Translation of Exclusive Option Agreement
Translation of Exclusive Option Agreement
This Exclusive Option Agreement (this "Agreement") is executed by and among the following Parties as of May 1, 2012, in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”):
Party A: Shangrao Baihuazhou Green Resources Agriculture Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Address: 7 ▇▇▇ ▇▇ East Road, Xinzhou, Shangrao, Jiangxi Province
Party B: ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
National Identification Number: 362325196208190021
Party C: Shangrao Bai ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Industrial Co., Ltd.
Address: 8 ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ road, Shangrao, Jiangxi Province
In this Agreement, each of Party A, Party B and Party C shall be referred to as a "Party" respectively, and they shall be collectively referred to as the "Parties".
Whereas:
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The Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement is made and entered into by and between Party A and Party C on the date of May 1 ,2012. Party A will provide Party C with management consultation staff training and other services and provide finance assistances to Party C by means allowed by applicable laws.
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Party B holds 100 % of the equity interest in Party C.
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Party B agrees to grant Party A an exclusive right to purchase the equity interests in Party C then held by Party B at the price set forth in this Agreement.. Each person in Party B agrees not to exercise the right of first refusal to purchase the equity interests to be transferred by other persons.
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Party C agrees to grant Party A an exclusive right to purchase the assets at the best possible price.
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Now therefore, upon mutual discussion and negotiation, the Parties have reached the following agreement:
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1. Sale and Purchase of Equity Interests and/or Assets
1.1 Option Granted
In consideration of the payment by Party A, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged by Party B, Party B hereby irrevocably grants Party A an irrevocable and exclusive right to purchase, or designate one or more persons (each, a "Designee") to purchase the equity interests in Party C then held by Party B once or at multiple times at any time in part or in whole at Party A's sole and absolute discretion to the extent permitted by Chinese laws and at the price described in Section 1.3 herein (such right being the "Equity Interests Purchase Option"). Except for Party A and the Designee(s), no other person shall be entitled to the Equity Interest Purchase Option or other rights with respect to the equity interests of Party B. Party C hereby agrees to the grant by Party B of the Equity Interests Purchase Option to Party A.
In consideration of the payment by Party A, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged by Party C, Party C hereby irrevocably grants Party A an irrevocable and exclusive right to purchase, or designate one or more persons (each, a "Designee") to purchase the asset of Party C (including but not limited to fixed assets, current assets, intellectual property rights, ownership of equity interests in any person within or outside the PRC and the benefits under all contracts entered into by Party C once or at multiple times at any time in part or in whole at Party A's sole and absolute discretion to the extent permitted by Chinese laws and at the price described in Section 1.3 herein (such right being the "Assets Purchase Option"). Except for Party A and the Designee(s), no other person shall be entitled to the Asset Purchase Option or other rights with respect to the assets of Party C. Party B hereby agrees to the grant by Party C of the Assets Purchase Option to Party A.
The term "person" as used herein shall refer to individuals, corporations, partnerships, enterprises, trusts or other non-corporate organizations.
1.2 Steps for Exercise of Purchase Option
Subject to the provisions of the laws and regulations of China, Party A may exercise the Purchase Option by issuing a written notice to Party B and/or Party C (the "Purchase Option Notice"), specifying: (a) Party A's decision to exercise the Purchase Option; (b) the portion of equity interests to be purchased from Party B and/or all or part of assets to be purchased from Party C ("Optioned Equity Interests and/or Assets"); and (c) the date for purchasing the Optioned Equity Interests and/or Assets, and the date for transfer of the Optioned Equity Interests and/or Assets.
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1.3 Purchase Price
Unless an appraisal is required by the laws of China applicable to the Equity Interests Purchase Option and/or Assets Purchase Option when exercised by Party A, the purchase price of the Optioned Equity Interests and/or Assets (the “Exercise Price”) shall be an amount equal to the lower of (i) the actual registered capital of Party C corresponding to the Optioned Equity Interests to be acquired and (ii) an amount equal to the product of (x) RMB 500,000 and (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Optioned Equity Interests being purchased upon such exercise from Party B and the denominator of which is the total number of outstanding equity interests of Party C as of the date of the Option Purchase Notice, provided that in the case of the purchase of a portion of the assets, the numerator shall be the fair market value of the assets acquired and the denominator shall be the net fair market value of all of the Party C’s assets as of the date of the Purchase Option Notice.
If the applicable laws of the PRC impose other restrictions on the purchase price of the Optioned Equity Interests or otherwise amends the applicable laws at the time when Party A exercises the Equity Purchase Option, all Parties agree that the Exercise Price shall be set at the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws.
1.4 Transfer of Optioned Interests and/or Assets
1.4.1 For each exercise of the Equity Interest Purchase Option:
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1.4.1.1
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Party B shall cause Party C to promptly convene a shareholders’ meeting, at which a resolution shall be adopted approving Party B's transfer of the Optioned Interests to Party A and/or the Designee(s);
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1.4.1.2
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Party B shall obtain written statements from the other shareholders of Party C giving consent to the transfer of the equity interest to Party A and/or the Designee(s) and waiving any right of first refusal related thereto.
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1.4.1.3
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Party B shall execute a share transfer contract with respect to each transfer with Party A and/or each Designee (whichever is applicable), in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the Equity Interest Purchase Option Notice regarding the Optioned Interests;
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1.4.1.4
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The relevant Parties shall execute all other necessary contracts, agreements or documents, obtain all necessary government licenses and permits and take all necessary actions to transfer valid ownership of the Optioned Interests to Party A and/or the Designee(s), unencumbered by any security interests, and cause Party A and/or the Designee(s) to become the registered owner(s) of the Optioned Interests. For the purpose of this Section and this Agreement, "security interests" shall include securities, mortgages, third party's rights or interests, any stock options, acquisition right, right of first refusal, right to offset, ownership retention or other security arrangements, but shall be deemed to exclude any security interest created by this Agreement and Party B's Share Pledge Agreement. "Party B's Share Pledge Agreement" as used in this Section and this Agreement shall refer to the Share Pledge Agreement ("Share Pledge Agreement") executed by and among Party A, Party B and Party C as of the date hereof, whereby Party B pledges all of its equity interests in Party C to Party A, in order to guarantee Party C's performance of its obligations under the Exclusive Business Corporation Agreement executed by and between Party C and Party A.
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1.4.2 For each exercise of the Assets Purchase Option:
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1.4.2.1
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Party B shall cause Party C to promptly convene a shareholders’ meeting, at which a resolution shall be adopted approving Party B's transfer of the Optioned Interests to Party A and/or the Designee(s) whichever is applicable;
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1.4.2.2
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Party C shall execute a share transfer contract with respect to each transfer with Party A and/or each Designee (whichever is applicable), in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the Purchase Option Notice regarding the Optioned Assets;
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1.4.2.3
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The relevant Parties shall execute all other necessary contracts, agreements or documents, obtain all necessary government licenses and permits and take all necessary actions to transfer valid ownership of the Optioned Assets to Party A and/or the Designee(s), unencumbered by any security interests, and cause Party A and/or the Designee(s) to become the registered owner(s) of the Optioned Assets. The "security interests" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in 1.4.1.4.
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2. Covenants
2.1 Covenants regarding Party C
Party B (as the shareholders of Party C) and Party C hereby covenant as follows:
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2.1.1
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall not in any manner supplement, change or amend the articles of association and bylaws of Party C, increase or decrease its registered capital, or change its structure of registered capital in other manners;
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2.1.2
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They shall maintain Party C's corporate existence in accordance with good financial and business standards and practices by prudently and effectively operating its business and handling its affairs;
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2.1.3
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall not at any time following the date hereof, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of in any manner any assets of Party C or legal or beneficial interest in the business or revenues of Party C, or allow the encumbrance thereon of any security interest;
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2.1.4
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall not incur, inherit, guarantee or suffer the existence of any debt, except for (i) debts incurred in the ordinary course of business other than through loans; and (ii) debts disclosed to Party A and for which Party A's written consent has been obtained;
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2.1.5
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They shall always operate all of Party C's businesses during the ordinary course of business to maintain the asset value of Party C and refrain from any action/omission that may affect Party C's operating status and asset value;
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2.1.6
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall not cause Party C to execute any material contract, except the contracts in the ordinary course of business (for purpose of this subsection, a contract with a value exceeding RMB1Million shall be deemed as a material contract);
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2.1.7
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall not cause Party C to provide any person with any loan or credit;
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2.1.8
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They shall provide Party A with information on Party C's business operations and financial conditions at Party A's request;
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2.1.9
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If requested by Party A, they shall procure and maintain insurance in respect of Party C's assets and business from an insurance carrier acceptable to Party A, at an amount and type of coverage typical for companies that operate similar businesses;
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2.1.10
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall not cause or permit Party C to merge, consolidate with, acquire or invest in any person;
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2.1.11
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They shall immediately notify Party A of the occurrence or possible occurrence of any litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings relating to Party C's assets, business or revenue;
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2.1.12
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To maintain the ownership by Party C of all of its assets, they shall execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions and file all necessary or appropriate complaints or raise necessary and appropriate defenses against all claims;
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2.1.13
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, they shall ensure that Party C shall not in any manner distribute dividends to its shareholders, provided that upon Party A's written request, Party C shall immediately distribute all distributable profits to its shareholders; and
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2.1.14
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At the request of Party A, they shall appoint any persons designated by Party A as directors of Party C.
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2.2 Covenants of Party B
Party B hereby covenants as follows:
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2.2.1
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Without the prior written consent of Party A, Party B shall not sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of in any other manner any legal or beneficial interest in the equity interests in Party C held by Party B, or allow the encumbrance thereon of any security interest, except for the pledge placed on these equity interests in accordance with Party B's Share Pledge Agreement;
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2.2.2
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Party B shall cause the shareholders' meeting and/or the board of directors of Party C not to approve the sale, transfer, mortgage or disposition in any other manner of any legal or beneficial interest in the equity interests in Party C held by Party B, or allow the encumbrance thereon of any security interest, without the prior written consent of Party A, except for the pledge placed on these equity interests in accordance with Party B's Share Pledge Agreement;
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2.2.3
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Party B shall cause the shareholders' meeting or the board of directors of Party C not to approve the merger or consolidation with any person, or the acquisition of or investment in any person, without the prior written consent of Party A;
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2.2.4
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Party B shall immediately notify Party A of the occurrence or possible occurrence of any litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings relating to the equity interests in Party C held by Party B;
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2.2.5
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Party B shall cause the shareholders' meeting or the board of directors of Party C to vote their approval of the transfer of the Optioned Interests and/or Assets as set forth in this Agreement and to take any and all other actions that may be requested by Party A;
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2.2.6
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To the extent necessary to maintain Party B's ownership in Party C, Party B shall execute all necessary or appropriate documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions and file all necessary or appropriate complaints or raise necessary and appropriate defenses against all claims;
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2.2.7
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Party B shall appoint any designee of Party A as director of Party C, at the request of Party A;
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2.2.8
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At the request of Party A at any time, Party B shall promptly and unconditionally transfer its equity interests in Party C to Party A's Designee(s) in accordance with the Equity Interest Purchase Option under this Agreement, and Party B hereby waives its right of first refusal to the respective share transfer by the other existing shareholder of Party C (if any); and
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2.2.9
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Party B shall strictly abide by the provisions of this Agreement and other contracts jointly or separately executed by and among Party B, Party C and Party A, perform the obligations hereunder and thereunder, and refrain from any action/omission that may affect the effectiveness and enforceability thereof. To the extent that Party B has any remaining rights with respect to the equity interests subject to this Agreement hereunder or under the Share Pledge Agreement among the same parties hereto or under the Power of Attorney granted in favor of Party A, Party B shall not exercise such rights except in accordance with the written instructions of Party A.
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3. Representations and Warranties
Party B and Party C hereby represent and warrant to Party A, jointly and severally, as of the date of this Agreement and each date of transfer of the Optioned Interests, that:
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3.1
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They have the authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and any share transfer contracts to which they are parties concerning the Optioned Interests to be transferred thereunder (each, a "Transfer Contract"), and to perform their obligations under this Agreement and any Transfer Contracts. Party B and Party C agree to enter into Transfer Contracts consistent with the terms of this Agreement upon Party A’s exercise of the Equity Interest Purchase Option. This Agreement and the Transfer Contracts to which they are parties constitute or will constitute their legal, valid and binding obligations and shall be enforceable against them in accordance with the provisions thereof;
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3.2
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The execution and delivery of this Agreement or any Transfer Contracts and the performance of the obligations under this Agreement or any Transfer Contracts shall not: (i) cause any violation of any applicable laws of China; (ii) be inconsistent with the articles of association, bylaws or other organizational documents of Party C; (iii) cause the violation of any contracts or instruments to which they are a party or which are binding on them, or constitute any breach under any contracts or instruments to which they are a party or which are binding on them; (iv) cause any violation of any condition for the grant and/or continued effectiveness of any licenses or permits issued to either of them; or (v) cause the suspension or revocation of or imposition of additional conditions to any licenses or permits issued to either of them;
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3.3
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Party B has a good and merchantable title to the equity interests in Party C he holds. Except for Party B's Share Pledge Agreement, Party B has not placed any security interest on such equity interests;
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3.4
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Party C has a good and merchantable title to all of its assets, and has not placed any security interest on the aforementioned assets;
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3.5
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Party C does not have any outstanding debts, except for (i) debt incurred in the ordinary course of business; and (ii) debts disclosed to Party A for which Party A's written consent has been obtained.
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3.6
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Party C has complied with all laws and regulations of China applicable to asset acquisitions; and
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3.7
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There is no pending or threatened litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings relating to the equity interests in Party C, assets of Party C or Party C.
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4. Effective Date
This Agreement shall become effective upon the date hereof, and remain effective for a term of 30 years, and may be renewed at Party A's election.
5. Governing Law and Resolution of Disputes
5.1 Governing law
The execution, effectiveness, construction, performance, amendment and termination of this Agreement and the resolution of disputes hereunder shall be governed by the formally published and publicly available laws of China. Matters not covered by formally published and publicly available laws of China shall be governed by international legal principles and practices.
5.2 Methods of Resolution of Disputes
In the event of any dispute with respect to the construction and performance of this Agreement, the Parties shall first resolve the dispute through friendly negotiations. In the event the Parties fail to reach an agreement on the dispute within 30 days after either Party's request to the other Parties for resolution of the dispute through negotiations, either Party may submit the relevant dispute to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission for arbitration, in accordance with its Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in Beijing, and the language used in arbitration shall be Chinese. The arbitration award shall be final and binding on all Parties.
6. Taxes and Fees
Each Party shall pay any and all transfer and registration tax, expenses and fees incurred thereby or levied thereon in accordance with the laws of China in connection with the preparation and execution of this Agreement and the Transfer Contracts, as well as the consummation of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement and the Transfer Contracts.
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7. Notices
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7.1
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All notices and other communications required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be delivered personally or sent by registered mail, postage prepaid, by a commercial courier service or by facsimile transmission to the address of such Party set forth below. A confirmation copy of each notice shall also be sent by email. The dates on which notices shall be deemed to have been effectively given shall be determined as follows:
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7.1.1
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Notices given by personal delivery, by courier service or by registered mail, postage prepaid, shall be deemed effectively given on the date of arrival or refusal at the address specified for notices.
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7.1.2
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Notices given by facsimile transmission shall be deemed effectively given on the date of successful transmission (as evidenced by an automatically generated confirmation of transmission).
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7.3
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Any Party may at any time change its address for notices by a notice delivered to the other Parties in accordance with the terms hereof.
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8. Confidentiality
The Parties acknowledge that the existence and the terms of this Agreement and any oral or written information exchanged between the Parties in connection with the preparation and performance this Agreement are regarded as confidential information. Each Party shall maintain confidentiality of all such confidential information, and without obtaining the written consent of the other Party, it shall not disclose any relevant confidential information to any third parties, except for the information that: (a) is or will be in the public domain (other than through the receiving Party’s unauthorized disclosure); (b) is under the obligation to be disclosed pursuant to the applicable laws or regulations, rules of any stock exchange, or orders of the court or other government authorities; or (c) is required to be disclosed by any Party to its shareholders, investors, legal counsels or financial advisors regarding the transaction contemplated hereunder, provided that such shareholders, investors, legal counsels or financial advisors shall be bound by the confidentiality obligations similar to those set forth in this Section. Disclosure of any confidential information by the staff members or agencies hired by any Party shall be deemed disclosure of such confidential information by such Party, which Party shall be held liable for breach of this Agreement. This Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason.
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9. Further Warranties
The Parties agree to promptly execute documents that are reasonably required for or are conducive to the implementation of the provisions and purposes of this Agreement and take further actions that are reasonably required for or are conducive to the implementation of the provisions and purposes of this Agreement.
10. Miscellaneous
10.1 Amendment, change and supplement
Any amendment, change and supplement to this Agreement shall require the execution of a written agreement by all of the Parties.
10.2 Entire agreement
Except for the amendments, supplements or changes in writing executed after the execution of this Agreement, this Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement reached by and among the Parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and shall take the place of all prior oral and written consultations, representations and contracts reached with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.
10.3 Headings
The headings of this Agreement are for convenience only, and shall not be used to interpret, explain or otherwise affect the meanings of the provisions of this Agreement.
10.4 Language
This Agreement is written in both English and Chinese in three copies. Each of Party A,Party B and Party C has one copy. Each copy has equal legal validity. If any conflict exists between these two versions, Chinese version shall prevail.
10.5 Severability
In the event that one or several of the provisions of this Agreement are found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any aspect in accordance with any laws or regulations, the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected or compromised in any respect. The Parties shall strive in good faith to replace such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with effective provisions that accomplish to the greatest extent permitted by law and the intentions of the Parties, and the economic effect of such effective provisions shall be as close as possible to the economic effect of those invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.
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10.6 Successors
This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the interest of the respective successors of the Parties and the permitted assigns of such Parties.
10.7 Survival
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10.7.1
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Any obligations that occur or that are due as a result of this Agreement upon the expiration or early termination of this Agreement shall survive the expiration or early termination thereof.
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10.7.2
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The provisions of Sections 5, 7, 8 and this Section 10.8 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
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10.8 Waivers
Any Party may waive the terms and conditions of this Agreement, provided that such a waiver must be provided in writing and shall require the signatures of the Parties. No waiver by any Party in certain circumstances with respect to a breach by other Parties shall operate as a waiver by such a Party with respect to any similar breach in other circumstances.
10.9 Indemnification
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10.9.1
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Each Party agrees and acknowledges that any material breach or material non-performance of any section by a shareholder of the Company (the “Breaching Party”) under this Agreement shall constitute a breach of contract under this Agreement (the “Breach”), and Party A shall be entitled to request the Breaching Party to cure such Breach or adopt remedial steps within reasonable period. In the event the Breaching Party fails to cure or to adopt remedial steps within the reasonable period or within ten (10) days after written notice of Breach to the Breaching Party by Party A, then Party A shall be entitled to exercise any of the following remedial methods: (i) to terminate this Agreement and request all liquidated damages; or (ii) to enforce the Breaching Party to perform his obligations under this Agreement and request all liquidated damages as well; or (iii) to convert, auction or sell the pledged equity interests in accordance with the share pledge agreement, and to be compensated on a preferential basis with the conversion, auction or sales price of the pledged equity interests, in addition to requesting the Breaching Party to bear liquidated damages in connection with the Breach.
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10.9.2
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Both Parties agree and acknowledge that under no circumstances shall the shareholders of the Company be entitled to terminate this Agreement by any reasons.
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10.9.3
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Any right and remedy under this Agreement is cumulative and shall not restrict other rights and remedies under the law.
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10.9.4
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Notwithstanding other provisions under this Agreement, this Section shall survive the suspension or termination of this Agreement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused their authorized representatives to execute this Exclusive Option Agreement as of the date first above written.
The page of Signature
Party A: Shangrao Baihuazhou Green Resources Agriculture Technology Development Co., Ltd.
By (seal): /s/ Liu Shuzhong______
(The signature of The Representative): Liu Shuzhong____
Party B: ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
By (signature): /s/Li Xiaoling____
Party C: Shangrao Bai ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Industrial Co., Ltd.
By (seal): /s/ Liu Shuzhong_____
(The signature of The Representative): Liu Shuzhong_____
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