X Financial [XYF] Filings

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

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Commission file number: 001-38652

X Financial

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

N/A

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

7-8F, Block A, Aerospace Science and Technology Plaza

No. 168, Haide Third Avenue, Nanshan District

Shenzhen, 518067, the People’s Republic of China

(Address of principal executive offices)

Mr. Frank Fuya Zheng, Chief Financial Officer

7-8F, Block A, Aerospace Science and Technology Plaza

No. 168, Haide Third Avenue, Nanshan District

Shenzhen, 518067, the People’s Republic of China

Tel: +86-755-8628 2977

E-mail: frank.zheng@xiaoying.com

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

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

* Effective from November 19, 2020, the ratio of ADSs representing the Class A ordinary shares changed from one (1) ADS representing two (2) Class A ordinary shares to one (1) ADS representing six (6) Class A ordinary shares.

** Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing of the American depositary shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

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

None

(Title of Class)

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

None

(Title of Class)

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

293,553,607 ordinary shares, comprised of 195,953,607 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 97,600,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001per share, as of December 31, 2023.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ☐   No ☒

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes ☐   No ☒

Note - Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes ☒   No ☐

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

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If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards † provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ☐

†The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to section 12(b) of Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statments.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).  ☐¹

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

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

☐  Item 17   ☐ Item 18

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ☐    No ⌧

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

Yes ☐   No ☐

¹ The correction of an error in the previously issued financial statments included in this Form 20-F does not have an impact on the financial reporting measure and therefore, this box is unchecked.

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INTRODUCTION

Unless otherwise indicated, in this annual report on Form 20-F, the following terms shall have the meaning set out below:

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Our reporting currency is Renminbi because substantially all of our operations are conducted in Chinese Mainland and all of our revenues is denominated in Renminbi. This annual report contains translations of Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specific rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi in this annual report were made at a rate of RMB 7.0999 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board on December 29, 2023. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this annual report could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. The Chinese Mainland government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of Renminbi into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade.

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FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

You can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

You should read this annual report and the documents that we refer to in this annual report and have filed as exhibits to this annual report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this annual report. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in this annual report relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this annual report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

We would like to caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and you should read these statements in conjunction with the risk factors disclosed in “Item 3. Key Information—3.D. Risk Factors.” Those risks are not exhaustive. We operate in an evolving environment. New risks emerge from time to time and it is impossible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable law. You should read this annual report and the documents that we reference in this annual report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

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PART I

VIE Structure and Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure

X Financial is a Cayman Islands holding company conducting its operations in Chinese Mainland through Beijing WFOE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of YZT (HK) Limited, Shenzhen Xiaoying Puhui Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing WFOE (“Shenzhen Puhui”), Shenzhen Xiaoying Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shenzhen Xiaoying IT”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing WFOE, and the VIEs, including Shenzhen Xiaoying (VIE), Shenzhen Xintang (VIE), Beijing Ying Zhong Tong (VIE) and their subsidiaries. The Company has equity interests in Beijing WFOE, Shenzhen Puhui, and Shenzhen Xiaoying IT, however, neither the Company nor its subsidiaries own any share in the VIEs. Instead, the Company control and receive the economic benefits of the VIEs’ business operation through a series of contractual arrangements (the “VIE Agreements”). To comply with Chinese Mainland laws and regulations, the Company does not have an equity ownership interest in its VIEs but rely on the VIE Agreements with VIEs to control and operate their businesses. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide the Beijing WFOE, with the power, rights, and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the principal equity holder of the VIEs, including absolute control rights and the rights to the assets, property, and revenues of the VIEs. As a result of these contractual arrangements, which have not been tested in a court of law in the Chinese Mainland, the assets and liabilities of the VIEs are treated as the Company’s assets and liabilities and the results of operations of the VIEs are treated in all aspects as if they were the results of the Company’s operations due to the satisfaction for consolidation of the VIEs under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIEs, and, therefore, consolidate the financial results of the VIEs in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. See “Item 4.C. Organizational Structure” for more information on these VIE Agreements.

Because of our corporate structure, we are subject to risks due to uncertainty of the interpretation and the application of the Chinese Mainland laws and regulations, including but not limited to the validity and enforcement of the VIE Agreements. We are also subject to the risks of uncertainty about any future actions of the Chinese Mainland government in this regard. Our VIE Agreements may not be effective in providing control over the VIEs. The contractual arrangements have not been judicially tested in the Chinese Mainland and there remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of arbitration should legal action become necessary. We rely on the VIE Agreements with VIEs to control and operate their businesses. The investors may never hold equity interests in such VIEs. We may also be subject to sanctions imposed by Chinese Mainland regulatory agencies including Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission, or CSRC, if we fail to comply with their rules and regulations. We may also be subject to Chinese Mainland laws relating to, among others, data security and restrictions over foreign investments due to the complexity of the regulatory regime in Chinese Mainland, and the recent statements and regulatory actions by the Chinese Mainland government relating to data security may affect our remaining business operations in Chinese Mainland or even our ability to offer securities in the United States. We are also subject to the risks and uncertainties about any future actions of the Chinese Mainland government that could disallow the VIE structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and/or a material change in the value of our securities, including causing the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. See “Risk Factors-Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure” for more information.

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The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure as of the date of this annual report. It omits certain entities that are immaterial to our results of operations, business and financial condition and also omits certain trusts and limited partnership enterprises we consolidate (see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—5.A. Operating Results—Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates, Consolidated Trusts, Consolidated Partnerships”). The relationships between, on the one hand, each of Beijing Ying Zhong Tong (VIE), Shenzhen Xintang (VIE), and Shenzhen Xiaoying (VIE), and on the other, Beijing WFOE as illustrated in this diagram are governed by contractual arrangements and do not constitute equity ownership. The dissolvement has been approved by Beijing WFOE pursuant to the relevant variable interest entity agreements. See “Risk Factors-Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure” for more information.

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* Entities in which the shareholders of X Financial own the interests.

** Entities in which the shareholders of X Financial do not own any interests.

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Risks Associated with Being Based in or Having the Majority of our Operations in Chinese Mainland

We are exposed to legal and operational risks associated with our operations in Chinese Mainland. The Chinese Mainland government has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a company with operations in Chinese Mainland, including us, to conduct its business. The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in Chinese Mainland may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, data information, antitrust, finance, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions 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. Any actions by the Chinese Mainland government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in companies having operations in Chinese Mainland, including us, could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless. These Chinese Mainland-related risks could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our securities, or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer securities to investors in the future and potentially cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.

The Chinese Mainland government may exert, at any time, substantial intervention and influence over the manner of our operations. Recently, the Chinese Mainland government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in Chinese Mainland with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over Chinese Mainland-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews and new laws and regulations related to data security, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement.

The regulatory framework for the collection, use, safeguarding, sharing, transfer and other processing of personal information and important data worldwide is rapidly evolving in Chinese Mainland and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Regulatory authorities in Chinese Mainland have implemented and are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection. For example, the PRC Cybersecurity Law, which became effective in June 2017, established Chinese Mainland’s first national-level data protection for “network operators,” which may include all organizations in Chinese Mainland that connect to or provide services over the internet or other information network. The PRC Data Security Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of PRC National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, on June 10, 2021 and became effective on September 1, 2021, outlines the main system framework of data security protection.

The amended Measures of Cybersecurity Review, which was promulgated by the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) in December 2021 and came into effect on February 15, 2022, requires cyberspace operators with personal information of more than one million users to file for cybersecurity review with the Cybersecurity Review Office (“CRO”), in the event such operators plan for an overseas listing. The amended Measures of Cybersecurity Review provide that, among others, an application for cybersecurity review must be made by an issuer that is a “critical information infrastructure operator” or a “data processing operator” as defined therein before such issuer’s securities become listed in a foreign country, if the issuer possesses personal information of more than one million users, and that the relevant governmental authorities in the Chinese Mainland may initiate cybersecurity review if such governmental authorities determine an operator’s cyber products or services, data processing or potential listing in a foreign country affect or may affect China’s national security. In August 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law which became effective on November 1, 2021. The Personal Information Protection Law provides a comprehensive set of data privacy and protection requirements that apply to the processing of personal information and expands data protection compliance obligations to cover the processing of personal information of persons by organizations and individuals in Chinese Mainland, and the processing of personal information of persons outside of Chinese Mainland if such processing is for purposes of providing products and services to, or analyzing and evaluating the behavior of, persons in Chinese Mainland. The Personal Information Protection Law also provides that critical information infrastructure operators and personal information processing entities who process personal information meeting a volume threshold to be set by Chinese cyberspace regulators are also required to store in Chinese Mainland the personal information generated or collected in Chinese Mainland, and to pass a security assessment administered by Chinese cyberspace regulators for any export of such personal information. Moreover, pursuant to the Personal Information Protection Law, persons who seriously violate this law may be fined for up to RMB50 million or 5% of annual revenues generated in the prior year and may also be ordered to suspend any related activity by competent authorities.

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In November 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on Network Data Security (draft for public comments) and accepted public comments until December 13, 2021. The draft Regulations on Network Data Security provide more detailed guidance on how to implement the general legal requirements under laws such as the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law. The draft Regulations on Network Data Security follow the principle that the state will regulate based on a data classification and multi-level protection scheme, under which data is largely classified into three categories: general data, important data and core data. Under the current cybersecurity laws in Chinese Mainland, critical information infrastructure operators that intend to purchase internet products and services that may affect national security must be subject to the cybersecurity review. On July 30, 2021, the State Council of the PRC promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The regulations require, among others, that certain competent authorities shall identify critical information infrastructures. If any critical information infrastructure is identified, they shall promptly notify the relevant operators and the Ministry of Public Security.

Currently, the cybersecurity laws and regulations have not directly affected our business and operations, but in anticipation of the strengthened implementation of cybersecurity laws and regulations and the expansion of our business, we face potential risks if we are deemed as a critical information infrastructure operator under the Cybersecurity Law. In such case, we must fulfill certain obligations as required under the Cybersecurity Law and other applicable laws, including, among others, storing personal information and important data collected and produced within the Chinese Mainland territory during our operations in Chinese Mainland, which we are already doing in our business, and we may be subject to review when purchasing internet products and services. According to the amended Measures of Cybersecurity Review, we may be subject to review when conducting data processing activities, and may face challenges in addressing its requirements and make necessary changes to our internal policies and practices in data processing. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been involved in any investigations on cybersecurity review made by the CAC on such basis, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions in such respect. In addition, we have maintained a comprehensive and rigorous data protection program and implemented comprehensive and strict internal policies, procedures and measures designed to ensure our compliance with cybersecurity and data privacy laws and regulations:

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Security Compliance and Scanning: we will regularly conduct penetration tests on servers and application systems, i.e., non-destructive simulated hacking attacks on network servers and application systems using security scanning tools and manually to ensure the rapid discovery and repair of security threats existing in the user’s system. We also regularly combine manual scanning with tool scanning to comprehensively dig into the code of general Web vulnerabilities, business logic vulnerabilities, application vulnerabilities, application configuration file insecurity, etc., to solve the existing security risks from the code level.

Based on the foregoing, we do not expect that, as of the date of this annual report, the current applicable Chinese Mainland laws on cybersecurity would have a material adverse impact on our business. However, any failure or perceived failure to comply with all applicable laws and regulations may result in legal proceedings or regulatory actions against us, and could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations, and we cannot assure you that the operators from the CAC or other relevant governmental authority will not introduce additional requirements or policies which may require significant changes in the way we operate our business.

On September 1, 2021, the PRC Data Security Law became effective, which imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals conducting data-related activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, as well as the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, or illegally acquired or used. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been involved in any investigations on data security compliance made in connection with the PRC Data Security Law, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions in such respect. Based on the foregoing, we do not expect that, as of the date of this annual report, the PRC Data Security Law would have a material adverse impact on our business.

On July 7, 2022, the CAC published the Outbound Data Transfer Security Assessment Measures that took effect on September 1, 2022 and outline the potential security assessment process for outbound data transfer. Under the Outbound Data Transfer Security Assessment Measures, data processors that provide important data and personal information outbound that are collected or produced through operations within the territory of the Chinese Mainland, where a security assessment shall be conducted according to the law, shall apply to the provisions of these Measures. Under the Outbound Data Transfer Security Assessment Measures, data processors providing outbound data shall apply for outbound data transfer security assessment with the CAC in any of the following circumstances: (i) where a data processor provides important data abroad; (ii) where a critical information infrastructure operator or a data processor processing the personal information of more than one million individuals provides personal information abroad; (iii) where a data processor has provided personal information of 100,000 individuals or sensitive personal information of 10,000 individuals in total abroad since January 1 of the previous year; and (iv) other circumstances prescribed by the CAC for which declaration for security assessment for outbound data transfers is required. The Outbound Data Transfer Security Assessment Measures also provide procedures for security assessment and submissions, important factors to be considered in conducting assessment, and legal liabilities of a data processor for failure to apply for assessment.

On July 6, 2021, the relevant Chinese Mainland governmental authorities publicated the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law. These opinions require the relevant regulators to coordinate and accelerate amendments of legislation on the confidentiality and archive management related to overseas issuance and listing of securities, and to improve the legislation on data security, cross-border data flow and management of confidential information. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by Chinese Mainland-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by Chinese Mainland-based overseas-listed companies. As these opinions were recently issued, official guidance and related implementation rules have not been issued yet and the interpretation of these opinions remains unclear at this stage. As of the date of this annual report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from the CSRC or any other Chinese Mainland government authorities. Based on the foregoing and the currently effective Chinese Mainland laws, we are of the view that, as of the date of this annual report, these opinions do not have a material adverse impact on our business.

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On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five supporting guidelines which took effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, Chinese companies that seek to offer and list securities overseas shall fulfill the filing procedures with and report relevant information to the CSRC, and that an initial filing shall be submitted within three working days after the application for an initial public offering is submitted, and a second filing shall be submitted within three working days after the listing is completed. Further, at the press conference held for the Trial Measures on February 17, 2023, officials from the CSRC clarified that the Chinese Mainland domestic companies that have already been listed overseas on or before the effective date of the Trial Measures (i.e. March 31, 2021) shall be deemed as existing issuers, or the Existing Issuers. The Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filing procedures immediately but shall carry out filing procedures as required if they conduct refinancing or are involved in other circumstances that require filing with the CSRC.

We are an Existing Issuer under the Trial Measures, as we were listed on September 19, 2018, which is before the effective date of the Trial Measures. As an Existing Issuer, we currently do not have any intention or plan of refinancing or being involved in any other circumstances that required filing with the CSRC under the Trial Measures. If we conduct refinancing or any other activities that are subject to filing procedures in the future, we will actively communicate with the CSRC and initiate the filing procedures as required in a timely manner. However, given that the Trial Measures were recently promulgated, uncertainties remain as to the implementation and interpretation, if we fail to complete the filing with the CSRC in a timely manner or at all for any future offering or any other financing activities which are subject to the filing requirements under the Trial Measures, our ability to raise or utilize funds and our operations could be materially and adversely affected.

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, Ministry of Finance of the Chinese Mainland, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of Chinese Mainland promulgated the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Archives Rules, which took effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Archives Rules, Chinese Mainland domestic companies that seek overseas offering and listing shall strictly abide by applicable laws and regulations of the Chinese Mainland and the Archives Rules, enhance legal awareness of keeping state secrets and strengthening archives administration, institute a sound confidentiality and archives administration system, and take necessary measures to fulfill confidentiality and archives administration obligations. Such domestic companies shall not leak any state secret and working secret of government agencies, or harm national security and public interest. Furthermore, a Chinese Mainland domestic company that plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant indivuduals or entities including securities companies, seceurities service providers and overseas regulators, any document and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level. Moreover, a Chinese Mainland domestic company that plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. The Archives Rules also stipulate that a Chinese Mainland domestic company that provides accounting archives or copies of accounting archives to any entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators and individuals shall fulfill due procedures in compliance with applicable national regulations. However, given that the Archives Rules was recently promulgated, there are substantial uncertainties as to the implementation and interpretation, and we cannot predict the impact of the Trial Measures and the Archives Rules on us, including but not limited to the maintenance of the listing status of our ADSs and/or other securities, or any of our future offerings of securities overseas at this stage.

As there are still uncertainties regarding these new laws and regulations as well as the amendment, interpretation and implementation of the existing laws and regulations related to cybersecurity and data protection, We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with these laws and regulations in all respects. The regulatory authorities may deem our activities or services non-compliant and therefore require us to suspend or terminate its business. We may also be subject to fines, legal or administrative sanctions and other adverse consequences, and may not be able to become in compliance with relevant laws and regulations in a timely manner, or at all. These may materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation.

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In addition, according to the institutional reform plan of the State Council approved by the National People’s Congress on March 10, 2023, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, or the CBIRC, will no longer be retained. And Chinese Mainland will set up a national financial regulatory administration, which will be in charge of regulating the financial industry except the securities sector, coordinating the protection of the rights and interests of financial consumers, strengthening risk management and prevention and disposal, and investigating and dealing with violations of the law. And a local financial regulatory mechanism will be developed with agencies dispatched by central financial regulators as the mainstay. Also, Chinese Mainland has established the National Data Bureau on October 25, 2023 under the administration of the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC. The National Data Bureau is responsible for advancing the development of data-related fundamental institutions, coordinating the integration, sharing, development and application of data resources, and pushing forward the planning and building of a digital Chinese Mainland, the digital economy and a digital society. Due to the enhanced supervision of financial industry and data protection, we may be under heightened regulatory scrutiny, which may increase our compliance costs and subject us to heightened risks and challenges.

As such, our business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. We could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. We may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply.

Risks Associated with the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act

The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, was signed into law on December 18, 2020 and amended pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 on December 29, 2022. Under the HFCA Act and the rules issued by the SEC and the PCAOB thereunder, if we have retained a registered public accounting firm to issue an audit report where the registered public accounting firm has a branch or office that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and the PCAOB has determined that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in the foreign jurisdiction, the SEC will identify us as a “covered issuer”, or SEC-identified issuer, shortly after we file with the SEC a report required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act (such as our annual report on Form 20-F) that includes an audit report issued by such accounting firm; and if we were to be identified as an SEC-identified issuer for two consecutive years, the SEC would prohibit our securities (including our shares or ADSs) from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States.

On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report to notify the SEC of its determination that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong and our auditor was subject to that determination. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China in the past has made it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections. After we filed our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 that included an audit report issued by KPMG Huazhen on April 28, 2022, the SEC conclusively identified us as an SEC-identified issuer on May 26, 2022. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed an agreement with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China, allowing the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely, consistent with U.S. law. After the execution of the agreement, the PCAOB had access to inspect or investigate the registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, and therefore, on December 15, 2022, the PCAOB removed Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms. For this reason, we were not identified as an SEC-identified issuer under the HFCA Act in 2023.

Each year, the PCAOB will determine whether it can inspect and investigate completely audit firms in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, among other jurisdictions. If the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely accounting firms in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong again and we use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, we would be identified as an SEC-identified issuer following the filing of the annual report on Form 20-F for the relevant fiscal year. In accordance with the HFCA Act, our securities would be prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States if we are identified as an SEC-identified issuer for two consecutive years in the future. If our shares and ADSs are prohibited from trading in the United States, there is no certainty that we will be able to list on a non-U.S. exchange or that a market for our shares will develop outside of the United States. A prohibition of being able to trade in the United States would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our ADSs when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs. Also, such a prohibition would significantly affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.

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Table of Contents

Financial Information Related to the Consolidated VIEs, Trusts and Partnerships

The following tables present condensed consolidated financial statements for the Company, the consolidated VIEs, Trusts and Partnerships, subsidiaries, and any eliminating adjustments. The statements depict the financial position as of December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023, and the results of operations and cash flows for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Selected Consolidated Statement of Balance Sheet Data

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