| We believe that
Origin Agritech Limited (together with its subsidiaries and consolidated
PRC entities, "Origin" or the "Company") enjoys a reputation of which
we can be proud, and one that reflects our goals and the manner in
which we work to achieve them. As an Origin employee, you will be
expected to know and comply with law and Origin policies. The purpose
of this Code of Conduct (this "Code") is to provide a summary of certain
of the Company's key policies and procedures, and is just one element
of our overall effort to ensure lawful and ethical conduct. References
to "employees" throughout this Code shall include all directors, officers
and employees of the Company (each an "Employee" and, collectively,
the "Employees"). 1.Application of the Code. The Code applies
to each Employee and must be strictly observed. If an Employee fails
to observe the Code, he or she may face disciplinary action, up
to and including termination. Therefore, each Employee individually
is responsible to understand the Code and to act in accordance with
it. The Code is not intended to cover every applicable law, rule
or regulation or to provide answers to all questions that may arise.
Therefore, in addition to observing the Code, an Employee must use
good judgment in assessing whether any given action is ethical or
otherwise constitutes good business conduct. From time to time an
Employee may also be required to seek guidance from others with
respect to the appropriate course of conduct in a given situation.
If an Employee has any questions regarding any law, rule, regulation,
or principle discussed in the Code which may govern the appropriate
course of conduct, he or she should contact a supervisor or the
Company's legal department.
2. Code Does Not Constitute an Employment Contract. The Code does
not in any way constitute an employment contract or an assurance
of continued employment. It is for the sole and exclusive benefit
of the Company and may not be used or relied upon by any other party.
The Company may modify or repeal the provisions of the Code or adopt
a new Code at any time it deems appropriate, with or without notice
to its Employees.
3. Conflicts of Interest.
3.1 Conflicts of Interest Prohibited. The Company's policy is to
prohibit conflicts of interest unless such conflicts of interest
are otherwise approved or waived according to the Company's policy
or applicable laws, rules and regulations. A conflict of interest
occurs when an Employee's personal interest interferes, or appears
to interfere, with the interests of the Company in any way.
3.2 Identifying Conflicts of Interest. A conflict of interest can
arise when an Employee or a member of his or her family takes actions
or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her
Company work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest
can also arise when an Employee or a member of his or her family
receives improper personal benefits as a result of the Employee's
position in the Company. Such conflicts of interest can undermine
an Employee's business judgment and responsibility to the Company
and threaten the Company's business and reputation. Accordingly,
an Employee should avoid all apparent, potential, and actual conflicts
of interest. Further, an Employee must communicate to the corporate
legal department all potential and actual conflicts of interest
or material transactions or relationships that reasonably could
be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest or the appearance
of such a conflict of interest. The following activities all generally
constitute a conflict of interest:
3.2.1 Corporate Opportunities. An Employee taking opportunities
for his or her own benefit that are discovered through the use of
the Company's information, property or position; or an Employee
using the Company's information, property or position for his or
her own personal gain or to compete with the Company.
3.2.2 Loans. The granting by the Company of any loans or guaranties
for an Employee or for the Employee's family members. Such activity
will not be allowed without the prior written approval of the corporate
legal department, and if appropriate, the Board or a committee thereof.
The Company will not extend, maintain or arrange for any personal
loan to or for any director or executive officer (or the equivalent
thereof).
3.2.3 Outside Activity. An Employee engaging in any outside activity
that materially detracts from or interferes with the performance
by an Employee of his or her services to the Company.
3.2.4 Outside Employment. An Employee serving as a director, representative,
employee, partner, consultant or agent of, or providing services
to, a company that is a supplier, customer or competitor of the
Company.
3.2.5 Personal Interest. An Employee having any personal interest,
whether directly or indirectly, in a transaction involving the Company.
3.2.6 Personal Investments. An Employee owning, directly or indirectly,
a material amount of stock in, being a creditor of, or having another
financial interest in a supplier, customer or competitor.
3.3 Reporting. Each Employee must report conflicts of interest to
a superior who he or she believes is not involved in the matter
giving rise to the conflict. Any Employee who has questions as to
whether a conflict of interest exists after consulting the Code
should contact the corporate legal department for assistance in
making that determination.
4. Gifts and Entertainment.
4.1 General Policy. The Company recognizes that the giving and receiving
of gifts and entertainment is common business practice. However,
gifts and entertainment should never compromise, or appear to compromise,
an Employee's ability to make objective and fair business decisions.
The Company's policy is that an Employee may give or receive gifts
or entertainment to or from customers and suppliers only if the
gift or entertainment could not be viewed as an inducement to any
particular business decision.
4.2 Giving Gifts and Entertainment. An Employee must obtain written
permission from the head of his or her department before giving
any gifts or entertainment on behalf of the Company. Furthermore,
the Employee must ensure that the expense for such gifts or entertainment
is properly recorded on the Company's expense reports.
4.3 Reporting Gifts. An Employee must accept only appropriate gifts
from customers or suppliers. The Company encourages Employees to
submit each such gift he or she receives. However, an Employee must
submit to his or her department any gift the objective market value
of which exceeds RMB200.
4.4 Bribes, Kickbacks and Secret Commissions Prohibited. The Company's
policy is to encourage fair transactions. No Employee may give or
receive any bribe, kickback, or secret commission.
5. Confidentiality. An Employee must maintain the confidentiality
of all information entrusted to him or her by the Company, its suppliers,
its customers and other individuals or entities related to the Company's
business. Confidential information includes any non-public information
that if disclosed might be useful to the Company's competitors or
harmful to the Company, or its customers or suppliers. Confidential
information includes, among other things, the Company's customer
lists and details, new product plans, new marketing platforms or
strategies, computer software, trade secrets, research and development
findings, manufacturing processes, or the Company's acquisition
or sale prospects. Employees in possession of confidential information
must take steps to secure such information. Employees must take
steps to ensure that only other Employees who have a "need to know"
the confidential information in order to do their job can access
it, and to avoid discussion or disclosure of confidential information
in public areas (for example, in elevators, on public transportation,
and on cellular phones). An Employee may only disclose confidential
information when disclosure is authorized by the Company or legally
required. Upon termination of employment, or at such other time
as the Company may request, each Employee must return to the Company
any medium containing confidential information, and may not retain
duplicates. An Employee has an ongoing obligation to preserve confidential
information, even after his or her termination of employment with
the Company, until such time as the Company discloses such information
publicly or the information otherwise becomes available to the public
through no fault of the Employee.
6. Fair Dealing. Each Employee must deal fairly with each of the
Company's customers, suppliers, competitors and other Employees.
Employees must not take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation,
concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation
of material facts, or any other unfair-dealing practices.
7. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets. An Employee must
protect the Company's assets and ensure their efficient use. Such
assets include communication systems, information (proprietary or
otherwise), material, facilities and equipment, as well as intangible
assets. An Employee must not use such assets for personal profit
for themselves or others. Additionally, an Employee must act with
reasonable care to protect the Company's assets from theft, loss,
damage, misuse, removal and waste. Where an Employee discovers any
theft, loss, damage, misuse, removal or waste of a Company asset,
he or she must promptly report this to the Company. Finally, an
Employee must use reasonable efforts to ensure that Company assets
are used only for legitimate business purposes.
8. Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations.
8.1 Generally. An Employee must comply fully with all laws, rules
and regulations applying to the Company's business and its conduct
in business matters. This includes, among other things, laws applying
to bribery, kickbacks, and secret commissions, copyrights, trademarks
and trade secrets, information privacy, insider trading, offering
or receiving gifts, employment harassment, occupational health and
safety, false or misleading financial information or misuse of corporate
assets. The fact that certain laws, rules or regulations are not
enforced in practice, or that the violation of such laws, rules
or regulations is not subject to public criticism or censure, will
not excuse any illegal action by an Employee. The Company expects
each Employee to understand with all laws, rules and regulations
that apply to his or her position at the Company. Where an Employee
has a doubt as to the legality of a given action or the proper course
of conduct, that Employee must immediately consult the corporate
legal department. Aside from strictly legal considerations, Employees
must at all times act honestly and maintain the highest standards
of business conduct and ethics, consistent with the professional
image of the Company.
8.2 Insider Trading. United States federal and state law prohibits
the use of "material inside information" when trading in or recommending
Company securities. In accordance with applicable United States
federal and state law, no Employee may engage in transactions in
Company stock (whether for his or her own account, for the Company's
account or otherwise) while in possession of material inside information
("Insider Trading") relating to Origin Agritech Limited. Furthermore,
no Employee who is in possession of material inside information
may communicate such information to third parties who may use such
information in the decision to purchase or sell Company stock ("Tipping").
These restrictions also apply to securities of other companies if
an Employee learns of material inside information in the course
of his or her duties for the Company. In addition to violating Company
policy, Insider Trading and Tipping are illegal. What constitutes
"material inside information" is a complex legal question, but is
generally considered to be information not available to the general
public, which a reasonable investor contemplating a purchase of
Company stock would be substantially likely to take into account
in making his or her investment decision. Such information includes
information relating to a stock split and other actions relating
to capital structure, major management changes, contemplated acquisitions
or divestitures, and information concerning earnings or other financial
information. Such information continues to be "inside" information
until it is disclosed to the general public. Any person who is in
possession of material inside information is deemed to be an "insider."
This would include directors, officers, Employees (management and
non-management), as well as spouses, friends or brokers who may
have acquired such information directly or indirectly from an insider
"tip." Substantial penalties may be assessed against people who
trade while in possession of material inside information and can
also be imposed upon companies and so called controlling persons
such as officers and directors, who fail to take appropriate steps
to prevent or detect insider trading violations by their employees
or subordinates. To avoid severe consequences, Employees should
review this policy before trading in securities and consult with
the corporate legal department if any doubts exist as to what constitutes
"material inside information."
9. Reporting Illegal or Unethical Behavior.
9.1 Obligation to Report Violations. Any Employee who is aware of
any illegal or unethical behavior at the Company or in connection
with its business, or who believes that an applicable law, rule
or regulation or the Code has been violated, must promptly report
the matter to the corporate legal department.
9.2 Company to Investigate Reported Violations. The Company will
investigate promptly all reports of violations and, if appropriate,
remedy the violation. If legally required, the Company will also
immediately report the violation to the proper governmental authority.
An Employee must cooperate with the Company to ensure that violations
are promptly identified and resolved.
9.3 Employees Who Report Violations Will Be Protected from Retaliation.
The Company shall protect the confidentiality of those making reports
of possible misconduct to the maximum extent possible, consistent
with the requirements necessary to conduct an effective investigation
and the law. In no event will the Company tolerate any retaliation
against an Employee for reporting an activity that he or she in
good faith believes to be a violation of any law, rule, regulation,
or the Code. Any superior or other Employee intimidating or imposing
sanctions on an Employee for reporting a matter will be disciplined
up to and including termination.
10. Quality of Disclosure. The Company is subject to certain reporting
and disclosure requirements in the United States. As a result the
Company will be regularly required to report its financial results
and other material information about its business to the public
and to regulators. The Company's policy is promptly to disclose
accurate and complete information regarding its business, financial
condition and results of operations. Each Employee must strictly
comply with all applicable standards, laws, regulations and policies
for accounting and financial reporting of transactions, estimates
and forecasts. Inaccurate, incomplete or untimely reporting will
not be tolerated and can severely damage the Company and result
in legal liability. Each Employee should be on guard for, and promptly
report, any possibility of inaccurate of incomplete financial reporting.
Particular attention should be paid to financial results that seem
inconsistent with the performance of the underlying business, transactions
that do not seem to have an obvious business purpose, or and requests
to circumvent ordinary review and approval procedures. The Company's
senior financial officers and other employees working in the finance
department have a special responsibility to ensure that all of the
Company's financial disclosures are full, fair accurate, timely
and understandable. Any practice or situation that might undermine
this objective should be reported to the corporate legal department.
An Employee with information relating to questionable accounting
or auditing matters may also confidentially, and anonymously if
they desire, submit the information in writing to the Board's Audit
Committee.
11. Responding to Improper Conduct. The Company will enforce the
Code on a uniform basis for everyone, without regard to an Employee's
position within the Company. If an Employee violates the Code, he
or she will be subject to disciplinary action. Supervisors and managers
of a disciplined Employee may also be subject to disciplinary action
for their failure to properly oversee an Employee's conduct, or
for any retaliation against an Employee who reports a violation.
The Company's response to misconduct will depend upon a number of
factors including whether the improper behavior involved illegal
conduct. Disciplinary action may include, but is not limited to,
reprimands and warnings, probation, suspension, demotion, reassignment,
reduction in salary or immediate termination. Employees should be
aware that certain actions and omissions prohibited by the Code
might be crimes that could lead to individual criminal prosecution
and, upon conviction, to fines and imprisonment.
12. Amendment and Waivers. Amendments of this Code must be in writing
and approved by the Board of Directors. Waivers or exceptions to
the Code may only be granted in advance and only under exceptional
circumstances. A waiver of the Code for any executive officer or
director may be made only by the Board or a committee thereof and
must be promptly disclosed to the extent required by applicable
law and stock exchange requirements.
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