions;

 

3.3

Party C has good and marketable ownership interest in all of its assets and has not created any security interest on the said assets;

 

3.4

Party C has no outstanding liabilities, except (i) liabilities arising in its normal course of business; and (ii) liabilities disclosed to Party A and approved by Party A in writing;

 

3.5

There are currently no existing, pending or threatened litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings related to the Equity Interest, Party C’s assets or Party C; and

 

3.6

The Transferor has good and marketable ownership interest in the Equity Interest and has not created any security interest on such Equity Interest, other than the security interest pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

6


4.

Assignment of Agreement

 

4.1

Party B and Party C shall not assign their rights and obligations under this Agreement to any third party without the prior written consent of Party A.

 

4.2

Party B and Party C hereby agree that Party A may assign all its rights and obligation under this Agreement to a third party without the consent of Party B and Party C, but such assignment shall be notified in writing to Party B and Party C.

 

5.

Effective Date and Term

 

5.1

This Agreement shall be effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

5.2

This Agreement is effective from the signing date, and will terminate after the newly created part of Equity Interest owned by Party B has been fully and legally transferred to Party A and/or the Designated Persons according to this Agreement.

 

5.3

If the duration of operation (including any extension thereof) of Party A or Party C is expired or terminated for other reasons within the term set forth in Article 5.2, this Agreement shall be terminated simultaneously, except in the situation where Party A has assigned its rights and obligations in accordance with Article 4.2 hereof.

 

6.

Applicable Law and Dispute Resolution

 

6.1

Applicable Law

The formation, validity, interpretation and performance of and settlement of disputes under this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the PRC.

 

6.2

Dispute Resolution

Any dispute arising in connection with the interpretation and performance of the provisions of this Agreement shall be resolved by the Parties in good faith through negotiations. In case no resolution can be reached by the Parties within thirty (30) days after either party makes a request for dispute resolution through negotiations, either party may refer such dispute to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) for arbitration in accordance with CIETAC’s arbitration rules then in effect. The seat of arbitration shall be Beijing and language of proceedings shall be Chinese. The arbitral award shall be final and binding upon the Parties.

 

7


7.

Taxes and Expenses

Every Party shall, in accordance with PRC laws, bear any and all transfer and registration taxes, expenses and charges incurred by or levied on it with respect to the preparation and execution of this Agreement and each Transfer Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement and each Transfer Agreement.

 

8.

Notices

Any notice or other communication forms which is given by the parties hereto shall be in Chinese and delivered personally to the addresses listed as below or the addresses designated by the Parties. The notice time which is deemed as the time when the notice actually reaches the addressee follows: (a) the notice time of the notice delivered personally shall be the day when the person conducts the delivery; (b) the notice time of the notice delivered as mail shall be the tenth (10) day following the mailing date of the registered mail by air (marked by seal) or shall be the fourth (4) day following the day handing to internally recognized delivery services organizations; and (c) the notice time of the notice delivered by facsimile shall be the acceptance time on the delivery confirmation.

 

 

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 

Address: 3/F., Baidu Building, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Facsimile: (010)5992-8888

 

Telephone: (010)5992-8888

 

Party B: Liang Zhixiang

 

Address:

 

Facsimile:

 

Telephone:

 

Party C: Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

 

Address:

 

5/F., Baidu Building B, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

 

Facsimile:

 

Telephone:

 

8


9.

Confidentiality

The Parties acknowledge and confirm any oral or written materials exchanged by the Parties in connection with this Agreement are confidential. The Parties shall maintain the confidentiality of all such materials. Without the written approval by the other Parties, any Party shall not disclose to any third party any relevant materials, but the following circumstances shall be excluded:

 

  9.1

Materials that are or will become known by the public (through no fault of the receiving party);

 

  9.2

Materials required to be disclosed by the applicable laws or rules of the stock exchange;

 

  9.3

Materials disclosed by each Party to its legal or financial advisors relating the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and such legal or financial advisors shall comply with the confidentiality provisions similar to this article.

The disclosure of information by the staff or consultants of any party shall be deemed as disclosure by the party itself. This Section 9 shall survive any invalidity, termination, expiration or unenforceability of this Agreement.

 

10.

Further Assurances

The Parties agree to promptly execute documents and take further actions that are reasonably required for, or beneficial to, the purpose of performing the provisions and carrying out the intent of this Agreement.

 

11.

Miscellaneous

 

11.1

Amendment, Modification or Supplement

Any amendment or supplement to this Agreement shall be made by the Parties in writing. The amendments or supplements duly executed by each Party shall be deemed as a part of this Agreement and shall have the same legal effect as this Agreement.

 

11.2

Entire Agreement

Notwithstanding Article 5 of this Agreement, the Parties acknowledge that once this Agreement becomes effective, it shall constitute the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matters hereof and shall supersede all prior oral and/or written agreements and understandings by the Parties with respect to the subject matters hereof.

 

11.3

Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is judged to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect according to any applicable law or regulation, the validity, legality and enforceability of the other provisions hereof shall not be affected or impaired in any way. The Parties shall, through good-faith negotiations, replace those invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions that may bring about economic effects as similar as possible to those from such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

 

9


11.4

Headings

The headings contained in this Agreement are for the convenience of reference only and shall not be used for the interpretation or explanation or otherwise affect the meaning of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

11.5

Language and Copies

This Agreement is executed in Chinese in three copies; each Party holds one copy and each copy has the same legal effect.

 

11.6

Successor

This Agreement shall bind upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of each Party.

 

11.7

Survival

Any obligation arising from or becoming due under this Agreement before its expiration or premature termination shall survive such expiration or premature termination. Articles 6, 8 and 9 and this Article 11.7 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

11.8

Waiver

Any Party may waive the terms and conditions of this Agreement by a written instrument signed by the Parties. Any waiver by a Party to a breach by the other Parties in a specific situation shall not be construed as a waiver to any similar breach by the other Parties in other situations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Party has caused this Agreement to be executed by himself/herself, its legal representative or its duly authorized representative as of the date first written above.

 

10


[Signature Page]

 

 

Party A: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 
 

Legal Representative/Authorized Representative:         /s/ Zhan Wang

 
 

Seal: /s/ Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

 

Party B: Zhixiang Liang

 
 

Signature: /s/ Zhixiang Liang

 
 

Party C: Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

 
 

Legal Representative/Authorized Representative:         /s/ Zhixiang Liang

 
 

Seal: /s/ Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

 

11

EX-4.36

Exhibit 4.36

AMENDED AND RESTATED LOAN AGREEMENT

This Loan Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into in Beijing by the following parties on September 16, 2014.

 

Party A:

   Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Registration Address:

   3/F., Baidu Building, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Party B:

ID No.:

  

Zhixiang Liang

 

WHEREAS,

 

1.

Party A is a wholly-owned foreign enterprise incorporated in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”); and

 

2.

Party B is a citizen of the PRC and a shareholder of Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (the “Company”).

 

3.

Party A provided to Party B an interest-free loan of RMB 9,000,000 on April 23, 2012 for Party B to invest in the Company. Party A and Party B entered into the Loan Agreement on April 23, 2012 in connection with such loan (the “Original Loan Agreement”).

 

4.

The parties intend to amend and restate the Original Loan Agreement.

NOW THEREFORE, through friendly negotiations, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.

Party A agrees to provide an interest-free loan to Party B with an aggregate principal amount of RMB 31,500,000 in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and Party B agrees to accept the loan.

 

2.

Party B confirms that he has received the total amount of the loan and has invested it into the Company as capital contribution.

 

3.

The Term of the loan starts from the date when Party B received the loan until ten (10) years after the execution of this Agreement and may be extended upon written agreement of the parties hereto. During the term of the loan or any extension thereof, Party A may notify Party B in writing that the loan under this Agreement is due and payable immediately and request Party B to repay the loan in the manner specified herein, if any of the following events occurs:

 

  (a)

Party B resigns from or is dismissed by Party A or its affiliates;

 

  (b)

Party B dies or becomes a person without capacity or with limited capacity for civil acts;

 

  (c)

Party B commits a crime or is involved in a crime;

 

  (d)

Any other third party claims more than RMB100,000 against Party B; or

 

  (e)

Subject to PRC laws, Party A or its designated person is permitted to invest in the business of human resources consulting service as well as other businesses that the Company is engaged in, and Party A has given a written notice to the Company to exercise its purchase option in accordance with the exclusive equity purchase option agreement specified in Article 4 of this Agreement.

 

1


4.

Both parties hereby agree and confirm that, subject to PRC laws, Party A shall have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase, or designate other persons (including natural persons, legal persons or other entities) to purchase, at anytime all or part of the equity interests held by Party B in the Company (the “Option Right”), provided, however, that Party A shall notify Party B in writing of such purchase of equity interests. Once the written notice for exercising the Option Right is given by Party A, Party B shall, according to Party A’s intention or instruction, transfer his equity interests in the Company to Party A or other persons designated by Party A at his original investment price (the “Original Investment Price”) or, if otherwise specified by laws, at another price agreed upon by Party A. Both parties agree and confirm that, if at the time of Party A’s exercise of the Option Right, the lowest price permitted under then applicable laws and regulations is higher than the Original Investment Price, the purchase price to be paid by Party A or its designated persons shall be the lowest price permitted by applicable law. Both parties agree to execute an Exclusive Equity Purchase Option Agreement (the “Option Agreement”) in connection with the above matters.

 

5.

Both parties hereby agree and confirm that Party B may repay the loan only in the following manner: if permitted by PRC laws, Party B or its successor or assign shall transfer the equity interests in the Company to Party A or its designated persons and use the proceeds from such transfer to repay the loan, when the loan is due and Party A gives a written notice, or through such other method as may be mutually agreed to by the parties.

 

6.

Both parties hereby agree and confirm that, except as otherwise provided for herein, the loan under this Agreement is interest-free. However, if, at the time the loan is due and Party B needs to transfer his equity interests in the Company to Party A or its designated persons, the actual transfer price is higher than the loan principal due to legal requirements or other reasons, the amount in excess of the loan principal, to the extent permitted by law, shall be deemed as interests or capital utilization cost, which shall be repaid to Party A together with the loan principal.

 

7.

Both parties hereby agree and confirm that Party B shall be deemed to have fully performed his obligations under this Agreement only if the following requirements are met:

 

  (a)

Party B has transferred all his equity interests in the Company to Party A and/or its designated persons; and,

 

  (b)

Party B has paid the total proceeds from such transfer or the maximum amount (including principal and the highest loan interest permitted under then applicable law) allowed by applicable law as repayment of the loan to Party A.

 

8.

To secure the performance of his obligations under this Agreement, Party B agrees to pledge all his equity interests in the Company to Party A (the “Equity Pledge”). Both parties agree to execute an Equity Pledge Agreement (the “Equity Pledge Agreement”) in connection with the above matters.

 

2


9.

Party A hereby represents and warrants to Party B that, as of the execution date of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Party A is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise incorporated and validly existing under the laws of PRC;

 

  (b)

Party A has the right to execute and perform this Agreement. The execution and performance of this Agreement by Party A comply with its business scope, articles of association and other organizational documents. Party A has obtained all necessary and appropriate approvals and authorizations for the execution and performance of this Agreement;

 

  (c)

The principal of the loan to Party B is legally owned by Party A;

 

  (d)

The execution and performance of this Agreement by Party A do not violate any laws, regulations, approvals, authorizations, notices, other governmental documents to which Party A is subject, any agreement signed by it with any third party or any undertaking made by it to any third party; and

 

  (e)

When executed by the parties hereto, this Agreement shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Party A.

 

10.

Party B hereby represents and warrants to Party A that, from the execution date of this Agreement until this Agreement terminates:

 

  (a)

The Company is a limited liability company incorporated and validly existing under the laws of PRC and Party B is a legal holder of the equity interest of the Company;

 

  (b)

Party B has the right to execute and perform this Agreement. The execution and performance of this Agreement by Party B comply with its business scope, articles of association and other organizational documents. Party B has obtained all necessary and appropriate approvals and authorizations for the execution and performance of this Agreement;

 

  (c)

The execution and the performance of this Agreement by Party B do not violate any laws, regulations, approvals, authorizations, notices, other governmental documents to which Party B is subject, any agreement signed by Party B with any third party or any undertaking made by Party B to any third party;

 

  (d)

When executed by the parties hereto, this Agreement shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Party B;

 

  (e)

Party B has paid contribution in full for its equity interests in the Company in accordance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

3


  (f)

Except pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement and Option Agreement, Party B has not pledged or created any other security interest on, made any offer to any third party to transfer, accepted the offer of any third party to purchase, or execute agreement with any third party to transfer, Party B’s equity interests in the Company;

 

  (g)

There are no pending or threatened disputes, litigation, arbitration or other administrative proceedings or other legal proceedings in connection with the equity interests of the Company held by Party B; and

 

  (h)

The Company has completed all necessary governmental approval, license, registration and filing.

 

11.

Party B covenants that it shall, during the term of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Not sell, transfer, pledge or dispose in any other manner of his equity or other interests in the Company, or allow the creation of other security interests thereon, without Party A’s prior written consent, except for equity pledges or other rights created for the benefit of Party A;

 

  (b)

Not vote for at shareholder’s meetings of the Company or execute any shareholders’ resolutions approving the sale, transfer, pledge, disposition in any other manner, or the creation of any other security interest on, any legal or beneficial interest in the equity of the Company without Party A’s prior written consent, except to or for the benefit of Party A or its designated persons;

 

  (c)

Not vote for at shareholder’s meetings of the Company or execute any shareholders’ resolutions approving the Company to merge or combine with, acquire or invest in any person without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (d)

Promptly inform Party A of any pending or threatened litigation, arbitration or regulatory proceeding concerning the equity interests of the Company;

 

  (e)

Execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions, bring all necessary or appropriate lawsuits or assert all necessary and appropriate defenses against all claims in order to maintain his equity interests of the Company;

 

  (f)

Not commit any act or omission that may materially affect the assets, business and liabilities of the Company without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (g)

Appoint any person nominated by Party A to be the director of the Company;

 

  (h)

Upon Party A’s exercise of its Option Right, transfer promptly and unconditionally, all of Party B’s equity interests in the Company to Party A or a person designated by Party A, provided that such transfer is permitted under the laws of PRC;

 

4


  (i)

Not request the Company to distribute dividends or profits;

 

  (j)

Once he has transferred his equity interests in the Company to Party A or its designated persons, promptly repay, subject to applicable laws, the proceeds received for such transfer in full, as the loan principal and loan interests or capital utilization cost allowed by laws, to Party A; and

 

  (k)

Comply strictly with the terms of this Agreement, and perform the obligations pursuant to this Agreement and not commit any act or omission that would affect the validity and enforceability of this Agreement.

 

12.

Party B, as the shareholder of the Company, covenants that he shall cause the Company, during the term of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

Not to supply, amend or modify its articles of association, or to increase or decrease its registered capital, or to change its capital structure in any way without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (b)

To maintain and operate its business and deal with matters prudently and effectively, in accordance with good financial and business rules and practices;

 

  (c)

Not to sell, transfer, mortgage, dispose of in any other manner, or to create other security interest on, any of its assets, business or legal or beneficial right to its revenues without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (d)

Not to create, succeed to, guarantee or permit any liability, without Party A’s prior written consent, except (i) the liability arising from the ordinary course of business, but not arising through Party B; and (ii) the liability reported to and approved by Party A in writing;

 

  (e)

To operate persistently all the business and to maintain the value of its assets;

 

  (f)

Not to execute any material contracts (for the purpose of this paragraph, a contract will be deemed material if the value of it exceeds RMB100,000), without Party A’s prior written consent, other than those executed during the ordinary course of business;

 

  (g)

To provide information concerning all of its operation and financial affairs upon Party A’s request;

 

  (h)

Not to merge or combine with, acquire or invest in, any other person without Party A’s prior written consent;

 

  (i)

Not to issue dividends to shareholders in any form without Party A’s prior written consent. However, the Company shall promptly distributable all its distributable profits to each of its shareholders upon Party A’s request;

 

5


  (j)

To inform promptly Party A of any pending or threatened suit, arbitration or regulatory proceeding concerning the assets, business or revenue of the Company;

 

  (k)

To execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions, bring all necessary or appropriate lawsuits or assert all necessary and appropriate defenses against all claims in order to maintain the ownership of all its assets;

 

  (l)

To comply strictly with the terms of the Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement and other agreements between Party A and the Company, perform its obligations under aforesaid agreements, and not commit any act or omission that would affect the validity and enforceability of such agreements.

 

13.

This agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assignees. Without prior written approval of Party A, Party B cannot assign, pledge or otherwise transfer any right, benefit or obligation under this agreement.

 

14.

Party B agrees that Party A can assign its rights and duties under this Agreement to a third party when it thinks necessary, in which case Party A only needs to give a written notice to Party B and no further consent of Party B is required.

 

15.

The execution, validity, interpretation, performance, amendment, termination and resolution of disputes in connection with this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the PRC.

 

16.

Arbitration.

Both parties shall strive to settle any dispute, conflict, or claim arising from the interpretation or performance (including any issue relating to the existence, validity and termination of this Agreement) in connection with this Agreement through friendly consultation. In case no settlement can be reached within thirty (30) day after one party requests for the settlement, each party may submit such dispute to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) for arbitration in accordance with its rules. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties.

The seat of the arbitration shall be Beijing.

The language for the arbitration proceedings shall be Chinese.

 

17.

This Agreement shall be formed on the date of execution. And both parties hereto agree that the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be effective as of the date on which Party B has obtained the loan and shall expire when both parties have fully performed their obligations under this Agreement.

 

18.

Party B cannot terminate or revoke this Agreement unless (a) Party A commits a gross negligence, fraud or other material illegal acts; or (b) Party A goes bankrupt.

 

6


19.

This Agreement may not be amended or modified except with a written agreement reached by both parties. In case of anything not covered herein, both parties may sign a written supplementary agreement. Any amendment, modification, supplement or annex to this Agreement shall form an integral part of this Agreement.

 

20.

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matters hereof and supersedes all prior verbal discussions or written agreements between the parties with respect to subject matters hereof.

 

21.

This Agreement is severable. If any clause of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall have no effect on the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement.

 

22.

Each party should protect the confidentiality of the information concerning the other party’s business, operation, financial situation or other confidential information obtained under this Agreement or during the performance of this Agreement.

 

23.

Any obligation arising from or becoming due under this Agreement before the expiration or early termination of this Agreement shall survive such expiration or early termination. The Articles 15, 16 and 22 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

24.

This Agreement shall be executed in two originals, with each party holding one original. All originals shall have the same legal effect.

 

7


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party has caused this Agreement to be executed by himself, its legal representative or its duly authorized representative as of the date first written above.

[Signature Page]

 

Party A:

   Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Legal Representative/Authorized Representative:

   /s/ Zhan Wang

Seal:

   /s/ Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Party B:

   Zhixiang Liang

Signature:

   /s/ Zhixiang Liang

 

8

EX-4.72

Exhibit 4.72

Execution Version

LOAN AGREEMENT

This Loan Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of December 9, 2014, between BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company (the “Borrower”), and BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch, a federally chartered branch of Bank of China Limited, a joint stock company incorporated in the People’s Republic of China with limited liability (the “Lender”).

WHEREAS, Borrower has requested Lender to extend credit to Borrower, and Lender has agreed to do so under the mutually agreed upon terms and conditions of such credit extension set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above Recitals and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE 1

INTERPRETATION AND DEFINITIONS

Section 1.1 Definitions. The following terms are used in this Agreement with the following respective meanings:

Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA” means, in relation to a Measurement Period, Consolidated EBITDA for the period adjusted by:

(a) including the operating result before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and impairment charges (“EBITDA”) of a member of the Group or attributable to a business or assets acquired during the Measurement Period for that part of the Measurement Period when it was not a member of the Group and/or the business or assets were not owned by a member of the Group; and

(b) excluding the EBITDA attributable to any member of the Group or to any business or assets sold during that Measurement Period.

Advance” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

Applicable Margin” means, from time to time, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Debt Rating as set forth below:

 

Pricing Level

  

Debt Rating

Moody’s/Fitch

  

Applicable Margin

(basis points)

I

   A2/A or higher    140

II

   A3/A-    175

III

   Baa1/BBB+    200

IV

   Baa2/BBB    225

V

   Baa3/BBB- or lower    250


Initially, the Applicable Margin shall be determined based upon the Pricing Level I. Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Margin resulting from a publicly announced change in the Debt Rating shall be effective, in the case of an upgrade, during the period commencing on the date of delivery by Borrower to Lender of notice thereof pursuant to Section 6.1(g) and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change and, in the case of a downgrade, during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.

Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any capital lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a capital lease.

Beijing Baidu Netcom” means Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd., a limited liability company established under the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

BOC Credit Allocation” means a credit allocation in the amount of One Hundred Fifty Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($150,600,000) with a term of at least two (2) years, issued by Bank of China, Shanghai Branch, for the benefit of Lender, dated December 2, 2014, bearing application number 274211743-2014-001 and 177782399- 2014-001, in the form attached as Exhibit A, providing among other things that Lender will be reimbursed for breaches, defaults and losses with respect to the Loan.

Business Day” means any day other than a day (i) which is a Saturday or a Sunday, (ii) on which commercial banks are not authorized to remain open for the regular transaction of international and domestic business in both Los Angeles, California and the People’s Republic of China.

Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.1 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 8.1.

Consolidated EBIT means, in relation to a Measurement Period, the aggregate of:

(a) the consolidated operating profits of the Group (including the results from discontinued operations) before finance costs and tax for that Measurement Period;

(b) plus or minus the Group’s share of the profits or losses of associates for that period (after finance costs and tax) and the Group’s share of the profits or losses of any joint ventures;

 

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adjusted by:

(i) taking no account of any Exceptional Item;

(ii) taking no account of any unrealized gains or losses on any derivative instrument or other financial instrument (other than any derivative instrument which is accounted for on a hedge accounting basis) which is reported through the income statement;

(iii) taking no account of any income or charge attributable to a post-employment benefit scheme other than the current service costs and any past service costs and curtailments and settlements attributable to the scheme; and

(iv) taking no account of any expense referable to equity-settled share-based compensation of employees.

Consolidated EBITDA means, in relation to a Measurement Period, Consolidated EBIT for that Measurement Period after adding back any depreciation and amortization and taking no account of any charge for impairment or any reversal of any previous impairment charge made in the period.

Consolidated Funded Indebtedness means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments, (b) all purchase money Indebtedness, (c) all direct obligations arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments, (d) all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business), (e) Attributable Indebtedness in respect of capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations, (f) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified in clauses (a) through (e) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (g) all Indebtedness of the types referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary.

Consolidated Interest Charges means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, and (b) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period under capital leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four fiscal quarters most recently ended to (b) Consolidated Interest Charges for the period of four fiscal quarters most recently ended.

 

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Consolidated Leverage Ratio means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness as of such date to (b) Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA for the period of the four fiscal quarters most recently ended.

Consolidated Subsidiary means, with respect to any Person, at any date any Subsidiary or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of such Person in its consolidated financial statements if such statements were prepared as of such date.

Consolidated Total Borrowings means, in respect of the Group, at any time, the aggregate of the following liabilities calculated at the nominal, principal or other amount at which the liabilities would be carried in a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower drawn up at that time (or in the case of any guarantee, indemnity or similar assurance referred to in paragraph (i) below, the maximum liability under the relevant instrument):

(a) any moneys borrowed;

(b) any redeemable preference shares;

(c) any acceptance under any acceptance credit (including any dematerialized equivalent);

(d) any bond, note, debenture, loan stock or other similar instrument;

(e) any indebtedness under a finance or capital lease in accordance with GAAP;

(f) any moneys owing in connection with the sale or discounting of receivables (except to the extent that there is no recourse);

(g) any indebtedness arising from any deferred payment agreements arranged primarily as a method of raising finance or financing the acquisition of an asset;

(h) any indebtedness arising in connection with any other transaction (including any forward sale or purchase agreement) which has the commercial effect of a borrowing; and

(i) any indebtedness of any person of a type referred to in the above paragraphs which is the subject of a guarantee, indemnity or similar assurance against financial loss given by a member of the Group,

in each case, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any indebtedness arising (a) in the ordinary course of trading and (b) between members of the Group.

Credit Limit means One Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($150,000,000).

Credit Line Outstanding means as of any date the sum of the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Advances on such date.

 

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Debtor Relief Law means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

Debt Rating means, as of any date of determination, the rating as determined by either Moody’s or Fitch (collectively, the “Debt Ratings”) of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt; provided that (a) if the respective Debt Rating issued by the foregoing rating agencies differ by one level, then the Pricing Level for the higher of such Debt Ratings shall apply (with the Debt Rating for Pricing Level I being the highest and the Debt Rating for Pricing Level V being the lowest); (b) if there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one level, then the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the Pricing Level of the higher Debt Rating shall apply; (c) if the Borrower has only one Debt Rating, the Pricing Level that corresponds to such Debt Rating shall apply; and (d) if the Borrower does not have any Debt Rating, Pricing Level V shall apply.

Default means any Event of Default and any default, event or condition that would, with the giving of any requisite notice and the passage of any requisite period of time, constitute an Event of Default.

Default Rate has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5.

Disruption Event means:

(a) a material disruption to the payment or communications systems or to the financial markets which are required to operate in order for payments to be made (or other transactions to be carried out) in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, which is not caused by, and is beyond the control of, any of the parties to this Agreement; or

(b) the occurrence of any other event which results in a disruption (of a technical or systems-related nature) to the treasury or payments operations of a party to this Agreement preventing it, or any other party to this Agreement from:

(i) performing its payment obligations under the Loan Documents; or

(ii) communicating with other parties under the Loan Documents, and which is not caused by, and is beyond the control of, the party whose operations are disrupted.

Dollars or “$” means the lawful currency of the United States of America.

Environmental Laws means the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Recovery Act, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, the Federal Water Pollution Act, the Toxic Substance Control Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as such laws have been amended or supplemented, and any federal state or local statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation concerning the environment in effect.

 

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Equity Interests means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

ERISA Group means Borrower, any Subsidiary of Borrower and all members of a controlled group of corporations and all trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with Borrower, or any such Subsidiary, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

Event of Default has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

Exceptional Item means any material item of income or expense that represents:

(a) any gain or loss arising from:

(i) write-downs of inventories to net realizable value or of property, plant and equipment to recoverable amount, and reversals of such write-downs;

(ii) restructuring the activities of the Group or any member of the Group and any reversals of any provision for the costs of restructuring;

(iii) disposals of items of property, plant or equipment;

(iv) disposals of investments; or

(v) disposals or settlements of liabilities of any member of the Group that fall within the definition of Consolidated Total Borrowings”; or

(b) any gain of a highly unusual or non-recurring nature; or

(c) any gain or loss arising from a transaction entered into otherwise than in the carrying on of the normal core business operations of the Group.

FATCA means Section 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b) of the Code or any intergovernmental agreements entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Code.

 

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Fitch means Fitch Ratings, Inc. and any successor thereto.

GAAP means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Statements and Interpretations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, FASB Staff Positions, Accounting Research Bulletins and Accounting Principles Board and Opinions of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the U.S. accounting profession, which are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, including the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, in each case consistently applied.

Governmental Action means any authorization, consent, approval, license, lease, ruling, permit, tariff, rate, certification, exemption, filing or registration by or with any Governmental Authority.

Governmental Authority means, whether domestic or foreign, any national, federal, state or local government, any political subdivision thereof or any governmental, quasi- governmental, judicial, public or regulatory instrumentality, authority, body or entity, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, any central bank and any comparable authority.

Governmental Rule means any treaty, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, order, code, judgment, decree, directive, interpretation, request, guideline, policy or similar form of decision of any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, Environmental Laws and ERISA.

Group means Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

Guarantee means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

 

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Guarantor means any guarantor (if any) at any time guaranteeing Borrower’s obligations hereunder.

Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP: (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments; (b) all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments; (c) net obligations of such Person under any Swap Contract; (d) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business); (e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse; (f) capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations; (g) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Equity Interest in such Person or any other Person, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends; and (h) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing. For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease or Synthetic Lease Obligation as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.

Interest Payment Date means, for payments of interest with respect to the Loan, the end of the Interest Period applicable to the extension of credit in question and, in any event, the Maturity Date.

Interest Period means (a) initially, the period commencing on the date of the disbursement of the cash Advance in question and ending three months later, as selected by Borrower in accordance with Section 2.4 of this Agreement; and (b) thereafter, each period commencing on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period and ending three months later, as selected by Borrower in accordance with Section 2.4 of this Agreement; provided that:

(i) any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a LIBOR Banking Day shall be extended to the next succeeding LIBOR Banking Day unless such LIBOR Banking Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding LIBOR Banking Day;

 

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(ii) any Interest Period that begins on the last LIBOR Banking Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last LIBOR Banking Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and

(iii) the last Interest Period hereunder shall end on the Maturity Date.

Laws means, collectively, all federal, state and local statutes, executive orders, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders of any Governmental Authority, including all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such Laws.

Lending Office means the Los Angeles Branch office of Bank of China, or the successor in interest to that office as to the Loan.

LIBOR Banking Day means any Business Day on which dealings in U.S. dollars are carried on in the London interbank market.

LIBOR Rate means, for any Interest Period, a rate per annum determined by Lender pursuant to the following formula:

 

LIBOR Rate

=

        LIBOR Screen Rate

        1.00 minus Reserve Percentage

Where,

LIBOR Screen Rate” means, for such Interest Period, the rate per annum equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate or a comparable or successor rate, which rate is approved by Lender, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by Lender from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two LIBOR Banking Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, and

Reserve Percentage” means, for any day during any Interest Period, the reserve percentage (expressed as a decimal, carried out to five decimal places) in effect on such day, whether or not applicable to Lender, under regulations issued from time to time by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirements) with respect to Eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities”). The LIBOR Rate shall be adjusted automatically as of the effective date of any change in the Reserve Percentage.

 

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Lien means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).

Loan means the Revolving Loan.

Loan Documents means this Agreement, the Revolving Note, any application for cash Advances and each other document, agreement, instrument or certificate executed and delivered by Borrower in connection with the transaction contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents.

Material Adverse Effect means a material adverse change in the business or financial condition of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, considered as a whole.

Material Plan means at any time a Plan or Plans having aggregate Unfunded Liabilities in excess of $25,000,000.

Maturity Date means the date which is the earlier of two years from the date of the first

Advance or the expiry date of the BOC Credit Allocation.

Measurement Period means the last four full financial quarters of Borrower.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

Multiemployer Plan means at any time an employee pension benefit plan within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which any member of the ERISA Group is then making or accruing an obligation to make contributions or has within the preceding five plan years made contributions, including for these purposes any Person which ceased to be a member of the ERISA Group during such five year period.

Obligations means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, Borrower arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to the Loan, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against Borrower of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming Borrower as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding.

Other BOC Group Indebtedness means any other Indebtedness of Borrower to Bank of China Limited or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Other Taxes means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes or charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document.

 

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Pari Passu” means, with respect to any Indebtedness of Borrower, the same rank and privileges.

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any entity succeeding to any or all of its functions under ERISA.

Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, or any other entity or organization, including any Governmental Authority.

Plan” means at any time an employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) which is covered by Title IV of ERISA or subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Internal Revenue Code and either (i) is maintained, or contributed to, by any member of the ERISA Group for employees of any member of the ERISA Group or (ii) has at any time within the preceding five years been maintained, or contributed to, by any Person which was at such time a member of the ERISA Group for employees of any Person which was at such time a member of the ERISA Group.

Prime Rate” means for any day the variable rate of interest per annum equal to the highest rate published from time to time in the “Money Rates” section of The Wall Street Journal as the Prime Rate for such day (or, if such source is not available, such alternate source as determined by Lender).

Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, as in effect from time to time.

Regulatory Change” shall mean the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any Law or Lender’s compliance therewith.

Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer or assistant treasurer or any other officer or representative of Borrower, authorized by the board of directors, in each case as set forth in a written notice from Borrower to Lender. Lender may conclusively rely on each such notice unless and until a subsequent writing shall be delivered by Borrower to Lender that identifies the prior writing that is to be superseded and stating that it is to be so superseded. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Borrower.

Restricted Subsidiary” means, at any time, a Subsidiary of Borrower if the gross Tangible Assets or turnover of that Subsidiary then equal to or exceed 10 percent of the gross Tangible Assets or turnover of the Group, provided that in no circumstances shall Beijing Baidu Netcom be or become a Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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For this purpose:

(a) subject to paragraph (b) below:

(i) the contribution of a Subsidiary of Borrower will be determined from its financial statements which were consolidated into the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower; and

(ii) the financial condition of the Group will be determined from the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower;

(b) if a Subsidiary of Borrower becomes a member of the Group after the date on which the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower were prepared:

(i) the contribution of the Subsidiary will be determined from its latest financial statements; and

(ii) the financial condition of the Group will be determined from the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower but adjusted to take into account any subsequent acquisition or disposal of a business or a company (including that Subsidiary);

(c) the contribution of a Subsidiary will, if it has Subsidiaries, be determined from its consolidated financial statements;

(d) if a Restricted Subsidiary disposes of all or substantially all of its assets to another member of the Group, it will immediately cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and the other member of the Group (if it is not Borrower or already a Restricted Subsidiary) will immediately become a Restricted Subsidiary;

(e) a Subsidiary of Borrower (if it is not already a Restricted Subsidiary) will become a Restricted Subsidiary on completion of any other intra-Group transfer or reorganization if it would have been a Restricted Subsidiary had the intra-Group transfer or reorganization occurred on the date of the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower; and

(f) except as specifically mentioned in paragraph (d) above, a member of the Group will remain a Restricted Subsidiary until the next audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower show otherwise under paragraph (a) above.

If there is a dispute as to whether or not a member of the Group is a Restricted Subsidiary, a certificate of the auditors of Borrower will be, in the absence of manifest error, conclusive.

Revolving Loan” means the revolving credit loan made to Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

Revolving Note” means the revolving credit promissory note substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, duly executed and delivered by Borrower, as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified at any time.

Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, any corporation or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such Person; unless otherwise specified, “Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of Borrower.

 

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Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to- market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so- called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).

Tangible Assets of a person means its total assets, less:

(a) its net intangible assets; and

(b) goodwill.

Taxes” means, with respect to any payment by Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, assessments, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and all liabilities with respect thereto (other than Other Taxes), excluding, (i) in the case of Lender, taxes (including branch profits taxes and backup withholding of such taxes) imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise and similar taxes imposed on it, by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which Lender, as the case may be, is organized or where Lender’s Lending Office is located or any other jurisdiction arising solely as a result of Lender’s being engaging in a trade or business in such jurisdiction for tax purposes, and (ii) any United States withholding tax imposed on payments by Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including any taxes imposed under FATCA); and (iii) taxes attributable to Lender’s gross negligence or willful misconduct or the failure of Lender (or its successors) to comply with the terms of Section 3.1.

 

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Unfunded Liabilities” means, with respect to any Plan at any time, the amount (if any) by which (i) the value of all benefit liabilities under such Plan, determined on a plan termination basis using the assumptions prescribed by the PBGC for purposes of Section 4044 of ERISA, exceeds (ii) the fair market value of all Plan assets allocable to such liabilities under Title IV of ERISA (excluding any accrued but unpaid contributions), all determined as of the then most recent valuation date for such Plan, but only to the extent that such excess represents a potential liability of a member of the ERISA Group to the PBGC or any other Person under Title IV of ERISA.

Section 1.2 Accounting Terms. Unless otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made and all financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP, on a basis consistently applied.

Section 1.3 Interpretation. In this Agreement, the singular includes the plural and the plural the singular; words imparting any gender include the other genders; references to statutes are to be construed as including all statutory provisions consolidating, amending or replacing the statute referred to; references to “writing” include printing, typing, lithography and other means of reproducing words in a tangible visible form; the words “including,” “includes” and “include” are deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; references to articles, sections (or subdivisions of sections), recitals, exhibits, annexes or schedules are to those of this Agreement unless otherwise indicated; references to agreements and other contractual instruments are deemed to include all subsequent amendments and other modifications to such instruments, but only to the extent such amendments and other modifications are not prohibited by the terms of this Agreement; and references to Persons include their respective permitted successors and assigns. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

ARTICLE 2

THE LOAN

Section 2.1 Revolving Credit Line. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Lender shall provide to Borrower a revolving credit line in the maximum amount not to exceed the Credit Limit (the “Revolving Loan”) available prior to the Maturity Date, consisting of cash Advances for purposes described in Section 6.6. Borrower may request Lender to make cash Advances (individually an “Advance” and collectively the “Advances”) from the date hereof until the Maturity Date. Within the limits of Lender’s commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.1, prepay under Section 2.3, and reborrow under this Section 2.1. The aggregate amount of outstanding Advances shall not exceed the Credit Limit at any one time. Borrower shall repay each cash Advance no later than the Maturity Date. Lender shall open and maintain on its books an account in Borrower’s name showing the aggregate amount of cash Advances made hereunder, repayments of Advances, computation and payment of interest, and other amounts due and paid hereunder. This account shall be conclusive and binding on Borrower as to the amount at any time due to Lender except in the case of manifest error in computation. The Revolving Loan shall be evidenced by the Revolving Note.

 

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Section 2.2 Method of Disbursement of Advances. Each Advance shall be made on a London Banking Day as specified by Borrower to Lender by giving at least two (2) London Banking Days’ prior written notice to the proposed date of borrowing. Each request for an Advance by Borrower shall specify the proposed amount of the Advance and the account of Borrower with Lender to be credited.

Section 2.3 Early Repayments. Early repayment by Borrower of all or any part of the Credit Line Outstanding shall be permitted without premium or penalty (other than funding losses pursuant to Section 3.3) upon three (3) London Banking Days’ prior written notice to Lender, provided all accrued and unpaid fees and costs payable by Borrower, including any funding losses pursuant to Section 3.3, and all accrued and unpaid interest to such date are paid in full on the date of such repayment.

Section 2.4 Interest.

(a) Applicable Rate. Subject to the provisions of subsections (c) and (d) below and Section 3.2, the Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the LIBOR Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Margin.

(b) Selection of Interest Periods. Borrower shall designate Interest Periods for Advances made by Lender under the Loan by giving Lender irrevocable written notice of borrowing duly executed by Borrower (which notice must be received by Lender prior to 11:00 A.M., New York time, not less than two (2) London Banking Days prior to the first day of the requested Interest Period), specifying the first day of the requested Interest Period.

(c) Interest Payment Dates. Interest on the Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law (to the extent permitted by such Debtor Relief Law or other applicable Laws).

(d) Circumstances Where Prime Rate May Apply. Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, in the event that and for so long as Lender has suspended its obligation to make or continue the Loan at the LIBOR Rate pursuant to Section 3.2 or Section 3.5 of this Agreement, the Loan shall automatically bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Prime Rate, as may be in effect from time to time.

 

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Section 2.5 Overdue Payments. Overdue principal of the Loan and any other amount payable by Borrower hereunder that is overdue (including interest that is not paid when due) shall bear interest (to the extent permitted by law), payable on demand, for the actual number of days elapsed until paid, inclusive of the date on which such amount is due and exclusive of the date on which such amount is paid in full, at the rate per annum (the “Default Rate”) equal to the interest rate (including the Applicable Margin) otherwise applicable to the Loan (if no Interest Period is then applicable then a three month Interest Period shall be deemed to apply) plus two percent (2.00%) per annum.

Section 2.6 Other Payment Terms. All payments required to be made by Borrower under this Agreement shall be made not later than 12:00 noon, New York time, on the day when due, in immediately available funds in lawful money of the United States of America, without setoff or counterclaim, free and clear of and without deduction for any present or future taxes, levies, imposts, deductions, charges or withholdings, to the account of Lender at Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, ABA Number 026003269, account number 06001416, attention Nikky Tong, Reference Senior Secured Facility, Los Angeles Branch, or such other account of Lender as may be from time to time designated to Borrower.

Section 2.7 Computations. All computations of interest with respect to the Loan shall be made by Lender on the basis of a year of 360 days, for the actual number of days elapsed in the period in question. Each determination by Lender of an interest rate hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

Section 2.8 Payment on Non-Business Days. Whenever any payment to Lender under this Agreement shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date of payment thereof shall be the immediately succeeding Business Day; provided, that, if such immediately succeeding Business Day shall fall in the next calendar month, then the date of payment thereof shall be the immediately preceding Business Day; any amendment of time shall be included in the computation of interest.

Section 2.9 Fees.

(a) Facility Fee. Borrower shall pay Lender on or before the Closing Date a nonrefundable commitment fee in the amount of ten basis points (0.10%) of the Loan, that is, One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), as a facility fee. In addition, Borrower shall pay Lender on or before the date that falls one year after the Closing Date (the “Anniversary Date”) an additional nonrefundable commitment fee in the amount of ten basis points (0.10%) of the Loan, that is, One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), as a facility fee (the “Additional Facility Fee”). The foregoing amounts shall not be refunded in the event the Loan fails to close (through no fault of Lender) or Borrower decides not to proceed with the Loan or Borrower decides not to request Advances under the Loan, provided that Borrower shall not pay the Additional Facility Fee to Lender if the Loan has been repaid or prepaid in full and the facility has been completely terminated not later than the Anniversary Date. Such amounts shall be retained by Lender and have been fully earned by Lender.

 

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(b) Disbursement Fees Waiver. Lender agrees to waive all fees and commissions for and in connection with disbursements of funds under the Loan, and applications for and disbursements of cash Advances, into Borrower’s accounts with Lender.

ARTICLE 3

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

Section 3.1 Taxes. Any and all payments by Borrower to or for the account of Lender under any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future Taxes. If Borrower shall be required by any Laws to deduct any Taxes or Other Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to Lender, (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section), Lender receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) Borrower shall make such deductions, (iii) Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxation authority or other authority in accordance with applicable Laws, and (iv) if requested to do so by Lender, within 30 days after the date of such request, Borrower shall furnish to Lender the original or a copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof. Lender agrees that with respect to all Taxes and Other Taxes covered by this Section, (A) Lender and its successors and assignees further agree that they shall deliver properly completed and executed forms or documentation prescribed by applicable law or as reasonably requested by Borrower as may be appropriate (including any documentation, forms, information or agreements required under FATCA) to eliminate or minimize any taxes on payments made pursuant to this Agreement and (B) Lender will take all actions reasonably requested by Borrower that are without risk or material cost to Lender to maintain all exemptions, if any, from taxes and will otherwise cooperate with Borrower to minimize any amounts payable by Borrower under this Section.

Section 3.2 Illegality. If Lender determines that any Regulatory Change occurring after the date of this Agreement has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful as a result of such Regulatory Change, for Lender to maintain the Loan with the LIBOR Rate, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the LIBOR Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London market, then, on notice thereof by Lender to Borrower, any obligation of Lender to continue the Loan at the LIBOR Rate shall be suspended until Lender notifies Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist (and Lender shall give such notice promptly upon receiving knowledge that such circumstances no longer exist), provided that, if Lender may lawfully continue to maintain the Loan at the LIBOR Rate until the end of the then-current Interest Period, Lender shall do so. Lender agrees to designate a different Lending Office if such designation will avoid the need for such notice and will not, in the good faith judgment of Lender, otherwise be materially disadvantageous to Lender.

Section 3.3 Funding Losses. In the event of any prepayment of any portion of the Loan on a date other than the last day of the applicable Interest Period, Borrower shall reimburse Lender on demand for any breakage costs, losses or expenses actually incurred by Lender resulting from the reemployment of funds, as set forth in a certificate furnished by Lender to Borrower as to the amount of such costs, losses or expenses. Such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the amount of such costs, losses or expenses, absent manifest error.

 

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Section 3.4 Increased Costs. If, due to either (a) the imposition of or any change in or in the interpretation (by any Governmental Authority charged with the administration thereof) of any Governmental Rule or (b) the compliance by Lender with any Governmental Rule (whether or not having the force of law) on or after the date hereof, there shall be any increase in the cost to Lender of agreeing to make, making, funding or maintaining the Loan, in each case in a material amount, then Borrower shall from time to time, upon written demand by Lender, pay to Lender additional amounts sufficient to reimburse Lender for such increased costs. Such demand shall be accompanied by a certificate of a duly authorized officer of Lender as to the amount of such increased cost and the basis therefor, and such certificate shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error. Lender shall give written notice to Borrower of any event that will result in any such increased cost, as promptly as practicable after it obtains knowledge thereof and determines to request reimbursement of such increased cost.

Section 3.5 Inability to Determine Rates. If Lender determines that for any reason in connection with the Loan that (a) deposits in Dollars are not being offered to banks in the London market for the applicable amount of the Loan and the Interest Period, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the LIBOR Screen Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to the Loan, or (c) the LIBOR Screen Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to the Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to Lender of maintaining the Loan at the LIBOR Rate, Lender will promptly so notify Borrower. Thereafter, the obligation of Lender to maintain the Loan at the LIBOR Rate shall be suspended until Lender revokes such notice.

Section 3.6 Matters Applicable to All Requests for Compensation. A certificate of Lender claiming compensation under Sections 3.3 or 3.4 shall set forth in reasonable detail the additional amount or amounts to be paid to it hereunder and shall be conclusive if prepared reasonably and in good faith. In determining such amount, Lender may use any reasonable averaging and attribution methods. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Sections 3.2 through 3.5 shall not apply to Taxes or Other Taxes, and all indemnification (including with respect to increased costs and reduction in amounts received) relating to or attributable to taxes shall be governed solely and exclusively by Section 3.1.

ARTICLE 4

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

Section 4.1 Conditions Precedent to Initial Advance. The existence of the following conditions and the receipt of the following documents and evidence by Lender on or before the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, comprise conditions precedent to the initial Advance under the Loan, pursuant to the terms hereof:

(a) this Agreement and the Revolving Note, duly executed by Borrower;

(b) the other Loan Documents, duly executed by Borrower, as applicable;

 

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(c) Lender’s receipt of the BOC Credit Allocation for the Loan from Bank of China, Shanghai Branch;

(d) such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of Borrower as Lender may reasonably require evidencing Borrower’s authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to borrow the Loan from Lender hereunder and the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C;

(e) such documents and certifications as Lender may reasonably require to evidence that Borrower is duly organized or formed, and that Borrower is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(f) an opinion of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel to Borrower, addressed to Lender, regarding such matters concerning Borrower and the Loan Documents as Lender may reasonably request;

(g) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit D, stating that:

(i) the representations and warranties contained in Article 5 hereof are correct in all material respects on and as of the disbursement date of the initial Advance,

(ii) no event has occurred and is continuing that constitutes an Event of Default, and

(iii) the current Debt Ratings as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of Borrower most recently ended prior to the Closing Date;

(h) Any fees required to be paid by Borrower to Lender on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid;

(i) such other documents as Lender may reasonably request; and

(j) The Closing Date shall have occurred on or before December 9, 2014.

Section 4.2 Conditions Precedent to Advances of Loan. Each disbursement of the Loan shall be subject to the further conditions precedent that on the date of such disbursement:

(a) The conditions set forth in Section 4.1 have been and remain fully satisfied or duly waived; and

 

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(b) The following statements shall be true and, if requested by Lender, Lender shall have received a certificate signed by a duly authorized officer of Borrower (or, failing that, a request for Advance shall be deemed such certification) dated not later than the date of such disbursement of the Loan, stating that:

(i) The representations and warranties contained in this Agreement are correct on and as of the date of such Loan as though made on and as of such date;

(ii) No Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such Loan;

(iii) Such Loan will be used for the purposes permitted under this Agreement; and

(c) Lender shall have received such other approvals, opinions, or documents as Lender may reasonably request.

ARTICLE 5

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

Borrower represents and warrants to Lender as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as set forth below.

Section 5.1 Formation and Existence. Borrower is a company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Borrower is in compliance with all Laws except (i) where failure to be so could not reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted.

Section 5.2 Authority; Governmental Authorization. The execution, delivery and performance by Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is or is to be a party is within Borrower’s organizational powers, have been duly authorized by all necessary organizational action, require no action by or in respect, or filing with, any Governmental Authority except such as have been obtained and do not contravene (a) Borrower’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, or (b) any Governmental Rule or contractual restriction binding on Borrower where such, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.3 Binding Effect. This Agreement constitutes, and the Revolving Note and other Loan Documents when executed and delivered by Borrower will constitute, valid and binding obligations of Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by Debtor Relief Law or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

Section 5.4 Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.

(a) The financial statements dated June 30, 2014 (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material Indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

 

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(b) Since the date of the financial statements dated June 30, 2014, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.5 Litigation. There is no pending or (to the knowledge of Borrower) threatened action or proceeding affecting Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries before any Governmental Authority or arbitrator in which there is a reasonable likelihood of an adverse decision which could have a Material Adverse Effect with respect to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or which contests the validity of this Agreement or any Loan Document.

Section 5.6 Taxes. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all federal, state and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.7 Disclosure. All written information heretofore furnished by Borrower to Lender for purposes of or in connection with this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby is, and all such information hereafter furnished by Borrower to Lender will, on the date as of which such information is delivered or certified, not contain any material misstatement of fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Section 5.8 Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act. Borrower is not engaged and will not engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. None of Borrower, any Person controlling Borrower, or any Subsidiary of Borrower is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Section 5.9 Compliance with ERISA. Each member of the ERISA Group is in compliance in all material respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code with respect to each Plan.

Section 5.10 Senior Indebtedness. The Obligations shall rank senior to or Pari Passu with respect to all unsecured Indebtedness of Borrower, except for obligations mandatorily preferred by law applying to companies generally.

 

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ARTICLE 6

COVENANTS

Borrower agrees to observe the following covenants so long as any amount remains unpaid under this Agreement.

Section 6.1 Information. Borrower will deliver to Lender:

(a) as soon as available and in any event within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such fiscal year and the related consolidated statements of income and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, either, at Lender’s discretion, audited by independent public accountants of nationally recognized standing or prepared by Borrower and certified by the chief executive officer of Borrower.

(b) as soon as available and in any event within 45 days after the end of each of fiscal quarter of each fiscal year of Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such quarter and the related consolidated statements of income and cash flows for such quarter and for the portion of Borrower’s fiscal year ended at the end of such quarter setting forth in the case of such statements of income and cash flow in comparative form the figures for the corresponding quarter and the corresponding portion of Borrower’s fiscal year, either, at Lender’s discretion, compiled by independent public accountants of nationally recognized standing or prepared by Borrower.

(c) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.1(b), a duly completed compliance certificate signed by Borrower’s chief financial officer substantially in the form of Exhibit E certifying such financial statements and stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default under the financial covenants set forth herein or, if any such Default shall exist, stating the nature and status of such event;

(d) within five days after any Responsible Officer of Borrower obtains knowledge of any Default in respect of Borrower, if such Default is then continuing, a certificate of the chief financial officer or a director of Borrower setting forth the details thereof and the action which Borrower is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

(e) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which Borrower may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be delivered to Lender pursuant hereto;

(f) promptly, and in any event within ten Business Days after receipt thereof by Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each material notice or other material correspondence received from the Securities and Exchange Commission (or comparable agency in any applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction) concerning any investigation for material misstatement by such agency regarding financial or other operational results of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, provided that such material notice or other material correspondence can be disclosed to Lender without breaching any requirement of confidentiality;

 

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(g) notice of any announcement by Moody’s or Fitch of any change or possible change in a Debt Rating; and

(h) promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

Section 6.2 Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence. Borrower will continue to engage principally in business of the same general type as conducted by Borrower on the Closing Date, and business reasonably related or incidental thereto and will preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and its rights, privileges and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of business; provided that nothing in this Section 6.2 shall prohibit (i) any merger or consolidation involving Borrower which is permitted by Section 6.5, (ii) the merger of a Subsidiary into Borrower or the merger or consolidation of a Subsidiary with or into another Person if the corporation surviving such consolidation or merger is a Subsidiary and if, in each case, after giving effect thereto, no Default with respect to Borrower shall have occurred and be continuing, (iii) the termination of the corporate existence of any Subsidiary if Borrower in good faith determines that such termination is in the best interest of Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to Lender, or (iv) any other transaction approved by Lender.

Section 6.3 Compliance with Laws. Borrower will comply in all material respects with all applicable Laws (including without limitation Environmental Laws and ERISA and the rules and regulations thereunder) except where failure to do so would have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 6.4 Negative Pledge. Borrower will not pledge or otherwise subject to any Lien any of its property or assets to secure any Indebtedness unless the Loan and the Obligations of Borrower under this Agreement are secured by such Lien equally and ratably with all other obligations secured thereby so long as such other obligations shall be so secured; provided, however, that such covenant will not apply to:

(a) the pledge of any assets of Borrower to secure any financing by Borrower of the exporting of goods to or between, or the marketing thereof in, jurisdictions other than the United States in connection with which Borrower reserves the right, in accordance with customary and established banking practice, to deposit, or otherwise subject to a Lien, cash, securities or receivables, for the purpose of securing banking accommodations or as the basis for the issuance of bankers’ acceptances or in aid of other similar borrowing arrangements;

(b) any deposit of assets of Borrower in favor of any governmental bodies to secure progress, advance or other payments under a contract or statute;

(c) any Lien or charge on any property of Borrower, tangible or intangible, real or personal, existing at the time of acquisition or construction of such property (including acquisition through merger or consolidation) or given to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase or construction price thereof or to secure any indebtedness incurred prior to, at the time of, or within one year after, the acquisition or completion of construction thereof for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase or construction price thereof;

 

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(d) bankers’ liens or rights of offset;

(e) any Lien securing the performance of any contract or undertaking not directly or indirectly in connection with the borrowing of money, obtaining of advances or credit or the securing of debt, if made and continuing in the ordinary course of business;

(f) any Lien existing as of the date of this Agreement;

(g) any Lien comprising a netting, set-off or cash-pooling arrangement entered into by Borrower in the ordinary course of its banking arrangements for the purpose of netting debit and credit balances;

(h) any Lien arising by virtue of any payment or close out netting or set-off arrangement pursuant to any Swap Contract entered into by Borrower but excluding any Lien under a credit support arrangement;

(i) any Lien arising by operation of law and in the ordinary course of business;

(j) any Lien on an asset, or an asset of any person, acquired by Borrower after the date of this Agreement but only for a period of six (6) months from the date of acquisition and to the extent that the principal amount secured by that Lien has not been incurred or increased in contemplation of, or since, the acquisition;

(k) any Lien arising under any retention of title, hire purchase or conditional sale arrangement or arrangement having similar effect in respect of goods supplied to Borrower in the ordinary course of trading and on the supplier’s standard or usual terms and not arising as a result of any default or omission by Borrower;

(l) any Lien over goods or documents of title arising in the ordinary course of letter of credit transactions entered into in the ordinary course of trade;

(m) any Lien provided with the prior consent of Lender;

(n) any Lien securing indebtedness the principal amount of which (when aggregated with the principal amount of any other indebtedness which has the benefit of any Lien given by Borrower other than any Lien permitted under the preceding sub-paragraphs) does not exceed RMB 700,000,000 (or its equivalent in another currency or currencies); or

(o) any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in whole or in part, of any Lien, charge or pledge referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) to (n), inclusive, of this Section 6.4; provided, however, that the amount of any and all obligations and indebtedness secured thereby shall not exceed the amount thereof so secured immediately prior to the time of such extension, renewal or replacement and that such extension, renewal or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property which secured the charge or lien so extended, renewed or replaced (plus improvements on such property).

 

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Section 6.5 Consolidations; Mergers and Sales of Assets. Borrower shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, unless Lender gives its prior written consent or:

(a) Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person;

(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of Borrower as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by Borrower at the time of such transaction, no Default with respect to Borrower shall have happened and be continuing;

(c) if, as a result of any such consolidation or merger or such conveyance, transfer or lease, properties or assets of Borrower would become subject to a mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or other encumbrance which would not be permitted by Section 6.4 hereof, Borrower takes such steps as shall be necessary effectively to secure the Loan and the Obligations of Borrower under this Agreement equally and ratably with (or prior to) all indebtedness secured thereby; and

(d) Borrower has delivered to Lender a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer, together with a written opinion or opinions of counsel satisfactory to Lender, stating that such transaction complies with this Section 6.5 and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Section 6.6 Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loan will be used (1) for general corporate purposes (including research and development and mergers and acquisitions) and working capital needs for Borrower’s operations worldwide except Borrower’s operations in China and (2) to refinance, repay and/or prepay existing credit facilities in part or in whole and pay fees and expenses incurred in overseas markets excluding China. None of such proceeds will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate of buying or carrying any “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulation U.

Section 6.7 Operating Account with Lender. Borrower shall maintain an operating account with Lender for loan payment purposes and other corporate purposes at all times during the term of this Agreement.

Section 6.8 Financial Covenants.

(a) Borrower shall maintain a Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio greater than 1.40 to 1.00, as of the end of each fiscal quarter.

(b) Borrower shall maintain a Consolidated Leverage Ratio less than 3.00 to 1.00, as of the end of each fiscal quarter.

 

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(c) Any amount in a currency other than Dollars is to be taken into account at its Dollar equivalent calculated on the basis of:

(i) Lender’s spot rate of exchange for the purchase of the relevant currency in the London foreign exchange market with Dollars at or about 11:00 a.m. on the day the relevant amount falls to be calculated; or

(ii) if the amount is to be calculated on the last day of a financial period of Borrower, the relevant rates of exchange used by Borrower in, or in connection with, its financial statements for that period.

(d) No item must be credited or deducted more than once in any calculation under this Section 6.8.

Section 6.9 Address for Service of Process. Borrower shall maintain an office in the United States for service of process pursuant to Section 8.2 and Section 8.11(d).

ARTICLE 7

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

Section 7.1 Events of Default. If any of the following events (each an “Event of Default”) occurs and is continuing:

(a) Borrower fails to repay when due any principal of the Loan or shall fail to pay within five (5) days of the due date thereof any interest on the Loan, any fees or any other amount payable by it hereunder unless the non-payment;

(i) is caused by technical or administrative error and is remedied within ten Business Days of the due date; or

(ii) is caused by a Disruption Event and is remedied within ten Business Days.

(b) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant contained in Article 6 (other than any of the covenants set out in Section 6.8) unless the failure to observe or perform:

(i) is capable of remedy; and

(ii) is remedied with 20 Business Days of the earlier of Lender giving notice of the failure to observe or perform to Borrower and Borrower becoming aware of the failure to observe or perform.

(c) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant contained in Section 6.8.

(d) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those covered by clause (a), (b) or (c) above) for 20 Business Days after the earlier of (i) Lender giving notice of the failure to observe or perform to Borrower and (ii) Borrower becoming aware of the failure to observe or perform;

 

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(e) any representation, warranty, certification or statement made by Borrower in this Agreement or in any certificate, financial statement or other document delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made (or deemed made), unless the circumstances giving rise to the misrepresentation or breach of warranty:

(i) are capable of remedy; and

(ii) are remedied within 20 Business Days of the earlier of Lender giving notice of the misrepresentation or breach of warranty to Borrower and Borrower becoming aware of the misrepresentation and breach of warranty.

(f) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained in any loan agreement or other document governing any Other BOC Group Indebtedness beyond any applicable grace or cure period;

(g) Indebtedness for borrowed money of Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate amount in excess of US$50,000,000 shall not be paid when due or shall be accelerated prior to its stated maturity date and, within ten days after written notice thereof is given to Borrower by Lender, such indebtedness shall not be discharged or such acceleration shall not be rescinded or annulled;

(h) Borrower shall commence or consent to the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for 60 calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for 60 calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding;

(i) judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of US$50,000,000 in the aggregate shall be rendered against Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and such judgments or orders shall continue unsatisfied and unstayed for a period of 30 days;

then, and in every such event, but subject always to the provisions of Section 7.1, Lender may declare the unpaid principal amount of the Loan, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document by Borrower to be immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by Borrower; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the unpaid principal amount of the Loan and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable.

 

27


ARTICLE 8

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 8.1 Amendments, Etc.. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, and no consent to any departure of Borrower therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same is in writing and signed by Lender and Borrower, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given.

Section 8.2 Notices, Etc.

(a) General. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, all notices and other communications provided for hereunder (including service of process pursuant to Section 8.11) shall be in writing (including by facsimile transmission), and shall be mailed, faxed or delivered to the applicable address, facsimile number or (subject to subsection (c) below) electronic mail address, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

(i) if to Borrower, or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by Borrower in a notice to Lender:

Baidu, Inc.

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street

Haidian District, Beijing 100085, P.R. China

Attention: FP&A Department, Zhou Wenjun

Telephone: 021-61907940

(ii) if to Lender, or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by Lender in a notice to Borrower:

Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch

444 S. Flower St., 39th Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Attention: Jason Fu and Nikky Tong

Telephone: 213-688-8700 Ext: 235 and 233

Facsimile: 213-688-7720

Except as otherwise set forth herein, all such notices and other communications shall be deemed to be given or made upon the earlier to occur of (i) actual receipt by the relevant party hereto and (ii) (A) if delivered by hand or by courier, when signed for by or on behalf of the relevant party hereto; (B) if delivered by mail, four Business Days after deposit in the mails, postage prepaid; (C) if delivered by facsimile, when sent and receipt has been confirmed by telephone; and (D) if delivered by electronic mail (which form of delivery is subject to the provisions of subsection (c) below), when delivered. In no event shall a voicemail message be effective as a notice, communication or confirmation hereunder.

 

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(b) Effectiveness of Facsimile Documents and Signatures. Loan Documents may be transmitted and/or signed by facsimile. The effectiveness of any such documents and signatures shall, subject to applicable Law, have the same force and effect as manually-signed originals and shall be binding on Borrower and Lender. Borrower may also require that any such documents and signatures be confirmed by a manually-signed original thereof; provided, however, that the failure to request or deliver the same shall not limit the effectiveness of any facsimile document or signature.

(c) Limited Use of Electronic Mail. Electronic mail and Internet and intranet websites may be used only to distribute routine communications, such as financial statements and other information as provided in Section 6.1, and to distribute Loan Documents (or amendments or waivers thereto) for execution by the parties thereto, and may not be used for any other purpose.

(d) Reliance by Lender. Lender shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices purportedly given by or on behalf of a Responsible Officer of Borrower or any other Person designated in writing by a Responsible Officer of Borrower to Lender even if (i) such notices were not otherwise made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. Borrower shall indemnify Lender from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by it on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of a Responsible Officer of Borrower or any other Person designated in writing by a Responsible Officer of Borrower to Lender. All telephonic notices to and other communications with Lender may be recorded by Lender, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

Section 8.3 No Waiver; Remedies. No failure on the part of Lender to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, and no single or partial exercise of any right hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other rights. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.

Section 8.4 Costs and Expenses. Borrower agrees to pay promptly on demand all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the documents delivered hereunder, including the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of counsel for Lender with respect thereto and with respect to advising Lender as to its rights and responsibilities under this Agreement. Borrower further agrees to pay promptly on demand all costs and expenses, if any (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), in connection with the enforcement of this Agreement and the documents delivered hereunder and in connection with any “workout” or restructuring in respect of the Obligations and during any legal proceeding, including any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law. The agreements in this Section shall survive the repayment of all other Obligations.

 

29


Section 8.5 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of Borrower and Lender and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that Borrower may not assign any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of Lender. Lender shall, from time to time, be permitted to transfer, negotiate, assign or sell participations to one or more Affiliates of Lender, provided that no such transfer, negotiation, assignment or sale of participations shall result in the BOC Credit Allocation (or any provision thereof) being or becoming ineffective, void or invalid; and provided further that in no event shall any participant become a party to this Agreement or be treated as Lender hereunder for any purpose, nor shall any participant have any rights against Borrower, but rather such participants shall have recourse only to Lender under such participations, and in calculating any additional amounts owing to Lender under Article 3 hereof, any participation referred to in this Section shall be disregarded as if there had been no such participation. Lender shall not transfer, negotiate or assign any of its rights or obligations under the Loan or sell participations in respect of the Loan other than to an Affiliate of Lender without the prior written consent of Borrower. No participant shall have any right to enforce this Agreement or approve any amendment, modification or waiver hereto, nor shall any participant be entitled to the benefits of any provisions of this Agreement. Lender may pledge all or a portion of its rights and obligations hereunder to any Federal Reserve Bank or any other Governmental Authority as collateral security.

Section 8.6 Right of Setoff. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, Lender is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by Lender to or for the credit or the account of Borrower against any and all obligations of Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or the Revolving Note, then due and owing irrespective of whether or not Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement or the Revolving Note. Lender agrees to notify Borrower promptly after any such setoff and application; provided, however, that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application. The rights of Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that Lender may have.

Section 8.7 Borrower Identification. Lender hereby notifies Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each borrower, guarantor or grantor (the “Loan Parties”), which information includes the name and address of each Loan Party and other information that will allow Lender to identify such Loan Party in accordance with the Act.

Section 8.8 Indemnity. Borrower agrees to indemnify Lender and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors and agents (each an “Indemnified Party”) from and against all losses, settlement costs, liabilities, penalties, claims, damages or expenses that may be incurred by or asserted or awarded against any Indemnified Party arising out of or in connection with or by reason of (including without limitation in connection with any investigation, litigation or proceeding or preparation of a defense in connection therewith) this Agreement and the Revolving Note, the use of the proceeds thereof, or any related transaction or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, regardless of whether any Indemnified Party is a party thereto, and to reimburse each Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any of the foregoing, provided that the foregoing indemnity and reimbursement obligations will not, as to any Indemnified Party, apply to losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses to the extent they resulted from the bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence of such Indemnified Party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, (i) this Section 8.8 shall not govern any indemnification or other amounts relating to or attributable to taxes, and (ii) all indemnification and other amounts relating or attributable to taxes shall be governed solely and exclusively by Section 3.1.

 

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Section 8.9 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of Borrower is made to Lender, or Lender exercises any right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then, to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such set-off had not occurred.

Section 8.10 Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (EXCLUSIVE OF ITS CONFLICT OF LAWS RULES).

Section 8.11 Dispute Resolution.

(a) Amicable Consultation and Negotiation. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of, relating to or in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, or the breach, termination or validity of any of the aforementioned agreements (“Dispute”) shall first be attempted to be settled through friendly consultations between the parties. If a Dispute arises under this Agreement, any party shall send a written notice of the Dispute to the other party, in accordance with the requirements of Section 8.2, and in that notice it shall request that the parties’ officers meet within ten (10) days at a mutually agreed time and place to discuss and negotiate the Dispute. The meeting may be held via teleconference.

 

31


(b) Arbitration. If settlement is not reached within thirty (30) days after the written notice of Dispute is served by any party on the other party in a manner specified in Section 8.2, the Dispute shall be submitted to mandatory, final and binding arbitration before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (the “ICDR”) of the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”) in accordance with the ICDR’s International Arbitration Rules in effect at the time of filing of the demand for arbitration. Subject to Section 8.11(a), arbitration shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolution of the Dispute, and the arbitral award shall be in writing, state the reasons for the award and be final and binding. Judgment thereon may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The place of arbitration shall be in the Borough of Manhattan, New York, New York, United States of America. There shall be three arbitrators. The parties each will select one arbitrator within 30 days of the receipt by the respondent of a copy of the demand for arbitration. The two arbitrators so appointed shall nominate the third and presiding arbitrator (the “Chair”) within 30 days of the appointment of the second arbitrator (the three arbitrators shall be collectively referred to as the “Tribunal”). If either party fails to appoint an arbitrator, or if the two-party appointed arbitrators fail to appoint the Chair within the time periods specified herein, such arbitrator shall, at the request of either party, be appointed by the ICDR. The arbitration will be conducted, and the arbitral award shall be rendered in the English language. The parties hereby irrevocably waive their rights to contest, dispute or otherwise oppose the recognition and enforcement of the arbitral award by ICDR in any proceedings, on the grounds of “invalidity” of the arbitration agreement or the grounds of the ICDR’s lack of authority or jurisdiction to settle the dispute. The prevailing party, as determined by the Tribunal, shall be entitled to recover its reasonable costs (including the arbitration fees) and attorneys’ fees from the non-prevailing party; provided, however, that if the Tribunal determine that both parties were at fault, the Tribunal shall apportion responsibility for such costs and expenses between the parties based on each party’s comparative responsibility as determined by the Tribunal.

(c) Equitable Relief and Protective Measures. Notwithstanding any of the preceding paragraphs (a) and (b), and without affecting any of the rights and interests of Lender thereunder, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the covenants herein are reasonable and necessary for the protection of the legitimate business interests of Lender, that irreparable injury will result to Lender if Borrower breaches any of the terms of the covenants and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and that in the event of actual or threatened breach of any such obligations and covenants, Lender will not have an adequate remedy at law. Borrower accordingly agrees that in the event of any actual or threatened breach of any such obligations and covenants, (i) Lender shall be entitled to immediate protective order, and temporary injunctive and other equitable relief, without bond and without the necessity of showing actual monetary damages at any competent court, subject to hearing as soon thereafter as practicable and (ii) Lender shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees to enforce this Agreement. Nothing shall prohibit Lender from pursuing any other remedies available to it for such breach or threatened breach, including without limitation the recovery of any damages which it is able to prove; the withholding or setoff of any amount otherwise owing from the Lender to the Borrower; and any other remedies set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Lender may pursue any remedies available in any combination or sequence, and all remedies of Lender will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred in this Agreement, by law or equity, or otherwise, and the exercise by Lender of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The existence or assertion of any claim or cause of action of Borrower against Lender, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the granting or enforcement of injunctive relief or any other remedy. Lender, its direct or indirect Affiliates and their respective successors and assigns shall have full rights to enforce all terms of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

(d) Service of Process. Each party hereto irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.2. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law.

 

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Section 8.12 Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Loan Document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures Lender could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to Lender hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by Lender of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, Lender may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to Lender from Borrower in the Agreement Currency, Borrower agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify Lender against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to Lender in such currency, Lender agrees to return the amount of any excess to Borrower (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable law).

Section 8.13 Miscellaneous. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. No provision in this Agreement that is held to be inoperable, unenforceable or invalid shall affect the remaining provisions, and to this end all provisions hereof are hereby declared to be severable. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the matters contemplated herein, and supersedes all prior negotiations or promises between the parties with respect thereto. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not affect the construction hereof.

[No further text appears on this page]

 

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IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

BAIDU, INC.,

a Cayman Islands company

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch

By:

/s/ Ruisong Zhao

Name:

Ruisong Zhao

Title:

SVP & Branch Manager

 

34


EXHIBIT A

BOC CREDIT ALLOCATION

[ATTACHED]

 

35


EXHIBIT B

REVOLVING CREDIT PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$150,000,000.00

Date: December 9, 2014

For value received, the undersigned, BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company (the “Borrower”), hereby promises to pay to the order of THE BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch, a federally chartered branch of Bank of China Limited, a joint stock company incorporated in the People’s Republic of China with limited liability (the “Lender”), the principal amount of One Hundred Fifty Million and No/100 Dollars ($150,000,000.00) or so much thereof as shall have been disbursed in accordance with the terms of that certain Loan Agreement of even date herewith (the “Loan Agreement”) between Borrower and Lender and remains un- repaid and outstanding. Borrower promises to pay interest on the outstanding principal amount of the Loan (as defined in the Loan Agreement) from the Closing Date until such principal amount is repaid in full, at such interest rate or rates, and payable at such times, as specified in the Loan Agreement. Borrower shall repay principal and pay interest in lawful money of the United States and in immediately available funds. Any amount of principal or interest that is not repaid or paid when due shall, as provided in the Loan Agreement, bear interest at the Default Rate, payable on demand. Any capitalized term not defined herein shall have the meaning given to it in the Loan Agreement.

Lender is hereby authorized to maintain records of account, evidencing the date and amount of each extension of credit hereunder, each payment of principal and interest, and applicable interest rates and other information with respect thereto. Such records shall constitute prima facie evidence of the accuracy of the information so recorded; provided, that the failure to make a notation or the inaccuracy of any notation shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligations of Borrower hereunder or under the Loan Agreement or any other documents, instruments, or agreements relating hereto.

This Note is the “Revolving Note” referred to in, and is entitled to the benefits of, the Loan Agreement. The Loan Agreement contains provisions for, among other things, acceleration of the maturity hereof upon the happening of certain stated events. Borrower and all other persons liable or to become liable on this Note severally waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of demand and of dishonor and nonpayment of this Note, notice of intention to accelerate the maturity of this Note, protest and notice of protest, diligence in collecting, and the bringing of suit against any other party, and agree to all renewals, extensions, modifications, partial payments, and releases or substitutions of security, in whole or in part, with or without notice, before or after maturity.

 

BAIDU, INC.,

a Cayman Islands company

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT C

DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

OF

BAIDU, INC.

The undersigned hereby certifies that he is a duly appointed and acting Director of BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company, (the “Borrower”), and does hereby further certify on behalf of the Borrower in connection with that certain Loan Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2014 between the Borrower and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, as Lender (the “Loan Agreement”; terms defined in the Loan Agreement shall have the same meanings in this certificate) that:

1. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a true, correct and complete copy of the Borrower’s Certificate of Incorporation, together with all amendments thereto, and as in effect on and as of the date hereof, certified as of December 9, 2014.

2. Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a true, correct and complete copy of the Borrower’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, together with all amendments thereto, as in effect on and as of the date hereof.

3. Attached hereto as Exhibit C is a true, correct and complete copy of the resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Borrower approving and authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and approving and authorizing Advances from time to time under the Loan Agreement, which resolutions remain in full force and effect without modification or amendment on and as of the date hereof.

4. Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a list of Responsible Officers of the Borrower. The listed persons are duly qualified and acting officers or directors of the Borrower duly elected or appointed to the offices set forth opposite the name of such person, or are otherwise authorized by the Borrower to execute the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents and are authorized by the Borrower to request Advances from time to time under the Loan Agreement, and each such person who, on behalf of the Borrower, signed the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document or who is authorized to request Advances was duly elected or appointed, qualified and acting as such officer, director or authorized signatory at the time of such signing and delivery, and the signature of each such person appearing on such documents is such person’s genuine signature.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand on behalf of the Borrower.

 

Dated: December 9, 2014

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Name:

Robin Yanhong Li

Title:

Director, Chairman of the Board of

Directors and Chief Executive Officer

The undersigned hereby certifies that he is the duly appointed and acting President and Chief Executive Officer of the Borrower, and further certifies that Robin Yanhong Li is a duly elected and appointed Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Borrower and the signature appearing above is his true and genuine signature.

 

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT A TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Certificate of Incorporation


EXHIBIT B TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Memorandum and Articles of Association


EXHIBIT C TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Baidu, Inc.

(the “Company”)

Resolutions

WHEREAS, there has been presented to the Board of Directors of the Company a Loan Agreement (“Agreement”), to be dated as of December 9, 2014, between the Company, as borrower, on the one hand and BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch, a federally chartered branch of Bank of China Limited, a joint stock company incorporated in the People’s Republic of China with limited liability (the “Bank”) on the other hand, whereby, among other things, the Bank shall extend to the Company a loan in the aggregate amount of up to $150,000,000 and a revolving credit promissory note for the amount of $150,000,000 to be dated as of December 9, 2014 and to be issued by the Company in favor of the Bank (“Promissory Note”); and

WHEREAS, the directors of the Company have carefully reviewed the Agreement, the Promissory Note and all documents to be executed by the Company in connection therewith.

1. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors of the Company deems it to be in the best interests of the Company to enter into the Agreement and the Promissory Note with the Bank and to perform its obligations under the Agreement and the Promissory Note and all documents to be executed by the Company in connection therewith.

2. RESOLVED FURTHER, that the form of the Agreement and the Promissory Note be approved.

3. RESOLVED FURTHER, that Jennifer Xinzhe Li, being the Chief Financial Officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed, on behalf of the Company to execute and deliver the Agreement and the Promissory Note, and all such other instruments, documents and certificates to be executed by the Company in connection therewith and to take all such further and other action in connection with these resolutions hereinabove adopted as he may deem necessary, advisable or proper to effectuate the intent and purpose of the resolutions, such necessity, advisability or propriety to be conclusively evidenced by his execution thereof or taking of such action.


EXHIBIT D TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Signature and Incumbency

 

Name

  

Title

  

Signature

Robin Yanhong Li

  

Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

  

Chief Financial Officer

  

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li


EXHIBIT D

FORM OF CERTIFICATE

CERTIFICATE OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICER

As required by Section 4.1(g) of the Loan Agreement dated December 9, 2014 between BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company, and BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch (the “Agreement”), I, Jennifer Xinzhe Li, do hereby certify that I am the Chief Financial Officer of BAIDU, INC. (the “Company”), and further certify on behalf of the Company that, to the best of my knowledge:

The representations and warranties contained in Article 5 of the Agreement are correct in all material respects on and as of the date of this Certificate; and

No event has occurred and is continuing that constitutes an Event of Default (within the meaning of that term as defined in the Agreement).

The current Debt Ratings as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of Borrower most recently ended prior to the date of this Certificate are as follows”

Fitch:

Moody’s:

 

Certified this 9th day of December, 2014.

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT E

FORM OF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

Financial Statement Date: September 30, 2014

To: Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to that certain Loan Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2014 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the “Agreement”; the terms defined therein being used herein as therein defined), Baidu, Inc., a Cayman Islands corporation (the “Borrower”), and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch (“Lender”).

The undersigned Responsible Officer hereby certifies as of the date hereof that he/she is the Chief Financial Officer of Borrower, and that, as such, he/she is authorized to execute and deliver this Certificate to Lender on the behalf of Borrower, and that:

1. Borrower has delivered the unaudited financial statements required by Section 6.1(b) of the Agreement for the fiscal quarter of Borrower ended as of the above date. Such financial statements fairly present the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP as at such date and for such period, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.

2. The undersigned has reviewed and is familiar with the terms of the Agreement and has made, or has caused to be made under his/her supervision, a detailed review of the transactions and condition (financial or otherwise) of Borrower during the accounting period covered by such financial statements.

3. A review of the activities of Borrower during such fiscal period has been made under the supervision of the undersigned with a view to determining whether any Default or Event of Default occurred during such fiscal period. To the best knowledge of the undersigned after making such review, no Default or Event of Default has occurred (whether during such fiscal period or otherwise) and is continuing on the date hereof.

4. The financial covenant analyses and information set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto are true and accurate on and as of the Financial Statement Date.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate as of December 9, 2014.

 

BAIDU, INC.

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

EX-4.73

Exhibit 4.73

Execution Version

LOAN AGREEMENT

SENIOR UNSECURED CREDIT FACILITY

This Loan Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of December 9, 2014, between BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company (the “Borrower”), and BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch, a federally chartered branch of Bank of China Limited, a joint stock company incorporated in the People’s Republic of China with limited liability (the “Lender”).

WHEREAS, Borrower has requested Lender to extend credit to Borrower, and Lender has agreed to do so under the mutually agreed upon terms and conditions of such credit extension set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above Recitals and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE 1

INTERPRETATION AND DEFINITIONS

Section 1.1 Definitions. The following terms are used in this Agreement with the following respective meanings:

Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA” means, in relation to a Measurement Period, Consolidated EBITDA for the period adjusted by:

(a) including the operating result before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and impairment charges (“EBITDA”) of a member of the Group or attributable to a business or assets acquired during the Measurement Period for that part of the Measurement Period when it was not a member of the Group and/or the business or assets were not owned by a member of the Group; and

(b) excluding the EBITDA attributable to any member of the Group or to any business or assets sold during that Measurement Period.

Advance” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

Applicable Margin” means, from time to time, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Debt Rating as set forth below:

 

Pricing Level

 

Debt Rating

Moody’s/Fitch

 

Applicable Margin

(basis points)

   

I

  A2/A or higher   140

II

  A3/A-   175

III

  Baa1/BBB+   200

IV

  Baa2/BBB   225

V

  Baa3/BBB- or lower   250


Initially, the Applicable Margin shall be determined based upon the Pricing Level I. Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Margin resulting from a publicly announced change in the Debt Rating shall be effective, in the case of an upgrade, during the period commencing on the date of delivery by Borrower to Lender of notice thereof pursuant to Section 6.1(g) and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change and, in the case of a downgrade, during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.

Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any capital lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a capital lease.

Beijing Baidu Netcom” means Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd., a limited liability company established under the laws of the People’s Republic of China.

Business Day” means any day other than a day (i) which is a Saturday or a Sunday, (ii) on which commercial banks are not authorized to remain open for the regular transaction of international and domestic business in both Los Angeles, California and the People’s Republic of China.

Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.1 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 8.1.

Consolidated EBIT means, in relation to a Measurement Period, the aggregate of:

(a) the consolidated operating profits of the Group (including the results from discontinued operations) before finance costs and tax for that Measurement Period;

(b) plus or minus the Group’s share of the profits or losses of associates for that period (after finance costs and tax) and the Group’s share of the profits or losses of any joint ventures;

adjusted by:

(i) taking no account of any Exceptional Item;

(ii) taking no account of any unrealized gains or losses on any derivative instrument or other financial instrument (other than any derivative instrument which is accounted for on a hedge accounting basis) which is reported through the income statement;

 

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(iii) taking no account of any income or charge attributable to a post-employment benefit scheme other than the current service costs and any past service costs and curtailments and settlements attributable to the scheme; and

(iv) taking no account of any expense referable to equity-settled share-based compensation of employees.

Consolidated EBITDA means, in relation to a Measurement Period, Consolidated EBIT for that Measurement Period after adding back any depreciation and amortization and taking no account of any charge for impairment or any reversal of any previous impairment charge made in the period.

Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments, (b) all purchase money Indebtedness, (c) all direct obligations arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments, (d) all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business), (e) Attributable Indebtedness in respect of capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations, (f) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified in clauses (a) through (e) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (g) all Indebtedness of the types referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary.

Consolidated Interest Charges” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, and (b) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period under capital leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four fiscal quarters most recently ended to (b) Consolidated Interest Charges for the period of four fiscal quarters most recently ended.

Consolidated Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness as of such date to (b) Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA for the period of the four fiscal quarters most recently ended.

 

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Consolidated Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, at any date any Subsidiary or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of such Person in its consolidated financial statements if such statements were prepared as of such date.

Consolidated Total Borrowings” means, in respect of the Group, at any time, the aggregate of the following liabilities calculated at the nominal, principal or other amount at which the liabilities would be carried in a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower drawn up at that time (or in the case of any guarantee, indemnity or similar assurance referred to in paragraph (i) below, the maximum liability under the relevant instrument):

(a) any moneys borrowed;

(b) any redeemable preference shares;

(c) any acceptance under any acceptance credit (including any dematerialized equivalent);

(d) any bond, note, debenture, loan stock or other similar instrument;

(e) any indebtedness under a finance or capital lease in accordance with GAAP;

(f) any moneys owing in connection with the sale or discounting of receivables (except to the extent that there is no recourse);

(g) any indebtedness arising from any deferred payment agreements arranged primarily as a method of raising finance or financing the acquisition of an asset;

(h) any indebtedness arising in connection with any other transaction (including any forward sale or purchase agreement) which has the commercial effect of a borrowing; and

(i) any indebtedness of any person of a type referred to in the above paragraphs which is the subject of a guarantee, indemnity or similar assurance against financial loss given by a member of the Group, in each case, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any indebtedness arising (a) in the ordinary course of trading and (b) between members of the Group.

Credit Limit” means One Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($150,000,000).

Credit Line Outstanding” means as of any date the sum of the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Advances on such date.

Debtor Relief Law” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

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Debt Rating” means, as of any date of determination, the rating as determined by either Moody’s or Fitch (collectively, the “Debt Ratings”) of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt; provided that (a) if the respective Debt Rating issued by the foregoing rating agencies differ by one level, then the Pricing Level for the higher of such Debt Ratings shall apply (with the Debt Rating for Pricing Level I being the highest and the Debt Rating for Pricing Level V being the lowest); (b) if there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one level, then the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the Pricing Level of the higher Debt Rating shall apply; (c) if the Borrower has only one Debt Rating, the Pricing Level that corresponds to such Debt Rating shall apply; and (d) if the Borrower does not have any Debt Rating, Pricing Level V shall apply.

Default” means any Event of Default and any default, event or condition that would, with the giving of any requisite notice and the passage of any requisite period of time, constitute an Event of Default.

Default Rate” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5.

Disruption Event” means:

(a) a material disruption to the payment or communications systems or to the financial markets which are required to operate in order for payments to be made (or other transactions to be carried out) in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, which is not caused by, and is beyond the control of, any of the parties to this Agreement; or

(b) the occurrence of any other event which results in a disruption (of a technical or systems-related nature) to the treasury or payments operations of a party to this Agreement preventing it, or any other party to this Agreement from:

(i) performing its payment obligations under the Loan Documents; or

(ii) communicating with other parties under the Loan Documents, and which is not caused by, and is beyond the control of, the party whose operations are disrupted.

Dollars” or “$” means the lawful currency of the United States of America.

Environmental Laws” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Recovery Act, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, the Federal Water Pollution Act, the Toxic Substance Control Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as such laws have been amended or supplemented, and any federal state or local statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation concerning the environment in effect.

“Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

 

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ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

ERISA Group” means Borrower, any Subsidiary of Borrower and all members of a controlled group of corporations and all trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with Borrower, or any such Subsidiary, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

Event of Default” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

Exceptional Item” means any material item of income or expense that represents:

(a) any gain or loss arising from:

(i) write-downs of inventories to net realizable value or of property, plant and equipment to recoverable amount, and reversals of such write-downs;

(ii) restructuring the activities of the Group or any member of the Group and any reversals of any provision for the costs of restructuring;

(iii) disposals of items of property, plant or equipment;

(iv) disposals of investments; or

(v) disposals or settlements of liabilities of any member of the Group that fall within the definition of “Consolidated Total Borrowings”; or

(b) any gain of a highly unusual or non-recurring nature; or

(c) any gain or loss arising from a transaction entered into otherwise than in the carrying on of the normal core business operations of the Group.

FATCA” means Section 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b) of the Code or any intergovernmental agreements entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Code.

Fitch” means Fitch Ratings, Inc. and any successor thereto.

 

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GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Statements and Interpretations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, FASB Staff Positions, Accounting Research Bulletins and Accounting Principles Board and Opinions of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the U.S. accounting profession, which are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, including the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, in each case consistently applied.

Governmental Action” means any authorization, consent, approval, license, lease, ruling, permit, tariff, rate, certification, exemption, filing or registration by or with any Governmental Authority.

Governmental Authority” means, whether domestic or foreign, any national, federal, state or local government, any political subdivision thereof or any governmental, quasi- governmental, judicial, public or regulatory instrumentality, authority, body or entity, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, any central bank and any comparable authority.

Governmental Rule” means any treaty, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, order, code, judgment, decree, directive, interpretation, request, guideline, policy or similar form of decision of any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, Environmental Laws and ERISA.

Group” means Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

Guarantee” means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

 

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Guarantor” means any guarantor (if any) at any time guaranteeing Borrower’s obligations hereunder.

Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP: (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments; (b) all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments; (c) net obligations of such Person under any Swap Contract; (d) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business); (e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse; (f) capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations; (g) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Equity Interest in such Person or any other Person, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends; and (h) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing. For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease or Synthetic Lease Obligation as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.

Interest Payment Date” means, for payments of interest with respect to the Loan, the end of the Interest Period applicable to the extension of credit in question and, in any event, the Maturity Date.

Interest Period” means (a) initially, the period commencing on the date of the disbursement of the cash Advance in question and ending three months later, as selected by Borrower in accordance with Section 2.4 of this Agreement; and (b) thereafter, each period commencing on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period and ending three months later, as selected by Borrower in accordance with Section 2.4 of this Agreement; provided that:

(i) any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a LIBOR Banking Day shall be extended to the next succeeding LIBOR Banking Day unless such LIBOR Banking Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding LIBOR Banking Day;

(ii) any Interest Period that begins on the last LIBOR Banking Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last LIBOR Banking Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and

 

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(iii) the last Interest Period hereunder shall end on the Maturity Date.

“Laws” means, collectively, all federal, state and local statutes, executive orders, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders of any Governmental Authority, including all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such Laws.

Lending Office” means the Los Angeles Branch office of Bank of China, or the successor in interest to that office as to the Loan.

LIBOR Banking Day” means any Business Day on which dealings in U.S. dollars are carried on in the London interbank market.

LIBOR Rate” means, for any Interest Period, a rate per annum determined by Lender pursuant to the following formula:

 

LIBOR Rate

=

        LIBOR Screen Rate

        1.00 minus Reserve Percentage

Where,

LIBOR Screen Rate” means, for such Interest Period, the rate per annum equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate or a comparable or successor rate, which rate is approved by Lender, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by Lender from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two LIBOR Banking Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, and

Reserve Percentage” means, for any day during any Interest Period, the reserve percentage (expressed as a decimal, carried out to five decimal places) in effect on such day, whether or not applicable to Lender, under regulations issued from time to time by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirements) with respect to Eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities”). The LIBOR Rate shall be adjusted automatically as of the effective date of any change in the Reserve Percentage.

Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).

 

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Loan” means the Revolving Loan.

Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Revolving Note, any application for cash Advances and each other document, agreement, instrument or certificate executed and delivered by Borrower in connection with the transaction contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents.

Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse change in the business or financial condition of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, considered as a whole.

Material Plan” means at any time a Plan or Plans having aggregate Unfunded Liabilities in excess of $25,000,000.

Maturity Date” means December 8, 2017.

Measurement Period” means the last four full financial quarters of Borrower.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

Multiemployer Plan” means at any time an employee pension benefit plan within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which any member of the ERISA Group is then making or accruing an obligation to make contributions or has within the preceding five plan years made contributions, including for these purposes any Person which ceased to be a member of the ERISA Group during such five year period.

Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, Borrower arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to the Loan, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against Borrower of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming Borrower as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding.

Other BOC Group Indebtedness” means any other Indebtedness of Borrower to Bank of China Limited or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes or charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document.

Pari Passu” means, with respect to any Indebtedness of Borrower, the same rank and privileges.

 

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PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any entity succeeding to any or all of its functions under ERISA.

Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, or any other entity or organization, including any Governmental Authority.

Plan” means at any time an employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) which is covered by Title IV of ERISA or subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Internal Revenue Code and either (i) is maintained, or contributed to, by any member of the ERISA Group for employees of any member of the ERISA Group or (ii) has at any time within the preceding five years been maintained, or contributed to, by any Person which was at such time a member of the ERISA Group for employees of any Person which was at such time a member of the ERISA Group.

Prime Rate” means for any day the variable rate of interest per annum equal to the highest rate published from time to time in the “Money Rates” section of The Wall Street Journal as the Prime Rate for such day (or, if such source is not available, such alternate source as determined by Lender).

Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, as in effect from time to time.

Regulatory Change” shall mean the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any Law or Lender’s compliance therewith.

Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer or assistant treasurer or any other officer or representative of Borrower, authorized by the board of directors, in each case as set forth in a written notice from Borrower to Lender. Lender may conclusively rely on each such notice unless and until a subsequent writing shall be delivered by Borrower to Lender that identifies the prior writing that is to be superseded and stating that it is to be so superseded. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Borrower.

Restricted Subsidiary” means, at any time, a Subsidiary of Borrower if the gross Tangible Assets or turnover of that Subsidiary then equal to or exceed 10 percent of the gross Tangible Assets or turnover of the Group, provided that in no circumstances shall Beijing Baidu Netcom be or become a Restricted Subsidiary.

For this purpose:

(a) subject to paragraph (b) below:

(i) the contribution of a Subsidiary of Borrower will be determined from its financial statements which were consolidated into the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower; and

 

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(ii) the financial condition of the Group will be determined from the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower;

(b) if a Subsidiary of Borrower becomes a member of the Group after the date on which the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower were prepared:

(i) the contribution of the Subsidiary will be determined from its latest financial statements; and

(ii) the financial condition of the Group will be determined from the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower but adjusted to take into account any subsequent acquisition or disposal of a business or a company (including that Subsidiary);

(c) the contribution of a Subsidiary will, if it has Subsidiaries, be determined from its consolidated financial statements;

(d) if a Restricted Subsidiary disposes of all or substantially all of its assets to another member of the Group, it will immediately cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and the other member of the Group (if it is not Borrower or already a Restricted Subsidiary) will immediately become a Restricted Subsidiary;

(e) a Subsidiary of Borrower (if it is not already a Restricted Subsidiary) will become a Restricted Subsidiary on completion of any other intra-Group transfer or reorganization if it would have been a Restricted Subsidiary had the intra-Group transfer or reorganization occurred on the date of the latest audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower; and

(f) except as specifically mentioned in paragraph (d) above, a member of the Group will remain a Restricted Subsidiary until the next audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower show otherwise under paragraph (a) above.

If there is a dispute as to whether or not a member of the Group is a Restricted Subsidiary, a certificate of the auditors of Borrower will be, in the absence of manifest error, conclusive.

Revolving Loan” means the revolving credit loan made to Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

Revolving Note” means the revolving credit promissory note substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, duly executed and delivered by Borrower, as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified at any time.

Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, any corporation or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such Person; unless otherwise specified, “Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of Borrower.

 

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Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to- market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so- called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).

Tangible Assets of a person means its total assets, less:

(a) its net intangible assets; and

(b) goodwill.

Taxes” means, with respect to any payment by Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, assessments, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and all liabilities with respect thereto (other than Other Taxes), excluding, (i) in the case of Lender, taxes (including branch profits taxes and backup withholding of such taxes) imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise and similar taxes imposed on it, by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which Lender, as the case may be, is organized or where Lender’s Lending Office is located or any other jurisdiction arising solely as a result of Lender’s being engaging in a trade or business in such jurisdiction for tax purposes, and (ii) any United States withholding tax imposed on payments by Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including any taxes imposed under FATCA); and (iii) taxes attributable to Lender’s gross negligence or willful misconduct or the failure of Lender (or its successors) to comply with the terms of Section 3.1.

 

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Unfunded Liabilities” means, with respect to any Plan at any time, the amount (if any) by which (i) the value of all benefit liabilities under such Plan, determined on a plan termination basis using the assumptions prescribed by the PBGC for purposes of Section 4044 of ERISA, exceeds (ii) the fair market value of all Plan assets allocable to such liabilities under Title IV of ERISA (excluding any accrued but unpaid contributions), all determined as of the then most recent valuation date for such Plan, but only to the extent that such excess represents a potential liability of a member of the ERISA Group to the PBGC or any other Person under Title IV of ERISA.

Section 1.2 Accounting Terms. Unless otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made and all financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP, on a basis consistently applied.

Section 1.3 Interpretation. In this Agreement, the singular includes the plural and the plural the singular; words imparting any gender include the other genders; references to statutes are to be construed as including all statutory provisions consolidating, amending or replacing the statute referred to; references to “writing” include printing, typing, lithography and other means of reproducing words in a tangible visible form; the words “including,” “includes” and “include” are deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; references to articles, sections (or subdivisions of sections), recitals, exhibits, annexes or schedules are to those of this Agreement unless otherwise indicated; references to agreements and other contractual instruments are deemed to include all subsequent amendments and other modifications to such instruments, but only to the extent such amendments and other modifications are not prohibited by the terms of this Agreement; and references to Persons include their respective permitted successors and assigns. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

ARTICLE 2

THE LOAN

Section 2.1 Revolving Credit Line. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Lender shall provide to Borrower a revolving credit line in the maximum amount not to exceed the Credit Limit (the “Revolving Loan”) available prior to the Maturity Date, consisting of cash Advances for purposes described in Section 6.6. Borrower may request Lender to make cash Advances (individually an “Advance” and collectively the “Advances”) from the date hereof until the Maturity Date. Within the limits of Lender’s commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.1, prepay under Section 2.3, and reborrow under this Section 2.1. The aggregate amount of outstanding Advances shall not exceed the Credit Limit at any one time. Borrower shall repay each cash Advance no later than the Maturity Date. Lender shall open and maintain on its books an account in Borrower’s name showing the aggregate amount of cash Advances made hereunder, repayments of Advances, computation and payment of interest, and other amounts due and paid hereunder. This account shall be conclusive and binding on Borrower as to the amount at any time due to Lender except in the case of manifest error in computation. The Revolving Loan shall be evidenced by the Revolving Note.

 

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Section 2.2 Method of Disbursement of Advances. Each Advance shall be made on a London Banking Day as specified by Borrower to Lender by giving at least two (2) London Banking Days’ prior written notice to the proposed date of borrowing. Each request for an Advance by Borrower shall specify the proposed amount of the Advance and the account of Borrower with Lender to be credited.

Section 2.3 Early Repayments. Early repayment by Borrower of all or any part of the Credit Line Outstanding shall be permitted without premium or penalty (other than funding losses pursuant to Section 3.3) upon three (3) London Banking Days’ prior written notice to Lender, provided all accrued and unpaid fees and costs payable by Borrower, including any funding losses pursuant to Section 3.3, and all accrued and unpaid interest to such date are paid in full on the date of such repayment.

Section 2.4 Interest.

(a) Applicable Rate. Subject to the provisions of subsections (c) and (d) below and Section 3.2, the Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the LIBOR Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Margin.

(b) Selection of Interest Periods. Borrower shall designate Interest Periods for Advances made by Lender under the Loan by giving Lender irrevocable written notice of borrowing duly executed by Borrower (which notice must be received by Lender prior to 11:00 A.M., New York time, not less than two (2) London Banking Days prior to the first day of the requested Interest Period), specifying the first day of the requested Interest Period.

(c) Interest Payment Dates. Interest on the Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law (to the extent permitted by such Debtor Relief Law or other applicable Laws).

(d) Circumstances Where Prime Rate May Apply. Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, in the event that and for so long as Lender has suspended its obligation to make or continue the Loan at the LIBOR Rate pursuant to Section 3.2 or Section 3.5 of this Agreement, the Loan shall automatically bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Prime Rate, as may be in effect from time to time.

Section 2.5 Overdue Payments. Overdue principal of the Loan and any other amount payable by Borrower hereunder that is overdue (including interest that is not paid when due) shall bear interest (to the extent permitted by law), payable on demand, for the actual number of days elapsed until paid, inclusive of the date on which such amount is due and exclusive of the date on which such amount is paid in full, at the rate per annum (the “Default Rate”) equal to the interest rate (including the Applicable Margin) otherwise applicable to the Loan (if no Interest Period is then applicable then a three month Interest Period shall be deemed to apply) plus two percent (2.00%) per annum.

 

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Section 2.6 Other Payment Terms. All payments required to be made by Borrower under this Agreement shall be made not later than 12:00 noon, New York time, on the day when due, in immediately available funds in lawful money of the United States of America, without setoff or counterclaim, free and clear of and without deduction for any present or future taxes, levies, imposts, deductions, charges or withholdings, to the account of Lender at Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, ABA Number 026003269, account number 06001416, attention Nikky Tong, Reference Senior Unsecured Facility, Los Angeles Branch, or such other account of Lender as may be from time to time designated to Borrower.

Section 2.7 Computations. All computations of interest with respect to the Loan shall be made by Lender on the basis of a year of 360 days, for the actual number of days elapsed in the period in question. Each determination by Lender of an interest rate hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

Section 2.8 Payment on Non-Business Days. Whenever any payment to Lender under this Agreement shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date of payment thereof shall be the immediately succeeding Business Day; provided, that, if such immediately succeeding Business Day shall fall in the next calendar month, then the date of payment thereof shall be the immediately preceding Business Day; any amendment of time shall be included in the computation of interest.

Section 2.9 Fees.

(a) Facility Fee. Borrower shall pay Lender on or before the Closing Date a nonrefundable commitment fee in the amount of ten basis points (0.10%) of the Loan, that is, One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), as a facility fee. In addition, Borrower shall pay Lender on or before the date that falls one year after the Closing Date (the “Anniversary Date”) an additional nonrefundable commitment fee in the amount of ten basis points (0.10%) of the Loan, that is, One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), as a facility fee (the “Additional Facility Fee”). In addition, Borrower shall pay Lender on or before the date that falls two years after the Closing Date (the “Second Anniversary Date”) an additional nonrefundable commitment fee in the amount of ten basis points (0.10%) of the Loan, that is, One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), as a facility fee (the “Second Additional Facility Fee”). The foregoing amounts shall not be refunded in the event the Loan fails to close (through no fault of Lender) or Borrower decides not to proceed with the Loan or Borrower decides not to request Advances under the Loan, provided that Borrower shall not pay the Additional Facility Fee to Lender if the Loan has been repaid or prepaid in full and the facility has been completely terminated not later than the Anniversary Date, and provided further that Borrower shall not pay the Second Additional Facility Fee to Lender if the Loan has been repaid or prepaid in full and the facility has been completely terminated not later than the Second Anniversary Date. Such amounts shall be retained by Lender and have been fully earned by Lender.

 

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(b) Disbursement Fees Waiver. Lender agrees to waive all fees and commissions for and in connection with disbursements of funds under the Loan, and applications for and disbursements of cash Advances, into Borrower’s accounts with Lender.

ARTICLE 3

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

Section 3.1 Taxes. Any and all payments by Borrower to or for the account of Lender under any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future Taxes. If Borrower shall be required by any Laws to deduct any Taxes or Other Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to Lender, (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section), Lender receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) Borrower shall make such deductions, (iii) Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxation authority or other authority in accordance with applicable Laws, and (iv) if requested to do so by Lender, within 30 days after the date of such request, Borrower shall furnish to Lender the original or a copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof. Lender agrees that with respect to all Taxes and Other Taxes covered by this Section, (A) Lender and its successors and assignees further agree that they shall deliver properly completed and executed forms or documentation prescribed by applicable law or as reasonably requested by Borrower as may be appropriate (including any documentation, forms, information or agreements required under FATCA) to eliminate or minimize any taxes on payments made pursuant to this Agreement and (B) Lender will take all actions reasonably requested by Borrower that are without risk or material cost to Lender to maintain all exemptions, if any, from taxes and will otherwise cooperate with Borrower to minimize any amounts payable by Borrower under this Section.

Section 3.2 Illegality. If Lender determines that any Regulatory Change occurring after the date of this Agreement has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful as a result of such Regulatory Change, for Lender to maintain the Loan with the LIBOR Rate, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the LIBOR Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London market, then, on notice thereof by Lender to Borrower, any obligation of Lender to continue the Loan at the LIBOR Rate shall be suspended until Lender notifies Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist (and Lender shall give such notice promptly upon receiving knowledge that such circumstances no longer exist), provided that, if Lender may lawfully continue to maintain the Loan at the LIBOR Rate until the end of the then-current Interest Period, Lender shall do so. Lender agrees to designate a different Lending Office if such designation will avoid the need for such notice and will not, in the good faith judgment of Lender, otherwise be materially disadvantageous to Lender.

Section 3.3 Funding Losses. In the event of any prepayment of any portion of the Loan on a date other than the last day of the applicable Interest Period, Borrower shall reimburse Lender on demand for any breakage costs, losses or expenses actually incurred by Lender resulting from the reemployment of funds, as set forth in a certificate furnished by Lender to Borrower as to the amount of such costs, losses or expenses. Such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the amount of such costs, losses or expenses, absent manifest error.

 

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Section 3.4 Increased Costs. If, due to either (a) the imposition of or any change in or in the interpretation (by any Governmental Authority charged with the administration thereof) of any Governmental Rule or (b) the compliance by Lender with any Governmental Rule (whether or not having the force of law) on or after the date hereof, there shall be any increase in the cost to Lender of agreeing to make, making, funding or maintaining the Loan, in each case in a material amount, then Borrower shall from time to time, upon written demand by Lender, pay to Lender additional amounts sufficient to reimburse Lender for such increased costs. Such demand shall be accompanied by a certificate of a duly authorized officer of Lender as to the amount of such increased cost and the basis therefor, and such certificate shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error. Lender shall give written notice to Borrower of any event that will result in any such increased cost, as promptly as practicable after it obtains knowledge thereof and determines to request reimbursement of such increased cost.

Section 3.5 Inability to Determine Rates. If Lender determines that for any reason in connection with the Loan that (a) deposits in Dollars are not being offered to banks in the London market for the applicable amount of the Loan and the Interest Period, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the LIBOR Screen Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to the Loan, or (c) the LIBOR Screen Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to the Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to Lender of maintaining the Loan at the LIBOR Rate, Lender will promptly so notify Borrower. Thereafter, the obligation of Lender to maintain the Loan at the LIBOR Rate shall be suspended until Lender revokes such notice.

Section 3.6 Matters Applicable to All Requests for Compensation. A certificate of Lender claiming compensation under Sections 3.3 or 3.4 shall set forth in reasonable detail the additional amount or amounts to be paid to it hereunder and shall be conclusive if prepared reasonably and in good faith. In determining such amount, Lender may use any reasonable averaging and attribution methods. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Sections 3.2 through 3.5 shall not apply to Taxes or Other Taxes, and all indemnification (including with respect to increased costs and reduction in amounts received) relating to or attributable to taxes shall be governed solely and exclusively by Section 3.1.

ARTICLE 4

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

Section 4.1 Conditions Precedent to Initial Advance. The existence of the following conditions and the receipt of the following documents and evidence by Lender on or before the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, comprise conditions precedent to the initial Advance under the Loan, pursuant to the terms hereof:

(a) this Agreement and the Revolving Note, duly executed by Borrower;

(b) the other Loan Documents, duly executed by Borrower, as applicable;

 

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(c) such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of Borrower as Lender may reasonably require evidencing Borrower’s authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to borrow the Loan from Lender hereunder and the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B;

(d) such documents and certifications as Lender may reasonably require to evidence that Borrower is duly organized or formed, and that Borrower is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(e) an opinion of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel to Borrower, and an opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York counsel to Borrower, each addressed to Lender, regarding such matters concerning Borrower and the Loan Documents as Lender may reasonably request;

(f) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C, stating that:

(i) the representations and warranties contained in Article 5 hereof are correct in all material respects on and as of the disbursement date of the initial Advance,

(ii) no event has occurred and is continuing that constitutes an Event of Default, and

(iii) the current Debt Ratings as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of Borrower most recently ended prior to the Closing Date;

(g) Any fees required to be paid by Borrower to Lender on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid;

(h) such other documents as Lender may reasonably request; and

(i) The Closing Date shall have occurred on or before December 9, 2014.

Section 4.2 Conditions Precedent to Advances of Loan. Each disbursement of the Loan shall be subject to the further conditions precedent that on the date of such disbursement:

(a) The conditions set forth in Section 4.1 have been and remain fully satisfied or duly waived; and

 

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(b) The following statements shall be true and, if requested by Lender, Lender shall have received a certificate signed by a duly authorized officer of Borrower (or, failing that, a request for Advance shall be deemed such certification) dated not later than the date of such disbursement of the Loan, stating that:

(i) The representations and warranties contained in this Agreement are correct on and as of the date of such Loan as though made on and as of such date;

(ii) No Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such Loan;

(iii) Such Loan will be used for the purposes permitted under this Agreement; and

(c) Lender shall have received such other approvals, opinions, or documents as Lender may reasonably request.

ARTICLE 5

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

Borrower represents and warrants to Lender as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as set forth below.

Section 5.1 Formation and Existence. Borrower is a company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Borrower is in compliance with all Laws except (i) where failure to be so could not reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted.

Section 5.2 Authority; Governmental Authorization. The execution, delivery and performance by Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is or is to be a party is within Borrower’s organizational powers, have been duly authorized by all necessary organizational action, require no action by or in respect, or filing with, any Governmental Authority except such as have been obtained and do not contravene (a) Borrower’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, or (b) any Governmental Rule or contractual restriction binding on Borrower where such, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.3 Binding Effect. This Agreement constitutes, and the Revolving Note and other Loan Documents when executed and delivered by Borrower will constitute, valid and binding obligations of Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by Debtor Relief Law or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

Section 5.4 Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.

(a) The financial statements dated June 30, 2014 (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material Indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

 

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(b) Since the date of the financial statements dated June 30, 2014, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.5 Litigation. There is no pending or (to the knowledge of Borrower) threatened action or proceeding affecting Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries before any Governmental Authority or arbitrator in which there is a reasonable likelihood of an adverse decision which could have a Material Adverse Effect with respect to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or which contests the validity of this Agreement or any Loan Document.

Section 5.6 Taxes. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all federal, state and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.7 Disclosure. All written information heretofore furnished by Borrower to Lender for purposes of or in connection with this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby is, and all such information hereafter furnished by Borrower to Lender will, on the date as of which such information is delivered or certified, not contain any material misstatement of fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Section 5.8 Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act. Borrower is not engaged and will not engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. None of Borrower, any Person controlling Borrower, or any Subsidiary of Borrower is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Section 5.9 Compliance with ERISA. Each member of the ERISA Group is in compliance in all material respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code with respect to each Plan.

Section 5.10 Senior Indebtedness. The Obligations shall rank senior to or Pari Passu with respect to all unsecured Indebtedness of Borrower, except for obligations mandatorily preferred by law applying to companies generally.

 

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ARTICLE 6

COVENANTS

Borrower agrees to observe the following covenants so long as any amount remains unpaid under this Agreement.

Section 6.1 Information. Borrower will deliver to Lender:

(a) as soon as available and in any event within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such fiscal year and the related consolidated statements of income and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, either, at Lender’s discretion, audited by independent public accountants of nationally recognized standing or prepared by Borrower and certified by the chief executive officer of Borrower.

(b) as soon as available and in any event within 45 days after the end of each of fiscal quarter of each fiscal year of Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such quarter and the related consolidated statements of income and cash flows for such quarter and for the portion of Borrower’s fiscal year ended at the end of such quarter setting forth in the case of such statements of income and cash flow in comparative form the figures for the corresponding quarter and the corresponding portion of Borrower’s fiscal year, either, at Lender’s discretion, compiled by independent public accountants of nationally recognized standing or prepared by Borrower.

(c) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.1(b), a duly completed compliance certificate signed by Borrower’s chief financial officer substantially in the form of Exhibit D certifying such financial statements and stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default under the financial covenants set forth herein or, if any such Default shall exist, stating the nature and status of such event;

(d) within five days after any Responsible Officer of Borrower obtains knowledge of any Default in respect of Borrower, if such Default is then continuing, a certificate of the chief financial officer or a director of Borrower setting forth the details thereof and the action which Borrower is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

(e) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which Borrower may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be delivered to Lender pursuant hereto;

(f) promptly, and in any event within ten Business Days after receipt thereof by Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each material notice or other material correspondence received from the Securities and Exchange Commission (or comparable agency in any applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction) concerning any investigation for material misstatement by such agency regarding financial or other operational results of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, provided that such material notice or other material correspondence can be disclosed to Lender without breaching any requirement of confidentiality;

(g) notice of any announcement by Moody’s or Fitch of any change or possible change in a Debt Rating; and

 

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(h) promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

Section 6.2 Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence. Borrower will continue to engage principally in business of the same general type as conducted by Borrower on the Closing Date, and business reasonably related or incidental thereto and will preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and its rights, privileges and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of business; provided that nothing in this Section 6.2 shall prohibit (i) any merger or consolidation involving Borrower which is permitted by Section 6.5, (ii) the merger of a Subsidiary into Borrower or the merger or consolidation of a Subsidiary with or into another Person if the corporation surviving such consolidation or merger is a Subsidiary and if, in each case, after giving effect thereto, no Default with respect to Borrower shall have occurred and be continuing, (iii) the termination of the corporate existence of any Subsidiary if Borrower in good faith determines that such termination is in the best interest of Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to Lender, or (iv) any other transaction approved by Lender.

Section 6.3 Compliance with Laws. Borrower will comply in all material respects with all applicable Laws (including without limitation Environmental Laws and ERISA and the rules and regulations thereunder) except where failure to do so would have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 6.4 Negative Pledge. Borrower will not pledge or otherwise subject to any Lien any of its property or assets to secure any Indebtedness unless the Loan and the Obligations of Borrower under this Agreement are secured by such Lien equally and ratably with all other obligations secured thereby so long as such other obligations shall be so secured; provided, however, that such covenant will not apply to:

(a) the pledge of any assets of Borrower to secure any financing by Borrower of the exporting of goods to or between, or the marketing thereof in, jurisdictions other than the United States in connection with which Borrower reserves the right, in accordance with customary and established banking practice, to deposit, or otherwise subject to a Lien, cash, securities or receivables, for the purpose of securing banking accommodations or as the basis for the issuance of bankers’ acceptances or in aid of other similar borrowing arrangements;

(b) any deposit of assets of Borrower in favor of any governmental bodies to secure progress, advance or other payments under a contract or statute;

(c) any Lien or charge on any property of Borrower, tangible or intangible, real or personal, existing at the time of acquisition or construction of such property (including acquisition through merger or consolidation) or given to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase or construction price thereof or to secure any indebtedness incurred prior to, at the time of, or within one year after, the acquisition or completion of construction thereof for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase or construction price thereof;

(d) bankers’ liens or rights of offset;

 

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(e) any Lien securing the performance of any contract or undertaking not directly or indirectly in connection with the borrowing of money, obtaining of advances or credit or the securing of debt, if made and continuing in the ordinary course of business;

(f) any Lien existing as of the date of this Agreement;

(g) any Lien comprising a netting, set-off or cash-pooling arrangement entered into by Borrower in the ordinary course of its banking arrangements for the purpose of netting debit and credit balances;

(h) any Lien arising by virtue of any payment or close out netting or set-off arrangement pursuant to any Swap Contract entered into by Borrower but excluding any Lien under a credit support arrangement;

(i) any Lien arising by operation of law and in the ordinary course of business;

(j) any Lien on an asset, or an asset of any person, acquired by Borrower after the date of this Agreement but only for a period of six (6) months from the date of acquisition and to the extent that the principal amount secured by that Lien has not been incurred or increased in contemplation of, or since, the acquisition;

(k) any Lien arising under any retention of title, hire purchase or conditional sale arrangement or arrangement having similar effect in respect of goods supplied to Borrower in the ordinary course of trading and on the supplier’s standard or usual terms and not arising as a result of any default or omission by Borrower;

(l) any Lien over goods or documents of title arising in the ordinary course of letter of credit transactions entered into in the ordinary course of trade;

(m) any Lien provided with the prior consent of Lender;

(n) any Lien securing indebtedness the principal amount of which (when aggregated with the principal amount of any other indebtedness which has the benefit of any Lien given by Borrower other than any Lien permitted under the preceding sub-paragraphs) does not exceed RMB 700,000,000 (or its equivalent in another currency or currencies); or

(o) any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in whole or in part, of any Lien, charge or pledge referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) to (n), inclusive, of this Section 6.4; provided, however, that the amount of any and all obligations and indebtedness secured thereby shall not exceed the amount thereof so secured immediately prior to the time of such extension, renewal or replacement and that such extension, renewal or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property which secured the charge or lien so extended, renewed or replaced (plus improvements on such property).

 

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Section 6.5 Consolidations; Mergers and Sales of Assets. Borrower shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, unless Lender gives its prior written consent or:

(a) Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person;

(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of Borrower as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by Borrower at the time of such transaction, no Default with respect to Borrower shall have happened and be continuing;

(c) if, as a result of any such consolidation or merger or such conveyance, transfer or lease, properties or assets of Borrower would become subject to a mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or other encumbrance which would not be permitted by Section 6.4 hereof, Borrower takes such steps as shall be necessary effectively to secure the Loan and the Obligations of Borrower under this Agreement equally and ratably with (or prior to) all indebtedness secured thereby; and

(d) Borrower has delivered to Lender a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer, together with a written opinion or opinions of counsel satisfactory to Lender, stating that such transaction complies with this Section 6.5 and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Section 6.6 Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loan will be used (1) for general corporate purposes (including research and development and mergers and acquisitions) and working capital needs for Borrower’s operations worldwide except Borrower’s operations in China and (2) to refinance, repay and/or prepay existing credit facilities in part or in whole and pay fees and expenses incurred in overseas markets excluding China. None of such proceeds will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate of buying or carrying any “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulation U.

Section 6.7 Operating Account with Lender. Borrower shall maintain an operating account with Lender for loan payment purposes and other corporate purposes at all times during the term of this Agreement.

Section 6.8 Financial Covenants.

(a) Borrower shall maintain a Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio greater than 1.40 to 1.00, as of the end of each fiscal quarter.

(b) Borrower shall maintain a Consolidated Leverage Ratio less than 3.00 to 1.00, as of the end of each fiscal quarter.

(c) Any amount in a currency other than Dollars is to be taken into account at its Dollar equivalent calculated on the basis of:

(i) Lender’s spot rate of exchange for the purchase of the relevant currency in the London foreign exchange market with Dollars at or about 11:00 a.m. on the day the relevant amount falls to be calculated; or

 

25


(ii) if the amount is to be calculated on the last day of a financial period of Borrower, the relevant rates of exchange used by Borrower in, or in connection with, its financial statements for that period.

(d) No item must be credited or deducted more than once in any calculation under this Section 6.8.

Section 6.9 Address for Service of Process. Borrower shall maintain an office in the United States for service of process pursuant to Section 8.2 and Section 8.11(e).

ARTICLE 7

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

Section 7.1 Events of Default. If any of the following events (each an “Event of Default”) occurs and is continuing:

(a) Borrower fails to repay when due any principal of the Loan or shall fail to pay within five (5) days of the due date thereof any interest on the Loan, any fees or any other amount payable by it hereunder unless the non-payment;

(i) is caused by technical or administrative error and is remedied within ten Business Days of the due date; or

(ii) is caused by a Disruption Event and is remedied within ten Business Days.

(b) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant contained in Article 6 (other than any of the covenants set out in Section 6.8) unless the failure to observe or perform:

(i) is capable of remedy; and

(ii) is remedied with 20 Business Days of the earlier of Lender giving notice of the failure to observe or perform to Borrower and Borrower becoming aware of the failure to observe or perform.

(c) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant contained in Section 6.8.

(d) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those covered by clause (a), (b) or (c) above) for 20 Business Days after the earlier of (i) Lender giving notice of the failure to observe or perform to Borrower and (ii) Borrower becoming aware of the failure to observe or perform;

 

26


(e) any representation, warranty, certification or statement made by Borrower in this Agreement or in any certificate, financial statement or other document delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made (or deemed made), unless the circumstances giving rise to the misrepresentation or breach of warranty:

(i) are capable of remedy; and

(ii) are remedied within 20 Business Days of the earlier of Lender giving notice of the misrepresentation or breach of warranty to Borrower and Borrower becoming aware of the misrepresentation and breach of warranty.

(f) Borrower fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained in any loan agreement or other document governing any Other BOC Group Indebtedness beyond any applicable grace or cure period;

(g) Indebtedness for borrowed money of Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate amount in excess of US$50,000,000 shall not be paid when due or shall be accelerated prior to its stated maturity date and, within ten days after written notice thereof is given to Borrower by Lender, such indebtedness shall not be discharged or such acceleration shall not be rescinded or annulled;

(h) Borrower shall commence or consent to the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for 60 calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for 60 calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding;

(i) judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of US$50,000,000 in the aggregate shall be rendered against Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and such judgments or orders shall continue unsatisfied and unstayed for a period of 30 days;

then, and in every such event, but subject always to the provisions of Section 7.1, Lender may declare the unpaid principal amount of the Loan, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document by Borrower to be immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by Borrower; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the unpaid principal amount of the Loan and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable.

ARTICLE 8

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 8.1 Amendments, Etc.. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, and no consent to any departure of Borrower therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same is in writing and signed by Lender and Borrower, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given.

 

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Section 8.2 Notices, Etc.

(a) General. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, all notices and other communications provided for hereunder (including service of process pursuant to Section 8.11) shall be in writing (including by facsimile transmission), and shall be mailed, faxed or delivered to the applicable address, facsimile number or (subject to subsection (c) below) electronic mail address, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

(i) if to Borrower, or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by Borrower in a notice to Lender:

Baidu, Inc.

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street

Haidian District, Beijing 100085, P.R. China

Attention: FP&A Department, Zhou Wenjun

Telephone: 021-61907940

(ii) if to Lender, or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by Lender in a notice to Borrower:

Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch

444 S. Flower St., 39th Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Attention: Jason Fu and Nikky Tong

Telephone: 213-688-8700 Ext: 235 and 233

Facsimile: 213-688-7720

Except as otherwise set forth herein, all such notices and other communications shall be deemed to be given or made upon the earlier to occur of (i) actual receipt by the relevant party hereto and (ii) (A) if delivered by hand or by courier, when signed for by or on behalf of the relevant party hereto; (B) if delivered by mail, four Business Days after deposit in the mails, postage prepaid; (C) if delivered by facsimile, when sent and receipt has been confirmed by telephone; and (D) if delivered by electronic mail (which form of delivery is subject to the provisions of subsection (c) below), when delivered. In no event shall a voicemail message be effective as a notice, communication or confirmation hereunder.

(b) Effectiveness of Facsimile Documents and Signatures. Loan Documents may be transmitted and/or signed by facsimile. The effectiveness of any such documents and signatures shall, subject to applicable Law, have the same force and effect as manually-signed originals and shall be binding on Borrower and Lender. Borrower may also require that any such documents and signatures be confirmed by a manually-signed original thereof; provided, however, that the failure to request or deliver the same shall not limit the effectiveness of any facsimile document or signature.

 

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(c) Limited Use of Electronic Mail. Electronic mail and Internet and intranet websites may be used only to distribute routine communications, such as financial statements and other information as provided in Section 6.1, and to distribute Loan Documents (or amendments or waivers thereto) for execution by the parties thereto, and may not be used for any other purpose.

(d) Reliance by Lender. Lender shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices purportedly given by or on behalf of a Responsible Officer of Borrower or any other Person designated in writing by a Responsible Officer of Borrower to Lender even if (i) such notices were not otherwise made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. Borrower shall indemnify Lender from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by it on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of a Responsible Officer of Borrower or any other Person designated in writing by a Responsible Officer of Borrower to Lender. All telephonic notices to and other communications with Lender may be recorded by Lender, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

Section 8.3 No Waiver; Remedies. No failure on the part of Lender to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, and no single or partial exercise of any right hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other rights. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.

Section 8.4 Costs and Expenses. Borrower agrees to pay promptly on demand all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the documents delivered hereunder, including the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of counsel for Lender with respect thereto and with respect to advising Lender as to its rights and responsibilities under this Agreement. Borrower further agrees to pay promptly on demand all costs and expenses, if any (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), in connection with the enforcement of this Agreement and the documents delivered hereunder and in connection with any “workout” or restructuring in respect of the Obligations and during any legal proceeding, including any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law. The agreements in this Section shall survive the repayment of all other Obligations.

Section 8.5 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of Borrower and Lender and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that Borrower may not assign any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of Lender. Lender shall, from time to time, be permitted to transfer, negotiate, assign or sell participations to one or more Affiliates of Lender, provided that in no event shall any participant become a party to this Agreement or be treated as Lender hereunder for any purpose, nor shall any participant have any rights against Borrower, but rather such participants shall have recourse only to Lender under such participations, and in calculating any additional amounts owing to Lender under Article 3 hereof, any participation referred to in this Section shall be disregarded as if there had been no such participation. Lender shall not transfer, negotiate or assign any of its rights or obligations under the Loan or sell participations in respect of the Loan other than to an Affiliate of Lender without the prior written consent of Borrower. No participant shall have any right to enforce this Agreement or approve any amendment, modification or waiver hereto, nor shall any participant be entitled to the benefits of any provisions of this Agreement. Lender may pledge all or a portion of its rights and obligations hereunder to any Federal Reserve Bank or any other Governmental Authority as collateral security.

 

29


Section 8.6 Right of Setoff. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, Lender is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by Lender to or for the credit or the account of Borrower against any and all obligations of Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or the Revolving Note, then due and owing irrespective of whether or not Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement or the Revolving Note. Lender agrees to notify Borrower promptly after any such setoff and application; provided, however, that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application. The rights of Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that Lender may have.

Section 8.7 Borrower Identification. Lender hereby notifies Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each borrower, guarantor or grantor (the “Loan Parties”), which information includes the name and address of each Loan Party and other information that will allow Lender to identify such Loan Party in accordance with the Act.

Section 8.8 Indemnity. Borrower agrees to indemnify Lender and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors and agents (each an “Indemnified Party”) from and against all losses, settlement costs, liabilities, penalties, claims, damages or expenses that may be incurred by or asserted or awarded against any Indemnified Party arising out of or in connection with or by reason of (including without limitation in connection with any investigation, litigation or proceeding or preparation of a defense in connection therewith) this Agreement and the Revolving Note, the use of the proceeds thereof, or any related transaction or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, regardless of whether any Indemnified Party is a party thereto, and to reimburse each Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any of the foregoing, provided that the foregoing indemnity and reimbursement obligations will not, as to any Indemnified Party, apply to losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses to the extent they resulted from the bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence of such Indemnified Party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, (i) this Section 8.8 shall not govern any indemnification or other amounts relating to or attributable to taxes, and (ii) all indemnification and other amounts relating or attributable to taxes shall be governed solely and exclusively by Section 3.1.

Section 8.9 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of Borrower is made to Lender, or Lender exercises any right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then, to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such set-off had not occurred.

 

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Section 8.10 Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (EXCLUSIVE OF ITS CONFLICT OF LAWS RULES).

Section 8.11 Dispute Resolution.

(a) Amicable Consultation and Negotiation. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of, relating to or in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, or the breach, termination or validity of any of the aforementioned agreements (“Dispute”) shall first be attempted to be settled through friendly consultations between the parties. If a Dispute arises under this Agreement, any party shall send a written notice of the Dispute to the other party, in accordance with the requirements of Section 8.2, and in that notice it shall request that the parties’ officers meet within ten (10) days at a mutually agreed time and place to discuss and negotiate the Dispute. The meeting may be held via teleconference.

(b) Arbitration. If settlement is not reached within thirty (30) days after the written notice of Dispute is served by any party on the other party in a manner specified in Section 8.2, the Dispute shall be submitted to mandatory, final and binding arbitration before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (the “ICDR”) of the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”) in accordance with the ICDR’s International Arbitration Rules in effect at the time of filing of the demand for arbitration. Subject to Section 8.11(a), arbitration shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolution of the Dispute, and the arbitral award shall be in writing, state the reasons for the award and be final and binding. Judgment thereon may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The place of arbitration shall be in the Borough of Manhattan, New York, New York, United States of America. There shall be three arbitrators. The parties each will select one arbitrator within 30 days of the receipt by the respondent of a copy of the demand for arbitration. The two arbitrators so appointed shall nominate the third and presiding arbitrator (the “Chair”) within 30 days of the appointment of the second arbitrator (the three arbitrators shall be collectively referred to as the “Tribunal”). If either party fails to appoint an arbitrator, or if the two-party appointed arbitrators fail to appoint the Chair within the time periods specified herein, such arbitrator shall, at the request of either party, be appointed by the ICDR. The arbitration will be conducted, and the arbitral award shall be rendered in the English language. The parties hereby irrevocably waive their rights to contest, dispute or otherwise oppose the recognition and enforcement of the arbitral award by ICDR in any proceedings, on the grounds of “invalidity” of the arbitration agreement or the grounds of the ICDR’s lack of authority or jurisdiction to settle the dispute. The prevailing party, as determined by the Tribunal, shall be entitled to recover its reasonable costs (including the arbitration fees) and attorneys’ fees from the non-prevailing party; provided, however, that if the Tribunal determine that both parties were at fault, the Tribunal shall apportion responsibility for such costs and expenses between the parties based on each party’s comparative responsibility as determined by the Tribunal.

 

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(c) Competent Court Election. Notwithstanding any of the preceding paragraphs (a) and (b) and without affecting any of its rights and interests thereunder, Lender, and only Lender may, in its sole discretion, elect to bring the Dispute to the competent court for Haidian District, Beijing (the “Competent Court”), People’s Republic of China against Borrower for a resolution of the Dispute. Lender may only bring a Dispute before the Competent Court, pursuant to this Section 8.11(c). If Lender elects to solve the Dispute through judicial proceeding before the Competent Court, Borrower irrevocably and unconditionally:

(i) consents to any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement being brought against it by Lender in any such court;

(ii) waives any objection which it may have now or hereafter to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding under this Section 8.11(c), in any such court, or claim that any such suit, action or proceeding under this Section 8.11(c), has been brought in an inconvenient forum; or right to petition to compel consultation and arbitration under Section 8.11(a) and (b) above;

(iii) acknowledges the competence of any such court, submits to the jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding and agrees that the final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon it and may be enforced in the courts of the People’s Republic of China or all and any of the other jurisdictions where it maintains assets, provided that service of process is effected upon Borrower in the manner specified below or as otherwise permitted by Law.

(d) Equitable Relief and Protective Measures. Notwithstanding any of the preceding paragraphs (a) and (b), and without affecting any of the rights and interests of Lender thereunder, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the covenants herein are reasonable and necessary for the protection of the legitimate business interests of Lender, that irreparable injury will result to Lender if Borrower breaches any of the terms of the covenants and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and that in the event of actual or threatened breach of any such obligations and covenants, Lender will not have an adequate remedy at law. Borrower accordingly agrees that in the event of any actual or threatened breach of any such obligations and covenants, (i) Lender shall be entitled to immediate protective order, and temporary injunctive and other equitable relief, without bond and without the necessity of showing actual monetary damages at any competent court, subject to hearing as soon thereafter as practicable and (ii) Lender shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees to enforce this Agreement. Nothing shall prohibit Lender from pursuing any other remedies available to it for such breach or threatened breach, including without limitation the recovery of any damages which it is able to prove; the withholding or setoff of any amount otherwise owing from the Lender to the Borrower; and any other remedies set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Lender may pursue any remedies available in any combination or sequence, and all remedies of Lender will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred in this Agreement, by law or equity, or otherwise, and the exercise by Lender of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The existence or assertion of any claim or cause of action of Borrower against Lender, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the granting or enforcement of injunctive relief or any other remedy. Lender, its direct or indirect Affiliates and their respective successors and assigns shall have full rights to enforce all terms of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

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(e) Service of Process. Each party hereto irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.2. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law.

Section 8.12 Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Loan Document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures Lender could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to Lender hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by Lender of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, Lender may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to Lender from Borrower in the Agreement Currency, Borrower agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify Lender against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to Lender in such currency, Lender agrees to return the amount of any excess to Borrower (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable law).

Section 8.13 Miscellaneous. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. No provision in this Agreement that is held to be inoperable, unenforceable or invalid shall affect the remaining provisions, and to this end all provisions hereof are hereby declared to be severable. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the matters contemplated herein, and supersedes all prior negotiations or promises between the parties with respect thereto. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not affect the construction hereof.

[No further text appears on this page]

 

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IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

BAIDU, INC.,

a Cayman Islands company

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch

By:

/s/ Ruisong Zhao

Name:

Ruisong Zhao

Title:

SVP & Branch Manager

 

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EXHIBIT A

REVOLVING CREDIT PROMISSORY NOTE

SENIOR UNSECURED CREDIT FACILITY

 

$150,000,000.00

Date: December 9, 2014

For value received, the undersigned, BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company (the “Borrower”), hereby promises to pay to the order of THE BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch, a federally chartered branch of Bank of China Limited, a joint stock company incorporated in the People’s Republic of China with limited liability (the “Lender”), the principal amount of One Hundred Fifty Million and No/100 Dollars ($150,000,000.00) or so much thereof as shall have been disbursed in accordance with the terms of that certain Loan Agreement of even date herewith (the “Loan Agreement”) between Borrower and Lender and remains un- repaid and outstanding. Borrower promises to pay interest on the outstanding principal amount of the Loan (as defined in the Loan Agreement) from the Closing Date until such principal amount is repaid in full, at such interest rate or rates, and payable at such times, as specified in the Loan Agreement. Borrower shall repay principal and pay interest in lawful money of the United States and in immediately available funds. Any amount of principal or interest that is not repaid or paid when due shall, as provided in the Loan Agreement, bear interest at the Default Rate, payable on demand. Any capitalized term not defined herein shall have the meaning given to it in the Loan Agreement.

Lender is hereby authorized to maintain records of account, evidencing the date and amount of each extension of credit hereunder, each payment of principal and interest, and applicable interest rates and other information with respect thereto. Such records shall constitute prima facie evidence of the accuracy of the information so recorded; provided, that the failure to make a notation or the inaccuracy of any notation shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligations of Borrower hereunder or under the Loan Agreement or any other documents, instruments, or agreements relating hereto.

This Note is the “Revolving Note” referred to in, and is entitled to the benefits of, the Loan Agreement. The Loan Agreement contains provisions for, among other things, acceleration of the maturity hereof upon the happening of certain stated events. Borrower and all other persons liable or to become liable on this Note severally waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of demand and of dishonor and nonpayment of this Note, notice of intention to accelerate the maturity of this Note, protest and notice of protest, diligence in collecting, and the bringing of suit against any other party, and agree to all renewals, extensions, modifications, partial payments, and releases or substitutions of security, in whole or in part, with or without notice, before or after maturity.

 

BAIDU, INC.,

a Cayman Islands company

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT B

DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

OF

BAIDU, INC.

The undersigned hereby certifies that he is a duly appointed and elected Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company, (the “Borrower”), and does hereby further certify on behalf of the Borrower in connection with that certain Loan Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2014 between the Borrower and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, as Lender (the “Loan Agreement”; terms defined in the Loan Agreement shall have the same meanings in this certificate) that:

1. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a true, correct and complete copy of the Borrower’s Certificate of Incorporation, together with all amendments thereto, and as in effect on and as of the date hereof, certified as of December 9, 2014.

2. Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a true, correct and complete copy of the Borrower’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, together with all amendments thereto, as in effect on and as of the date hereof.

3. Attached hereto as Exhibit C is a true, correct and complete copy of the resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Borrower approving and authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and approving and authorizing Advances from time to time under the Loan Agreement, which resolutions remain in full force and effect without modification or amendment on and as of the date hereof.

4. Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a list of Responsible Officers of the Borrower. The listed persons are duly qualified and acting officers or directors of the Borrower duly elected or appointed to the offices set forth opposite the name of such person, or are otherwise authorized by the Borrower to execute the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents and are authorized by the Borrower to request Advances from time to time under the Loan Agreement, and each such person who, on behalf of the Borrower, signed the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document or who is authorized to request Advances was duly elected or appointed, qualified and acting as such officer, director or authorized signatory at the time of such signing and delivery, and the signature of each such person appearing on such documents is such person’s genuine signature.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand on behalf of the Borrower.

 

Dated: December 9, 2014

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Name:

Robin Yanhong Li

Title:

Director, Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer

The undersigned hereby certifies that he is the duly appointed and acting President and Chief Executive Officer of the Borrower, and further certifies that Robin Yanhong Li is a duly elected and appointed Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Borrower and the signature appearing above is his true and genuine signature.

 

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT A TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Certificate of Incorporation


EXHIBIT B TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Memorandum and Articles of Association


EXHIBIT C TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Baidu, Inc.

(the “Company”)

Resolutions

WHEREAS, there has been presented to the Board of Directors of the Company a Loan Agreement (“Agreement”), to be dated as of December 9, 2014, between the Company, as borrower, on the one hand and BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch, a federally chartered branch of Bank of China Limited, a joint stock company incorporated in the People’s Republic of China with limited liability (the “Bank”) on the other hand, whereby, among other things, the Bank shall extend to the Company a loan in the aggregate amount of up to $150,000,000 and a revolving credit promissory note for the amount of $150,000,000 to be dated as of December 9, 2014 and to be issued by the Company in favor of the Bank (“Promissory Note”); and

WHEREAS, the directors of the Company have carefully reviewed the Agreement, the Promissory Note and all documents to be executed by the Company in connection therewith.

1. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors of the Company deems it to be in the best interests of the Company to enter into the Agreement and the Promissory Note with the Bank and to perform its obligations under the Agreement and the Promissory Note and all documents to be executed by the Company in connection therewith.

2. RESOLVED FURTHER, that the form of the Agreement and the Promissory Note be approved.

3. RESOLVED FURTHER, that Jennifer Xinzhe Li, being the Chief Financial Officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed, on behalf of the Company to execute and deliver the Agreement and the Promissory Note, and all such other instruments, documents and certificates to be executed by the Company in connection therewith and to take all such further and other action in connection with these resolutions hereinabove adopted as he may deem necessary, advisable or proper to effectuate the intent and purpose of the resolutions, such necessity, advisability or propriety to be conclusively evidenced by his execution thereof or taking of such action.


EXHIBIT D TO DIRECTOR’S CERTIFICATE

Signature and Incumbency

 

Name

  

Title

  

Signature

Robin Yanhong Li   

Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Jennifer Xinzhe Li   

Chief Financial Officer

  

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li


EXHIBIT C

FORM OF CERTIFICATE

CERTIFICATE OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICER

As required by Section 4.1(f) of the Loan Agreement dated December 9, 2014 between BAIDU, INC., a Cayman Islands company, and BANK OF CHINA, Los Angeles Branch (the “Agreement”), I, Jennifer Xinzhe Li, do hereby certify that I am the Chief Financial Officer of BAIDU, INC. (the “Company”), and further certify on behalf of the Company that, to the best of my knowledge:

The representations and warranties contained in Article 5 of the Agreement are correct in all material respects on and as of the date of this Certificate; and

No event has occurred and is continuing that constitutes an Event of Default (within the meaning of that term as defined in the Agreement).

The current Debt Ratings as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of Borrower most recently ended prior to the date of this Certificate are as follows”

Fitch:

Moody’s:

 

Certified this 9th day of December, 2014.

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT D

FORM OF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

Financial Statement Date: September 30, 2014

To: Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to that certain Loan Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2014 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the “Agreement”; the terms defined therein being used herein as therein defined), Baidu, Inc., a Cayman Islands corporation (the “Borrower”), and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch (“Lender”).

The undersigned Responsible Officer hereby certifies as of the date hereof that he/she is the Chief Financial Officer of Borrower, and that, as such, he/she is authorized to execute and deliver this Certificate to Lender on the behalf of Borrower, and that:

1. Borrower has delivered the unaudited financial statements required by Section 6.1(b) of the Agreement for the fiscal quarter of Borrower ended as of the above date. Such financial statements fairly present the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP as at such date and for such period, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.

2. The undersigned has reviewed and is familiar with the terms of the Agreement and has made, or has caused to be made under his/her supervision, a detailed review of the transactions and condition (financial or otherwise) of Borrower during the accounting period covered by such financial statements.

3. A review of the activities of Borrower during such fiscal period has been made under the supervision of the undersigned with a view to determining whether any Default or Event of Default occurred during such fiscal period. To the best knowledge of the undersigned after making such review, no Default or Event of Default has occurred (whether during such fiscal period or otherwise) and is continuing on the date hereof.

4. The financial covenant analyses and information set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto are true and accurate on and as of the Financial Statement Date.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate as of December 9, 2014.

 

BAIDU, INC.

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name:

Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

EX-8.1

EXHIBIT 8.1

List of Principal Subsidiaries and Consolidated Affiliated Entities

Subsidiaries:

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

Baidu Holdings Limited—Incorporated in the British Virgin Islands

Baidu (China) Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

Baidu.com Times Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

Baidu Japan Inc.—Incorporated in Japan

Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited—Incorporated in Hong Kong

Qunar Cayman Islands Limited—Incorporated in the Cayman Islands

Qiyi.com, Inc.—Incorporated in the Cayman Islands

B.D. Mobile Telecommunications Limited—Incorporated in the Cayman Islands

Baidu Cloud Computing Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

Baidu Cloud Computing Technology (Shanxi) Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

91 Wireless Websoft Limited—Incorporated in the Cayman Islands

Consolidated Affiliated Entities:

Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

Beijing BaiduPay Science and Technology Co., Ltd.—Incorporated in the PRC

EX-12.1

EXHIBIT 12.1

Certification by the Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Robin Yanhong Li, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Baidu, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the company and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 27, 2015

 

By:

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Name: Robin Yanhong Li

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

EX-12.2

EXHIBIT 12.2

Certification by the Principal Financial Officer

Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Jennifer Xinzhe Li, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Baidu, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the company and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 27, 2015

 

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name: Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:   Chief Financial Officer

EX-13.1

EXHIBIT 13.1

Certification by the Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Baidu, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Robin Yanhong Li, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: March 27, 2015

 

By:

/s/ Robin Yanhong Li

Name: Robin Yanhong Li

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

EX-13.2

EXHIBIT 13.2

Certification by the Principal Financial Officer

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Baidu, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Jennifer Xinzhe Li, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: March 27, 2015

 

By:

/s/ Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Name: Jennifer Xinzhe Li

Title:   Chief Financial Officer

EX-15.1

EXHIBIT 15.1

[Maples and Calder Letterhead]

Baidu, Inc.

Baidu Campus

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street

Haidian District, Beijing 100085

The People’s Republic of China

27 March 2015

Dear Sirs

Baidu, Inc.

We consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Item 10.E. Additional Information—Taxation—Cayman Islands Taxation” and “Item 16G. Corporate Governance” in Baidu Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2014 (the “Annual Report”), which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in the month of March 2015, and further consent to the incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-129374) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2000 Option Plan, Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-158678) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2008 Share Incentive Plan, and Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-184757) of Baidu, Inc. of the summary of our opinion under the heading “Item 10.E. Additional Information—Taxation—Cayman Islands Taxation” and “Item 16G. Corporate Governance” in the Annual Report. We also consent to the filing with the SEC of this consent letter as an exhibit to the Annual Report.

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 Securities Act of 1933, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in each case, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Yours faithfully,

/s/ Maples and Calder

EX-15.2

EXHIBIT 15.2

[Han Kun Law Offices Letterhead]

March 27, 2015

Baidu, Inc.

Baidu Campus

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street

Haidian District, Beijing

People’s Republic of China 100085

Dear Sir/Madam:

We hereby consent to the reference of our name under the heading “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation” in Baidu, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2014 (the “Annual Report”), which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in the month of March 2015, and further consent to the incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-129374) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2000 Option Plan, Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-158678) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2008 Share Incentive Plan, and Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-184757) of Baidu, Inc. of the summary of our opinion under the heading “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation” in the Annual Report. We also consent to the filing of this consent letter with the SEC as an exhibit to the Annual Report.

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 Securities Act of 1933, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in each case, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Han Kun Law Offices

EX-15.3

EXHIBIT 15.3

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:

 

  (1)

Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-129374) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2000 Option Plan,

 

  (2)

Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-158678) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2008 Share Incentive Plan, and

 

  (3)

Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-184757) of Baidu, Inc.;

of our reports dated March 27, 2015, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Baidu, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Baidu, Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 20-F) of Baidu Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2014.

/s/ Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP

Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

March 27, 2015