China Merchants China Direct Investments Limited
RSS FeedsHelp

Corporate Governance

The Company is a public limited company incorporated in Hong Kong on 13 April 1993. Its new articles of association is shown as below.

The Company is committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance. The Board believes that good corporate governance practices are important to protect shareholders' interests and to promote investor confidence. The Company has been complying with all the code provisions set out in Appendix C1 to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Listing Rules") (Corporate Governance Code (the "Code")), except for certain deviations as stated in the annual report. And the Company has not established a Remuneration Committee pursuant to the Listing Rules for reasons as stated in the announcement dated 28 March 2012. The Board continues to monitor and review the Company's corporate governance practices to ensure compliance.

Board of Directors

At present, the Board consists of two Executive Directors, four Non-executive Directors and five Independent Non-executive Directors as defined by the Listing Rules. Please see below a list of Directors and their role and function.

The Company has appointed an Investment Manager to manage its investment portfolio and day-to-day administration of the Company. According to an Investment Management Agreement entered into between the Company and the Investment Manager, the Investment Manager undertakes all investment and management duties arising pursuant to the operation of the Company and its responsibilities include identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, executing investment decisions, monitoring and enhancing investments of the Company, making decisions on investments and realisations for the Company, managing the corporate affairs of the Company and dealing with its day-to-day administration. The Board is responsible for formulating the Company's overall investment strategy and guidelines that the Investment Manager shall follow to make the investments. The Board is also responsible for performing the corporate governance duties as required under the Code.

Audit Committee and Nomination Committee

The Board has established an Audit Committee and a Nomination Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities. The terms of reference of the Committees are shown as below. The Audit Committee and Nomination Committee are provided with sufficient resources enabling them to perform their duties.

Investment Committee

The Board has also established an Investment Committee, of which currently has four members, to approve transactions (investments or realisations) of over US$20 million each (effective from 05 February 2010), and to supervise the day-to-day management functions of the Investment Manager.

Risk Management and Internal Control

To manage and monitor the various risk factors (including environmental, social and governance risks) which the Company may be exposed, the Board is responsible for establishing and overseeing the Company’s risk management and internal control systems on an ongoing basis, and ensuring the review of the effectiveness of the risk management and internal control systems has been properly conducted.

The Company has reviewed its risk management framework and processes and has implemented relevant measures resulting from this exercise that aim to enhance its framework and processes. In particular, the Company has developed, approved and implemented a risk management system, which is defined and supported by its risk management policy. The terms of reference of the Audit Committee has included its responsibility for effective systems of risk management and internal control. Besides, the Company has also established a Whistle-blowing Policy (as shown below) which is an important part of our effective systems of risk management and internal control as it is recognised that whistle-blowing is usually a useful means of uncovering fraud, malpractice, misconduct or significant risk within an organisation.

The Board conducted an annual review on the effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems, covering all material controls such as financial, operational and compliance controls. In addition, the Board has appointed an international accountancy firm to review the internal control systems of the Company on an on-going basis. The review covered all material controls, including financial, operational and compliance controls, as well as risk management functions.

The risk management and internal control systems can provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss, and are designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure in the process of attaining business objectives. Based on the results of the annual review, the Board is satisfied and confident with the effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems currently put in place for the Company.

Shareholders' Rights

In accordance with Section 566 of the Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the "Ordinance"), the Directors are required to call a general meeting if the Company has received requests to do so from members of the Company representing at least 5% of the total voting rights of all the members having a right to vote at general meeting. Such requests (a) must state the general nature of the business to be dealt with at the meeting; and (b) may include the text of a resolution that may properly be moved and is intended to be moved at the meeting. Such requests (a) may be sent to the Company in hard copy form (by depositing at the registered office of the Company at 1609, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen's Road East, Hong Kong for the attention of the Board) or in electronic form (by email: info@cmcdi.com.hk); and (b) must be authenticated by the person or persons making it. In accordance with Section 567 of the Ordinance, the Directors must call a meeting within 21 days after the date on which they become subject to the requirement under Section 566 of the Ordinance and such meeting must be held on a date not more than 28 days after the date of the notice convening the meeting.

Besides, Section 615 of the Ordinance provides that the Company must give notice of a resolution if it has received requests that it do so from (a) the members of the Company representing at least 2.5% of the total voting rights of all the members who have a right to vote on the resolution at the annual general meeting (AGM) to which the requests relate; or (b) at least 50 members who have a right to vote on the resolution at the AGM to which the requests relate. Such requests (a) may be sent to the Company in hard copy form (by depositing at the registered office of the Company at 1609, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen's Road East, Hong Kong for the attention of the Board) or in electronic form (by email: info@cmcdi.com.hk); (b) must identify the resolution of which notice is to be given; (c) must be authenticated by the person or persons making it; and (d) must be received by the Company not later than (i) 6 weeks before the AGM to which the requests relate; or (ii) if later, the time at which notice is given of that meeting. Section 616 of the Ordinance provides that the Company that is required under Section 615 of the Ordinance to give notice of a resolution must send a copy of it at the Company's own expense to each member of the Company entitled to receive notice of the AGM (a) in the same manner as the notice of the meeting; and (b) at the same time as, or as soon as reasonably practicable after, it gives notice of the meeting.

In addition, pursuant to Article 100 of the Articles of Association of the Company, no person, other than a retiring Director, shall, unless recommended by the Directors for election, be eligible for election to the office of Director at any general meeting, unless notice in writing of the intention to propose that person for election as a Director and notice in writing by that person of his willingness to be elected shall have been given to the Company provided that the minimum length of the period, during which such notices are given, shall be at least 7 days. The period for lodgment of such notices shall commence no earlier than the day after the despatch of the notice of the general meeting appointed for such election and end no later than 7 days prior to the date of such general meeting. Detailed procedures for shareholders to propose a person for election as a Director can be found below.

Shareholders have been provided with contact details of the Company on the Company's website, such as telephone number, fax number, email address and postal address, in order to enable them to make any enquiries that they may have with respect to the Company. They can also send their enquiries to the Board using these means. In addition, shareholders can contact Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, the share registrar of the Company, if they have any enquiries about their shareholdings and entitlements to dividend.

Investor Relationship and Communication

The Company endeavours to maintain a high level of transparency when communicating with shareholders and the investment community at large. The Company is committed to maintaining an open and effective communication policy. As such, the Company has formulated a Shareholders Communication Policy and shown as below.