LLIT Lianluo Smart Ltd

ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

A. Selected Financial Data

The following table presents selected financial data regarding our business. It should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this annual report and the information under Item 5 “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” The selected consolidated statement of income (loss) data for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statement of income (loss) data for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this annual report.

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. The selected financial data information is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with the historical consolidated financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere herein. The financial statements contained elsewhere fully represent our financial condition and operations; however, they are not indicative of our future performance.

B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D. Risk Factors

An investment in our capital stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information included in this annual report, including the matters addressed in “Forward-Looking Statements,” before making an investment decision. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer. In that case, the trading price of our Class A common shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. You are also urged to carefully read the Form F-4 in its entirety for risk factors related to Newegg as well as other information regarding the special meeting and the matters to be considered at the special meeting, including the Merger and Disposition.

Risks Related to the Merger and Disposition

The Merger and the Disposition are subject to a number of conditions.

The Merger Agreement contains a number of conditions that must be fulfilled (or waived by the parties) to complete the Merger. These conditions include, among other customary conditions, (i) the approval the Merger and the Disposition and all other proposals included in the Form F-4 by our shareholders, (ii) receipt of all consents from all governmental authorities or third parties, (iii) the absence of any order by any governmental authority which has the effect of making the transactions or agreements contemplated by the Merger Agreement or the Disposition Agreement illegal or which otherwise prevents or prohibits consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (iv) the absence of any pending any claim, action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, mediation or investigation brought by a third-party non-affiliate to enjoin or otherwise restrict the consummation of the Merger or the Disposition, (v) the Form F-4 shall have become effective under the Securities Act and shall not be the subject of any stop order or proceedings seeking a stop order, (vi) the registration statement on Form F-1 relating to a public offering of common shares of the Company shall have become effective under the Securities Act and shall not be the subject of any stop order or proceedings seeking a stop order; (vii) the approval for listing on NASDAQ, subject to official notice of issuance, of the common shares to be issued in the Merger, (viii) subject to certain materiality exceptions, the accuracy of certain representations and warranties of each of the parties contained in the Merger Agreement and the compliance by each party with the covenants contained in the Merger Agreement, (ix) the absence of a material adverse effect with respect to each of the parties thereto, and (x) a public offering of our common shares for $30 million, or such other amount necessary to meet NASDAQ’s initial listing requirements; shall have simultaneously closed along with the Merger, with the Disposition closing immediately after the Merger.

The Disposition Agreement contains the following closing conditions, (i) obtaining any requisite regulatory approvals for the disposition, (ii) no law or order prohibiting or preventing consummation of the disposition; (iii) no litigation to enjoin or otherwise restrict consummation of the disposition; (iv) our shareholder’s approval of the disposition; (v) the consummation of the Merger with Newegg; and (vi) the conversion of debt that Lianluo Connection owes to the Company into additional paid-in capital of Lianluo Connection.

The required satisfaction (or waiver) of the foregoing conditions could delay the completion of the Merger and the Disposition for a significant period of time or prevent it from occurring. Any delay in completing the Merger or the Disposition could cause the Company not to realize some or all of the benefits that the parties expect the Company to achieve. Further, there can be no assurance that the conditions to the closing of the Merger or the Disposition will be satisfied or waived or that the Merger or the Disposition will be completed.

Our shareholders may not realize a benefit from the Merger commensurate with the ownership dilution they will experience in connection with the Merger. In addition, our shareholders’ ownership interests in the Company may be further diluted as a result of the public offering.

If we are unable to realize the full strategic and financial benefits anticipated from the Merger, our shareholders will have experienced substantial dilution of their ownership interests in the Company without receiving any commensurate benefit, or only receiving part of the commensurate benefit to the extent we are able to realize only part of the strategic and financial benefits anticipated from the Merger.

In addition, as a condition to the closing of the Merger, the Company must consummate a public offering of our common shares for $30 million, or such other amount necessary to meet NASDAQ’s initial listing requirements simultaneously along with the Merger. There can be no assurance as to what the per share offering price will be in the public offering. As a result of the completion of the public offering, our existing shareholders’ ownership interests in the Company will be further diluted.

Certain of our director, executive officer and major shareholders have interests in the Merger and Disposition that are different from, and may potentially conflict with, our interests and the interests of our unaffiliated shareholders.

Certain of our director, executive officer and major shareholders have interests in the Merger and Disposition that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of our unaffiliated shareholders and that may create potential conflicts of interest.

Mr. Zhitao He, who controls approximately 80.4% of our total voting power as of the date of this annual report through Hangzhou Lianluo and its affiliate, Hyperfinite Galaxy Holding Limited, also serves on the board of Newegg and beneficially owns approximately 61.3% of all issued and outstanding shares of Newegg. See additional disclosures relating to the shares held by Mr. He under “Risk Factors – A majority of Newegg’s capital shares are, and upon completion of the Merger, a majority of our common shares will be, pledged as collateral to support delinquent indebtedness of our parent company and could be sold to satisfy that indebtedness.” Ms. Yingmei Yang, our Interim Chief Financial Officer and a director, also serves on the board of Newegg. In addition, because the completion of the Merger is contingent upon the disposition our medical device business, Mr. Zhitao He and Ms. Yingmei Yang may also have interests in the disposition that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of our unaffiliated shareholders. Hangzhou Lianluo has indicated that one of the reasons it would like to complete the Merger is that it believes it is the best way for Newegg to become publicly listed, which will provide it and other Newegg stockholders better liquidity for their Newegg investment. The beneficial ownership of our major shareholders and directorship of our officer in Newegg may create additional conflicts of interest in respect of the Merger and Disposition.

Failure to complete the Merger and Disposition could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or share price.

Completion of the Merger and Disposition is conditioned upon the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including those discussed above, and other closing conditions customary for a transaction of this size and type. The required conditions to closing may not be satisfied in a timely manner, if at all. If the Merger and Disposition are not consummated for these or any other reasons, we may be subject to a number of adverse effects, including:

Furthermore, if the Merger is not completed, there can be no assurance that we will be able to find another target business on terms as favorable as those of the Merger Agreement.

Following the Merger, our business may suffer as a result of the lack of public company operating experience of new management.

Prior to the completion of the Merger, Newegg has been a privately-held company. Newegg’s management will become members of our management after the Merger but have limited experience managing a publicly-traded company and complying with reporting and other obligations under securities law. The new management may not successfully manage Newegg’s transition into a public company which will be subject to significant regulatory oversight, reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These new responsibilities may require significant attention from management and could divert their attention and resources from the management of our business, which could negatively affect the new management’s ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the Merger.

The transition to becoming the subsidiary of a public company will require changes in the way that Newegg operates its business and incur additional expenses pertaining to SEC reporting obligations and SEC compliance matters, and our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

Private companies often have less regulated methods of operation than public companies. This results in less transparency and presents greater risks of noncompliance with rules and regulations. In anticipation of the Merger, Newegg’s management has begun to implement a variety of measures to ensure that the company follows the rules applicable to public companies in the United States. To the extent these new procedures and policies could not change historical behaviors that might be inconsistent with the rules regulating U.S. public company, Newegg could be at risk of violation or poor reporting as a public company following this transaction. In the event Newegg’s directors or executive officers inadvertently fail to identify, review or disclose a new relationship or arrangement causing us to fail to properly disclose any related party transaction disclosures or in the event that we fail to comply with SEC reporting and internal controls and procedures, we may be subject to securities laws violations that may result in additional compliance costs or costs associated with SEC judgments or fines, both of which will increase our costs and negatively affect our potential profitability and our ability to conduct our business. The public reporting requirements and controls are new for the management of the Company post-merger, and may require us to obtain outside assistance from legal, accounting or other professionals that will increase our costs of doing business.

Newegg is not a publicly traded company, making it difficult to determine the fair market value of Newegg.

The outstanding capital stock of Newegg is privately held and is not traded on any public market, which makes it difficult to determine the fair market value of Newegg. There can be no assurance that the merger consideration to be issued to Newegg stockholders will not exceed the actual value of Newegg.

We may fail to uncover all liabilities of Newegg’s business through the due diligence process prior to the Merger, exposing us to potentially large, unanticipated costs.

Prior to completing the Merger, we have and expect to continue to perform, certain due diligence reviews of the Newegg’s business. In view of timing and other considerations relevant to our successfully achieving the closing of the Merger, our due diligence reviews will necessarily be limited in nature and may not adequately uncover all of the contingent or undisclosed liabilities we may incur as a consequence of the Merger. Any such liabilities could cause us potentially experience significant losses, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We have incurred and expect to continue to incur substantial transaction-related costs in connection with the Merger and Disposition.

We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, a number of non-recurring transaction-related costs associated with completing the Merger and Disposition. These fees and costs have been, and will continue to be, substantial. Non-recurring transaction costs include, but are not limited to, fees paid to legal, financial and accounting advisors, filing fees and printing costs. Additional unanticipated costs may be incurred, which may be higher than expected and could have a material adverse effect on the new business’s financial condition and operating results.

The market price of our common shares may decline as a result of the Merger.

We could encounter larger than anticipated transaction-related costs, may fail to realize some or all of the benefits anticipated from the Merger or be subject to other factors that may adversely affect preliminary estimates of the results of the Merger. Any of these factors could delay the expected accretive effect of the Merger and contribute to a decrease in the price of our common shares. In addition, we are unable to predict the potential effects of the issuance of common shares as the merger consideration on the trading activity and market price of our common shares.

NASDAQ may not list or continue to list our common shares on its exchange, which could prevent consummation of the Merger or limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our shares. Consequently, we may be subject to additional trading restrictions.

It is a condition to closing the Merger that our common shares continue to list on NASDAQ. The post-merger entity will be required to meet the initial listing standards of NASDAQ. We may not be able to meet those initial listing requirements. Even if our securities are so listed, we may be unable to maintain the listing of our securities in the future. If we fail to meet the initial listing requirements, neither we nor Newegg would be required to consummate the Merger. In the event that we and Newegg elected to waive this condition, we and our shareholders could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

Newegg may not realize anticipated growth opportunities.

Newegg expects that it will realize growth opportunities and other financial and operating benefits as a result of the Merger; however, it cannot predict with certainty if or when these growth opportunities and benefits will occur, or the extent to which they actually will be achieved. For example, the benefits from the Merger may be offset by costs incurred as a result of being a public company.

Upon consummation of the Merger, Mr. Zhitao He and Mr. Fred Chang will beneficially own approximately 60.91% and 35.98%, respectively, of the voting power of our issued and outstanding common shares, and 96.90%, collectively, of the voting power of our issued and outstanding common shares. They will exert significant influence on our business and operations and may have a conflict of interest with our other shareholders.

Upon the consummation of Merger, Mr. Zhitao He and Mr. Fred Chang will own approximately 60.91% and 35.98%, respectively, of the voting power of our issued and outstanding common shares, and 96.90%, collectively, based on the number of our common shares and Newegg stock outstanding as of the date of this annual report. See additional disclosures relating to the shares held by Mr. He under “Risk Factors – A majority of Newegg’s capital shares are, and upon completion of the Merger, a majority of our common shares will be, pledged as collateral to support delinquent indebtedness of our parent company and could be sold to satisfy that indebtedness.” Additionally, Mr. Zhitao He and Mr. Fred Chang, both of whom will serve as our directors upon closing, will be able to exercise substantial influence over our business and operations. They may also have a conflict of interests with our other shareholders. Where those conflicts exist, our other shareholders will be dependent upon Mr. He, Mr. Chang, and other directors exercising, in a manner fair to all of our shareholders, their fiduciary duties. Also, Mr. He and Mr. Chang will have the ability to control the outcome of most corporate actions requiring shareholder approval, including the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and amendments to our Memorandum and Articles of Association. Moreover, such concentration of voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which may, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their shares.

A majority of Newegg’s capital shares are, and upon completion of the Merger, a majority of our common shares will be, pledged as collateral to support delinquent indebtedness of our parent company and could be sold to satisfy that indebtedness.

Digital Grid (Hong Kong) Technology Co., Limited (“Digital Grid”) is the record owner of 38,143,279 shares of Newegg stock that will be converted into 222,821,591 of our common shares upon completion of the Merger. This will represent approximately 60.5% of our outstanding shares, based on our and Newegg’s capitalization on the date of this annual report. All of these shares have been pledged by Digital Grid to Bank of China Limited Zhejiang Branch (“BOC”), as collateral to support working capital loans and letters of credit provided by BOC to Hangzhou Lianluo. The loans have been guaranteed jointly and severally by Mr. Zhitao He (the controlling shareholder of Hangzhou Lianluo) and Beijing Digital Grid Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hangzhou Lianluo. The total amount owed under these loans is RMB400 million in RMB denominated loans, plus $66.5 million in U.S. dollar loans, plus interest, fees and penalties on such amounts. In May 2020, BOC filed several lawsuits against Hangzhou Lianluo, Digital Grid, Beijing Digital Grid Technology Co., Ltd. and Mr. He in the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court in China alleging that Hangzhou Lianluo has failed to repay the loans when due and is in breach of the loan agreements. This litigation is ongoing.

BOC could sell, or force Digital Grid to sell, some or all of its shares of Newegg and the Company at any time while the BOC loan remains delinquent. Digital Grid could also choose to voluntarily sell some or all of its shares at any time to satisfy the BOC loan. Any such sale or attempted sale could:

Each of these risks could cause our share price to fall significantly and is described further below.

Digital Grid’s Newegg stock certificates are physically in the possession of BOC. As a result, BOC could sell those shares at any time. Any such sale could be done quickly and without regard for maximizing the sale price, other than to enable BOC to recover the amount of indebtedness owed to it by Hangzhou Lianluo. In such a case, the sale price would likely be significantly less than the public trading price of our shares, which would likely cause our share price to fall significantly.

In addition, any transfer of those shares to a non-affiliate of Digital Grid would be subject to our amended and restated shareholders agreement. The shareholders agreement gives a right of first refusal in favor of Newegg (or, after the Merger, the Company), and a right of second refusal in favor of the current Newegg stockholders (which primarily includes Mr. Fred Chang), to purchase all shares being transferred.

Because Digital Grid will control approximately 60.5% of our outstanding shares, we expect that it will be the controlling shareholder of our Company after completion of the Merger. However, any sale of Digital Grid’s shares by BOC or otherwise could result in a change of control of the Company. For example, if Newegg repurchased 17,669,000 Newegg shares (or 103,216,997 of Company shares) from Digital Grid under the right of first refusal, then Mr. Fred Chang would become our controlling shareholder. As another example, if Mr. Chang purchased 8,834,481 Newegg shares (or 51,608,385 of Company shares) from Digital Grid under the right of second refusal, then Mr. Chang would become our controlling shareholder. Even if the right of first refusal and second refusal are not exercised, Digital Grid could still sell a controlling interest in the Company, and the buyer would thereafter control the Company. Any such change in control could result in instability to our Company which could cause our share price to fall.

In addition, the shareholders agreement may not be recognized or enforceable in China’s courts, because the agreement is governed by the laws of Delaware currently and the laws of the British Virgin Islands after the Merger, and China courts generally do not recognize court decisions from those jurisdictions. As a result, BOC or Digital Grid could try to sell some or all of Digital Grid’s shares without complying with those agreements. Any such sale could result in significant litigation and uncertainty over the ownership of those shares, which could cause our share price to fall.

Certain provisions of an Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement may delay or prevent us from raising funding in the future and may have an adverse impact on us and the liquidity and market price of our common shares.

Prior to the Merger, Newegg’s stockholders have entered into that certain stockholders agreement, dated March 30, 2017. In connection with the Merger, we will assume that agreement and enter into an amended and restated shareholders agreement with Digital Grid, Hangzhou Lianluo, entities affiliated with Mr. Fred Chang and certain other stockholders of Newegg (the Principal Shareholders”).

Under the amended and restated shareholders agreement, the Principal Shareholders will have pre-emptive rights to acquire additional shares when the Company issues or sells additional securities in the future, except for the “excluded issuance” as defined in the amended and restated shareholders agreement or common shares offered pursuant to a registration statement filed with the SEC.

In addition, the Company and the Principal Shareholders will have rights of first refusal, subject to compliance with applicable laws and NASDAQ’s rules, over transfers of our common shares by the Principal Shareholders. If any Principal Shareholder receives a bona fide offer from any person other than its affiliate to acquire any of the Principal Shareholders’ common shares, then the Company will have a right of first refusal, but not the obligation, to elect to purchase all (and not less than all) of such shares, at the same price, and on the same terms and conditions offered by the purchaser. In the event the Company does not decide to purchase all such shares, then each of the Principal Shareholders other than the selling Principal Shareholder shall have a right of first refusal to elect to purchase all (and not less than all) of its pro rata share (as defined in the amended and restated shareholders agreement) of such shares on the same terms and conditions offered by the purchaser. In the event that such shares are in exchange for non-cash consideration, then such right of first refusal shall be exercisable based on the fair market value determined in good faith by the board of such non-cash consideration.

Such right of first refusal and pre-emptive rights may delay or prevent us from raising funding in the future and may have an adverse impact on the liquidity and market price of our common shares.

The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be adopted at the special meeting provide certain rights to certain shareholders, which will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that minority holders of common shares may view as beneficial.

Upon completion of the Merger, our board of directors will consist of up to seven directors. Initially, four of the directors shall be appointed by Digital Grid, which, together with its affiliates, will control approximately 60.91% of our total voting power upon completion of the Merger, and three of the directors shall be appointed by Mr. Fred Chang, acting on behalf of current Newegg stockholders other than Digital Grid, who collectively will own approximately 38.16% of our total voting power upon completion of the Merger. See additional disclosures relating to the shares held by Mr. He under “Risk Factors – A majority of Newegg’s capital shares are, and upon completion of the merger, a majority of our common shares will be, pledged as collateral to support delinquent indebtedness of our parent company and could be sold to satisfy that indebtedness.” The number of directors that Digital Grid and Mr. Chang are entitled to appoint will decrease proportionately with the decrease of the respective voting power of Digital Grid and the other stockholders of Newegg. Any director positions which neither Digital Grid nor Mr. Chang are entitled to appoint shall be appointed by the remaining directors, or by any other means allowed under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

Upon completion of the Merger, as a shareholder you will have no right to appoint or elect any director to our board. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be adopted at the special meeting will limit your ability to appoint or elect persons for service on our board of directors and may discourage proxy contests for the election of directors and purchases of substantial blocks of shares by making it more difficult for a potential acquirer to gain control of our board of directors.

There can be no assurances that Newegg stockholders will not be required to recognize gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exchange of Newegg stock for common shares of the Company stock in the Merger.

The Company and Newegg have structured the Merger with the intent that it will qualify as a tax-free “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), specifically as a non-taxable “reverse subsidiary merger” under Section 368(a)(2)(E) of the Code. However, the qualification of the Merger as a tax-free reorganization depends on compliance with numerous technical requirements. The Company and Newegg have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the IRS regarding any matter affecting the Merger or any of the United States federal income tax consequences discussed herein, and have not sought and will not seek any tax opinion from their respective legal counsel regarding the qualification of the Merger as a tax-free “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. Thus, there can be no assurance that the IRS will ultimately conclude that the Merger does meet all of the requirements for qualification as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and otherwise as a tax-free transaction, and there can be no assurance that any of the other statements made herein would not be challenged by the IRS and, if so challenged, would be sustained upon review in a court. A successful challenge by the IRS could result in taxable income to Newegg and its stockholders.

Risks Relating to Our Business

The outbreak of coronavirus may have a material adverse effect on our business and the trading price of our common shares.

Our business has been adversely affected by the outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19. The World Health Organization labelled the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020, after the disease spread globally. Given the high public health risks associated with the disease, governments around the world have imposed various degrees of travel and gathering restrictions and other quarantine measures. Businesses in China have scaled back or suspended operations since the outbreak in December 2019. The COVID-19 outbreak is currently having an indeterminable adverse impact on the global economy.

All of our operating subsidiaries are located in China. Substantially all of our employees and all of our customers and suppliers are located in China. From January to February 2020, our service revenue plunged, as the number of patient users decreased sharply; and our revenue from the sale of products also dropped, because our distributors and sales personnel were trapped at home and our contract manufacturers shut down production during this period. Constrained by the epidemic, management and employees have been working from home to mitigate the impacts of operation disruptions caused by COVID-19. As of the date of this annual report, we have resumed operations but at below normal levels. Medical check-up centers and hospitals in China that we have business relationships with have partially resumed operations since March 2020, including the medical check-up centers in Wuhan that focus on physical examinations. In addition, while our supply chains currently are not affected, it is unknown whether or how they may be affected if the pandemic persists for an extended period. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has a relatively limited adverse impact on our operating results for the fiscal year of 2020 as compared with the fiscal year of 2019, it may materially adversely impact our future results of operations, depending on COVID-19’s further developments and actions taken to contain it.

In addition, fears of the economic impacts of COVID-19 have sparked share prices to fluctuate significantly recently. The volatility of share prices and across-the-market selloff may depress our share price, and moreover, adversely affect our ability to obtain equity or debt financings from the financial market.

Given the uncertainty of the outbreak, the spread of COVID-19 may be prolonged and worsened, and we may be forced to further scale back or even suspend our operations. As COVID-19 spreads outside China, the global economy is suffering a noticeable slowdown. If this outbreak persists, commercial activities throughout the world could be curtailed with decreased consumer spending, business operation disruptions, interrupted supply chain, difficulties in travel, and reduced workforces. The duration and intensity of disruptions resulting from COVID-19 outbreak is uncertain. It is unclear as to when the outbreak will be contained, and we also cannot predict if the impact will be short-lived or long-lasting. The extent to which outbreak impacts our financial results will depend on its future developments. If the outbreak of COVID-19 is not effectively controlled in a short period of time, our business operation and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected as a result of any slowdown in economic growth, operation disruptions or other factors that we cannot predict.

Our business is seasonal and revenues and operating results could fall below investor expectations during certain periods, which could cause the trading price of our common shares to decline.

Our revenues and operating results have fluctuated in the past and may continue to fluctuate significantly depending upon numerous factors. In particular, we generally experience an increase in revenues in the period from March through May, and September through December. The increase in the fourth quarter is associated with hospital purchasing designed to extinguish governmental budgets prior to the fiscal year end. We believe that our first quarter performance will generally decline as a result of the lack of business conducted during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. To the extent our financial performance fluctuates significantly, investors may lose confidence in our business and the price of our common shares could decrease.

We may fail to effectively develop and commercialize new products and services, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The sleep respiratory market is developing rapidly, and related technology trends are constantly evolving. This results in the frequent introduction of new products and services, short product life cycles and significant price competition. Consequently, our future success depends on our ability to anticipate technology development trends and identify, develop and commercialize in a timely and cost-effective manner the new and advanced products that our customers demand. Moreover, it may take an extended period of time for our new products to gain market acceptance, if at all. Furthermore, as the life cycle for a product matures, the average selling price generally decreases. In the future, we may be unable to offset the effect of declining average sales prices through increased sales volume and controlling product costs. Lastly, during a product’s life cycle, problems may arise regarding regulatory, intellectual property, product liability or other issues that may affect the product’s continued commercial viability.

New sleep respiratory disorder related technology and relevant regulation could materially affect provision of our OSAS service to hospitals and medical centers. Development of our OSAS service business depends on our ability to decrease OSAS service-related device production cost and the relationship with hospital and medical center. It may take an extended period of time for us to decrease the cost of our new devices and to market our new devices. We may be unable to provide service to sufficient hospitals and medical centers, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and prospects.

We sell our products primarily to distributors, and our technical services are provided to hospitals and check-up centers; our ability to add distributors, hospitals and check-up centers will impact our revenue growth. Failure to maintain or expand our distribution network and network of hospitals and check-up centers would materially and adversely affect our business.

We depend on sales to distributors for a significant majority of our product revenues. Our distributors purchase all products ordered regardless of whether the products are ultimately sold. Products are not purchased by distributors on consignment, and distributors have no right to return unsold products. As our existing distributor agreements expire, we may be unable to renew such agreements on favorable terms or at all, and we do not own, employ or control these independent distributors. Furthermore, we actively manage our distribution network and regularly review the performance of each distributor. We may terminate agreements with distributors, without penalty, if we are not satisfied with their performance for any reason. We periodically terminate relationships with underperforming exclusive distributors. Our distributors may also terminate their relationship with us without penalty. When an exclusive distributor in a particular geographic area fails to meet our expectations, then we are economically incentivized to replace that distributor with a new distributor so that area can be served as well as possible. We occasionally terminate a relationship with a non-exclusive distributor and are more likely to simply appoint another one; however, we have found that in some instances we are better served to replace an underperforming non-exclusive distributor with an exclusive distributor. Additionally, we have found that even in cases where there may not be an economic incentive to terminate a non-exclusive distributor, having the ability to replace a distributor often motivates distributors to increase their efforts to meet our expectations. This policy may make us less attractive to some distributors. In addition, we compete for distributors with other medical device companies who may enter into long-term distribution agreements, effectively preventing many distributors from selling our products. As a result, a significant amount of time and resources must be devoted to maintaining and growing our distribution network.

In the OSAS sector, starting from fiscal 2018 we provide technical services in relation to detection and analysis of OSAS. We focused on the promotion of sleep respiratory solutions and service in public hospitals. Our wearable sleep diagnostic products and cloud-based services are also available in the medical centers of private preventive healthcare companies in China. We sign service agreements with public hospitals usually for a period of 1 to 3 years, and check-up centers usually for a period of one year or less, with the aim of provision of wearable sleep diagnostic products and cloud-based services and we charge a fixed technical service fee on a per user basis when our OSAS diagnostic services are provided to the user at medical centers and public hospitals. Our service revenue is dependent on the number of OSAS tests performed by each hospital/check-up center. The provision of these OSAS diagnosis services is still in its early stage and we may be required to invest more marketing efforts in order to build up and consolidate our partnership with hospitals and physical examination centers in China. We may terminate relationships with underperforming hospital/check-up center. The hospital/check-up may also terminate their relationship with us without penalty, and they may not renew their service agreement with us upon expiration.

Although we do not own or control our distributors, the actions of these distributors may affect our business operations or our reputation in the marketplace.

Our distributors are independent from us, and as such, our ability to effectively manage their activities is limited. Distributors could take any number of actions that could have material adverse effects on our business. If we fail to adequately manage our distribution network or if distributors do not comply with our distribution agreements, our corporate image could be tarnished among end users, disrupting our sales. Furthermore, we could be liable for actions taken by our distributors, including any violations of applicable law in connection with the marketing or sale of our products, including China’s anti-corruption laws. The PRC government has increased its anti-bribery efforts in the healthcare sector in recent years to reduce improper payments received by hospital administrators and doctors in connection with the purchase of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. Our distributors may violate these laws or otherwise engage in illegal practices with respect to their sales or marketing of our products. If our distributors violate these laws, we could be required to pay damages or fines, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our brand and reputation, our sales activities or the price of our shares could be adversely affected if we become the target of any negative publicity as a result of actions taken by our distributors.

We are highly dependent on our key personnel such as key executives.

We are highly dependent on the continued service of our key executives, including our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bin Lin, and other key personnel. We have entered into standard three-year employment contracts, or where required by law, open-term employment contracts, with all of our officers and managers and other key personnel, and three-year employment contracts, or where required by law, open-term employment contracts with our other employees. These contracts prohibit our employees from engaging in any conduct or activity that would be competitive with our business during the term of their employment. Loss of any of our key personnel could severely disrupt our business. We may not be able to find suitable or qualified replacements and will likely incur additional expenses in order to recruit and train any new personnel.

If we fail to accurately project demand for our products, we may encounter problems of inadequate supply or oversupply, which would materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, as well as damage our reputation and brand.

Our distributors typically order our products on a purchase order basis. We project demand for our products based on rolling projections from our distributors, our understanding of anticipated hospital procurement spending, and distributor inventory levels. The varying sales and purchasing cycles of our distributors and other customers, however, makes it difficult for us to forecast future demand accurately.

If we overestimate demand, we may purchase more unassembled parts or components for our branded products than we require. If we underestimate demand, our third-party suppliers may have inadequate supply of parts or product component inventories, which would delay shipments of our branded products, and could result in lost sales. In particular, we are seeking to reduce our procurement and inventory costs by matching our inventory closely with our projected product needs and by, from time to time, deferring our purchase of components in anticipation of supplier price reductions. As we seek to balance reduced inventory costs, we may fail to accurately forecast demand and coordinate our procurement to meet demand on a timely basis. Our inability to accurately predict our demand and to timely meet our demand could materially and adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations as well as damage our reputation and corporate brand.

We generate a significant portion of our revenues from a small number of products, and a reduction in demand for any of these products could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We derive a substantial percentage of our revenues from a small number of products. We expect that a small number of our key products will continue to account for a significant portion of our net revenues for the foreseeable future. As a result, continued market acceptance and popularity of these products is critical to our success, and a reduction in demand due to, among other factors, the introduction of competing products by our competitors, the entry of new competitors, or end-users’ dissatisfaction with the quality of these products could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, it could harm our business and competitive position.

We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and non-disclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. The process of seeking patent protection can be lengthy and expensive and our existing and future patents may be insufficient to provide us with meaningful protection or commercial advantage. Our patents may also be challenged, invalidated or circumvented.

We also rely on trade secret rights to protect our business through non-disclosure provisions in employment agreements with employees. If our employees breach their non-disclosure obligations, we may not have adequate remedies in China, and our trade secrets may become known to our competitors.

Intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other western countries. Furthermore, policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive, and we may need to resort to litigation to enforce or defend patents issued to us or to determine the enforceability, scope and validity of our proprietary rights or those of others. Such litigation and an adverse determination in any such litigation, if any, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention, which could harm our business and competitive position.

We may be exposed to intellectual property infringement and other claims by third parties which, if successful, could disrupt our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to use and develop our technology and know-how without infringing third party intellectual property rights. If we sell our branded products internationally, and as litigation becomes more common in China, we face a higher risk of being the subject of claims for intellectual property infringement, invalidity or indemnification relating to other parties’ proprietary rights. Our current or potential competitors, many of which have substantial resources and have made substantial investments in competing technologies, may have or may obtain patents that will prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use or sell our branded products in either China or other countries, including the United States and other countries in Asia. The validity and scope of claims relating to medical device technology patents involve complex scientific, legal and factual questions and analysis and, as a result, may be highly uncertain. In addition, the defense of intellectual property suits, including patent infringement suits, and related legal and administrative proceedings can be both costly and time consuming and may significantly divert the efforts and resources of our technical and management personnel. Furthermore, an adverse determination in any such litigation or proceedings to which we may become a party could cause us to:

Each of the foregoing could effectively prevent us from pursuing some or all of our business and result in our customers or potential customers deferring or limiting their purchase or use of our branded products, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to product liability exposure and currently do not have insurance coverage for product-related liabilities. Any product liability claims or potential safety-related regulatory actions could damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The medical devices we assemble and sell can expose us to potential product liability claims if the use of these products causes or is alleged to have caused personal injuries or other adverse effects. Any product liability claim or regulatory action could be costly and time-consuming to defend. If successful, product liability claims may require us to pay substantial damages. We do not maintain product liability insurance to cover potential product liability arising from the use of our branded products because product liability insurance available in China offers only limited coverage compared to coverage offered in many other countries. A product liability claim or potential safety-related regulatory action, with or without merit, could result in significant negative publicity and could materially and adversely affect the marketability of our branded products and our reputation, as well as our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Moreover, a material design, manufacturing or quality failure or defect in our branded products, other safety issues or heightened regulatory scrutiny could each warrant a product recall by us and result in increased product liability claims. Also, if these products are deemed by the authorities in China where we currently sell our branded products to fail to conform to product quality and safety requirements, we could be subject to regulatory action. In China, violation of PRC product quality and safety requirements may subject us to confiscation of related earnings, penalties, an order to cease sales of the violating product, or to cease operations pending rectification. Furthermore, if the violation is determined to be serious, our business license to assemble or sell violating and other products could be suspended or revoked.

We may need additional capital in the future, and we may be unable to obtain such capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms, if at all.

In order for us to grow, remain competitive, develop new products, and expand our distribution network, we may require additional capital in the future. Our ability to obtain additional capital in the future is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including:

We may be unable to obtain additional capital in a timely manner or on acceptable terms or at all. Furthermore, the terms and amount of any additional capital raised through issuances of equity securities may result in significant shareholder dilution.

If our security measures are breached or fail, and unauthorized access to a client’s data is obtained, our services may be perceived as not being secure, clients may curtail or stop using our services, and we may incur significant liabilities.

Our products and services involve the web-based storage and transmission of clients’ proprietary information and protected health information of patients. Because of the sensitivity of this information, security features of our software are very important. From time to time we may detect vulnerabilities in our systems, which, even if they do not result in a security breach, may reduce customer confidence and require substantial resources to address. If our security measures are breached or fail as a result of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance, insufficiency, defective design, or otherwise, someone may be able to obtain unauthorized access to client or patient data. As a result, our reputation could be damaged, our business may suffer, and we could face damages for contract breach, penalties for violation of applicable laws or regulations, and significant costs for remediation and efforts to prevent future occurrences. We rely upon our clients as users of our system for key activities to promote security of the system and the data within it, such as administration of client-side access credentialing and control of client-side display of data. On occasion, our clients have failed to perform these activities. Failure of clients to perform these activities may result in claims against us that this reliance was misplaced, which could expose us to significant expense and harm to our reputation. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventive measures. If an actual or perceived breach of our security occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed and we could lose sales and clients. In addition, our clients may authorize or enable third parties to access their client data or the data of their patients on our systems. Because we do not control such access, we cannot ensure the complete propriety of that access or integrity or security of such data in our systems.

If our services fail to provide accurate and timely information, or if our content or any other element of any of our services is associated with faulty clinical decisions or treatment, we could have liability to clients, clinicians, or patients, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our products, software, content, and services are used to assist clinical decision-making and provide information about treatment plans. If our products, software, content, or services fail to provide accurate and timely information or are associated with faulty clinical decisions or treatment, then clients, clinicians, or their patients could assert claims against us that could result in substantial costs to us, harm our reputation in the industry, and cause demand for our services to decline.

The assertion of such claims and ensuing litigation, regardless of its outcome, could result in substantial cost to us, divert management’s attention from operations, damage our reputation, and decrease market acceptance of our products and services. We attempt to limit by contract our liability for damages and to require that our clients assume responsibility for medical care and approve key system rules, protocols, and data. Despite these precautions, the allocations of responsibility and limitations of liability set forth in our contracts may not be enforceable, be binding upon patients, or otherwise protect us from liability for damages.

Our proprietary software may contain errors or failures that are not detected until after the software is introduced or updates and new versions are released. It is challenging for us to test our software for all potential problems because it is difficult to simulate the wide variety of computing environments or treatment methodologies that our clients may deploy or rely upon. From time to time we have discovered defects or errors in our software, and such defects or errors can be expected to appear in the future. Defects and errors that are not timely detected and remedied could expose us to risk of liability to clients, clinicians, and patients and cause delays in introduction of new services, result in increased costs and diversion of development resources, require design modifications, or decrease market acceptance or client satisfaction with our services.

We rely on internet infrastructure, bandwidth providers, other third parties, and our own systems for providing services to our users, and any failure or interruption in the services provided by these third parties or our own systems could expose us to litigation and negatively impact our relationships with users, adversely affecting our brand and our business.

Our ability to deliver our Internet and telecommunications-based services is dependent on the development and maintenance of the infrastructure of the Internet and other telecommunications services by third parties.

This includes maintenance of a reliable network backbone with the necessary speed, data capacity, and security for providing reliable Internet access and services. Our services are designed to operate without interruption in accordance with our service level commitments. However, we have experienced and expect that we will experience interruptions and delays in services and availability from time to time. We rely on internal systems as well as third-party vendors, including data center, bandwidth, and telecommunications equipment providers, to provide our services. We do not maintain redundant systems or facilities for some of these services. In the event of a catastrophic event with respect to one or more of these systems or facilities, we may experience an extended period of system unavailability, which could negatively impact our relationship with users. Any disruption in the network access, telecommunications, or co- location services provided by these third-party providers or any failure of or by these third-party providers or our own systems to handle current or higher volume of use could significantly harm our business. We exercise limited control over these third-party vendors, which increases our vulnerability to problems with services they provide.

Any errors, failures, interruptions, or delays experienced in connection with these third-party technologies and information services or our own systems could negatively impact our relationships with users and adversely affect our business and could expose us to third-party liabilities. The reliability and performance of the Internet may be harmed by increased usage or by denial-of-service attacks. The Internet has experienced a variety of outages and other delays as a result of damages to portions of its infrastructure, and it could face outages and delays in the future. These outages and delays could reduce the level of Internet usage as well as the availability of the Internet to us for delivery of our Internet-based services.

If we are unable to keep up with the rapid technological changes of the internet industry, our business may suffer.

The internet industry is experiencing rapid technological changes. The future success of our cloud-based services will depend on our ability to anticipate, adapt and support new technologies and industry standards. If we fail to anticipate and adapt to these and other technological changes, our market share, profitability and share price could suffer.

Our internal control over financial reporting is not effective and has material weaknesses.

We are subject to the reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The SEC, as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, has adopted rules requiring public companies to include a report of management on the effectiveness of such companies’ internal control over financial reporting in their respective annual reports. This annual report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting because we are currently a non-accelerated filer and therefore not required to obtain such report.

Our management has concluded that under the rules of Section 404, our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2020. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. The material weakness we identified is insufficient qualified accounting personnel with appropriate understanding of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements commensurate with our financial reporting requirements. Also, as a small company, we do not have sufficient internal control personnel to set up adequate review functions at each reporting level.

We are in the process of implementing measures to resolve the material weakness and improve our internal and disclosure controls. However, we may not be able to successfully implement the remedial measures. The implementation of our remedial initiatives may not fully address the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, the process of designing and implementing an effective financial reporting system is a continuous effort that requires us to anticipate and react to changes in our business and economic and regulatory environments and to expend significant resources to maintain a financial reporting system that is adequate in satisfying our reporting obligations.

As a result, our business and financial condition, results of operations and prospects, as well as the trading price of our common shares may be materially and adversely affected. Ineffective internal control over financial reporting could also expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets, which in turn, could subject us to potential delisting from the NASDAQ Capital Market on which our common shares are listed, regulatory investigations or civil or criminal sanctions.

Our directors, officers and we may be involved in investigations or other forms of regulatory or governmental inquiry which may cause reputational harm to the Company, incur additional expenses, and distract our management from our day-to-day operations.

From time to time, our directors, officers and we may be involved in investigations or other forms of regulatory or governmental inquiry covering a range of possible issues including but not limited to securities laws compliance. These inquiries or investigations could lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings involving us and could result in fines, penalties, restitution, other types of sanctions, or the need for us to undertake remedial actions, or to alter its business, financial or accounting practices. Our practice is to cooperate fully with regulatory and governmental inquiries and investigations.

For example, on August 6, 2020, Hangzhou Lianluo and Mr. Zhitao He received an investigation notice from China Securities Regulatory Commission, or CSRC, for alleged violation of laws and regulations regarding information disclosures of Hangzhou Lianluo. Hangzhou Lianluo is a PRC company with shares listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Mr. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hangzhou Lianluo. Hangzhou Lianluo is also the largest shareholder of the Company and Newegg, and Mr. He was the former Chairman and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Company and will be appointed as the chairman of the board of the Company upon completion of the Merger. Hangzhou Lianluo announced this investigation on August 7, 2020 and stated that it will fully cooperate with CSRC in the investigation. As the investigation is still at a relatively early stage, the Company is currently unable to assess the likely outcomes of such proceedings. On October 19, 2020, Hangzhou Lianluo announced that it has received a notice of administrative punishment from Zhejiang Regulatory Bureau of CSRC, which provides, among others, that (i) Hangzhou Lianluo is receiving a warning and required to correct its unlawful acts and pay a fine of RMB 300,000, and (ii) Mr. Zhitao He is receiving a warning and required to pay a fine of RMB 400,000. The unfavorable ultimate outcome regarding this investigation could cause reputational harm to us.

Legal proceedings, inquiries and regulatory investigations are often unpredictable, and it is possible that the ultimate resolution of any such matters, if unfavorable, may be material to the results of operations in any future period, depending, in part, upon the size of the loss or liability imposed and the operating results for the period, and could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, regardless of the ultimate outcome of any such legal proceeding, inquiry or investigation, any such matter could cause us to incur additional expenses, which could be significant, and possibly material, to our results of operations in any future period. Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our common shares will trade.

In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Doing Business in China

Adverse changes in economic and political policies of the PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could adversely affect our business.

Substantially all of our business operations are conducted in China. Accordingly, our results of operations, financial condition and prospects are subject to economic, political and legal developments in China. China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, with respect to the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources.

While the PRC economy has grown more rapidly in the past 30 years than the world economy as a whole, growth has been uneven across different regions and among various economic sectors of China. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic development and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures benefit the overall PRC economy, but may also 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 that are applicable to us. Stimulus measures designed to boost the Chinese economy may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, since 2012, growth of the Chinese economy has slowed down. We cannot assure you that Chinese economy will continue to grow, or that if there is growth, such growth will be steady and uniform, or that if there is a slowdown, such slowdown will not have a negative effect on our business and results of operations.

We do not have business interruption, litigation or natural disaster insurance.

The insurance industry in China is still at an early stage of development. In particular, PRC insurance companies offer limited insurance products. As a result, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business interruption, litigation or natural disaster may result in our business incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources.

Currently, there are no specific laws or regulations applicable to wearable medical products in China, which are instead subject to general laws applicable to medical products. If there are applicable government regulations in the future, it may create risks and challenges with respect to our compliance efforts and our business strategies.

The health care industry is highly regulated and is subject to changing political, legislative, regulatory, and other influences. Existing and new laws and regulations affecting the health care industry could create unexpected liabilities for us, cause us to incur additional costs, and restrict our operations. Many health care laws are complex, and their application to specific services and relationships may not be clear. In particular, many existing health care laws and regulations, when enacted, did not anticipate the wearable medical products and services that we provide, and these laws and regulations may be applied to our business in ways that we do not anticipate. Our failure to accurately anticipate the application of these laws and regulations, or our other failure to comply, could create liability for us, result in adverse publicity, and negatively affect our business.

Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our income effectively.

Lianluo Connection, our directly wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, is a foreign invested enterprise, or FIE, under PRC laws, and substantially all of our sales are settled in RMB. Any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund any future business activities outside of China or to make dividend or other payments in U.S. dollars. Although the conversion of RMB into foreign currency for current account transactions, such as interest payments, profit distributions, and trade or service related transactions, can be made without prior governmental approval, significant restrictions still remain, including primarily the restriction that FIEs may only buy, sell, or remit foreign currencies after providing valid commercial documents to certain banks in China authorized to conduct foreign exchange business. In addition, conversion of RMB for capital account items, including direct investment and loans, are subject to governmental approval in China, and requires companies to open and maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for capital account items. We cannot be certain that the Chinese regulatory authorities will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available to you and us.

We conduct substantially all of our business through our operating subsidiary, Lianluo Connection in the PRC. Lianluo Connection is generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws applicable to FIEs. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, a series of new PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since the PRC legal system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of many laws, regulations, and rules are not always uniform, and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involve uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to you and us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Furthermore, all of our executive officers and directors are residents of China and not of the United States, and substantially all the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it could be difficult for investors to effect service of process in the United States or to enforce a judgment obtained in the United States against our Chinese operations and subsidiaries.

You may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us.

Most of our assets are located outside of the United States and all of our current operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, all of our directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. A substantial portion of the assets of these persons is located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. It may also be difficult for you to enforce U.S. courts’ judgments entered pursuant to the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us, or our officers and directors most of whom are not residents of the United States and the substantial majority of whose assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for in the PRC Civil Procedures Law. Courts in China may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other arrangements with the United States or the BVI that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment, if they decide that the judgment violates basic principles of PRC law, sovereignty, national security, or public interest. It is uncertain whether a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States against us or our officers and directors.

The PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which business activities are conducted.

The PRC government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulations and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in Chinese laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, product liability, healthcare, labor, property, privacy and other matters. We believe that our operations in China comply with, in material aspects, with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. However, the central or local governments of China may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could adversely affect our business and the value of our securities.

The value of our common shares will be indirectly affected by the foreign exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and RMB. Appreciation or depreciation in the value of RMB relative to the U.S. dollar would affect our financial results reported in U.S. dollar without giving effect to any underlying change in our business or results of operations. Fluctuations in the exchange rate will also affect the relative value of any dividend we issue that will be exchanged into U.S. dollars, as well as earnings from any U.S. dollar-denominated investments we make in the future.

Since July 2005, the RMB has no longer been pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, RMB may appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future PRC authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.

Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to the exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions. While we may enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited. We may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our foreign currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currencies.

Restrictions under PRC law on our PRC subsidiary’s ability to make dividends and other distributions could materially and adversely affect our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could benefit our business, pay dividends to you, and otherwise fund and conduct our business.

Substantially all of our revenues are earned by our PRC subsidiary. However, PRC regulations restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiary to make dividends and other payments to its offshore parent companies. PRC legal restrictions permit payments of dividends by our PRC subsidiary only out of its accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Our PRC subsidiary is also required under PRC laws and regulations to allocate at least 10% of its annual after-tax profits determined in accordance with PRC GAAP to a statutory general reserve fund until the amounts in said reserve fund reach 50% of the company’s registered capital. Allocations to these statutory reserve funds can only be used for specific purposes and are not transferable to us in the form of loans, advances, or cash dividends. Any limitations on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to transfer funds to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends and otherwise fund and conduct our business.

PRC regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC-resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiary to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiary or limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to increase its registered capital or distribute profits.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or 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 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75” promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of the 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 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of 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. In the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. According to the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Policies for the Foreign Exchange Administration of Direct Investment released on February 13, 2015 by SAFE, local banks will examine and handle foreign exchange registration for overseas direct investment, including the initial foreign exchange registration and amendment registration, under SAFE Circular 37 from June 1, 2015.

According to SAFE Circular 37, our shareholders or beneficial owners, who are PRC residents, are subject to SAFE Circular 37 or other foreign exchange administrative regulations in respect of their investment in the Company. We have notified substantial beneficial owners of our common shares who we know are PRC residents of their filing obligations. Nevertheless, we may not be aware of the identities of all of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. We do not have control over our beneficial owners and there can be no assurance that all of our PRC-resident beneficial owners will comply with SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, and there is no assurance that the registration under SAFE Circular 37 and any amendment will be completed in a timely manner, or will be completed at all. The failure of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents to register or amend their foreign exchange registrations in a timely manner pursuant to SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, or the failure of future beneficial owners of the Company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, may subject such beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiary to fines and legal sanctions. Such failure to register or comply with relevant requirements may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiary and limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to us. These risks may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Furthermore, it is uncertain how SAFE Circular 37, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC government authorities, and we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or future strategy. Failure to register or comply with relevant requirements may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiary and limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to us. These risks could in the future have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be unable to complete a business combination transaction efficiently or on favorable terms due to complicated merger and acquisition regulations which first became effective on September 8, 2006.

On August 9, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission, promulgated the Regulation on mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, which became effective on September 8, 2006, and was subsequently amended in 2009. This regulation, among other regulations and rules, governs the approval process of a PRC company’s participation in an acquisition of assets or equity interests. Depending on the structure of the transaction, the regulation requires the PRC parties to make a series of applications and supplemental applications to the government agencies for approval of acquisition of assets or equity interests of another entity. In some instances, the application process may require a presentation of economic data concerning the transaction, including appraisals of the target business and evaluations of the acquirer, which are designed to allow the government to assess viability of the transaction. Government approvals will have expiration dates, by which a transaction must be completed and reported to the government agencies. Compliance with the regulation is likely to be more time consuming and expensive than it was in the past, and provides the government more controls over business combination of two enterprises.

The regulation also prohibits a transaction with an acquisition price obviously lower than the appraised value of the PRC business or assets and in certain transaction structures, and requires consideration be paid within a defined period, generally not in excess of a year. The regulation also limits our ability to negotiate various terms of the acquisition, including the initial consideration, contingent consideration, holdback provisions, indemnification provisions, and provisions related to the assumption and allocation of assets and liabilities. Transaction structures involving trusts, nominees and similar entities are prohibited. Therefore, such regulation may impede our ability to negotiate and complete a business combination transaction on financial terms that satisfy our investors and protect our shareholders’ economic interests.

PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may restrict or prevent us from using the proceeds of our future financings to make loans to our PRC subsidiary, or to make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary.

We, as an offshore holding company, are permitted under PRC laws and regulations to provide funding to our PRC subsidiary, which is treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC laws, through loans or capital contributions. However, loans by us to our PRC subsidiary to finance its activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE and capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary are subject to the requirement of making necessary filings in the Foreign Investment Comprehensive Management Information System, and registration with other governmental authorities in China.

SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprise, or Circular 19, effective on June 1, 2015, in replacement of the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Exchange Businesses, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the Issues Concerning the Administration of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses. According to Circular 19, the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that RMB capital may not be used for the issuance of RMB entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans or the repayment of bank loans that have been transferred to a third party. Although Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within the PRC, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. Thus, it is unclear whether SAFE will permit such capital to be used for equity investments in the PRC in actual practice. SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital Account, or Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in Circular 19, but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to grant loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. Circular 19 and Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability to transfer any foreign currency we hold, including the net proceeds from our future financings, to our PRC subsidiary, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in the PRC.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to, and direct investment in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies, 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 or future capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary. As a result, uncertainties exist as to our ability to provide prompt financial support to our PRC subsidiary when needed. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use foreign currency, including the proceeds we received from our future financings, and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding employee share incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

We have established a series of share incentive programs under which we issued share options to our PRC employees. In 2014, we created the 2014 Share Incentive Plan, which provides that the maximum number of shares authorized for issuance under this plan shall not exceed ten percent of the number of issued and outstanding shares of company stock as of December 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year, and an additional number of shares may be added automatically annually to the shares issuable under the Plan on and after January 1 of each year, from January 1, 2015 through January 1, 2024. The 2014 Share Incentive Plan shall terminate on the tenth anniversary of its effective date on July 28, 2014 when the plan was approved by the shareholders of the Company. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in share incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose companies. In the meantime, directors, executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC residents residing in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions, and who have been granted restricted shares, options or restricted share units, may follow the Notice on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly Listed Company, issued by SAFE in February 2012, to apply for the foreign exchange registration. According to those regulations, employees, directors and other management members participating in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC citizens residing in China for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of the overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit their ability to make payment under the relevant equity incentive plans or receive dividends or sales proceeds related thereto in foreign currencies, or our ability to contribute additional capital into our subsidiaries in China and limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties under PRC law that could restrict our ability to adopt additional equity incentive plans for our directors, officers and employees who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC residents residing in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions.

In addition, the State Administration of Taxation has issued circulars concerning employee share options, restricted shares restricted share units. Under these circulars, employees working in the PRC who exercise share options, or whose restricted shares or restricted share units vest, will be subject to PRC individual income tax. The PRC subsidiaries of an overseas listed company have obligations to file documents related to employee share options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees related to their share options, restricted shares or restricted share units. Although we currently withhold income tax from our PRC employees in connection with their exercise of options and the vesting of their restricted shares and restricted share units, if the employees fail to pay, or the PRC subsidiary fails to withhold, their income taxes according to relevant laws, rules and regulations, the PRC subsidiary may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities.

The Security Review Rules may make it more difficult for us to make future acquisitions or dispositions of our business operations or assets in China.

The Security Review Rules, effective as of September 1, 2011, provides that when deciding whether a specific merger or acquisition of a domestic enterprise by foreign investors is subject to the national security review by Ministry of Commerce, the principle of substance-over-form should be applied and foreign investors are prohibited from circumventing the national security review requirement by structuring transactions through proxies, trusts, indirect investments, leases, loans, control through contractual arrangements or offshore transactions. If the business of any target company that we plan to acquire falls within the scope subject to national security review, we may not be able to successfully acquire such company by equity or asset acquisition, capital increase or even through any contractual arrangement.

Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.

On March 16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of China passed a new Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law. On November 28, 2007, the State Council of China passed its implementing rules, which took effect on January 1, 2008. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with “de facto management bodies” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” meaning that it can be treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define de facto management as “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the enterprise.

On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises, also referred to as SAT Circular 82 (which has been revised by the Decision of the State Administration of Taxation on Issuing the Lists of Invalid and Abolished Tax Departmental Rules and Taxation Normative Documents on December 29, 2017 and by the Decision of the State Council on Cancellation and Delegation of a Batch of Administrative Examination and Approval Items on November 8, 2013). The notice further interprets the application of the EIT Law and its implementation rules to Chinese enterprise or group controlled offshore entities. Pursuant to the notice, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate chops, board and shareholder minutes are kept in China; and (iv) at least half of its directors with voting rights or senior management habitually reside in China. In addition, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues concerning the Determination of Resident Enterprises Based on the Standards of De Facto Management Bodies in January 2014 to provide more guidance on the implementation of Circular 82. This bulletin further provides that, among other things, an entity that is classified as a “resident enterprise” in accordance with the circular shall file the application for classifying its status of residential enterprise with the local tax authorities where its main domestic investors are registered. From the year in which the entity is determined to be a “resident enterprise,” any dividend, profit and other equity investment gain shall be taxed in accordance with the enterprise income tax law and its implementing rules. A resident enterprise would be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at a rate of 10%, when paying dividends to its non-PRC shareholders. However, it remains unclear as to whether the Notice is applicable to an offshore enterprise controlled by Chinese natural persons. It is unclear how tax authorities will determine tax residency based on the facts of each case.

We may be deemed to be a resident enterprise by Chinese tax authorities. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a “resident enterprise” for the PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations, which would materially reduce our net income. Second, a 10% withholding tax may be imposed on dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises and with respect to gains derived by said shareholders from transferring our shares. Finally, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC individual shareholders and any gain realized on the transfer of our shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20%, if such income is deemed to be from PRC sources.

If we were treated as a “resident enterprise” by the PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both the U.S. and China, and we may not be able to claim our PRC tax as a credit to reduce our U.S. tax.

We and our shareholders face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises or other assets attributed to a Chinese establishment of a non-Chinese company, or immovable properties located in China owned by non-Chinese companies.

In October 2017, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Bulletin on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-PRC Resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or Bulletin 37, which replaced the Notice on Strengthening Administration of Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfers by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises issued by the State Administration of Taxation on December 10, 2009, and partially replaced and supplemented rules under the Bulletin on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or Bulletin 7, issued by the State Administration of Taxation on February 3, 2015. Pursuant to Bulletin 7, an “indirect transfer” of PRC assets, including a transfer of equity interests in an unlisted non-PRC holding company of a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises may be re-characterized and treated as a direct transfer of the underlying PRC assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. According to Bulletin 7, “PRC taxable assets” include assets attributed to an establishment in China, immoveable properties located in China, and equity investments in PRC resident enterprises and any gains from the transfer of such asset by a direct holder, who is a non-PRC resident enterprise, would be subject to PRC enterprise income taxes. When determining whether there is a “reasonable commercial purpose” of the transaction arrangement, factors to be taken into consideration include: whether the main value of the equity interest of the relevant offshore enterprise derives from PRC taxable assets; whether the assets of the relevant offshore enterprise mainly consists of direct or indirect investment in China or if its income mainly derives from China; whether the offshore enterprise and its subsidiaries directly or indirectly holding PRC taxable assets have real commercial nature which is evidenced by their actual function and risk exposure; the duration of existence of the business model and organizational structure; the replicability of the transaction by direct transfer of PRC taxable assets; and the tax situation of such indirect transfer and applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements. In the case of an indirect offshore transfer of assets of a PRC establishment, the resulting gain is to be included with the enterprise income tax filing of the PRC establishment or place of business being transferred, and may consequently be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Where the underlying transfer relates to immoveable properties located in China or to equity investments in a PRC resident enterprise, which is not related to a PRC establishment or place of business of a non-resident enterprise, a PRC enterprise income tax of 10% would apply, subject to available preferential tax treatment under applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements, and the party who is obligated to make the transfer payments has the withholding obligation. Pursuant to Bulletin 37, the withholding agent shall declare and pay the withheld tax to the competent tax authority in the place where such withholding agent is located within 7 days from the date of occurrence of the withholding obligation, while the transferor is required to declare and pay such tax to the competent tax authority within the statutory time limit according to Bulletin 7. Late payment of applicable tax will subject the transferor to default interest charges. Both Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7 do not apply to transactions of sale of shares by investors through a public stock exchange where such shares were acquired from a transaction through a public stock exchange.

There is uncertainty as to the application of Bulletin 37 or previous rules under Bulletin 7. We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries or investments. We may be subject to filing obligations or taxes if the Company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if the Company is transferee in such transactions, under Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7. For transfer of shares in the Company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiary may be requested to assist in the filing under Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that the Company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption laws, and any determination that we violated these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, or the FCPA, and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by the statute, for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We have operations, agreements with third parties such as distributors, and make almost all of our sales in China. The PRC also strictly prohibits bribery of government officials. Our activities in China create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by our employees, consultants, sales agents, or distributors to government officials or political parties, even though they may not always be subject to our control. It is our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and our employees, consultants, sales agents, or distributors may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or Chinese anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the U.S. government may seek to hold the Company liable for FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.

Since substantially all of our operations are located in China, information about our operations is not readily available from independent third-party sources.

Since Lianluo Connection is based in China, our shareholders outside China may have greater difficulty in obtaining information about them on a timely basis than local shareholders of a U.S.-based company. Lianluo Connection’s operations will continue to be conducted in China and shareholders may have difficulty in obtaining information about them from sources other than Lianluo Connection itself. Information available from newspapers, trade journals, or local, regional or national regulatory agencies may not be readily available to shareholders and, where available, will likely be available only in Chinese. Shareholders may have to be dependent upon management for reports of our PRC subsidiary’s progress, development, activities and expenditure of proceeds.

Our current auditors, like other independent registered public accounting firms operating in China and to the extent their audit clients have operations in China, are not permitted to be inspected by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection. In addition, as a result of the enactment of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, we could be delisted if we were unable to cure the situation to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time. Besides, we could be adversely affected if proposed legislation is adopted regarding improved access to audit and other information and audit inspections of accounting firms, including registered public accounting firms operating in the PRC such as our auditor, or if Nasdaq’s proposals requiring additional criteria to companies operating in “restrictive markets” become effective.

BDO China Shu Lun Pan Certified Public Accountants LLP, or BDO China, is the independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report included in this report in connection with our consolidated financial statements as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2020 and 2019. As auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the U.S., our public accounting firms are registered with the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the PCAOB. They are required by U.S. laws to be regularly inspected by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the U.S. laws and professional standards.

However, our operations are solely located in the PRC, a jurisdiction where PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the PRC authorities. Our independent registered public accounting firm, like others operating in China (and Hong Kong, to the extent their audit clients have operations in China), is currently not subject to inspection conducted by the PCAOB. Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside 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 the PCAOB to conduct full inspections of auditors operating in China makes it more difficult to evaluate our auditors’ audit procedures or quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

In December 2012, the SEC instituted proceedings under Rule 102(e)(1)(iii) of the SEC’s Rules of Practice against five PRC-based accounting firms, alleging that these firms had violated U.S. securities laws and the SEC’s rules and regulations thereunder by failing to provide to the SEC the firms’ work papers related to their audits of certain PRC-based companies that are publicly traded in the United States. Rule 102(e)(1)(iii) grants to the SEC the authority to deny to any person, temporarily or permanently, the ability to practice before the SEC who is found by the SEC, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, to have willfully violated, or willfully aided and abetted the violation of, any such laws or rules and regulations. On January 22, 2014, an initial administrative law decision was issued, sanctioning four of these accounting firms and suspending them from practicing before the SEC for a period of six months. The sanction will not take effect until there is an order of effectiveness issued by the SEC. In February 2014, four of these PRC-based accounting firms filed a petition for review of the initial decision. In February 2015, each of these four accounting firms agreed to a censure and to pay fine to the SEC to settle the dispute with the SEC. The settlement stays the current proceeding for four years, during which time the firms are required to follow detailed procedures to seek to provide the SEC with access to Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. If a firm does not follow the procedures, the SEC would impose penalties such as suspensions, or commence a new, expedited administrative proceeding against the non-compliant firm or it could restart the administrative proceeding against all four firms. The four-year mark occurred on February 6, 2019.

On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting the significant disclosure, financial reporting and other risks associated with emerging market investments, including the PCAOB’s continued inability to inspect audit work papers of auditors in the PRC. This statement is the latest in a series of recent proposed actions:

As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, on December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law. This act amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to direct the SEC to prohibit securities of any registrant from being listed on any of the U.S. securities exchanges or traded “over-the-counter” if the auditor of the registrant’s financial statements is not subject to PCAOB inspection for three consecutive years after the law becomes effective. As a result, we could be delisted if we are unable to cure the situation to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time.

If we become directly subject to the scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to address and resolve the matter, which could harm our business operations, stock price, and reputation. It could result in a loss of your investment in our stock, especially if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved favorably.

In the past few years, U.S. publicly traded companies that have substantially all of their operations in China like us have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators, and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity has centered around financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity, the publicly traded stocks of many U.S. listed Chinese companies have sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, have become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions, and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear the effect of this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism, and negative publicity will have on the Company, our business, and our stock price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations defending the Company. This situation would be costly, time consuming, and distract our management from growing the Company.

The disclosures in our reports and other filings with the SEC and our other public pronouncements are not subject to the scrutiny of any regulatory bodies in the PRC. Accordingly, our public disclosure should be reviewed in light of the fact that no governmental agency that is located in China where substantially all of our operations and business are located has conducted any due diligence on our operations, or reviewed or passed upon the accuracy and completeness of any of our disclosures.

Since we are regulated by the SEC, our reports and other filings with the SEC are subject to SEC’s review in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Unlike publicly traded companies whose operations are located primarily in the United States, substantially all of our operations are presently located in China. Since substantially all of our operations and business take place in China, it may be more difficult for the SEC staff to overcome the geographic and cultural obstacles, when they review our disclosures. Such obstacles are not present for similar companies whose operations and business take place entirely or primarily in the United States. Furthermore, our SEC reports and other disclosures and public announcements are not subject to the review or scrutiny of any PRC regulatory authority. For example, the disclosures in our SEC reports and other filings are not subject to the review of the CSRC, a PRC regulator that is tasked with oversight of the capital markets in China. Accordingly, you should review our SEC reports, filings, and other public announcements with the understanding that no local regulator has done any due diligence on the Company and that none of our SEC reports, other filings, or any of our other public announcements has been reviewed or otherwise been scrutinized by any local regulator.

Risks Relating to Ownership of our Common Shares

If we fail to maintain compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rules, we may be delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market, which would result in a limited public market for trading our shares and make obtaining future debt or equity financing more difficult for us.

Our Class A common shares are traded and listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol of “LLIT.” On September 11, 2019, we received a notification letter from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff of NASDAQ notifying us that the minimum bid price per share for our Class A common shares had been below $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days and we therefore no longer met the minimum bid price requirements set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). We were granted a compliance period of 180 days, or until March 9, 2020 to regain the compliance.

On January 2, 2020, we received another notification letter from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff notifying us that we no longer complied with the minimum of $2.5 million in stockholders’ equity for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market under NASDAQ’s Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) and that we also did not comply with either of the two alternative standards of Listing Rule 5550(b), the market value standard and the net income standard. We thereafter submitted a plan to regain compliance with NASDAQ’s applicable listing standards. On March 10, 2020, in consideration of our three financings during the first quarter of 2020, from which we received gross proceeds of approximately $8.08 million, the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff determined that we complied with the stockholders’ equity requirement set forth in Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). On that date, we met all applicable requirements for initial listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market, other than the minimum bid price requirement. The NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff recognized our intention of curing the minimum bid price deficiency by effecting a reverse stock split, and granted a second compliance period of 180 days, or until September 8, 2020, to regain compliance. The second compliance period was thereafter extended to November 20, 2020 by NASDAQ per SR-NASDAQ-2020-021. On October 21, 2020, we effectuated a share combination of our common shares at a ratio of one-for-eight in order to increase the per share trading price of our Class A common shares to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. We regained compliance with the minimum bid price rule on November 10, 2020.

However, there is no assurance that we will be able to continue to maintain our compliance with the NASDAQ continued listing requirements. If we fail to do so, our Class A common shares may lose their status on NASDAQ Capital Market and they would likely be traded on the over-the-counter markets, including the Pink Sheets market. As a result, selling our common shares could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analysts’ coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our common shares are delisted, broker dealers would bear certain regulatory burdens which may discourage broker dealers from effecting transactions in our common shares and further limit the liquidity of our shares. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common shares. Such delisting from NASDAQ and continued or further declines in our common share price could also greatly impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing and could significantly increase the ownership dilution to shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions.

An active trading market for our common shares may not develop and the trading price for the common shares may fluctuate significantly.

It is a closing condition to Merger that our common shares continue to list on NASDAQ. The post-merger entity will be required to meet the initial listing standards of NASDAQ, which are generally more stringent than NASDAQ’s continued listing standards. We may not be able to meet those initial listing requirements. Even if our common shares are approved for listing on NASDAQ upon completion of the Merger, we cannot assure you that a liquid public market for our common shares will develop. If an active public market for our common shares does not develop, the market price and liquidity of our common shares may be materially and adversely affected.

The trading price of the common shares is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to multiple factors, some of which are beyond our control.

The market price of our common shares is volatile, and this volatility may continue. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for the common shares may be highly volatile due to other factors, including the following:

Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which the common shares will trade.

In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If we were delisted from NASDAQ, we may become subject to the trading complications experienced by “Penny Stocks” in the over-the-counter market.

Delisting from NASDAQ may cause our common shares to become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules. The SEC generally defines a penny stock as an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exemptions. One such exemption is to be listed on NASDAQ. Therefore, if we were to be delisted from NASDAQ, our common shares could become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules. These rules require, among other things, that any broker engaging in a purchase or sale of our securities provide its customers with: (i) a risk disclosure document, (ii) disclosure of market quotations, if any, (iii) disclosure of the compensation of the broker and its salespersons in the transaction, and (iv) monthly account statements showing the market values of our securities held in the customer’s accounts. A broker would be required to provide the bid and offer quotations and compensation information before effecting the transaction. This information must be contained on the customer’s confirmation. Generally, brokers are less willing to effect transactions in penny stocks due to these additional delivery requirements. These requirements may make it more difficult for shareholders to purchase or sell our common shares. Since the broker, not us, prepares this information, we would not be able to assure that such information is accurate, complete or current.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NASDAQ rules and, as a result, qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. You will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.

Currently, and after completion of the Merger, Hangzhou Lianluo, Digital Grid and their affiliates are and will continue to control a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares. As a result, we will continue to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of NASDAQ’s corporate governance standards. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company.” For so long as we remain a controlled company under this definition, we are permitted to elect to rely on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including:

As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our A common shares, the market price for our common shares and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common shares will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our common shares, the market price for our common shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our common shares to decline.

Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our common shares.

Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller’s interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions and allegations regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks appear to have, in the past, led to selling of our shares in the market. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. We may not be able defend against any such short seller attacks, and may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality.

Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on a price appreciation of our common shares for a return on your investment.

We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our common shares as a source for any future dividend income.

Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and certain requirements of BVI law. Under BVI law, a BVI company may pay a dividend provided the directors are satisfied that immediately following the dividend the value of the company’s assets will exceed its liabilities and the company will be able to pay its debts as they fall due. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions, and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our common shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our common shares. There is no guarantee that our common shares will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased our common shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our common shares and you may even lose your entire investment in our common shares. Additionally, because we are a holding company, our ability to pay dividends on our common shares may be limited by restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make distributions to us, including restrictions that are imposed under the terms of the agreements governing our subsidiaries’ loan and credit facilities. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of such dividend.

Investors may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us, our directors and management.

We are incorporated under the laws of the BVI and many of our directors and officers reside outside the United States. Moreover, many of these persons do not have significant assets in the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to recover against us or them on judgments of U.S. courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws.

The courts of the BVI would not automatically enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our directors and officers, or some of the experts named herein, predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, or entertain actions brought in the BVI against us or such persons predicated solely upon U.S. federal securities laws. Further, there is no treaty in effect between the United States and the BVI providing for the enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts in civil and commercial matters, and there are grounds upon which BVI courts may decline to enforce the judgments of U.S. courts. Some remedies available under the laws of U.S. jurisdictions, including remedies available under the U.S. federal securities laws, may not be allowed in the BVI courts if contrary to public policy in the BVI. Because judgments of U.S. courts are not automatically enforceable in the BVI, it may be difficult for you to recover against us or our directors and officers based upon such judgments.

In addition, under PRC law, a foreign judgment, which does not otherwise violate basic legal principles, state sovereignty, safety or social public interest, may be recognized and enforced by a PRC court, based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. As currently there exists no treaty or other form of reciprocity between China and the U.S. governing the recognition and enforcement of judgments, including those predicated upon the liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, there is uncertainty whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce judgments rendered by United States courts.

Certain types of class or derivative actions generally available under U.S. law may not be available as a result of the fact that we are incorporated in the BVI. As a result, the rights of shareholders may be limited.

Shareholders of BVI companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a court of the United States. The BVI courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law or to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the BVI, based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature.

You may have more difficulty protecting your interests than you would as a shareholder of a U.S. corporation.

Our corporate affairs will be governed by the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, and by the provisions of applicable BVI law. The rights of shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors and officers under BVI law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States, and some states (such as Delaware) have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law.

These rights and responsibilities are to a large extent governed by the British Virgin Island Business Companies Act, 2004 as amended from time to time, or the BVI Act, and the common law of the BVI. The common law of the BVI is derived in part from judicial precedent in the BVI as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the BVI. In addition, BVI law does not make a distinction between public and private companies and some of the protections and safeguards (such as statutory pre-emption rights, save to the extent expressly provided for in the memorandum and articles of association) that investors may expect to find in relation to a public company are not provided for under BVI law.

There may be less publicly available information about us than is regularly published by or about U.S. issuers. Also, the BVI regulations governing the securities of BVI companies may not be as extensive as those in effect in the United States, and the BVI law and regulations regarding corporate governance matters may not be as protective of our shareholders as state corporation laws in the United States. Therefore, you may have more difficulty protecting your interests in connection with actions taken by our directors and officers or our principal shareholders than you would as a shareholder of a corporation incorporated in the United States.

The laws of BVI provide limited protections for our shareholders, so our shareholders will not have the same options as to recourse in comparison to the United States if the shareholders are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs.

Under the laws of the BVI there is limited statutory protection of our shareholders other than the provisions of the BVI Act dealing with shareholder remedies. The principal protections under BVI statutory law are derivative actions, actions brought by one or more shareholders for relief from unfair prejudice, oppression and unfair discrimination and/or to enforce the BVI Act or the memorandum and articles of association. Shareholders are entitled to have the affairs of the company conducted in accordance with the BVI Act and the memorandum and articles of association, and are entitled to payment of the fair value of their respective shares upon dissenting from certain enumerated corporate transactions.

There are common law rights for the protection of shareholders that may be invoked, largely dependent on English company law, since the common law of the BVI is limited. Under the general rule pursuant to English company law known as the rule in Foss v. Harbottle, a court will generally refuse to interfere with the management of a company at the insistence of a minority of its shareholders who express dissatisfaction with the conduct of the company’s affairs by the majority or the board of directors. However, every shareholder is entitled to seek to have the affairs of the company conducted properly according to law and the constitutional documents of the company. As such, if those who control the company have persistently disregarded the requirements of company law or the provisions of the company’s memorandum and articles of association, then the courts may grant relief. Generally, the areas in which the courts will intervene are the following: (i) a company is acting or proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of its authority; (ii) the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could only be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; (iii) the individual rights of the plaintiff shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed; or (iv) those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”

These rights may be more limited than the rights afforded to our shareholders under the laws of states in the United States.

Other than as set forth in the BVI Act, shareholders of BVI companies like us have no general rights under BVI law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders, other than as set forth in the BVI Act. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

As a company incorporated in the BVI, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards. These practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with NASDAQ’s corporate governance listing standards.

As a BVI company listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market, we are subject to NASDAQ’s corporate governance listing standards. However, NASDAQ rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the BVI, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards. After the completion of the Merger, we intend to follow some or all BVI corporate governance practices in lieu of the corporate governance requirements of NASDAQ that listed companies must have for as long as we qualify as a foreign private issuer.

For instance, we are not required to:

To the extent we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under NASDAQ’s corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies.

Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:

We are and will continue to be required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, after the completion of Merger, we intend to publish our results on a semi-annual basis as press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of NASDAQ. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.