Discloseable Transaction - Proposed Acquisition

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement. Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd. (A joint stock limited company incorporated in the People's Republic of China with limited liability) (Stock code: 0576) DISCLOSEABLE TRANSACTION PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF 50% EQUITY INTEREST IN SHENGXIN EXPRESSWAY COMPANY On 6 July 2012, the Company entered into the Sale and Purchase Agreement with the Vendor, pursuant to which the Company has conditionally agreed to purchase from the Vendor a 50% equity interest in Shengxin Expressway Company for a cash consideration of RMB 355,032,803 plus interest accrued on the consideration from 31 March 2012 to the date of receipt by the Vendor of the payment of the consideration, which is estimated to be approximately RMB 9 million. As the applicable percentage ratios in respect of the Acquisition contemplated under the Sale and Purchase Agreement are more than 5% but less than 25%, the Acquisition constitutes a discloseable transaction under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules and is subject to the reporting and announcement requirements as set out in Rule 14.33 of the Listing Rules. THE ACQUISITION IS CONDITIONAL UPON THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONDITION PRECEDENT. THEREFORE, THE ACQUISITION MAY OR MAY NOT PROCEED. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION IN DEALING IN THE COMPANY'S SECURITIES. THE SALE AND PURCHASE AGREEMENT On 12 December 2011, the Company's parent, Communications Group, had, independently of the Company, entered into the Parent Agreement with the Vendor in relation to a proposed acquisition of the Sale Interest. Under such agreement, Communications Group was entitled to itself acquire the Sale Interest or designate any of its subsidiaries to acquire the Sale Interest. On 6 July 2012, the Company separately entered into the Sale and Purchase Agreement with the Vendor, pursuant to which the Company agreed conditionally to acquire the Sale Interest on the terms as set out in the Sale and Purchase Agreement. The Sale and Purchase Agreement is not conditional upon, and is entirely independent of the Parent Agreement. Further, the Company has not paid or received any benefit or payment from or to Communications Group in connection with the Company's entering into of the proposed Acquisition. The Company's PRC legal counsel have advised that the Parent Agreement remains legally binding on the Vendor, but that upon the completion of the Sale and Purchase Agreement after the receipt of the approval from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the PRC and the relevant government authorities, and the completion of the change of industrial and commercial registration at the State Administration for Industry and Commerce in the PRC by the Company in relation to the Sale Interest, the Company shall become the sole owner of the Sale Interest. The principal terms of the Sale and Purchase Agreement are as follows: Date 6 July 2012 Parties (i) the Company as purchaser; and (ii) the Vendor as vendor. To the best of the Directors' knowledge, information and belief and having made all reasonable enquiries, the Vendor and its ultimate beneficial owner are third parties independent of the Company and its connected person(s) (as defined under the Listing Rules). The Group has not engaged in any previous transactions related to the transactions contemplated under the Sale and Purchase Agreement which would be required to be aggregated under Rule 14.22 of the Listing Rules. Subject matter of the Sale and Purchase Agreement Pursuant to the Sale and Purchase Agreement, the Company has conditionally agreed to purchase from the Vendor a 50% equity interest in Shengxin Expressway Company. Shengxin Expressway Company will hold the Operating Rights upon the completion of the transfer of the Operating Rights from the Vendor and the receipt of the approval from Zhejiang Provincial Government. Shengxin Expressway Company is a limited liability company established in the PRC with a registered and paid-up capital of RMB5 million. Consideration The consideration for the Acquisition is RMB355,032,803. The Company shall pay to the Vendor interests accrued on the consideration from 31 March 2012 to the date of receipt by the Vendor of the payment of the consideration, which is estimated to be approximately RMB 9 million. The rate of interest will be based on the one to three-year RMB benchmark lending rate of the People's Bank of China as at the date of receipt by the Vendor the first installment of the consideration under the Sale and Purchase Agreement. The consideration will be satisfied by three installments to be paid in the following manner: (i) 10% of the consideration plus relevant interests shall be paid in cash within five business days of the signing of the Sale and Purchase Agreement; (ii) 40% of the consideration plus relevant interests shall be paid in cash within ten business days from the date of approval by the relevant provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission for (a) the Sale and Purchase Agreement, (b) the Account Transfer and (c) the Loan Novation, whichever is later; and (iii) 50% of the consideration plus relevant interests shall be paid in cash within ten business days from the date of completion of the change of industrial and commercial registration in the PRC in relation to the Acquisition. Board representation The board of directors of Shengxin Expressway Company shall comprise seven directors. Each of the Company and the Vendor is entitled to appoint three directors of Shengxin Expressway Company respectively, while the employees of Shengxin Expressway Company are entitled to appoint one director to the board. Basis of determination of the consideration The consideration for the Acquisition was determined after arm's length negotiations between the Company and the Vendor by reference to 50% of the appraised value of the entire shares of Shengxin Expressway Company of RMB710,065,607 as at 31 March 2012 based on a valuation report prepared by Shaoxing Hongtai Assets Appraisal Co., Ltd. The consideration under the Sale and Purchase Agreement payable by the Company will be financed by internal resources of the Company. Condition precedent Completion of the Acquisition is conditional upon, amongst others, the approval from the relevant provincial and municipal departments of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the PRC in relation to the Acquisition being obtained and the transfer of the Operating Rights from the Vendor to Shengxin Expressway Company being completed upon receipt of the approval of the Zhejiang Provincial Government. Termination The parties are entitled to terminate the Sale and Purchase Agreement under, amongst others, the following circumstances: (i) if the Company does not pay any installment of the consideration according to the Sale and Purchase Agreement for more than 20 days, the Vendor is entitled to (i) terminate the Sale and Purchase Agreement and to a sum of at least 5% of the consideration under the Sale and Purchase Agreement as liquidated damages or (ii) demand the Company to pay a sum equivalent to 0.03% of the outstanding consideration as liquidated damages for each day of delayed payment; or (ii) if the Account Transfer and the Loan Novation cannot be completed due to (i) any policies, rules or regulations, (ii) the disagreement of any holder of notes or medium-term notes of the Vendor to the Account Transfer or the Loan Novation or (iii) any other reasons not attributable to the fault of the Vendor, and the Vendor has endeavored but failed to effect these transfers, the Sale and Purchase Agreement shall terminate and the Vendor shall repay all amounts received from the Company under the Sale and Purchase Agreement and any interest thereon. In the event that the transfer of Operating Rights into Shengxin Expressway Company or the transfer of Sale Interest to the Company is revoked within one year after the completion of the Acquisition, the Vendor shall repay all amounts received from the Company under the Sale and Purchase Agreement plus any interest accrued thereon. In the event that the transfer of Operating Rights into Shengxin Expressway Company or the transfer of the Sale Interest to the Company is revoked after one year from the completion of the Acquisition, the Company and the Vendor shall each be entitled to enjoy 50% of the rights and bear 50% of the obligations of the Operating Rights until the termination of such rights. INFORMATION ON SHENGXIN EXPRESSWAY COMPANY AND THE YONGJIN EXPRESSWAY Shengxin Expressway Company is a limited liability company established in the PRC with a registered and paid-up capital of RMB5 million and is wholly-owned by the Vendor as at the date of this announcement. Shengxin Expressway Company will hold the Operating Rights upon the completion of the transfer of the Operating Rights from the Vendor to Shengxin Expressway Company and the receipt of approval from the Zhejiang Provincial Government. According to the unaudited accounts of Shengxin Expressway Company, it recorded an unaudited net loss of approximately RMB34.7 million and RMB34.7 million before and after taxation for the year ended 31 December 2011, respectively. The unaudited net asset value of Shengxin Expressway Company was approximately RMB579 million as at 31 March 2012. The financial statements of Shengxin Expressway Company for the year ended 31 December 2010 are not available since it was only incorporated on 29 June 2011. As such, the net profit for the year ended 31 December 2010 and the net asset value of Shengxin Expressway Company as at 31 December 2010 are not available. Yongjin Expressway is a branch line of Shenyang-Haikou Expressway within the State expressway network linking the eastern and western parts of the Zhejiang Province of the PRC and is connected to Hangjinqu Expressway and Ningbo Loop Expressway. The Shaoxing Section of Yongjin Expressway is located in Xinchang City and Shengzhou City of the PRC with a total length of 73 km and four toll collection stations. It commenced operation in 2006. The Vendor acquired the Operating Rights at an open auction in December 2010 for RMB3.06 billion and will complete the transfer of the Operating Rights to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Shengxin Expressway Company, upon receipt of the relevant approval from the Zhejiang Provincial Government. INFORMATION ON THE VENDOR The Vendor is a PRC State-owned company with a registered capital of RMB500 million and engaged in investment, operation and management in state-owned assets, acquisition and development of land, urban development, and the provision of services in the design, production, publication and agency business for advertisements. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY The Company was established on 1 March 1997 in the PRC and is a joint stock limited company with a registered share capital of RMB4,343,114,500 at present. The main businesses of the Group are (i) investment in, development, operation, management and collection of tolls of the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway and the Shangsan Expressway, both of which are in the Zhejiang Province of the PRC and (ii) businesses ancillary to the operation of the expressways, such as billboard advertising and operation of service areas on the expressways. REASONS FOR ENTERING INTO THE SALE AND PURCHASE AGREEMENT The Directors are of the view that the Acquisition would allow the Group to expand its business interests in expressways in the PRC. The Vendor is a wholly State-owned enterprise. The Directors are of the view that the financial return of the Acquisition is expected to meet the investment criteria set by the Company which is based on the forecasted toll fees expected to be collected by Shengxin Expressway Company from its operation of the Shaoxing section of the Yongjin Expressway over the anticipated 25-year toll collection period. Further, the Directors are of the view that the Acquisition will generate synergies for the Company's operation and will have a positive impact on the earnings and assets of the Company over an extended period of time after a further period of traffic volume build-up at the Shaoxing section of the Yongjin Expressway. Based on the above, the Directors, including the independent non-executive Directors, consider that the terms of, and the transactions contemplated under, the Sale and Purchase Agreement are fair and reasonable, are in normal commercial terms, and are in the best interests of the Group and the Shareholders as a whole. LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS As the applicable percentage ratios in respect of the Acquisition contemplated under the Sale and Purchase Agreement is more than 5% but less than 25%, the Acquisition constitutes a discloseable transaction under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules and is subject to the reporting and announcement requirements as set out in Rule 14.33 of the Listing Rules. The Acquisition is not subject to approval of Shareholders under the Listing Rules. None of the Directors has a material interest in the transactions contemplated under the Sale and Purchase Agreement or is required to abstain from voting on the relevant board resolution approving the Sale and Purchase Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereunder. THE ACQUISITION IS CONDITIONAL UPON THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONDITION PRECEDENT. THEREFORE, THE ACQUISITION MAY OR MAY NOT PROCEED. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION IN DEALING IN THE COMPANY'S SECURITIES. DEFINITIONS In this announcement, the following expressions have the meanings set out below unless the context requires otherwise. "Account Transfer" the transfer of the toll fee collection account in respect of the Shaoxing section of the Yongjin Expressway from the Vendor to Shengxin Expressway Company; "Acquisition" the acquisition of the Sale Interest pursuant to the Sale and Purchase Agreement; "Communications Group" Zhejiang Communications Investment Group Co., Ltd., a wholly State-owned enterprise established on 29 December 2001. Communications Group beneficially owns 2,909,260,000 Domestic Shares, which represent approximately 67% of the issued share capital of the Company as at the date of this announcement, and is a substantial Shareholder (as defined under the Listing Rules) of the Company; "Company" Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd.; "Directors" the directors of the Company; "Domestic Shares" the domestic invested shares of RMB1.00 each in the share capital of the Company; "Group" the Company and its subsidiaries; "HK$" Hong Kong dollars, the lawful currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; "Listing Rules" the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited; "Loan" a loan of a principal amount of RMB2.414 billion owed by the Vendor to China Development Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China; "Loan Novation" the novation of the Loan by the Vendor, as debtor, to Shengxin Expressway Company; "Operating Rights" the operating rights, including the toll fee collection rights, in respect of the Shaoxing section of the Yongjin Expressway; "Parent Agreement" an agreement entered into on 12 December 2011 between Communications Group and the Vendor under which Communications Group has conditionally agreed to acquire the Sale Interest; "percentage ratios" has the meaning as ascribed to it under the Listing Rules, as applicable to a transaction; "PRC" the People's Republic of China; "RMB" renminbi, the lawful currency of the PRC; "Sale and Purchase the sale and purchase agreement dated 6 July 2012 Agreement" entered into between the Company and the Vendor in relation to the acquisition of the Sale Interest by the Company from the Vendor; "Sale Interest" 50% of the equity interest in Shengxin Expressway Company owned by the Vendor; "Shareholder" the Shareholders of the Company; "Shengxin Expressway Shengxin Expressway Co., Ltd, a PRC-incorporated Company" company; and "Vendor" Shaoxing Communications Investment Group Co., Ltd., a wholly State-owned enterprise. By Order of the Board ZHAN Xiaozhang Chairman Hangzhou, 9 July 2012 As at the date of this announcement, the executive directors of the Company are: Messrs. ZHAN Xiaozhang, LUO Jianhu and DING Huikang; the non-executive directors of the Company are: Messrs. LI Zongsheng, WANG Weili and WANG Dongjie; and the independent non-executive directors of the Company are: Messrs. ZHANG Junsheng, ZHOU Jun and PEI Ker-Wei.
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